Insomnia Kicking in? Follow These Tips to Sleep Better

From news18.com

It's not just the right sleepwear that plays an important role to experience uninterrupted sleep, bedtime is also the perfect instance to take immense care of your luscious locks and skin and to rejuvenate from the harm caused by the pollution around you.

Jagadeesh.P, Trainer, Paul Mitchell India, and Karan Behal, CEO and Founder of PrettySecrets, have a few recommendations for a healthy sleep.

                                                              Image: @AliaBhatt/Instagram

*It is important to keep your scalp hydrated with anything that is soothing and provides proper nourishment. An overnight treatment is very effective for damage control for those of you who witness overly dry hair or split ends on a regular basis. A nourishing treatment and a satin soft pillow case will ensure you wake up like a diva each morning.

* For easing the tension before you sleep, tying your hair in a loose bun or braiding it is an advisable option.

* Massaging your scalp on a regular basis with tea tree oil stimulates the blood circulation which leads to healthy growth and helps in relieving tension. This gives the nourishment it requires. Gently massaging your hair helps you to achieve a sound sleep.

* You must also pick easy clothing to slide in for a relaxed sleep. Bid adieu to the tight clothing on the body. It is also preferable to choose breathable fabric while sleeping. Achieving that cotton comfort in cute pyjamas, stylish night dresses, cosy robes and more allows air circulation to your skin and is perfect for a cosy sleep.

* You can also redefine your sleepwear with stylish and comfortable nightwear varieties that helps you get some much-needed shut-eye. Satin fabric clothing will also keep you warm on the colder nights. You can opt for a whole lot of colourful and printed chemise, PJ's, and wraps that will not disappoint you.

* If you are the to-be bride, depending on your personality you can opt from the honeymoon collection to add to your bridal trousseau. Opt for the right fit that matches your silhouette to get the sexiest best on your wedding night.

* Lastly, a cup of chamomile tea will work its charm on the inside while you take care of everything on the outside.

https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/is-insomnia-kicking-in-follow-these-tips-to-sleep-better-1948617.html

How to use breathing to help you sleep and give you energy

From standard.co.uk

Kick the caffeine habit — oxygen is all you need to recharge and de-stress. Katie Strick gets some air

                                                              Shutterstock / Anti Anti

Taking a deep breath to calm down doesn’t sound ground-breaking, but most of us aren’t very good at doing it.
At least, that’s according to Stuart Sandeman, a former banker and DJ turned breathing coach, who’s the man whom stressed execs at Google, Nike and Dropbox call when they need to calm down.

Sandeman has spent the past three years engineering what he says is a revolutionary practice called Transformational Breath. It’s one part mindfulness, a few parts yoga, and designed to return you to a more “primal” way of breathing. When we feel stressed or anxious, we tend to breathe short and shallow using our chest, and “as this process becomes habitual, we lose the ability to breathe deeply and fully”.

From his Breathpod Clinic in Harley Street, he teaches work-hard, play-hard Londoners to take a fully open, diaphragmatic breath, which means using the stomach rather than the chest, like a baby (he calls babies the “breathing gurus”). Sandeman says it’s normal to feel unnatural at first: tight clothing and sitting at a desk means we’re accustomed to short and shallow breathing. 

I try a baby tantrum exercise, lying on a mat and banging my feet and hands against the floor, letting out a long, loud exhalation. Yelling at the top of my lungs is euphoric. 
He calls transformational breathing a more accessible form of meditation that allows you to tap into a “deep state” more quickly than meditating. “Using Headspace [app] on the Tube will calm things down, but to access that source of energy properly, you can reach that a lot quicker using breathing.”

Besides his clinic, Sandeman also hosts pop-ups at The Ministry members’ club in Borough and at Blok gyms in Clapton and Shoreditch. Classes take an hour, and are designed to provide you with a “tool belt” of breath hacks.

The guru: Stuart Sandeman, above, teaches execs from Nike and Google how to de-stress (Matt Writtle)

For example, Sandeman insists you don’t need caffeine to kick-start your day — just use a supercharged series of short sharp breaths that will tell your brain to release endorphins, leaving you energised. He insists it’s as good as an espresso.

He also has routines to help you sleep better and recharge before a night out, and how to harness the full power of your breathing to ensure your muscles get enough oxygen during a workout. He says it’s crucial not to underestimate the importance of breath. “You’re doing it 20,000 times a day, so you might as well make sure you’re doing it right.”

Breathe in: How-to hacks

For stress or insomnia: 4-7-8 Breath

1. Place tongue on roof of your mouth
2. Inhale through nose for count of four.
3. Hold breath for count of seven.
4. Exhale through pursed lips for count of eight.
5. Repeat four rounds.

For a morning energy boost: Espresso breathing
1. Sitting up tall, straight spine, first practise panting like a dog, with an open mouth to get the rhythm and navel movement. Your chest will remain relaxed and slightly lifted.

2. Now close your mouth and continue this rhythm through the nostrils. Both inhaling and exhaling should be of equal duration.

3. Once you have nailed the breath rhythm, add some arm movement: inhale though the nose, engaging the diaphragm, filling from the navel, while lifting your hands up in the air above your head.
4. Exhale through your nose, engaging the core and pumping the navel in towards the spine, while bringing your elbows to your sides.
5. Repeat in and out of the nostrils, pumping your navel and lifting the arms up and down.
6. Repeat at your own moderate pace for 15 breaths.
7. Break. Then repeat three rounds

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/breathing-cure-insomnia-give-you-energy-a3993666.html

Sleep tight! Insomnia does NOT cause an early death, finds largest study ever into lack of shut eye

From dailymail.co.uk

Review of more than 36m people found no evidence it affects mortality

But critic argues while most can cope with insomnia, it is serious for some

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder; affects 10-to-30% of people 

Insomnia sufferers should rest easy as the largest ever study into the lack of sleep found it does not cause an early death.

A review of more than 36million people revealed there is no evidence struggling to nod off or waking in the night affects mortality.

But a critic argues that while the majority may be able to cope with a few sleepless nights, for some the health consequences can be devastating.

In the first review of its kind, researchers from Flinders University, Adelaide, analysed 17 studies investigating a possible link between insomnia and mortality.

The studies were carried out all over the world for an average of 11 years. Most were made up of patients who self-reported insomnia, while some were officially diagnosed.

Insomnia was defined as either being frequent - struggling to nod off on three or more nights a week - or ongoing - sleeplessness lasting more than a month.

Results suggest that while insomnia may lead to everything from depression and anxiety to diabetes and dementia, it does not actually affect a person's lifespan.

The study was published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews. 

The researchers, led by Dr Nicole Lovato, believe this should reassure those who toss and turn at night that they are not more likely to pass away prematurely.

But, they stress, only 17 studies were analysed, which all had a relatively short follow-up time. Longer trials are therefore required to confirm the findings.

They also note cognitive behavioural therapy, which aims to help insomniacs develop coping skills, correct attitudes about sleep and modify poor habits, remains the gold standard of treatment.   

But Dr Russell Foster, head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, argues insomnia can be serious for some.

He told The Times: 'We recently did a study on teenage sleep. If you just took the average, you would think, "What is all the fuss about?".

'However, if you look at the spread of the data you can see 30 per cent are showing really poor sleep.'

For these select few, insomnia may be extremely serious, he added. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6392467/Rest-easy-Insomnia-does-NOT-cause-early-death.htmlhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6392467/Rest-easy-Insomnia-does-NOT-cause-early-death.html

4 Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies Linked To Insomnia & Poor Sleep

From bustle.com

Sleep is crucial for your physical and mental health, but many factors, both internal and external, can impact how well you sleep at night. You probably didn't know that vitamin and mineral deficiencies can be linked to insomnia. The relationship between vitamins and sleep is a complicated one that science is still trying to understand; having a vitamin or mineral deficiency can cause many health issues that can have sleep problems as a side effect, but it's not advisable to think that supplements can solve all your problems. If, however, you have a history of a particular deficiency or suspect you might have developed one, it could be linked to an inability to get refreshing shut-eye.

The body needs a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to function properly, and you get them from diet, the environment, and your body's own internal processes. When it comes to deficiencies of essential minerals and vitamins in the body, disturbed sleep can be a possible symptom, but it's worth getting a full health check to check for other underlying issues that could be keeping you up at night. Your doctor can confirm a potential deficiency (as well as its cause) through a blood test, and then work with you to find a treatment plan to combat any symptoms, including poor sleep.
Here are four vitamins and minerals that are linked to sleeping badly.

1 Vitamin D

Deficiency in vitamin D is tied to a lack of sunlight; we produce vitamin D through exposing our skin to UVB light. If you do have low levels of vitamin D, sleep disturbances can result. A study in 2013 found that erratic levels of vitamin D, including both deficiency and over-production (having too much), were associated with sleep issues. Too much vitamin D and people felt sleepy in the day, which ruined their sleep cycles during the night. Too little and they generally slept for fewer hours a night, a finding backed up by another study of men that found vitamin D deficiency was linked to under five hours' sleep every night.
If you want to combat vitamin D deficiency, you should get lots of oily fish into your diet, take supplements, and make sure you get into the sunlight when you can.

2  Vitamin B12

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The link between sleep disturbances and vitamin B12 is still being investigated. The New York Times reported in 2016 that doses of B12 seem to have helped sleep disturbances in small-scale studies, but that further investigation is needed. Dr. Ayan Panja, a general practitioner, told The Guardian in 2017 that B12 deficiency "can sometimes explain clusters of symptoms such as migraines, cramps, food digestion and sleep problems, dementia and depression," but not everybody agrees with Panja's assessment.
The reason for this link may have to do with depression, a symptom of which can be trouble sleeping. Vitamin B12 deficiency can bring on depressive symptoms, according to Harvard Health. If you're feeling increased levels of general low mood, it may be a good idea to discuss vitamin B12 levels with your doctor.

3  Magnesium

The New York Times reported in 2018 that magnesium is an essential mineral for sleep function. It appears to help us sleep because of its role in enzyme production, particularly when it's related to a neurotransmitter called GABA that controls our sleepiness. Magnesium deficiency is often tied to insomnia and other breakdowns in bodily function.
If you do want to raise your magnesium levels, though, the New York Times points out that supplements aren't actually as useful as magnesium-rich foods. Peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, whole grains, and oily fish are important sources, but there's magnesium in a whole host of foods that can be a big part of your diet.

4  Iron

Iron deficiency, otherwise known as anaemia, can cause a host of symptoms, but its link to sleep issues is an intriguing one: anaemia makes you more prone to restless leg syndrome, a condition where limbs jerk unconsciously in the night, causing sleep disturbances. The lower your iron levels, the more likely you are to have restless legs and so experience less restful sleep.
Want to raise your iron levels? Supplements are a good way to go, as are iron-rich foods like red meat. There can be various health issues that can cause anaemia, though, so if your low iron levels aren't budging, check in with a GP.

The key thing to remember with vitamin deficiencies is that they might not be treated with supplements alone; the deficiency could be caused by your body not absorbing the vitamin properly, or other reasons. It's best to check in with your doctor if you're having trouble sleeping and think a vitamin deficiency might be the cause.

https://www.bustle.com/p/4-vitamin-mineral-deficiencies-linked-to-insomnia-poor-sleep-12635506

Five things you never knew about insomnia – by an insomniac sleep expert

From telegraph.co.uk

By Guy Meadows, Clinical Director of The Sleep School

When I was doing my PhD in sleep disorders at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London I had to work through the night studying sleep subjects: basically people lying asleep hooked up to various monitors. I would arrive at the hospital around 5pm and leave the next day at 7am. This pattern destroyed my sleep and I developed my first bout of insomnia, an irony which wasn’t lost on me.

I tried very hard to ‘fix’ my broken sleep and did all the things that exhausted, frustrated insomniacs tend to do: I began exercising more, I cut out coffee and so on. But the harder I chased sleep, the faster it ran away, which taught me the first rule of insomnia: don’t get into a tug of war with sleep. My own insomnia formed the basis of what I now teach at my Sleep School. Such as...

You can still drink coffee

As a nation obsessed by getting enough sleep, we’ve created a lot of rules surrounding it. Yet I’ve discovered this creates a fear around not being able to get to sleep. Insomniacs have a natural tendency to take sleep hygiene rules – in other words, clean sleeping – very seriously and impose rigid restrictions upon themselves about how much caffeine they can have and when the cut off point is. But I believe imposing rules or abstaining completely from caffeine is as bad for sleep as drinking too much. If you love coffee but cut it out, your resentment towards insomnia will build as you create this controlled life that is all about the pursuit of sleep. Which ironically, stops you sleeping. So forget your rules around caffeine and enjoy a few coffees, if you enjoy it, right up until about 3pm. And if you have one later? Don't worry about it...

You can also drink alcohol

The same goes for alcohol. A lot of people come to see me and say they’ve given up their evening wine or G&T since experiencing insomnia. But again, fewer restrictions and a relaxed attitude to sleep is more conducive to good sleep than a rule book. And anyway, it takes the body an hour to metabolise alcohol so as long as you’re not drinking right up until bedtime, a few glasses of wine in the evening isn’t going to make any difference to how you sleep. Sleep inflexibility, however, is. A flexible sleeper is somebody who adheres to a few common sense rules but doesn’t give them too much thought. An inflexible sleeper is the type of person who cuts out coffee and alcohol, sprays their pillow with lavender, and then wonders what’s wrong with them as they toss and turn in bed with a churning mind.

Don’t rely on sleep tech

There’s been a huge rise in sleep tracking in recent years and even Prince Harry has been photographed wearing a sleep tracker ring. If you don’t have a sleep problem, these trackers can be a great way of increasing awareness of sleeping habits and some light-hearted tracking is no bad thing. Although it’s worth noting the accuracy of some of them aren’t brilliant. But if you do have a sleep problem, steer clear of sleep trackers. When they started coming out, I’d see people in our clinic tearing themselves to shreds over the fact they weren’t getting enough sleep, or the right amount of deep sleep. You can see where I’m going with this...if you’re already prone to obsessing over your sleep, the micro-analysis these trackers provide will whip you into a state of anxiety that will fuel sleeplessness.  

Let go of your sleep crutches

A lot of people unwittingly have sleep crutches: they like a nice bath around 10pm, they have a favourite pillow, and read a few pages of their book before bed. In theory this is fine, but if you have too many sleep crutches or you’re too attached to them, problems will occur if you go away for work, forget your book and don’t have your favourite pillow. That’s not to say reading in bed is a bad thing because it’s absolutely not: it’s great and it can really help you nod off. However, if somebody tells me they must have a bath every night, or read a book, that’s tipping into being an unhelpful sleep aid. It comes down to balance.

Lastly, accept wakefulness

Another insomnia rule that has been doing the rounds for years is that if you find yourself awake at 3am, wait for fifteen minutes and if you’re still awake, get up and potter around or read a book until you’re tired, and then go back to bed. But I believe this encourages clock watching and sleep chasing. Sleep is a natural process that unfolds and at Sleep School we encourage acceptance of wakefulness. Letting go of sleep is about accepting and willing to be awake in bed. If you’re awake and worrying, observe those worries and then let them pass. If you can’t fall back to sleep,  just accept you’re lying in a big, comfortable, warm bed. You don’t need to go anywhere, or rush around, and you can just lie there and be awake.
When people are finally OK about being awake, they often find they fall asleep...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/5-things-never-knew-insomnia-insomniac-sleep-expert/

Insomnia is key to my creativity

From spectator.co.uk

As a chronic insomniac, Marina Benjamin admits to spending much of her life exhausted. Curiously, her writing is most alive when she’s zonked out

Insomnia Marina Benjamin

Scribe, pp.144, £9.99

A genre of memoir currently in vogue involves entwining the author’s personal story with the cultural history of a given phenomenon, so that each may illuminate the other. Mellow introspection and anecdotal whimsy are spliced with tidbits of cultural criticism; the prose is meandering and associative rather than linearly expository.
This format can feel a little gimmicky, but in the case of Marina Benjamin’s Insomnia it is apt: the book’s digressive expansiveness and collage-like structure evoke the feeling of lying in bed at night with your thoughts racing –

the freewheeling, seemingly autonomous tripping through utter banality, the night-time regurgitation of daytime crud… that moves like an arm-linked chain of cancan dancers through a demi-wakefulness that exists beyond any conscious control.

A passage on stimulants winds its way back to the political economy of the colonial-era sugar trade; a meditation on the isolation of the insomniac prompts a series of reflections on Robinson Crusoe; a segment on psychoanalytical dream theories examines interpretations of dreams experienced by people living under dictatorships. Elsewhere Benjamin revisits such 19th-century quackeries as Silas Weir Mitchell’s notorious ‘rest cure’, which inspired Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. There are cameos from David Hume, Roberto Bolaño and, inevitably, Freud. In the midst of all this is Benjamin herself, zombified by exhaustion: ‘My head lolls with the effort of keeping myself upright. My eyes are glassed over. I am out of sorts with myself.’

                                                                     Getty Images

She has tried all manner of remedies, from valerian root and meditation to Temazepam and Nytol. A hypnotic agent called Zopiclone ‘puts you to sleep for six or seven hours, but the next day it’s as if a cat pissed in your mouth’. She finds artificially induced sleep a poor substitute for the real thing — it renders her ‘heavy-limbed, lug-headed, one-dimensional’. A treatment known as sleep-restriction therapy involves limiting your allotted sleeping time by reference to a ‘sleep-efficiency quotient’, calculated as the ratio of how many hours you’ve slept vs the total amount of time you’ve spent physically in bed. Since she spends much of her waking life doing elaborate sums to quantify her sleep deficit, Benjamin quips that the collective noun for insomniacs should be ‘a calculation of insomniacs’.

When Benjamin’s partner — he has no trouble sleeping, and is therefore denoted by the alias ‘Zzz’ — observes that her writing is most alive when she is most zonked-out, she ponders whether her creativity might be inextricably bound up in her insomnia. But so what if it were? Our neuroses, she concludes, are what make us human, and artistic endeavour in particular relies upon ‘a willingness to look at the world at a tilt’. Warming to this theme, Benjamin takes issue with the fad for ‘mindfulness’ therapies and what she calls the ‘glorious blankness’ of Buddhist meditation. These practices substitute stupefaction for wonder, just as medical attempts to cure people of their neuroses have tended, historically, towards lobotomisation of one kind or another.

In a society increasingly enthralled by the wellness industry’s cultish charms —sustained by Big Pharma and a burgeoning canon of self-help literature, and lately bolstered by the advent of digital apps —Benjamin’s is a refreshingly grounded and sanguine voice. Her ethical stance recalls the scepticism of a previous generation of writers, such as Ken Kesey and Anthony Burgess, towards overweening psychiatric interventions. Dosing up on opioids might get you through the night, but at what cost? ‘Enchanted sleep is dreamless,’ she writes. ‘And if you can’t dream, then how can you entertain visions of a better world?

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/insomnia-is-key-to-my-creativity/