Sunday, June 17, 2012

Heat Exhaustion Treatments

It’s going to be a hot summer with temperatures already in the 90’s in June. The weatherchannel.com has predicted above-average warmth is expected from the Southwest to the portions of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast this summer. Many athletes can’t wait for the warmer weather to start exercising outside, but I’ve already seen people running and riding their bikes as early as 6:30am to avoid the afternoon high temperatures. Extreme heat can cause heat exhaustion. What are the signs of heat exhaustion? Dizziness, nausea, headache, heavy perspiration and an accelerated heartbeat are some of the symptoms you need to look out for. Heat exhaustion comes on suddenly and without adequate fluids your internal temperature could go as high as 104°F! If you feel any of the signs here are a few heat exhaustion treatments and how to prevent it from happening.

First things first…get out of the hot temperature. Go sit in the shade or find a place that is air conditioned and stay there until you feel better. How do you avoid a relapse if you are 2 miles from home? Be careful, even walking verses running in the sun can cause your heat exhaustion to return. Make sure you have had plenty of cold water or a sports drink to lower your internal temperature. (It might be a good idea to phone a friend to get back home.) If you are lucky enough to be close to an establishment use their restroom to apply cold water on your face, head and neck as this is another way to help bring your internal temperature back to normal. If they have a fan or a hand dryer that blows cool air stand in front of it when you’re wet. Your shirt can also act as a cooling device when the wind blows on the wet perspired material, so it is best to leave it on.

If you run, ride a bike or even golf in hot weather it may be a good idea to keep track of your weight before and after being exposed to extreme heat to see how much water weight you have lost. If you have lost weight you may be dehydrated and you should drink enough fluids until your urine runs clear. Alcohol is not a way to replenish your fluid as it actually dehydrates and can make heat exhaustion worse. Why? Alcohol acts as a diuretic causing a person to urinate more often flushing the body’s much-needed fluids from tissues through the kidneys drying out your system. Even beer can cause dehydration, even though it’s 90-95% water. Did you know that there is a Spanish study that was deciphered by many to show that beer hydrates better after a work¬out than water? They determined that the beer drinkers had "slightly better" rehydration effects, which researchers attribute to sugars, salts, and carbonation in beer enhancing the body's ability to absorb water. The carbohydrates in beer also help refill calories lost when working out. The best beers to drink after a hike or round of golf are those with 2% alcohol or less. So which beers are on that list? Bitburger Drive, Clausthaler, Coors NA, O’Doul’s Amber, St. Pauli Girl NA, Buckler by Heineken and Warsteiner Premium Fresh. Close second are; Bud 55 with 2.4%, Carlsburg Light with 2.7%, Lindeman’s Pecheresse has 2.5%, Molson Light 2.4%, MGD 64 has 2.8% and Pabst Extra Light Low Alcohol 2.2%. Drinking a glass or two of water before celebrating that great round of golf you just played will do your body good. Now the worst beer you can drink is Schorsch Bock 43 if rehydrating is an issue. The 43 in the name is there for a reason, it is 43% alcohol!

Watch the medication you are taking, because diuretics, blood pressure drugs and over-the-counter medications for allergies or cold symptoms can actually decrease your body’s ability to regulate its temperature increasing your risk of heat exhaustion. If you do take any of these medications it may be advisable to work out indoors. It is also recommended to train indoors if you have had heat exhaustion up to a week to avoid a relapse. Once the week is over give your body time to adjust to the heat again by working up to your normal routine; such as golf 9 holes instead of 18, run 1 mile out doors and 4 on the treadmill or stay outside ½ hour the first day hour the next etc. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep before an exhausting workout in the heat. With sleep deprivation you are more likely to become week and easily susceptible to heat exhaustion. Try to get at least 7-8 hours each night.

Don’t confuse heat exhaustion with heatstroke as the latter is potentially a dangerous condition and you can get it by ignoring the symptoms discussed above. Usually if you treat your heat exhaustion right away the symptoms should subside within 30 minutes, if not, go to the ER STAT!

If you feel dizzy you may want to lie down and fall asleep in attempt to get over feeling faint or lightheaded. Sleeping does not make heat exhaustion worse but it does prevent the person from treating themselves and without treatment further complications may develop, like heatstroke. Heatstroke can cause permanent damage or death. If you are alone, fight the urge to sleep until you can get out of the heat and get hydrated. These two things are very important to lower your body temperature. Once the danger of heat exhaustion is removed your body will need to rest and at this point sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself.

The information in this site is for informational purposes only and not meant as a substitute for advice from your healthcare professional. This information should not be used to diagnosis or treat any health problem. Information and statements provided by asleepeasy.com about supplements that have not been evaluated by the FDA are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Reliance on any information in this article or on this site is solely at your own risk.

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Sunday, June 10, 2012

How do I get my baby to sleep

What is mom’s number one complaint about being a parent? No Sleep! 29% of new moms don’t remember the last time they slept 8 hours, let alone slept through the night. One in three children fight sleep or wake up. Lack of sleep affects mom's emotionally as well as physically. The main cause that 10% to 15% of moms suffer from postpartum depression is just simply sheer exhaustion. Sleep deprivation can cause moms to give up on breastfeeding, are short-tempered with their children and spouse, fall into bad sleep habits, have a slower physical reaction time that can cause car accidents and slows their metabolism down causing  them to gain weight.

[caption id="attachment_1816" align="alignright" width="291" caption="How to swaddle a baby"][/caption]

What can moms do to get their baby to sleep? How can you get a newborn to sleep longer throughout the night? Swaddling an infant makes them feel safe and secure. If you choose to swaddle, be sure you know how to do it correctly. Improper swaddling by tightly wrapping your baby's legs straight down may loosen the joints and damage the soft cartilage of the hip sockets, leading to hip dysplasia.

Developmental hip dysplasia is relatively common in newborns. Your doctor will screen your baby at birth and well-child visits for the condition. Family history, breech delivery, and being a girl put your baby at greater risk for hip dysplasia. To prevent hip dysplasia when you swaddle, be sure there's enough room at the bottom of the blanket so that your baby can bend her legs up and out from her body.

Around 1 to 3 months of age babies prefer to stretch while they sleep as it helps strengthen muscles. Often doctors discourage leaving a baby swaddled all night. Practicing a sleep routine like taking a bath before bed and sticking to a schedule can lead to healthy sleep habits in the future (like when older children fight going to bed). White noise, soft music, lullabies or just a fan can eliminate noises outside their room and can help lull them to sleep.

Should or shouldn’t you rock your baby to sleep? There are many that say that you shouldn’t rock a baby to sleep because it can lead to a separation anxiety disorder (SAD). Separation anxiety disorder is a condition that causes a child to feel intense worry and fear at the idea of being away from mommy or daddy. What are some of the signs of SAD? Won’t sleep alone, nightmares, clingy, panic attacks or temper tantrums when separated from a parent. How can rocking lead to SAD? If your child falls asleep in your arms you are the last person he sees so if he wakes up in his bed alone he can fall into the habit of not being able to fall back to sleep without you there. One way around this is to wake them for 5 to 10 seconds right before placing them in their crib. This allows them to learn the basic skill of self-soothing without you there!

Are you suffering from postpartum depression? Postpartum depression is more than the baby blues that cause mood swings and crying spells. While baby blues usually leads to postpartum depression, after a while it can interfere with taking care of your baby and yourself. The signs you may have postpartum depression are; loss of appetite, insomnia, anger, irritability, feeling inadequate, no desire for intimacy, withdrawal from friends or family and thoughts of harming yourself or the baby. These symptoms can last a year or more.

[caption id="attachment_1817" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Are you suffering from postpartum depression?"][/caption]

Baby blues are just one way that can cause postpartum depression. Many lifestyle factors can lead to postpartum depression, including a demanding baby or older siblings, difficulty breast-feeding, financial problems, lack of support from your partner or other loved ones and as I stated above, exhaustion.

If you feel you are suffering from postpartum depression and these symptoms don’t go away after two weeks, please see your health care provider. Left untreated, postpartum depression can interfere with mother-child bonding and cause family problems. Children of mothers who have untreated postpartum depression are more likely to have behavioral problems, such as sleeping and eating difficulties, temper tantrums and hyperactivity. Delays in language development are more common as well. Sometimes untreated postpartum depression becomes a chronic depressive disorder. Even when treated, postpartum depression increases a woman's risk of future episodes of major depression. With treatment symptoms can go away within months, but make sure you continue your treatment even when you feel better to avoid a relapse. Remember the best way to take care of your baby is to take care of yourself.

The information in this site is for informational purposes only and not meant as a substitute for advice from your healthcare professional. This information should not be used to diagnosis or treat any health problem. Information and statements provided by asleepeasy.com about supplements that have not been evaluated by the FDA are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Reliance on any information in this article or on this site is solely at your own risk.

 
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

For Teens Sleep Improves Memory for Better Grades

For teens, sleep and school performance go hand-in-hand, so make sure the transition from a busy day to a restful night’s sleep is smooth, and eliminate the types of things that tend to make sleep less than restorative. Problems with learning and memory from lack of sleep can lead to bad grades. How can they maximize their learning capacity? By getting more sleep! Sleep helps strengthens their ability to learn new things and convert new learning into long-term memories.

A study of 207 students who slept at least six hours per night found that sleep is essential when something new. They found that studying either during the day or right before bedtime made no difference in retention when tested after 30 minutes. But for those that had a good night’s sleep had better memory of what they learned if they studied right before bedtime verses those who studied earlier in the day. So the result indicates that sleep helps memory when they study right before going to bed. How can you test this theory? Challenge One: Try reading something you have little knowledge of and take a nap. Have someone test your knowledge when you wake up.

Another study revealed that hearing sounds during sleep improved memory after waking up. Is this the equivalent to putting your text book under your pillow to absorb the contents? Challenge Two:  Record your test notes on an mp3 player or find the right audio material for the subject you will be tested on. You or the audio material should be as monotone as possible so it doesn’t have loud or sudden sounds that might wake you up. Set the mp3 player to repeat for the best results. Test yourself after a few nights to find out what you’ve retained and if needed continue until you see improved recall skills.

In addition to the negative impact to memory and grades, teens that are sleep deprived have been found to have other crucial issues that impact their lives. Their health, emotional stability, behavior, ability to make important decisions, sport performance, their growth, weight gain, condition of their skin, risk to injury, their mood and their likelihood to use drugs and alcohol are just some issues affected by a teen’s lack of sleep.

A new Brigham Young University study found that high school students perform best on tests if they get at least seven hours of sleep. They feel that 10 year olds need 9-9.5 hours, 12 year olds 8-8.5 hours and 16 year olds perform better with 7 hours of sleep, just like adults.

Scientists don't know exactly how sleep enhances memory, but it appears to involve the part of the brain where long-term memories are stored. It is thought that during sleep it reviews and processes memories, helping them to last for the long term. In almost every case, no matter which type of memory was involved, one fact remained constant. After first learning the task, sleeping on it improves performance. Why is all this important? Some sleep researchers believe that for every two hours we spend awake, the brain needs an hour of sleep. This sleep time is used to figure out what all these new ideas mean. Clearly, sleeping plays a crucial role in helping teens with memory and performance.

How can teens improve their quality of sleep for better memory? One way is to have good sleep habits. Planning time for homework or studying for a test to avoid an all-night cram session is an important step. Regular exercise performed at least three hours before bedtime improves not only their health but their sleep quality too. Also avoiding or limiting the amount of caffeine whether in candy, soda, coffee, aspirin or energy drinks after 2pm. Waking up and going to bed at the same time as well as taking time each night to wind down will get them make sleep habit that will last a lifetime and maybe, just maybe they will wake up naturally in the morning without an alarm clock or you yelling their name 10 times! To help their melatonin kick in (the hormone that controls their sleep/wake cycle and is essential for relaxation and rest) start dimming the lights. And this means cutting back on computer time, TV and video games during the time they are winding down. Their bedroom should be free of gadgets, be dark, quiet and cool to insure the best sleep possible.

As for parents, it is important to recognize the significance of sleep and support your teen in getting enough. Your active support for good sleep habits noted above will help your teen get the sleep they need.

The information in this site is for informational purposes only and not meant as a substitute for advice from your healthcare professional. This information should not be used to diagnosis or treat any health problem. Information and statements provided by asleepeasy.com about supplements that have not been evaluated by the FDA are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Reliance on any information in this article or on this site is solely at your own risk.

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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Calcium Magnesium Zinc and Sleep

Did you know a hair analysis can determine why you can’t sleep at night? Balancing your physical chemistry is important to promote sleep and without sleep your body can’t heal itself. Calcium, magnesium and zinc are known as the sedative elements. They are needed to promote a relaxing nervous system and sleep does not come easy when their levels are too low causing muscle tension and irritability. Your hair analysis can reveal if your magnesium and calcium levels are elevated and low in relation to your sodium and potassium. This is identified as the four highs pattern which is associated with stress. A four lows electrolyte pattern reflects an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. Metal toxicity is common with a four lows pattern and as a result exhaustion is a symptom along with muscle cramps and anxiety due to the low levels of magnesium and calcium. High metal toxicity can also be measured by blood and urine tests as well as a hair analysis.

Some experts believe that taking calcium and magnesium with dinner and before bedtime can help a person fall asleep easy and if they wake up during the night they can take more to fall back to sleep. Dosage can be high; some suggest 1000mg of calcium and 600-700mg of magnesium daily. For a fast reaction find a chewable or liquid form. With low levels of magnesium and calcium people often have a copper imbalance that contributes to sleeplessness. Copper stimulates the brain causing the mind to race. People with high copper levels tend to stay up late at night and have difficulty falling to sleep as well as staying asleep. Copper levels can also be determined with a hair analysis. Reducing copper levels takes time and includes taking zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, GB-3 and maybe molybdenum. If you find they do not reduce your copper level discontinue usages as these vitamins and minerals can disrupt the body chemistry if taken over extended periods of time.

[caption id="attachment_1807" align="alignleft" width="536" caption="Did you know that your birth control method might be causing your sleepless nights due to high copper levels?"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People with low magnesium and calcium levels also need to reduce their physical and mental stimulation later in the day. Listening to relaxation CDs, doing mild stretching yoga exercises, deep breathing and/or meditation can be helpful before retiring. Try to avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol after 6pm along with medications that may interfere with sleep.

Ask your doctor if you can take you medication in the morning instead. In addition some vitamins and supplements can be stimulating; kelp, B-complex vitamins and vitamin C or E to name a few. While simulants can impair sleep, foods with tryptophan can enhance sleep. A late night snack with protein and calcium, like a warm glass of milk, might just be all you need to fall asleep easy.

[caption id="attachment_1808" align="alignright" width="261" caption="Be positive to reverse the four lows electrolyte pattern"][/caption]

How do you recognize a person with a four low electrolyte pattern? There is definitely a personality tendency associated with this pattern as they are intense, driven, self-critical or critical of others. They work hard and don’t know how to relax. They love drama in their life and many are frustrated and cynical. These stress seekers many not even be aware of how their personality affects them or others. Over all they are negative and generally just very unhappy people.

Metal toxicity may be contributing to their personality tendencies and they need to address the four low pattern before focusing on the metal toxicity otherwise they use up so much energy it is difficult to eliminate the toxic metals. One must make certain lifestyle and attitude adjustments to respond to treating the condition. Precise nutritional correction along with the following supplement program is most helpful:

1. Calcium - 1800-2400 mg of elemental calcium in 3 divided doses. Excellent forms of calcium include calcium lactate, chelate or citrate.

2. Magnesium - 1000-1400 mg of elemental magnesium daily in divided doses with meals. Good forms are the citrate, chelate, lactate or glycinate.

3. Zinc - 40 to 140 mg of elemental zinc, depending on the Na/K ratio. If the ratio is greater than 2, give more zinc. If less than 2, give only about 40 mg daily in divided doses. Good forms of zinc are the chelate, picolinate or others.

4. Copper – give only if the Na/k ratio is less than 2.5 in a dose of about 3-4 mg/day of elemental copper in divided doses.

5. GB-3 from Endomet Labs in Phoenix, Arizona – 2 per meal or less if not tolerated well. GB-3 product can cause loose stools at first in some people. In this case, we use another product from Endomet Labs called Enz-aid.

These are animal-based digestive enzymes. This is often less stimulating than the use of enzyme formulas with Betaine Hcl-pepsin or fungal enzymes because ours use ox bile and pancreatin, which are more parasympathetic in their nature than some synthesized products such as Betaine with Hcl and pepsin.

6. L-taurine – 3 grams daily in 3 divided doses.

Optional products we use rarely:

7. Inositol/choline/methionine – about 600-1000 mg daily in 3 divided doses. This product is optional and often we do not include it to keep the number of tablets down or reduce the cost of the program.

8. Vitamin D – 2000 IU or more daily.

9. Fish oil or other source of omega-3 fatty acids, three capsules daily. This is added to everyone’s program as everyone can use these. However, they may be especially important with four low electrolytes as they may help the person calm down and relax more.(1)

Some people can sleep for hours and still do not feel refreshed upon wakening. This can be the effect of certain toxins on the brain that allow sleep but impair deep sleep. In this case a nutritional balancing program is needed to correct the body’s chemistry.

(1) Resource: http://www.mosesnutrition.com/Four_Low_Electolytes.html

The information in this site is for informational purposes only and not meant as a substitute for advice from your healthcare professional. This information should not be used to diagnosis or treat any health problem. Information and statements provided by asleepeasy.com about supplements that have not been evaluated by the FDA are not intended to diagnosis, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Reliance on any information in this article or on this site is solely at your own risk.

 

 
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