Wenatex Blog :: Healthy Sleep for a Better Life

Christmas is supposed to be a relaxing holiday time for kids, but as it turns out, it can be stressful for some. They have so much going on and so much excitement that they do not get enough sleep and can get grumpy.

I read an excellent article on the subject. You can find it at  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iIAKv1KG7VTqRweCeQwPbTzDM6lA

Make sure that your children get enough sleep this holidays… it will be all the better for them and they will enjoy Christmas all the more!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. We are all familiar with this quote but there may be some truth in it yet.

Read this excellent article on the subject at http://www.behealthyspringfield.com/blogs/columns/is-sleep-the-key-to-being-healthy-wealthy-and-wise.

Tired Mums, it is as we have always suspected… while asleep, Dads turn a deaf ear to crying babies.

However, Dads, all is not lost. It seems that there may be “evolutionary differences that make women sensitive to sounds associated with a potential threat to their children while men are tuned to disturbances posing a threat to the whole family.”

If you want to read more, this really interesting article can be found at http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/143188/Sleep-patterns-Yes-dads-do-turn-a-deaf-ear.

Astronauts at the International Space Station recently had to sleep in escape pods while a piece of potentially dangerous debris floated past. The space junk missed the station this time but it will become a more frequent occurrence as the volume of space junk floating around the Earth increases!

How do you think the astronauts slept that night? Were the escape pods comfortable? Were they up all night worried sick that there would only be half a space station left when they woke up?

Do you think sleeping problems go away in space? I am sure they don’t! Let me know what you think.

You can read the article I read this morning at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/too-much-space-junk-makes-astronauts-sleep-in-escape-pods.php.

I read an interesting article this morning that states that “bed-sharing couples suffer 50 percent more sleep disruptions as a result of snoring and other interruptions compared to partners who sleep separately” and that “moving into another room or another bed can result in better sleep.” What do you think of this view, do you agree or disagree? Please feel free to share your opinion and/or experience.

Check out the article at http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/860828/couples-should-sleep-separate

Why we sleep is an absolutely fascinating subject and one that scientists are still struggling to answer. I have just been reading some truly excellent articles on scientific aspects of sleep that covers everything from the stages of sleep, to the consequences of sleep deprivation, to how animals sleep. Find the first article here at http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/48212/title/The_Science_of_Slumber but make sure you scroll down and click on some of the links to the other articles in the series.

Please share your sleep stories or just let me know your thoughts.

Over time, we have put up a few blog entries about sleep and how it can help with weight loss. I believe this article is one of the best I have read on the subject so far. The article (and study it is based on) comes from Canada but it is absolutely still relevant to Aussies. Read the article at http://www.canada.com/health/Dozing+diet+Sleep+diet+works+research+shows/2009252/story.html

Please feel free to share your personal experiences on the subject.

We at Wenatex have always known that regulating body temperature helps you achieve a good night sleep and today I found an excellent article that supports this view. You can read the article at http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/cant-sleep-adjust-the-temperature?ecd=wnl_slw_082709

Please let us know about your own experiences on this subject.

Investigations into Michael Jackson’s death are well under way and it has been made public that he was a severe insomniac. It is alleged that he was taking some fairly serious drugs to help him sleep which may have caused his death. The article I read can be found at http://www.examiner.com/x-4592-Birmingham-Family-Health-Examiner~y2009m7d28-Gluten-attacks-my-sleep-and-I-contemplate-Michael-Jacksons-sleeping-problems.

Insomnia is a serious problem, not only for MJ, but for the entire population. I read an article recently which stated that in a recent Australian study, as many as two-thirds of the people who took part reported that they had difficulty going to sleep. http://www.pfizer.com.au/Media/Sleep.aspx

The cause of insomnia is often worry. “Worry… combined with the long hours and stresses of our 24 hour society, is a recipe for leaving the majority of the population living in a constant state of fatigue. Not a healthy, or safe, way to live.” http://www.pfizer.com.au/Media/Sleep.aspx

So, the lesson from all of this is don’t take the drastic steps that MJ did to get a good night’s sleep… make changes to your life to minimise stress and worry.

As well as reducing stress, there are also some practical things you can do to help you get off to sleep. See the Sleep Tips page on the Wenatex website at http://www.wenatex.com.au/sleep_tips.asp.

I know it seems obvious but this article serves as a reminder to all who have children that we should encourage our children to lead active healthy lives. This recent study reaffirms what we have known that active children develop healthy sleeping habits. 

The article I was reading can be found at http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/07/23/sleep-children-exercise.html. Let me know what you think.