Wenatex Blog :: Healthy Sleep for a Better Life

Do you sleep with a snorer… or more the point do you get any sleep with a snorer?

Do you battle with your partner each and every night over his (or her) snoring?

If you do, I am certain that you will relate to a story. It is partiularly interesting as it not only talks about her ongoing battle with her snoring husband but it also talks about the different kinds of snorers and what you can potentially do to prevent certain types of snoring.

If you are interested, read the article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1282711/HE-sleeps-like-log–snores-like-foghorn-SHE-spends-night-lying-awake-seething-rage–Its-snore-wars.html?ito=feeds-newsxml and share your experience.

I read an article this afternoon that I found absolutely fascinating. It was about grinding one’s teeth during sleep. First of all, I didn’t know it was called Bruxism, did you? And secondly, I didn’t know it could cause problems with one’s sleep. From personal experience, I was a teeth grinder, and didn’t sleep very well, back in my teenage years… now I know one of the reasons why! Pity I didn’t know then what I know now!!!

You can read the article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-p-connelly-dds/mouth-heatlh-not-getting_b_455771.html.

Hi Ladies, Ever felt guilty about taking a nap when there are so many jobs around the house waiting for you to do? If so, you are not alone.

I read an interesting article this morning about feminine “guilt” being the cause of sleep deprivation in women. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-trice/feminine-or-yin-guilt_b_417512.html

Please share your experiences on the topic.

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.

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

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.

The function of sleep is yet to be fully understood but new research has shown that for fire ants, lack of rest for the workers seems to ensure that queens get to live a long and comfortable life. 

Queen fire ants get more than 9 hours sleep each day and it appears that they dream during REM sleep. On the other hand, worker ants get only 4 hours 48 minutes of sleep each day ensuring that 80% of the workforce is awake and active at any one time.

It appears that as a result of their comfortable lifestyles, queen fire ants can live for several years where hardworking sleep deprived worker ants are live only for a few months.

There is a lot we can learn from the insect world, don’t you think?

Check out the full article (written by the BBC about a study in the United States) at http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8100000/8100876.stm