WEBVTT 00:00:11.399 --> 00:00:29.160 Good night. Good morning everybody, it is 325 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:32.259 AM here where I'm at and this is Food for Thought, 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.920 Thoughts If It Were You by Neogentrics. Now, last 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.500 time I took a short break and covered night shifts 00:00:38.500 --> 00:00:40.979 for those who needed it. Like I said before, 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:44.340 if you need any more advice on specific topics 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:45.899 or something you're interested in, please hit 00:00:45.899 --> 00:00:49.460 me up on my Facebook, my webpage, or any of the 00:00:49.460 --> 00:00:53.020 sites that you know me on, or here on Anchor. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:56.609 So, continuing where I left off. Why is sleep 00:00:56.609 --> 00:01:01.369 important? How to sleep? You know, let's go back 00:01:01.369 --> 00:01:03.530 into this a little bit here. You know, although 00:01:03.530 --> 00:01:06.189 our knowledge of exactly why we sleep is lacking, 00:01:06.290 --> 00:01:09.370 we do know a lot about the efforts of not sleeping. 00:01:09.489 --> 00:01:12.569 So, too little sleep or low quality sleep. I 00:01:12.569 --> 00:01:14.069 mean, you get the idea of what I'm talking about 00:01:14.069 --> 00:01:16.670 here. I mean, our overall quality of life can 00:01:16.670 --> 00:01:18.670 be seriously affected by the lack of quality 00:01:18.670 --> 00:01:20.950 sleep. And, you know, this can heavily influence 00:01:20.950 --> 00:01:23.769 how we behave and perform. How we feel or even 00:01:23.769 --> 00:01:28.040 how we look. So I'm promoting good sleep hygiene. 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:30.739 And the best way I can do this is by helping 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:34.519 people understand why it's even important. Sleep 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:38.319 hygiene is a term used to describe the environmental 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.540 and behavioral factors that may affect our ability 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:43.640 to fall asleep and gain a good quality sleep. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:49.939 Good quality sleep. I can't talk. Anyway. People 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:53.519 who do suffer from insomnia, and I did for a 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:55.480 while, so this is why I'm doing this for a lot 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:58.120 of people who need to know this, okay? Inability 00:01:58.120 --> 00:02:04.840 to sleep or staying asleep may work hard on their 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.180 sleep hygiene in an attempt to control the disorder, 00:02:07.379 --> 00:02:10.580 but it's really hard for a lot of people. However, 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:13.719 many of us can benefit from good sleep hygiene 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.259 regardless of whether we sleep from a sleep disorder 00:02:17.259 --> 00:02:22.560 or not. Sleep insomnia can either keep you awake 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:26.740 or keep you asleep. Either way, you look at it, 00:02:26.740 --> 00:02:29.039 both are bad. Because eventually you do need 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:31.520 to wake up or you would want to wake up. In order 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:33.580 to get to sleep and stay asleep during the night, 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:35.479 it is important to relax both your body and mind. 00:02:35.939 --> 00:02:38.060 And while you may find this a little bit hard, 00:02:38.139 --> 00:02:40.680 I have a few tips that might help you, but that's 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:42.699 about it. It's still up to you to do some of 00:02:42.699 --> 00:02:46.400 the work. We're going to take a short break and 00:02:46.400 --> 00:03:01.069 I'll give you those tips. All right, and we're 00:03:01.069 --> 00:03:03.990 back. First things first, avoid big meals before 00:03:03.990 --> 00:03:06.729 bedtime, okay? I'm going to go ahead and say 00:03:06.729 --> 00:03:09.150 this right now. Eating a large meal can make 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:11.729 us feel tired, but it can also make us feel uncomfortable 00:03:11.729 --> 00:03:13.729 and therefore prevent us from falling asleep, 00:03:13.889 --> 00:03:16.599 or in some people's case, staying asleep. Okay, 00:03:16.620 --> 00:03:18.620 so don't do that. Also, this one should be an 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.039 automatic know -how, but don't drink caffeine 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:24.620 or alcohol. Let me go ahead and put a stipple 00:03:24.620 --> 00:03:27.139 on that. A couple hours before you go to bed, 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:30.039 okay? Both caffeine and alcohol are stimulants, 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:31.759 okay? And they can prevent you from sleeping. 00:03:31.979 --> 00:03:34.319 If you're a smoker, then, well, avoid smoking 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:37.819 for a few hours before you go to sleep, as nicotine 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:42.159 itself is a stimulant, okay? And then... To maintain 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.159 a healthy sleep environment, ideally you should 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:46.539 aim for a quiet, dark, cool, comfortable room 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:50.560 in which you can sleep. No, not freezing cold. 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:54.759 Cool. Between kind of warm and cold where it's 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:57.479 at least comfortable for you. And then stick 00:03:57.479 --> 00:03:59.639 to a routine and make enough time for sleep. 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:02.439 Everybody's body is different and most adults 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:05.740 need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep in a 24 hour 00:04:05.740 --> 00:04:08.919 period in order to get full rest. Try to keep 00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:10.900 bedtimes and wake -up times consistent and allow 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:13.659 enough time for your sleep. If you feel tired 00:04:13.659 --> 00:04:15.060 in the day, it's possible you're not allowing 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:17.740 yourself to sleep enough. So take that into factor. 00:04:19.100 --> 00:04:21.819 Also, and this is a big one, avoid watching TV, 00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:24.000 using your computer, tablet, or any other devices 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:26.120 immediately before you go to bed. Try reading 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:28.319 something easy or listening to music for 30 minutes 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.240 before you intend to sleep as that can keep you 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.129 awake. Also, taking a warm bath early in the 00:04:34.129 --> 00:04:36.649 evening, although the bath can relax you, and 00:04:36.649 --> 00:04:39.949 do not take a hot bath immediately before bedtime, 00:04:40.329 --> 00:04:43.589 okay? As your body needs to cool down in order 00:04:43.589 --> 00:04:45.689 to fall asleep and remain asleep. If you're burning 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:48.589 hot, that's not possible. Try taking a relaxing 00:04:48.589 --> 00:04:50.889 bath a few hours before bedtime so that your 00:04:50.889 --> 00:04:53.189 body has time to cool down. I just thought about 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:54.970 it as soon as I said that. A couple of people 00:04:54.970 --> 00:04:57.740 I know who tried that. Well, let's put it this 00:04:57.740 --> 00:04:59.500 way. They complained all night and never went 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:01.480 to sleep, and neither did I, sleeping in the 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:05.220 living room. Take regular exercise in the daytime, 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:07.240 but not close to sleep. If you're going to go 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:09.100 to sleep soon, please do not exercise before 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:10.839 you plan to go to sleep, as this will make you 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:14.199 insanely uncomfortable. Physical exercise can 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:16.279 promote good sleep, as well as many other benefits 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:18.699 to health and well -being, but it can prevent 00:05:18.699 --> 00:05:21.459 you from sleeping properly. And the last one 00:05:21.459 --> 00:05:25.410 is stay cool during the night. Make sure your 00:05:25.410 --> 00:05:30.009 fan or the AC is going or, you know, a lighter 00:05:30.009 --> 00:05:32.930 duvet comforter or something. Use those when 00:05:32.930 --> 00:05:34.009 you're trying to go to sleep in the evening. 00:05:34.050 --> 00:05:36.149 Your body needs to be cool to sleep effectively, 00:05:36.389 --> 00:05:39.870 okay? So with that, find out what works for you 00:05:39.870 --> 00:05:41.670 and experiment with your sleep hygiene and see 00:05:41.670 --> 00:05:44.050 if you can improve your sleep. We'll be right 00:05:44.050 --> 00:05:58.459 back. Alright, and we're back. So, if you have, 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:00.860 if you regularly have problems falling asleep 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.899 or wake frequently in the night, seek professional 00:06:04.899 --> 00:06:07.439 advice from your doctor. And, you know, because 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.579 sleep disorders are not uncommon and should be, 00:06:09.660 --> 00:06:12.879 they should not be left undiagnosed, okay? Just 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:14.980 going to go ahead and start off with that. Anyway, 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.300 lack of sleep, dangers and concerns. You may 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:19.560 be aware of the dangers of driving and operating 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:22.019 machinery whilst tired, but tiredness and lack 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:24.259 of sleep can be dangerous for lots of other reasons, 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:30.259 okay? Tiredness can kill. The dangers of too 00:06:30.259 --> 00:06:32.000 little sleep. Let me go ahead and cover that 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.459 real quick. Generally, you are more likely to 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:36.379 feel irritable, grumpy, and have a shorter temper 00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:38.500 when you're tired. Lack of sleep can make us 00:06:38.500 --> 00:06:40.560 more emotional, which can have a negative effect 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:44.459 on our relationships with others. The reaction 00:06:44.459 --> 00:06:46.959 times are reduced when we're tired. This makes 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.699 driving and operating machinery more dangerous. 00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:53.060 In the UK, This is something I looked up. It 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:57.079 is estimated that as many as 1 in 5 of all motor 00:06:57.079 --> 00:06:58.980 traffic accidents are caused by tiredness or 00:06:58.980 --> 00:07:00.819 falling asleep at the wheel. If you don't believe 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:02.720 me, go look this up on YouTube. People make funny 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.139 clips about this. It's not funny. Lack of sleep 00:07:06.139 --> 00:07:08.060 affects our ability to be creative and innovative. 00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:10.500 The problem -solving and decision -making skills 00:07:10.500 --> 00:07:12.680 are less effective, therefore making you pretty 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.079 much useless to everyone around you. Now, when 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.800 it sounds funny, it's not actually cool. Specifically, 00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:20.139 brain cognitive functions are reduced, including 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:22.759 the ability to concentrate and pay attention. 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:24.639 So lack of sleep does not help you study for 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:26.939 your tests. It actually causes memory issues. 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:31.819 Believe it or not. Insufficient sleep can lead 00:07:31.819 --> 00:07:35.160 to greater appetite, for one. Quality sleep helps 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.879 the body regulate levels of renin and leptin 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.100 hormones that are linked to your appetite and 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:42.240 feeling hunger. which in turn can increase the 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.040 likelihood of becoming overweight or obese, increases 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:47.000 the risk of higher cholesterol levels, developing 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:52.500 diabetes and heart problems. In a recent Norwegian 00:07:52.500 --> 00:07:54.680 study, it concluded that people who had trouble 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:56.540 falling asleep and remaining asleep each night 00:07:56.540 --> 00:07:58.439 were three times more likely to develop heart 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:00.800 failure than those who reported no sleeping. 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:03.439 Now, while I can't confirm this to be true, it 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.779 has been proven that it does cause a lot of problems. 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:10.050 A decrease in exercise also. Without sleep, you 00:08:10.050 --> 00:08:11.670 are less likely to want to engage in physical 00:08:11.670 --> 00:08:14.470 activities. This can be exasperating problems 00:08:14.470 --> 00:08:17.490 as far as with your body weight or heart disease. 00:08:17.870 --> 00:08:20.470 So that definitely can improve towards having 00:08:20.470 --> 00:08:22.870 heart disease as a problem. Lack of sufficient 00:08:22.870 --> 00:08:24.850 sleep can make us more susceptible to stress, 00:08:25.069 --> 00:08:27.110 which is more likely to suffer from depression 00:08:27.110 --> 00:08:30.750 and other serious mental complaints such as it 00:08:30.750 --> 00:08:32.990 already is known. And people who do not get enough 00:08:32.990 --> 00:08:36.169 sleep... When you drink more caffeinated beverages 00:08:36.169 --> 00:08:38.690 to reduce the effect of tiredness. And I'm going 00:08:38.690 --> 00:08:39.929 to go ahead and say this right now. Caffeine 00:08:39.929 --> 00:08:42.870 can be dangerous in high quantities and can raise 00:08:42.870 --> 00:08:44.470 your blood pressure and pulse, therefore adding 00:08:44.470 --> 00:08:47.830 strain to your heart. So I recommend getting 00:08:47.830 --> 00:09:01.929 a lot of sleep if you can help it. Alright, we're 00:09:01.929 --> 00:09:03.769 going to finish up with the triggers for tiredness 00:09:03.769 --> 00:09:05.830 and sleep, okay? Stuff that can trigger you being 00:09:05.830 --> 00:09:08.129 tired during the day. There are numerous environmental 00:09:08.129 --> 00:09:11.330 and circumstantial issues and reasons why you 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:15.429 might feel tired before bedtime. Other times 00:09:15.429 --> 00:09:18.389 other than bedtime anyway. And some of them are 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:21.629 pretty common, okay? One of them is just not 00:09:21.629 --> 00:09:23.590 sleeping enough the previous night. Believe it 00:09:23.590 --> 00:09:25.509 or not, that can cause it. And while it sounds 00:09:25.509 --> 00:09:28.620 obvious... If you don't sleep regularly like 00:09:28.620 --> 00:09:30.240 you're supposed to and then you try to sleep 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:31.919 at night when you sleep during the day, it makes 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:37.240 it really hard. Eating after a large meal. Sorry, 00:09:37.379 --> 00:09:40.019 I said that wrong. After eating a large meal. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.379 That can make you tired and then sleep when you're 00:09:42.379 --> 00:09:45.580 not supposed to. This usually has a natural response 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:48.360 and lasts only a relatively short period. However, 00:09:48.539 --> 00:09:50.820 excessive tiredness after eating could indicate 00:09:50.820 --> 00:09:53.679 a more serious dietary problem. Some people have 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:55.259 allergies to certain foods that can make them 00:09:55.259 --> 00:09:58.179 feel tired after eating. If that's the case, 00:09:58.179 --> 00:09:59.419 you should probably go to the doctor and have 00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:03.039 yourself diagnosed. Anyway, natural changes in 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:07.139 your bodily rhythm. This means we feel more tired 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:08.960 and have an increased desire to sleep between 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:11.820 the hours of midnight and 6am, but also between 00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:18.139 2pm and 4pm, which is not healthy. Certain medications, 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:24.440 both prescribed and over -the -counter, can cause 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:27.289 sleepiness. Always read the label and check the 00:10:27.289 --> 00:10:30.629 side effects, especially if you need to drive 00:10:30.629 --> 00:10:32.769 or operate machinery. Some illicit drugs can 00:10:32.769 --> 00:10:34.610 cause immediate sleepiness or lead to delayed 00:10:34.610 --> 00:10:38.789 feelings of lethargy, which is not healthy. Alcohol 00:10:38.789 --> 00:10:40.529 can cause tiredness. I don't need to go into 00:10:40.529 --> 00:10:47.269 that. Boring situations can cause lethargy. If 00:10:47.269 --> 00:10:51.190 you're bored, do something about it. Bathing 00:10:51.190 --> 00:10:53.389 can cause tiredness, especially if it's a hot 00:10:53.389 --> 00:10:56.009 tub. Hot water lowers the blood pressure and 00:10:56.009 --> 00:10:57.950 relaxes the muscles, which increases feelings 00:10:57.950 --> 00:11:00.330 of tiredness. If you haven't already figured 00:11:00.330 --> 00:11:05.529 that out, for those who do, good for you. Physical 00:11:05.529 --> 00:11:07.590 exercise can make us sleepy, although this is 00:11:07.590 --> 00:11:11.470 usually down to excessive or new exercise. As 00:11:11.470 --> 00:11:14.190 the body becomes fitter, Therefore, less exerted 00:11:14.190 --> 00:11:17.450 tiredness after regular exercise can be reduced, 00:11:17.529 --> 00:11:21.549 so that's fine. Hormonal changes can make us 00:11:21.549 --> 00:11:23.830 feel sleepy. For example, men can become sleepy 00:11:23.830 --> 00:11:27.409 after sex due to the drop of the male hormone 00:11:27.409 --> 00:11:30.070 testosterone, which causes a lack of energy. 00:11:30.149 --> 00:11:32.169 Women feel more sleepy during their menstrual 00:11:32.169 --> 00:11:34.789 cycle, during ovulation, menopause, and even 00:11:34.789 --> 00:11:37.909 during pregnancy due to changing levels of female 00:11:37.909 --> 00:11:41.190 hormone estrogen. So in case you didn't know 00:11:41.190 --> 00:11:44.990 that, that's why most women feel tired. Other 00:11:44.990 --> 00:11:47.110 than that, that's pretty much it. If you have 00:11:47.110 --> 00:11:49.330 any additional questions, feel free to message 00:11:49.330 --> 00:11:52.850 me. Again, this has been Thoughts for You, Food 00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:55.350 for Thought by Neogentrics. Enjoy the rest of 00:11:55.350 --> 00:11:56.490 your day, and thank you for listening.