Solutions to the three most common sleeping problems
| 13 January 2010
So what can be done to improve your energy levels throughout the day so you have enough energy for work, home and most importantly you have some energy left over for you?
Before trying to dissect someone's lifestyle and come up with some complicated formula I found that 90% of health and energy issues could be fixed by simply doing the basics. And there is no more basic cause for fatigue than addressing the quality of your sleep. You would be amazed by the number of people complaining of fatigue simply because they aren't getting enough high quality sleep.
I know that most health experts and academics recommend that you get a minimum of eight hours sleep each night. To me the experts are dreaming if they think that any man or woman with children and a full time job and other commitments are going to consistently get eight hours of sleep each night. What you need to do first is to improve the quality of your sleep.
The three most common sleeping problems I hear of are:
· 1) Having trouble getting to sleep due to their mind racing.
· 2) Having trouble getting to sleep due trouble winding down.
· 3) Having trouble getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night.
So what are some solutions to a better sleep?
The Long-Term Effect of Sleep Deprivation
| 17 December 2009
In this world of continually wanting to do more and more in less time, rest is still regarded as a luxury or an interruption to the long list of daily to-dos. If you are not burning the midnight oil trying to beat a deadline many other things can conspire against you in your quest for some elusive slumber. Snoring partners, restless children and your own mind that won't switch off generally ensure that you will join the masses of the sleep deprived.
Most of us are aware that we are less productive, less attentive and more stressed when we are tired. But when does sleep deprivation become really dangerous? Is there any long-term impact of sleep deprivation?
Smoking Doesn't Help You To Relax
| 09 December 2009
With a lot of legislation starting to restrict smoking in or around the workplace, smokers are beginning to feel ostracized around the workplace. Many claim that smoking helps them relax at work bringing rise to greater productivity. But if you analyze what goes on during a typical cigarette break you will soon discover that it is not the cigarette that makes smokers feel more relaxed…How you can get through you working day with limited sleep
| 16 September 2009
Just how many of you actually regularly get the eight hours of sleep that they recommend?
And who are they? When did they recommend this? All I can say is that they probably weren't in full time employment and they definitely did not have young kids.
Take my last day for example ...
“Shift Lag” … Minimizing the effect of nightshifts
| 06 August 2009
Doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, firemen, truck drivers, pilots, miners, bakers, computer programmers, waiters, gas station attendants, journalists, and cleaners…the list is endless. Our everyday life that we take for granted is underpinned by the tireless efforts of a whole nocturnal society of workers who work the graveyard or nightshift. Having to spend the majority of your waking life under the cover of darkness not only takes its toll mentally and emotionally but also places a heavy physical toll on your body.
Research shows that people working the nightshift have an increased risk of sleep disorders, heart and digestive problems1, 2. In addition studies have shown that shift work leads to poorer concentration, impaired judgment dramatically lowering the efficiency and dramatically increasing the risk of accidents and injuries3.
Let’s face it, there isn’t a way to completely eliminate the energy-sapping effects of nightshifts (shift-lag) but there are many options to help you cope better and minimize your risk of accidents or injuries. The key is to try to keep the order of your routine similar to someone working during the day. The only difference is that your routine starts at a different time of day. Try some of these approaches to minimize your "shift lag"...
How a poor nights sleep is costing business billions
| 27 July 2009
During lunchtime conversation with her work colleagues Melanie appeared distracted and distant. She tried to feign her interest with the occasional nod of her head. Her head was clouded with fog when she realized that the conversation around her had stopped.
“So what do you think, Mel?”
Summoning all her powers of concentration, Mel suddenly jolted with fright at the realization of her three friends looking at her intently.
“Are you alright?” they asked.
“I’m sorry guys. I’m just exhausted. I had a terrible nights sleep and it’s been a struggle to keep my eyes open all day."
It’s an all too familiar scenario in the workplaces and homes today. With the increasing trend in Western life to cram more and more into each day, we are craving for more energy and more balance in our lives whilst, at the same time, also maintaining our productivity. However the major epidemic is that the majority of us simply do not have the time or the energy to do the things that we really want to do.
Today’s time-strapped lifestyle has turned most of our lives into a day-to-day struggle for survival before we crawl into bed exhausted at the end of the day. Fatigue is not only creating strains at home but the workplace is definitely feeling the pinch.
According to a recent study by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), fatigue is costing the workplace in the United States $136 billion dollars in health-related lost productivity. 39 % of the 29 000 US workers interviewed said that they had experienced “low levels of energy, poor sleep or a feeling of fatigue”.
Preventing driver fatigue
| 01 July 2009
It was the end of an enjoyable but exhausting Sunday family outing. After maintaining my concentration weaving the car throughout hidden country hills and valleys like a rally driver I welcomed the flat roads and traffic lights and relative order of the city streets. I pulled up at the red light and then a voice startled me...
“Paul! Go!” called out my wife.
“Huh? What?” I replied.
My heart pounded in sudden panic. “Oh my God. Did I just fall asleep? And with my wife and kids in the car!”
I had just experienced a frightening and dangerous form of driver fatigue that is called a “microsleep”. It was terrifying to experience it when I was stopped at traffic lights. I could only imagine the horror to experience it while travelling at 100 kilometres an hour on the open road.
Driver fatigue is like all other forms of fatigue with one major difference: fatigue on the road can kill.
Every day you can see the appalling carnage on the roads on the evening news. Fatigue is believed to make a primary contribution to up to 30% of automobile crashes1, whether it is due to the driver falling asleep or from fatigue-induced inattention, failing to anticipate or impaired reaction times. If your work requires long-distance driving or if you are just planning a driving vacation, here are some tips to help ensure that you not only survive during the long drive but you also thrive.