When our bodies sleep, they are able to repair damage to cells and help heal injuries and fight off disease. It is very important for our bodies to rest like this, especially since we may not function as well as we should without proper rest. However, many of us do not get the proper amount of sleep that we need, or if we do, we don’t get good, quality sleep. Here are some things that can prevent us from getting a good night’s rest and what we can do about them.

The first is comfort. While some people are perfectly capable of sleeping in fully lit rooms or with the television on, to really get to sleep quickly and stay asleep, we need to be in a dark room with no noise. It’s also helpful that the temperature be correct. Generally, slightly cooler rooms are better than warmer rooms. If lights from outside are a problem, consider getting thicker curtains. This is also important if you work at night and sleep during the day. Sleeping in a room to the back of your home may also help if your street gets a lot of noise during the day.

It’s also important to have the correct bed. When we lie down, our muscles relax, allowing us to get to sleep. If we’re tense or uncomfortable, our muscles may remain clenched. Think about lying flat on the floor. Parts of your body will be in contact with the floor (back of your head, the small of your back, etc.) while other parts won’t. These parts will eventually sag down to the floor. This can cause stress on your muscles and on your spine and put uneven pressure on parts of your back. This uneven pressure also occurs if you try lying on your stomach or on your side, and it isn’t conducive to resting.

This is why we sleep on mattresses instead of on the floor. However, not all mattresses give us the support we need to get restful sleep. Old mattresses that have loose springs or other poking parts are not comfortable and don’t support us the way they should. Some mattresses that are too soft allow our bodies to sag too much, leaving our spine out of alignment. On the other hand, mattresses that are too firm will, like lying on the floor, cause uneven pressure.

Fortunately, there are many different types of mattresses available today that do allow for correct posture while we sleep. Memory foam, pillow top, and even air mattresses all help keep our bodies comfortable and aligned correctly while we rest. If you find yourself waking up in the morning just as tired as you were when you went to bed, it may be a sign that you need a new mattress. Go to a store and actually lie on different mattresses, however, before you purchase one so you know if it will give you the support you need.

Labels: health

Migraines are simply no fun, as anyone who has suffered from them will tell you. Migraines are more than just horrible headaches like some people think—they can leave a person completely debilitated. While symptoms do vary from person to person, here are the common five phases of a migraine:

1. Prodrome – you notice odd tastes or smells, and you have sudden mood changes. You may also feel tired or have muscle tension.
2. Visual/auditory cues – before the pain sets in, you may see spots, start to lose vision, or (rarely) hear odd noises or ringing.
3. Headache – in phase three, the pain hits. Most people experience headache on one side of their head, although some experience pain on both sides. This throbbing headache may also be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to sound and light.
4. Headache ends – the pain eventually goes away if you sleep, even if you don’t take any medication.
5. Postdrome – after waking up, even though the headache is gone, most migraine sufferers have a lingering weakness, fatigue, and even lack of appetite.

For those who deal with migraines, there are several things that can help:
• Taking a nap in a cool, dark room with little noise
• Supporting the head and neck with firm pillows
• Using a cold compress on the forehead or back of the neck
• Taking migraine medication
• Studying what triggers migraines and avoiding that trigger
• Drinking a cup of coffee or other caffeinated drink
• Exercising regularly can help reduce migraines

Various over the counter and prescription drugs can also help relieve migraine pain. Taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen (Aleve) and ketoprofen (Orudis) can help relieve pain, but they should not be taken by those with a history of stomach bleeding or ulcers. They should also not be taken for a long period of time.

Tylenol or other medication containing acetaminophen is also helpful and can be taken in conjunction with any of the above anti-inflammatory medication. However, it should be noted that these over the counter medications may not work for everyone, and that doctors do not yet have a 100% effective treatment for migraines.

There are some prescription medications aimed at preventive migraines. People take these drugs during the prodrome stage or right when they feel the headache coming on. Some of these drugs are actually self-injected, while others are taken orally. Most are very quick acting. They include triptans (which treat the headache only, not other pains), cafergot, migranal nasal sprays, and midrin. Some nausea medications, including comprazine and phenergan, have also been known to have preventative properties.

In the event that these drugs don’t work, some painkillers can help. However, these drugs, which include fiorinal and Tylenol with codeine, can be addictive and should only be used as an absolute last resort.

Labels: no_prescription, online_pharmacy, pain_relief

When you’re experiencing full blown depression, you probably need therapy or prescription medication. However, there are things you can do to help curb your depression so that you never reach this stage. You’ve probably heard that old cliché of wanting chocolate after a bad day. But have you ever had a piece of chocolate when you feel slightly depressed? If so, you may be surprised to note that you actually do feel a little better after eating it. Here are four different foods that can help perk you up from a mild depression.

Dark Chocolate is the first food. Note that milk chocolate, while very tasty, doesn’t contain anything that will help your mood. Dark chocolate contains several different ingredients that can help you feel better. The main one is called phenylethylamine. This ingredient can greatly alter our mood by increasing the amount of serotonin in our bodies. Serotonin helps regulate mood and stop depression. Dark chocolate also contains antioxidants, which can increase your health.

Tea is a great drink that can help make you feel better. Some of the ingredients in tea help reduce the amount of cortisol in your blood. This hormone is one of the things that makes us feel stress. Some types of teas, like green tea, also feature the same antioxidants as dark chocolate. In addition to the ingredients in tea that make you feel better, just the simple act of drinking tea can be relaxing. Taking the time to boil the water, make the tea, and then sit down to relax and enjoy your comforting, hot drink can help make you feel better.

Nuts of almost all kinds are also a great snack, especially if you don’t get enough fiber in your life. Nuts provide protein and other healthy supplements, but the main thing we’re interested in is the high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids that nuts include. These are the same acids that are found in most fish, and studies show that ingesting Omega-3 acids can help make us feel better. Ingesting a good amount of Omega-3 acids also helps us feel better overall.

Finally, salmon is another great food that has a ton of health benefits. As stated above, fish, especially salmon, is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is also high in Vitamin D, another nutrient that can boost our mood. It, like dark chocolate, stimulates the body to produce more serotonin. Because salmon, and fish in general, are so good for us, nutritionists recommend we eat fish for two meals a week.

While eating these foods may not always keep you from feeling depressed, especially if you’ve lost a loved one or some other major event has occurred, they can help relieve mild depression and make you feel a little better about life.

Labels: anxiety, depression, health