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How To Achieve Better Sleep (punch News) by Rottymy1: 4:59am On Apr 13, 2016 |
Nothing beats good sleep when the day is
done. However, the position you take when
sleeping can determine how well you’ll enjoy
your sleep.
Sleep is beneficial; and that is why going
without sleep for too long can lessen the
quality of life. No wonder physicians say sleep
plays a critical role in immune function,
metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital
functions.
Sleep specialist at the Harvard Medical School,
Dr. Robert Stickgold, notes that sleep plays an
important role in memory, both before and
after learning a new task.
He warns that lack of adequate sleep affects
mood, motivation, judgment, and perception of
events. In order to have a good sleep, we
should consider the following…
Pregnant women
A consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at
Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital,
Sagamu, Ogun State, Dr. Olusoji Jagun, says
usually, pregnant women are not expected to
sleep on their back, especially in their third
trimester.
He explains, “When you lie on your back, the
weight of the pregnant uterus slows the return
of blood to your heart, which reduces blood
flow to the foetus. That means the baby is
getting less oxygen and fewer nutrients.”
So, the recommended sleeping position for a
pregnant woman is sleeping on the left side.
Family doctor, Akin Bajulaiye, says sleeping on
your left side is very beneficial for the baby in
the womb.
He says, “It may benefit your baby by
improving blood flow and, by implication,
nutrients, to the placenta. It also helps the
pregnant mom’s kidneys to efficiently
eliminate waste products and fluids from the
body. This confers the advantage of reducing
the probability of swelling in the ankles, feet,
and hands.”
For babies
For infants under one year of age, experts
warn against placing a child to sleep in “prone
position.”
“By prone position, we mean putting a child to
sleep on his stomach,” explains paediatrician,
Dr. Abimbola Ogunnusi.
Ogunnusi notes that though causes of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome — an unexpected,
sudden death of an infant under one year of
age — remains unclear, researches suggest
that an infant who sleeps on his or her
stomach and whose head becomes covered by
bedspreads may begin to overheat.
And though the brain usually triggers the
infant to wake up and move to free his or her
head, the overheating may inhibit the brain’s
protective wake-up signal, resulting in SIDS.
Ogunnusi says that’s why global authorities
such as the National Institutes of Health and
the American Academy of Paediatrics advise
parents to place babies on their backs to sleep.
“This is called back-to-sleep, and it has been
known to reduce cases of SIDS by over 50 per
cent,” the paediatrician counsels.
Spine, neck health
For the rest of the population, scientists say
the best way to sleep in order to maintain
spine health is to sleep on the back, with the
arms secured by the sides. “This is good for
the spine and the neck,” scientists say.
Again, this position, it is said, prevents facial
wrinkles, because nothing is pushing against
your face. The only downside here, they warn,
is that the sleep position may make you snore
more than you are wont to if you took less
stringent position.
Improve digestion
If you are looking for a way of improving
digestion, experts say, you can sleep on your
stomach (face down). The only issue you may
have to contend with, they warn, is that it can
put an enormous strain on the neck, as you
may have to face one particular direction.
Relieve heartburn
Author of the book, Sleep Interrupted, Steven
Park, advises that side sleeping is also
advantageous because it helps keep your
airways open.
There are pros and cons to this, though.
“Research suggests that sleeping on the left
side can relieve heartburn symptoms, while
right-side sleeping makes them worse,” Park
says.
Experts also note that sleeping on the left side
can put a strain on the internal organs such as
the liver, lungs, and stomach, even when it
minimises acid reflux.
And if you are wondering why you sometimes
wake up with back and neck pain, even after
you had slept soundly, experts say it may be
because you sleep curled up into a ball, with
the knees drawn up and your chin tilted
down. Called the foetal position, physicians
say it can restrict deep breathing.
Use good mattress
In conclusion, experts note that it is absolutely
impossible to maintain a particular sleep
position throughout the night, but that in
order to enjoy good quality sleep, you should
mind the condition of your mattress. This will
often dictate your sleep position.
The bottom line: If you have an old, worn-out
mattress that sags in the middle, sleeping may
become a nightmare. So, get a new mattress. |
Re: How To Achieve Better Sleep (punch News) by amtaken(f): 5:23am On Apr 13, 2016 |
It is well with our sleeping eyes.... |
(1) (Reply)
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