How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Everyone occasionally has trouble sleeping, but if it becomes a habit then it a very damaging one for your health. You need a certain level of deep, uninterrupted sleep to help your body do its essential maintenance during the night and if you don’t get it then you definitely will suffer – ask any new mother!

New research has shown that an amazing 64% of us have a bad night’s sleep at least once a wee

k, with nearly one in five of us having sleep problems every night of the week and one in three of us is getting a minimal three to six hours a night. The main reason for sleep difficulties is usually down anxiety and stress and sadly most people put up with it, just lying there hoping to eventually fall asleep.

There are some six simple tips that can help, so let’s see if any of these work for you:

1 Pretend you are a child again and have a regular, enforced, bedtime.

2 Establish another routine in helping you unwind and relax before bed – not watching an adrenalin fuelled movie on tv, but maybe a relaxing bath or quietly meditating to or thinking of what you have to be grateful for that day. It will all help you let go of the stress of the day and be able to relax into sleep.

3 Keep the last hour of the day totally non tech and don’t watch TV, use the computer, mobile phone or iPod. However pleasurable, these will all over stimulate your brain and that’s the last thing you need when you are trying to get to sleep.

4 Make your bedroom a relaxing place that is just where you sleep and not where you keep books or TV or computers.

5 If your worries are keeping you awake, try writing them down before you go to sleep and tell yourself they are taken care of until the morning. Just doing this will help you put anxiety to one side during the night.

6 Spend some time and thought in making your bedroom a really calm, comforting sanctuary. It is your retreat from the world so make it a real pleasure to be in there.

Extra Help

If you still have trouble, before you resort to sleeping pills, do try these natural ways to encourage a good night’s sleep. I use them to combat the effects of the wind and rain which are making me anxious at the moment!

Lavender is very soothing so try having a lavender oil bath, or spray lavender in your bedroom to help you unwind.

Valerian and Hops are two herbs traditionally used to help sleep and there are two herbal remedies from Lane’s you might try. One is called Quiet Life which is particularly helpful if your sleeplessness is due to anxiety and worry and another called Kalms, especially for night time use.

Honey is used in India, just add two teaspoons to a cup of hot water and drink before bedtime.

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that helps regulate the body’s biological clock. When your sleep pattern is disturbed then this rhythm is thrown off and supplementing with melatonin may help.

LightSleeper is a new product from a student who used to have terrible sleep problems. It uses the fact that the way the eyes track a book when reading can be soothing and she has mimicked that movement by using a light source instead. LightSleeper projects a light onto the ceiling and it moves in a controlled, circular motion, and it is claimed that following it encourages the mind to relax into a good night’s sleep. I am trying it myself so I will let you know how I get on, but if you want more information go to the website at www.lightsleeper.co.uk and you can also find it online at www.boots.com

Yoga Show Highlights

I went to the annual Yoga Show at Earls Court last week and apart from feeling that too long has passed since I could ‘salute the sun’ there were some interesting things on display that might be of interest to those you who already do, or are about to take up, this very healthful practice.

The first thing to note is that there so many varieties of yoga on offer that you really need to spend some time researching the possibilities. If you want to sweat your way to fitness then Bikram or Hot Yoga is for you, and you might be interested in some yoga mats on the market that have a towelling cover so you don’t slide off in a mist of your own perspiration. I always thought yoga mats came in plastic and rubber, but there are also jute and bamboo for the adventurous.

Yoga for health problems

Many people do turn to yoga to help with things like having greater flexibility of stretching tight muscles, but an organisation of yoga teachers has taken it one step further. Yoga therapy for health practitioners have two years of specialist training in anatomy, physiology and pathology so they can tailor a practice to your specific health problem. They work with people who suffer from back pain, weight issues, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic fatigue, diabetes, anxiety and depression.

They specialise in lower back pain and have developed a system for computer assisted low back assessment (CALBA) which allows them to see if your back pain involves a herniated disk. If it does then they can offer advice on therapeutic exercises tailored to the stage of progression of the disk.

Yoga information at www.yogatherapy.org and CALBA at www.calba.net

Yoga for the Mind

If you live in, or have access to, London then this form of yoga is aimed specifically at emotional healing for depression, anxiety and stress. They unite yoga therapy, mindfulness and psychotherapeutic holding with the latest research in neuroscience and the psychobiology of stress. It is a long way from the lotus pose and saying OM, but these courses could be a different way of tackling a long standing problem. Further details at www.yogaforthemind.info

Yoga For Children With Special Needs

Again, this one is London based and works with children, their parents and carers offering yoga, support groups and massage.

It was started in Brazil in the 1970’s and been running in the USA since the 19990’s. It is a charity and came to the UK in 2001 to offer one to one yoga, group classes and in schools together with training for special needs teachers, occupational therapists and parent and family members. They support children with a wide range of conditions including cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, Willi Praeder, autism, epilepsy, ADD as well as other physical and developmental difficulties.

Their website is at www.specialyoga.org.uk

QiYoga for Seniors

If you are looking for something that combines Hatha yoga and Qi Gong then QiYoga might be for you. Available as a DVD to work with at home, this method was developed in Australia and has three different routines to help you gain strength and flexibility, improve your circulation and relax you. More information at the website www.QiYoga.org.uk

Music for Meditation

Finally, if all that yoga has worn you out, the traditional ened to a session is a short relaxation or meditation. Music can be helpful to set this mood and the master of this is Tim Wheater who has been providing mellow sounds for many years. If you are new to his music you can listen to a sample on his website, and at the show his personal recommendation for my readers was his In Unity album. www.timwheater.com

Why Hand Sanitizers Are Not Always A Good Idea

Hand sanitizers are now big business; compounded by the panic over Swine Flu, we are now carrying them on our person and having one in practically every room in the house.

Now, I am not against them per se, but they are a second line of defence after hand washing, not instead of, as they are increasingly being used. Also, the most common alcohol-based hand sanitizers have some unhealthy ingredients with some unpleasant associations like these listed from the most commonly included items:

Ethyl alcohol is a common ingredients and it is what kills the germs.
Anything mixed with it will move through the skin and into the bloodstream as the alcohol improves penetration of other chemicals through the skin and this disrupts the oils in the skin so it dries out. . This is also the quality that makes alcohol dry out the skin.

Did you know that there have been reports of prison inmates getting drunk on hand sanitizers and of children licking hand sanitizers off their hands and getting inebriated? While most of the alcohol in hand sanitizers evaporates within seconds of being rubbed on the hands, some is absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream and that is cause for concern if you use them frequently.

Isopropyl alcohol is another common ingredient and that is a petrochemical that can be absorbed through the skin and through inhalation of vapours. It is toxic to the nervous system and dries the skin out.

Fragrances can contain just about anything and are made from dozens of chemicals, many of them highly toxic. They are of course only present in tiny amounts but the cumulative effect, along with the other ingredient can cause a reaction in anyone with chemical sensitivity. .  Chemical, or fake fragrances have been linked by some to the rise in the cases of asthma in children as they tend to be irritating to the lungs.

In the US, the Government’s Environmental Working Group gives fragrance a toxicity rating of 8, one of the highest available.

Propylene glycol is a petroleum or plant-based chemical that is widely used in everything from antifreeze and processed foods to cosmetics and medicines. Although it is classified by various government regulatory agents as being non-toxic, for some people it can be extremely irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.   The EWG gives it a rating of 4 to 7.

Should you go alcohol-free?
You would think this was a safer option, given the above, but unfortunately they all seem to contain benzalkonium chloride, which numerous studies have implicated exposure to it as the leading cause of occupational asthma and chronic dermatitis in healthcare workers and cleaners .

The other common alcohol-free hand sanitizer ingredient is triclosan, a petrochemical antibacterial closely related to dioxins, which accumulates in the body and has a long list of serious safety concerns.

What to do?
I don’t want to scare you, using hand sanitizers occasionally will not cause a major problem but they are not a substitute for hand washing.  Keep them for use outside the home and when travelling and you should not have any ill effects if used sensibly, it’s the over use that is the problem and the most common symptom you are likely to notice is irritation of the skin.

Personally, I prefer to use a natural product such as Green People’s Foaming Hand Sanitizer.  It is an organic antibacterial product that contains Manuka, Tea Tree and Larch and is a UK product that I can recommend, I have even used it to clean a graze when I scraped my knee climbing a stile!  If you want more information on it, visit their website at www.greenpeople.co.uk

Juggling makes health sense

I wrote recently about how multi-tasking is actually less efficient than focusing on one thing, and I was delighted to learn of a different form of ‘juggling’ that can improve your health.

If you have any oranges handy, you might want to start using them to learn to juggle as an Oxford University study has shown that it leads to changes in the white matter of the brain. These are the bundles of long nerve fibres that conduct electrical signals between nerve cells and connect different parts of the brain together. What this means in practice is that there is improved connectivity in parts of the brain involved in making the movements necessary to catch the balls.

We tend to think of the brain as being static, or even beginning to degenerate, once we reach adulthood but this research shows that its structure is ripe for change and can condition its own wiring system to operate more efficiently.

You may not want to juggle, but what this shows is the importance in adults of learning a new task or skill. The volunteers in the study had never juggled before and they were given weekly training sessions and asked to practice 30 minutes every day. After six weeks of training changes were seen in the white matter in regions of the brain which are involved in reaching and grasping in the periphery of vision, so that seems to make a lot of sense.

Ability varied, but after the training they all could juggle three balls for at least two cascades and some could juggle five balls and perform other tricks. As someone who never managed to juggle more than two bean bags, and that in slow motion, I am impressed so head out and find a new hobby that shines up that white matter to a glowing halo, and it could be as simple as going for a walk or doing a crossword rather than juggling the family finances!

Emu oil for aches and pains

As someone who has just taken up line dancing again to keep the old joints moving, and discovering I am neither as fit or as agile as I imagined, I was interested in trying an Australian supplement that has been mentioned to me before. Emu oil is not new; generally it is used as a muscle, joint and skin rub, to relieve aches and pains but now you can get it in a more convenient capsule form. Emu oil has become registered as a therapeutic anti-inflammatory in Australia where it is widely used.

The Emu is an important creature in Aboriginal culture and they have been using the oil for over forty thousand years. Sceptical sophisticates want more proof than anecdotal evidence, though why is a mystery to me because if something works that proves it doesn’t it? But to reassure you, a recent study on people, rather than those poor benighted lab rats, has shown that emu oil can help reduce pain when taken orally, as well as when applied topically. Previous studies have shown that emu oil can be as effective as Ibuprofen but with no known side effects, certainly an advantage over the gastric problems such as nausea, indigestion, heartburn, constipation, diarrhoea and increased risk of heart attack s that are linked to ibuprofen.

I have been taking Golden Emu oil capsules for four weeks and have definitely seen a benefit, so I will be continuing. If you prefer rubbing in the oil, like major athletes do apparently, then you carry on. You should be able to find both oil and capsules in your local health store, but if you have any difficulty then visit the website at www.shopforhealth.co.uk

New help for cancer hair loss

A few years ago I met an exceptional young woman who after a career as a leading London hairdresser gave it up to start a charity helping those who lose their hair through cancer treatment. Jasmin Julia Gupta’s work was recognised when she was invited to meet The Prime minister and her philosophy for founding the site makes it clear why:

…“When a 43 year old looks you in the eye and says “I feel terribly guilty because I have cancer and I’m more worried about losing my hair than having treatment”, you suddenly realize that the information you can offer is potentially life changing advice. To share the knowledge that I am so fortunate to have gained, means that I can give something back to the customers and hair industry that I love so much.”

Help available:

When you experience illness and treatment, as well as changes to your hair, having to deal with it all can be overwhelming. That’s why Jasmin started the “Cancer Hair Care” to offer guidance on hair care issues I was very happy to be able to help with some editorial/writing input on the website and there is access to great, detailed, information that is free and not available anywhere else in one place like this.

Hair loss, scalp care, wigs and headscarves can all seem a mystery but with some caring advice, ideas for new looks, support with how you feel and practical advice – you will discover that looking good is not something you need to give up on because you have suffered hair loss. As well as expert advice, there are the stories from patients sharing their wisdom and experiences by talking about their cancer and hair loss. These are they are truly amazing, inspirational and often funny and poignant.

As well as the website, Jasmin has set up a “Hair Care Support Unit” at her local hospital and provides free head scarves with her “Twice as Nice project”. An important part of the work is fundraising for a number of hair care projects and providing education to hairdressers and health workers who are in daily contact with cancer patients.

If you know someone who is dealing with hair loss, then as well as the information on the site, you might want to point them towards The Caring Hair for a beautiful range of products including headscarves, for specialised hair care needs. Their slogan is ‘compassion that won’t compromise on style and fashion’ and they are experts in specialist hair care and hair loss and feature organic, fairtrade and natural products. I can personally vouch for their organic shampoo and conditioner range! They also have an award winning green and ethical policy and every penny of their profit goes back into funding the Cancer Hair Care charity.

To find out more you can call Monday to Friday 9-5 or telephone 01438 488082, but for me the first port of call would be the website at www.cancerhaircare.com

Home births as safe as hospital delivery

Women who give birth at home do not have any higher rate of complications or death than women who give birth in a hospital. This research was carried out in the Netherlands where one-third of women choose to give birth at home, due to a government encouragement of the policy.

Because the Netherlands has one of the highest rates in Europe of infant death during or just after birth, some researchers have suggested that home births might be unsafe, but when researchers examined data from 530,000 births attended by midwives, they found no difference in the risk of mother or infant death between home births and hospital births.

The study looked only at low-risk women, defined as those going into labour with no known complications, and did not include hospital births attended by a doctor rather than a midwife.

The researchers found that a full one-third of women who began their birth at home eventually had to be transferred to a hospital but in such cases neither the mother nor infant was at any higher risk of dying than in any of the other births in the study.

World Osteoporosis day

October 20th is the day to raise awareness of this potentially lethal condition and 2009 is the second year of a two year campaign which called on government health officials to recognize osteoporosis as a health priority

Osteoporotic fractures are a major cause of suffering, disability and death in the older population and their costs to our healthcare services exceed those of many other major chronic diseases. Between twelve to twenty percent of people die within one year following a hip fracture and it is estimated that 80% of those who are at high risk of osteoporosis, and have suffered at least one fracture, have neither been identified nor treated for the disease.

This means that you have to take responsibility here and if you feel you are at risk to have a bone scan done or take nutritional advice and support. For free comprehensive information on osteoporosis I recommend the booklet that Dame Dr Shirley Bond and I wrote and you can get a copy by clicking this link: progesterone

Top 5 ways to keep your energy up

There are times when, no matter how fit you are, you fall prey to persistent mild fatigue or a chronic lack of energy. Everyday stresses and a busy lifestyle can lead to you paying less attention to the simple factors that will help keep your energy levels high. Moderate exercise and incorporating rest periods into your day will help and so will following these basic tips for a natural energy boost:

1. Variety is the spice of life so make sure you eat a wide variety of organic fresh fruit and vegetables to get the best range of their natural protective vitamin and mineral content

2. Small is beautiful so give up those large meals because they trigger the body to release more insulin, resulting in low blood sugar levels and a fatigue-inducing slump. Eat more frequently, just less of it and include healthy snacks – see point 4.

3. Water, water may be everywhere but most people just don’t drink enough of it. Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue so keep your liquid intake up with herbal teas, juices and water right through the day.

4. Snacking for energy means choosing healthy things that contain some protein, carbohydrates, and beneficial fats or select whole foods that are low in fat. Good options include unsalted nuts and seeds, dried fruit and bananas, crudités, yogurt, vegetable sticks, and whole grain bread or crackers to keep your energy up by stabilising your blood sugar levels.

5. Fibre slows the release of insulin and helps maintain a steady supply of energy. Good sources are beans and pulses such as kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Childhood sweet tooth can trigger violence

I sometimes get a strong sense of déjà-vu as a story I reported on years ago resurfaces as ‘new’ in a slightly different guise. Those of you who have heard me speak on alternative health will have heard me tell of the prison experiment in the USA where they replaced the normal diet with whole foods and no sugary sweets or snacks. The result was a substantial drop in violence

Now new research shows that children who eat sweets and chocolate every day are more likely to be violent as adults, according to a study of almost 17,500 participants published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. The study is the first to examine the long-term effects of childhood diet on adult violence and they found that 10-year-olds who ate sweets daily were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence by the time they were 34 years of age.

Researchers from Cardiff University studied results from the 1970 British Cohort Study and they found that 69 per cent of the participants who were violent at the age of 34 had eaten sweets and chocolate nearly every day during childhood, compared to 42% who were non-violent.

Of course sweet eating is not only the only factor in violent behaviour, but the link between eating sweets and chocolate and violence remained after other factors were taken into account.

Nor, for once, can the blame be laid solely at the door of sugar consumption although it is certainly relevant. The researchers put forward several explanations for the link, but according to lead researcher Dr Simon Moore they believe that giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait to obtain something they want. Not being able to defer gratification may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is strongly associated with delinquency.

Appeasement seems to be a parental strategy I see a lot of these days – probably because I travel more by bus. The use of sweets as a pacifier is certainly not a new tactic, but the link to the child’s belief that they are entitled to what they demand immediately may well be an important factor that sets up a pattern. If a belief that they are always going to be entitled to have what they want, when they want it, is not very social behaviour but is something we are seeing a lot more of. Wonder if it will affect the sales of selection boxes this Christmas?

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