The Nervous Brain

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The human need for sleep is a mystery. The central nervous system is always impacted by sleep. There may have been other things that evolution added onto the primary function of sleep, but the primary function of sleep probably has something to do with the brain."

Idea is that sleep might enable the brain to clear out toxic products produced when we're awake. The brain is a huge consumer of energy, which means it also produces much waste. Some recent research suggests that sleep is a time when the brain sweeps itself clean, but those results need to be replicated. It might be something that kind of happens with sleep, but it may not be the most important thing sleep is doing.

Humans spend nearly a third of their lives asleep. Going without sleep will literally make you psychotic and, eventually, kill you. It's clear that shut-eye is crucial to the body's ability to function. But no one knows what sleep actually does. "It's sort of embarrassing," said Dr. Michael Halassa, a neuroscientist. "It's obvious why we need to eat, for example, and reproduce … but it's not clear why we need to sleep at all."

We're vulnerable when we're asleep, so whatever sleep does, it must be worth the risk of the brain taking itself mostly offline. There are a few theories about why we sleep, and although none of them are totally solid, a few try to explain what happens each night, pulling in research on topics ranging from cellular processes to cognition. Researchers say it does seem clear that sleep is key to the brain's ability to reorganize itself — a feature called plasticity. It puts the body on alert for a wound but no wound happens. This could easily help explain the links between sleep deprivation and negative health outcomes such as heart disease and stroke.

In the past 50 years, there has been a decline in average sleep duration and quality.

Anxiety to insomnia

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It’s difficult to cope with insomnia. Especially drains body when you suffer from anxiety. Anxiety sufferers who spend many of their waking hours in states of mental and physical distress cannot afford to lose sleep to anxiety-related insomnia. To give your body a chance to recover from the extra stresses, you are at risk for having to deal with every day it is essential for you as an anxious person to learn to manage your insomnia.

Treatment options for an anxiety disorder also include cognitive-behaviour therapy, as well as relaxation techniques, and medication.

Stress and anxiety may cause sleeping problems or make existing problems worse. And having an anxiety disorder exacerbates the problem.

Reduce Anxiety, Sleep Soundly

To reduce anxiety and stress:

• Exercise : Regular exercise is good for your physical and mental health. It provides an outlet for frustrations and releases mood-enhancing endorphins. Yoga can be particularly effective at reducing anxiety and stress.
• Get an adequate amount of sleep : Sleeping recharges your brain and improves your focus, concentration, and mood.
• Meditate : Focus on your breath — breathe in and out slowly and deeply — and visualize a serene environment such as a deserted beach or grassy hill.
• Prioritize your to-do list : Spend your time and energy on the tasks that are truly important, and break up large projects into smaller, more easily managed tasks. Delegate when you can.
• Direct stress and anxiety elsewhere : Lend a hand to help others which will take your mind off  of your own anxiety and fears.
• Talk to someone : Let friends and family know about it and they might be able to help, and  also consider seeing a doctor or therapist.
• Play music : Soft, calming music can lower your blood pressure and relax your mind and body.

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Cheer up !! 😊

Teen pressure

PEER PRESSURE

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The influence of friends (bad or good) can extend to many facets of everyday life. Late night partying, studying, or even just hanging out with no real purpose will crucify your sleep. It is important to prioritize things in your life, sleep being one of them.

Some of the main causes of peer pressure are related to age-appropriate behaviour. Adolescents develop a strong desire to fit in with their peers and be accepted by them. This desire makes adolescent peer pressure tough to resist.

Peer pressure isn’t just about a group of kids daring someone to do something. Often, it’s much more subtle. Peer pressure occurs when group of people coerce each other to go along with certain beliefs or behaviours. The group approves of the followers and sometimes harshly disapproves of those who don’t fall in line. The consequences of being rejected by one’s peers are embarrassment and shame, both very negative emotions for teens.

An obvious form of peer pressure is teen drinking at parties. Kids who attend are expected to drink and some may be expected to drink heavily. Subtler forms of peer pressure exist in clothing choices or attitudes toward sex or drug use. Simply agreeing with the group’s attitudes usually isn’t enough; teens have to prove themselves by backing their words with actions.

Generally there are a few people in the group that are the leaders. These individuals set the rules for everyone else and are seen as authority figures by their peers. Anyone who challenges the rules is challenging the authority of the leaders. Teens may be unwilling to speak up because they’re afraid to lose a friendship with one of these leaders or because they fear losing their status in the group.

The consequences of having bad friend group that may lead you to do inappropriate activities is a cause of insomnia also. Now that you are aware of some of the most common sleep stealers, do you best to avoid potholes that will impair your quality of life, and future.

The Fault in our Technology !!

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You don’t need to shut down your brain in order to get to sleep, in fact, shutting down your brain is just lonely. You will get to sleep best if you are tired (exercise), comfortable and if you have a set pattern of what you do before bed every night.

Accepting poor sleep should not be considered normal, even if you're getting older or have a lot on your mind. Quality of life is affected greatly when a person is not well rested. 

Allison Harvey is a professor of sleep and psychology at UC, Berkley. She says TV is a passive technology so it doesn’t stimulate the brain like computers do. “Where as a lot of the video games, Facebook, Twitter, will respond back at us"

"So they are interactive and maybe get in the way of sleep more than the passively received ones.”

Interactive technology makes us more alert and can lead to insomnia when used at night. Light from computer screens can mess with the body’s circadian rhythm and can lead to poorer sleep.  

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Few Steps Can Be Taken For Not Falling In Technology's Trap : 
Avoid screens before bed: The blue wavelength light from screens affects levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. This can really prevent your mind from switching off resulting in you struggling to get to sleep.

Switch of social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc all stimulate your mind. Many people automatically take a look at social networks when they go to bed. All of these get your mind racing and alert.

Avoid caffeine: It seems obvious but so many people drink coffee, tea, energy drinks and high caffeine soft drinks. After 2pm, try to replace these with water. A lack of water is one of the top reasons for tiredness in the day so if you are feeling a bit sluggish in the day, try drinking more water and avoid caffeine.

If you really, truly are not falling asleep, get out of your bed and don't look at phone screen, you should go and  take care of something else. Something you have been avoiding like cleaning the door handles, doing laundry, reading books or anything else which might make you happy afterwards, then that night your brain might encourage to agree to sleep and start thinking of it to be more fun and exciting , which may help stimulate your brain in functioning in that way and getting in routine.

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A dose of humanity

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Medicine Side Effects 

Relying on medicines is nothing other than battling daytime drowsiness and becoming sleep deprived. A number of common medications can prevent from falling asleep. Since chemicals working varies for everyone causing sleep problems in many cases.

Antidepressants can cause insomnia. There are few common features of insomnia like not feeling refreshed, unable to sleep despite being tired, difficulty in concentration, body ache and heaviness of body. Anyone can try to check themselves whether they are sleep deprived person or not by checking how long does it take to fall asleep in night? How often do you wake up in between? Which all medicines do u intake and their quantity and side effects? Are there any signs of daytime fatigue?

We all must know about medicine details and their side effects in order to avoid insomnia. A particular dose of everything is good but if done over can cause problems, you should always take right amount according to prescriptions and not try to become doctor on your own and intake random medicines.

A 52 year old lady was suffering from sleeplessness since last 4 years. She was barely able to sleep for ½ or 1 hour at a stretch. She was having Hypertension since 4 years and also had Hypothyroidism since 2 years, due to which she took many medicines and painkillers. Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure in which there are medicines like Anti-arrhythmic drug and beta blockers which cause insomnia. Beta blockers in India are known as ‘Atenolol’. The lady was under the consumption of this medicine which eventually lead to insomnia. Becoming a sleep deprived person she started having continuous flow of thoughts in her mind which did not allow her to sleep well also. Atenolol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions also.

There may be other alternate medications present that can treat your ailment or health condition without shaking off your sleep. Switching medications or lowering dosages with a doctor’s guidance may help ease insomnia which occurred due to medicine’s side effects. Restful sleep is essential for feeling well and recovering from the health problems, therefore don’t lose sleep over medication side effects and interrupt your healthy lifestyle. Changing your medication might be the perfect solution for good night’s sleep and a step towards setting your routine.

Hectic Lifestyle

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In this fast moving society that we live in today, we all are caught up in the hustle and bustle of life with packed schedule.

A hectic schedule can also affect people's lifestyle. Hectic schedule affects  healthy relationships. Thus, those unhealthy relationships formed lead to problems in working place, argument with parents, misunderstandings between friends, which cause stress. The quality of relationships maintained by people relates to the ability of tolerance to stress. There are several ways in which stress is dealt with. The best method is a change in lifestyle. Controlling and being in charge of thoughts, schedule, emotions and way of dealing with problems. Also relaxation techniques act as stress buster such as deep breathing, listening to soothing music, meditation, exercises. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy relationship and taking out time to rest and relax and calm down.

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Time management helps an individual to manage time and achieve their goals. Time management is essential because of time being limited resource which cannot be reversed or rewinded. Everyone must try to lead an organized and a healthy lifestyle by inspiring to do physical activities, efficient time management skills.

Live a healthy life

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While wanting to live a long and healthy life, there are things that can be modified as well as things that can't. While you couldn't choose your genes, you can make choices that will reduce your health risks and possibly add years to life. For that you need to take care of your body and cherish it. There is a wide range of factors for health.

 Environmental factors play a crucial role. Sometimes the environment alone is enough to affect health. Other times, an environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who is genetically influenced.

Sleeping less than seven hours might have negative effects for body. Getting an adequate amount of sleep is important to give your body a chance to restore and revitalise. Not only does it recharge the "batteries" but it also attends to all of the metabolic functions a body needs, such as getting rid of wastes, regenerating old cells, and repairing the cell damage.

Exercise is commonly the neglected part of daily routine. People stress about diet and work but often forget about exercise, which is a key factor for a healthy lifestyle. It benefits the functioning of heart, better circulation, reduction in cholesterol level and better ability to deal with stress. Strength training helps build and maintain muscle mass which is what absorbs energy first when performing tasks.

According to the WHO, the higher a person's socioeconomic status (SES), the  most likely they are to enjoy good health, a good education, a well-paid job, afford good healthcare when their health is threatened. People with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to experience stresses related to daily living, such as financial difficulties, marital disruption, and unemployment, as well as social factors, such as marginalization and discrimination. All these add to the risk of poor health.

Lastly is happiness which is core factor for a healthy lifestyle. If you are unhappy your mind will be distracted all day long and be preoccupied all time giving no space to other things. Dream big to achieve big and be happy all the time, this will help you get a better grip of situation and support to stand straight and confident. Those who are happy are least likely to suffer from insomnia or suffer from depression or any other disorder.

Have a great day and be confident !!

     

Healthy Mind Healthy Body

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After talking about health, we need to know about their types also. Mental and physical health are the two most commonly discussed types of health. There are "spiritual health," "emotional health," and "financial health," to talk among others which is connected to lower stress levels and mental and physical well being.

A clear distinction is often made between 'mind' and 'body'. The human body was made to be physically active. But when considering mental health and physical health, the two should not be thought of as separate. Poor physical health can lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems. Maintaining physical fitness involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease the risk of diseases. Maintenance of physical health is based on natural interactions with the environment that include such fundamental qualities as sleep, exercise, diet, air and water. The main factor to maintain physical health is physical exercise with nose breathing, while other factors (such as good diet, presence of all required nutrients, good sleep, hygiene, and so forth) are also necessary. Main destructive factors that diminish body oxygenation are the same factors that are causes of hyperventilation. They include lack of exercise, poor posture, eating too much, supine sleep (sleeping on the back), talking too much, mouth breathing and so on.

Mental health is not only the absence of depression, anxiety or another disorder. It also depends on the ability to: enjoy life, bounce back after difficult experiences, achieve balance, adapt to adversity, feel safe and secure, achieve your potential. Positive mental health allows people to: realize their full potential, cope with the stresses of life, work productively, make meaningful contributions to their communities. It includes our psychological, social and emotional well-being. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Not only should the all the body parts work well and work together, they also need proper nutrition for energy, as well as to continue to operate effectively. Physical and mental health are linked. If chronic illness affects a person's ability to complete their regular tasks, this may lead to depression and stress, for example, due to money problems.

Empathy in healthcare

Healthcare exists to help people maintain this optimal state of health.

Mahatma Gandhi quoted , “It is health which is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver”. By health it does not mean the absence of physical troubles only. But it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. The decreasing scale of health indicates loss of happiness.

We are aware of the popular saying “Health is Wealth”, which states that  good health is the real wealth of our life which gives us good physique and healthy  mind and helps enable us to enjoy whole life by overcoming all challenges. I totally agree with this saying as good health keeps us away from the mental and physical disabilities as well as other acute and chronic diseases. In order to sustain happiness one must always be fit and jump over obstacles that make you unhealthy and avoid being embarrassed while depending on someone else for performing daily basic needs. Being a healthy person allows us to do regular exercise, eat well, rest well and be energetic. Good health means good hygiene which is a vital way to improve self-esteem. A healthy and fit person will be goal oriented and try his best to complete the tasks. Healthy people do well to make the best of what they experience.

A good health reduces the stress level and promotes healthy life without any sufferings. In such a busy life and polluted environment, it is very hard for everyone to maintain a good health and live healthy life. It needs a careful watch and regular medical check-up to get healthy. Health is a great treasure. It is the biggest blessing and the source of bundle of happiness. Money can’t buy happiness. Happiness is priceless and not dependent upon the wealth of a person. Good health, however, contributes to the emotional well-being and happiness of a person. So be healthy and enjoy life to the fullest.