Here are few home remedies that will help alleviate the pain.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #1:Ice

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Ice can eliminate all kinds of pain and swelling in the mouth, just as it can help strains or sprains. You can use either ice cubes that are wrapped in a towel or wash cloth or you can use frozen food. If you use food, smaller items like peas are more ‘bendable’ and therefore adaptable to a painful toothache. Hold the cold substance directly against the tooth area that hurts. Just remember that if the food thaws you should either eat it or throw it away – don’t refreeze it. That’s a major no-no.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #2: Peeled Cucumber
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Get a peeled cucumber and then cut it into thick slices and hold these pieces in your mouth. You would feel that the pain is gone.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #3: Salt
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Warm salt water can work well for toothache, especially if there is some kind of bacteria or infection. Don’t believe it? Take a sore and go swimming in the ocean for a while and see what happens. Make sure the water is warm and VERY salty and swirl it around your mouth. You can repeat this frequently because it definitely helps your mouth in every possible way. You probably don’t want to swallow it, though.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #4: asafetida, lemon juice water
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Mix ½ tsp of asafetida with lemon juice and lukewarm water and make it a paste. Now apply it on the affected area. You should use cotton to apply the paste to the sore area of your tooth.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #5: Tea Tree Oil
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Tea tree oil is a natural oil from Australia that is very effective in killing bacteria and alleviating pain. You can mix it with water or put it directly or any painful or injured area. The direct approach is tougher to bear, but definitely more effective.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #6: Dried Peppermint
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You can put a small stack of dried peppermint inside your mouth and around the sore tooth. You will need to keep it there for nearly 20 minutes and then spit it out. This will help to ease your pain.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #7: Clove
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A favorite spice in my house is cloves. My kids love them in pumpkin pie and they’re great in an apple recipe, but they’re also famous as a natural remedy for toothache. Some older herbal books recommend chewing on whole cloves, but just the thought of that when I have a toothache gives me the shudders. Instead, go to a drugstore or discount store like WalMart and find some oil of cloves. Put a few drops of this oil on a cotton ball and hold it against your sore gum and tooth.

Home Remedy For A Toothache #8:
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This is by far the most powerful method … it involves a substance called Campho-Phonique, which is available in any drugstore or pharmacy and is very cheap. I’ve used it all my life for painful areas. It is especially effective in the mouth since the mouth is hard to heal due to the constant dampness. Just put a couple of drops of Campho-Phonique on a cotton ball and be prepared for an effective cure for toothache. It won’t fix your tooth, of course, but it will eliminate the pain. Warning: it tastes pretty bad – but it certainly won’t hurt you. It’s up to you to decide which is worse: a short term bad taste or pain. Your call.

These natural home remedies may work great for you or may not, depending on the severity of the pain. We don’t want to suffer and endure the pain while we are at it, so this are all worth trying. But remember, the always best remedy is to visit your dentist and have that throbbing teeth checked.

Well, if you have them, don’t despair! There are ways to prevent them from invading your beautiful looks! Read further and identify what is causing those dark circles and find out how to prevent them.

1. Get a Good night’s Sleep every night – Insufficient sleep causes the skin to become paler as it reduces circulation, increasing darkness under the eyes. This is the most common cause of dark circles. Note that we need 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

2. Treat your eyes to a home-made spa treatment – Relax, lie down and apply cool tea-bags or cucumber slices to your eyes for 10 minutes each morning. The tannin in tea reduces discoloration and the cucumber reduces puffiness, so these treatments refresh the skin around your eyes preventing darkness.

3. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink lots of water – dark circles can be caused by lack of Vitamin K or B12. Eat good amount of fruit and vegetables. Eating healthy is always the overall answer for any health deficiencies.

4. Drink water by the gallon – I’m sure you have heard of this many times already. True, this is really essential to our bodies. Drinking sufficient amount of water helps hydrate skin thus making it radiant.

5. Give up Smoking - having dark eye circles is just a mild effect of smoking if we come to think of it. There are more serious effects of smoking to worry about. It depletes the body of vitamin C so if you must smoke take a supplement to replace this loss. It causes aging and blood vessels to appear bluer under the skin therefore contributing to dark circles.

If you don’t smoke, avoid secondary smoke.

6. Don’t stay under the sun too much – The sun contains many harmful rays that can harm your skin, cause wrinkles and skin aging. This will contribute to the appearance of dark circles under your eyes so it is best to wear sunglasses while you are exposed to the sun and use a sunscreen of SPF 30 or more.

7. De-stress – Find time to relax, have some activities that will help you relax. You can lie down by the pool with cucumber in both eyes while listening to your favorite music. If you are feeling stressed on the inside it is more than likely to show on the outside. Reducing stress is essential in the prevention of dark under-eye circles.

8. Reduce Salt Intake – If your diet contains a lot of salt you may suffer from fluid retention which is a major cause of dark circles under the eyes. If you think this could be the problem try cutting out raw salt and check food labels for excess hidden salt. Dark circles are commonly caused by our lifestyle or neglecting our diet, however there is also a chance it could be hereditary.

Stress management poises a person to face his challenges in better manner than what he actually does. The following tips are key to managing stress:

1. SMILE (OR LAUGH): Give yourself a happy break. Just like whistling a happy tune, smile to fake a happy mood. Smiling sends a message to your unconscious mind and automatically generates a positive mood and attitude. If you fake happiness long enough, you might just start to believe that it’s true. If that isn’t working, pick up the paper for today’s comic strip or watch a 5-minute funny video on You Tube.

2. BREATHE: Stop, Drop, and Breathe. Okay, maybe not “drop”, but definitely stop and breathe. When we’re uptight or straining ourselves we usually forget to do this. Start by taking a few deep breaths. Next, give this pranayama technique a try: 1) Inhale deeply. 2) Hold your breath for 4 seconds. 3) Exhale for count of 4 seconds. 4) Repeat. Continue this pattern for about one minute.

3. TIGHTEN AND RELEASE: Lie flat on the floor. Starting with the feet: tighten and squeeze your feet as much as you can. Then move upward, tense and relax the ankles, calves, knees, thighs and entire body one by one. When you get to your head, lift the head off the ground and squeeze all the muscles of your face. Lie quietly for a minute afterward, noticing the change in your body and basking in the calm.

4. MOVE: Sometimes stress is so habitual that we have to literally shake it off. Stand up, extend your arms out and imagine that you’re a soggy wet dog and give yourself a good shake. If a good wiggle doesn’t work for you, go for a short walk and take in your surroundings.

5. VISUALIZATION/MEDITATION: Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Imagine a bright red rose in front of you. Notice the vibrant petals, its color and its texture. See this rose clearly in your minds eye. Take another deep breath and smell the rose. Savor its scent and let it fill your body. Slowly open your eyes. Keep your eyes soft for just a minute longer, lingering on the beautiful rose.

For some women menstrual cramps are debilitating, while others experience only mild discomfort during their period. Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) may be primary or secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea occurs most often in young women who have just begun their menstrual cycles and often becomes less severe after a woman has given birth or when she reaches her mid-twenties. Secondary dysmenorrhea is diagnosed when menstrual cramps are caused by other conditions such as endometriosis, fibroid tumors, pelvic adhesions, and ovarian cysts or by the use of an interuterine device (IUD) for birth control.

Menstrual cramps are thought to be related to a hormone-like naturally occurring substance called prostaglandins which causes the uterus to contract. If a woman does not ovulate it is unlikely that she will encounter cramps during her period, for this reason physicians often prescribe oral contraceptives to ease painful periods. However, you should be aware that birth control pills cause abnormal bleeding in some women.

How Can You Beat the Cramps?

Regular physical activity often reduces cramping in some women.

Supplementing your diet with zinc and calcium has been found to reduce cramps, bloating, and related PMS symptoms.

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium used around the clock as soon as you notice the first sign of your period help to reduce the severity of cramps in many women by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins.

Herbal remedies such as Viburnum prunifolium, Scutellaria spp., and Cimicifuga raemosa have an antispasmodic effect that may reduce some menstrual cramps. Other useful herbs include cramp bark, squaw vine, unicorn root, bromelain, evening primrose oil, and blue cohosh.

Take a warm bath and using aromatherapy or using a heating pad on your lower abdomen or back. If you don’t have a heating pad, a heating pad can be made by filling a sock with rice and heating it in the microwave.

Taking time for yourself, relaxing, and letting those around you know that you are not feeling yourself will help by reducing the stress of your everyday life that may contribute to your menstrual cramps.

Have two persons at the same age, maybe even same genes stand side by side. The other eat healthy, does not smoke, drink alcohol, party all night and the other completely the opposite. Who would you think will look younger?

A team of doctors from the Department of Plastic Surgery at Case Western Reserve University studied the effects of lifestyle and environment on the facial aging process of 186 sets of twins. The study is called Factors Contributing to the Facial Aging of Identical Twins. Although the study looked at multiple factors in lifestyle and environment, smoking and sun exposure were extremely significant to the aging process. Specifically, here are the results:

1. Smoking: For those pairs of twins where one twin smoked and one didn’t, the minimum perceived age difference among the twins were 5 years. For every ten years of smoking, the twin who smoked looked approximately 2 ½ years older in appearance. Why is this so? Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, resulting in decreased blood flow to skin. Further, it depletes the body of Vitamin C, which is key for keeping skin plump and moist. This in turn causes capillaries to become permanently damaged, increased dryness and skin dehydration due to a diuretic effect, a grayish complexion and lastly, an increase in wrinkles, including crows feet.

2. Sun Exposure: Increased sun exposure was associated with an older appearance, especially as the twins got older. Those twins with outdoor hobbies such as golf and tennis had a perceived older appearance, while those who used skin protection (sunscreen) led to a younger appearance. Why is this so? High amounts of sun exposure breaks down skin’s structural tissues (collagen and elastin). As a result, skin looks mottled, freckles become more permanent, and skin becomes dried out, leathery, wrinkled and saggy.

Ok, great. So now we have living proof of these bad boys and their effects on your skin. But guess what, there are other lifestyle choices that can affect the aging process. Here are eight more enemies of your skin:

3. Alcohol: Alcohol dilates small blood vessels, increasing blood flow near the skin’s surface. This can cause the skin to look wrinkled, red and flushed. What you can do: Try to limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage per day.

4. Caffeine: Caffeine can cause water loss from your body and skin, resulting in a lack of plumpness. What you can do: Make sure you drink plenty of water and limit intake to 300 mg a day.

5. Extreme Weather: Exposure to cold winds and low temperatures or extreme dry heat can dehydrate your skin, leading to wrinkles and roughness. What you can do: Use a good moisturizer and a humidifier if you are in an especially dry climate.

6. Eating Disorders: Depriving your body of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals required for proper cell turnover and growth can cause skin to become dry and thin. Further, hair and nails can become brittle and thin. What you can do: Make sure you are eating enough calories so that your metabolism stays high and your body is properly nourished.

7. Lack of Sleep: Not enough sleep deprives your body of needed rest and doesn’t allow skin to regenerate. You’ll look and feel tired, develop dark circles and bags under your eyes and your skin will become saggy. What you can do: Get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night, if not more.

8. Stress: Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time muscles in the face actually conform to that movement, developing lines and wrinkles. What you can do: Monitor your stress levels throughout the day and find healthy ways to release the stress you feel through breathing and relaxation techniques.

9. Refined Sugars and Low-Protein in Your Diet: Refined sugar and carbohydrates can disturb collagen production, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin. Further, spikes in your insulin levels can cause excess amounts of secreted oils, resulting in acne and breakouts. What you can do: Focus on whole grains, fruits and vegetables for your carbohydrates and a minimum of 20% of your calories from lean proteins.

10. Saturated Fats or VERY Low-Fat Diets: Saturated fats (butter, cream and high-fat dairy) can cause skin to age and become more wrinkled. However, not having enough healthy fats can harm the oil barrier of your skin, which protects from fluid loss and infection. Too little fat can result in Eczema, Dermatitis (inflammation of skin) and Acne. What you can do: Make sure you eat a well balanced diet that incorporates healthy fats, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates.

As we get older, our lifestyle choices become even more important…especially when it comes to the aging process and looking and feeling our best. Have you witnessed anything like the twin phenomenon? Have you made a lifestyle change that has helped you to ‘reverse’ or slow the signs of aging?

]]> http://pinksoda.lecio.us/health/look-young-not-old-10-ways/feed/ 0 http://pinksoda.lecio.us/health/cervical-cancer-what-is-it/ http://pinksoda.lecio.us/health/cervical-cancer-what-is-it/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:37:23 +0000 pinksoda http://pinksoda.lecio.us/?p=395 What is it?

Cervical Cancer is malignant cancer of the cervix uteri or cervical area. Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer can often be cured when it’s found early. It is usually found at a very early stage through a Pap test.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). It is sometimes called the uterine cervix. The body (upper part) of the uterus, is where a fetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). The part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus is called the endocervix. The part next to the vagina is the exocervix (or ectocervix). The place where these 2 parts meet is called the transformation zone. Most cervical cancers start in the transformation zone.

As part of your regular pelvic exam, you should have a Pap test. During a Pap test the doctor scrapes a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix to look for cell changes. If a Pap test shows abnormal cell changes, your doctor may do other tests to look for precancerous or cancer cells on your cervix.

Your doctor may also do a Pap test and take a sample of tissue (biopsy) if you have symptoms of cervical cancer, such as bleeding after sex.

Prevalence of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women worldwide with 400,000 newly diagnosed cases every year. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer of women in most developing countries, where it accounts for as many as one in four female cancers. It occurs much less frequently in developed countries. In the US, there are about 15,000 new diagnosed cases each year and about 1/3 of these women die of the malignant form of the disease. This incidence in women in the US varies among ethnic groups; it is twice as prevalent in black women than in white women. Cervical HPV infection is extremely common in sexually active young women. Peak prevalence is seen between 15 to 25 years of age and varies from 25 to 40%.

What causes Cervical Cancer

Most cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. You can get HPV by having sexual contact with someone who has it. There are many types of the HPV virus. Not all types of HPV cause cervical cancer. Some of them cause genital warts, but other types may not cause any symptoms.

You can have HPV for years and not know it. It stays in your body and can lead to cervical cancer years after you were infected. This is why it is important for you to have regular Pap tests. A Pap test can find changes in cervical cells before they turn into cancer. If you treat these cell changes, you may prevent cervical cancer.

What are the Symptoms?

Abnormal cervical cell changes rarely cause symptoms. But you may have symptoms if those cell changes grow into cervical cancer. Symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

• Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, or a change in your menstrual cycle that you can’t explain.

• Bleeding when something comes in contact with your cervix, such as during sex or when you put in a diaphragm.
• Pain during sex.

• Vaginal discharge that is tinged with blood.

Can it be treated?

Yes! Cervical cancer that is caught early can usually be cured. If the cancer is caught very early, you still may be able to have children after treatment.

The treatment for most stages of cervical cancer removes the cancer and makes you unable to have children. These treatments include:

• A hysterectomy and removal of pelvic lymph nodes with or without removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes.

• Radiation therapy.

• Chemotherapy.

Glutathione is a small molecule made up of three amino acids, which exists in almost every cell of the body. However, glutathione, must be generated within the cell from its precursors before it can work effectively in the body.

The presence of glutathione is required to maintain the normal function of the immune system. It is known to play a critical role in the multiplication of lymphocytes (the cells that mediate specific immunity) which occurs in the development of an effective immune response.

Furthermore, the cells of the immune system produce many oxiradicals as a result of their normal functioning, resulting in a need for higher concentrations of antioxidants than most cells. Glutathione plays a crucial role in fulfilling this requirement.

If your aim is to lighten your skin, then you must take note that taking the right dosage is important to achieve that goal.

Things you need to know why you take, how to take your gluta caps.

1. gluta is an anti-oxidant that cleans the liver, takes off free-radicals and helps the brain too (did u know that our brain’s anti-oxidant is gluta and that low level of it results to some illneses and disorders?)

2. gluta is safe for everyone whatever age is

3. the most advisable dosage is 10-20mg/kg BodyWeight to use glutathione as an anti-oxidant and for whitening it has to be 20-40mg/kg/BW. example: 50kg x 20mg = 1000mg. you have to take it with vitamin c in ascorbic acid form to be able to maximize its whitening effect (vitamin e can also be taken for better results although i don’t really encourage you to do so because ive learned that there are forms of vitamin e which are not water-soluble and it may harm our body in prolonged use). it means that you are just taking dosage of glutathione as an anti-oxidant and not as skin whitener (because i assume that all in all, you are taking 400 mg of )

4. it is 100 percent proven that it really works to whiten skin

5. For most people, the first 3 months use of gluta (fortunately for me, this happened for only 2 mts) is crucial for it is the time where gluta is building the foundation (body chemistry re-alignment) and once built this is only the start for its whitening process. the lightening of skin is gradual (speed is depending on your metabolism and body chemical functioning) this is where you will notice that your skin is shinier and healthier than before. after this process, you will notice that your shade is lighter than before.

6. glutha whitens the skin by reducing the melanin formation of the epidermis going up to the dermis

7. there are definitely no side-effects of using gluta, u know why? coz its ability to whiten your skin is already its side-effect

8. there is also no harm in its prolonged use

9. its advisable to take gluta with meal and never take it with liquor or any alcoholic drink

10. while taking this, you wont really become sensitive but you have to at least put sunblock lotion or cream to exposed parts of your body and your face.

Sweet tooth? Me definitely yes! My weakness and my cravings most of the time since birth! . That’s probably one of the weaknesses most women have. The ultimate diet wrecker and the the culprit for increased obesity not just in women but so with men. But should you feel guilty for eating sweets? You shouldn’t. There is nothing wrong with eating an occasional sweet. It is far wiser to plan a sweet dessert now and again, rather than deprive yourself for weeks only to eat half your body weight in sweets later.

Curbing your sweet tooth may not be that easy but by doing it slowly will help you eventually control your sweet intakes. The secret here is you want nutritional value for your calories. Healthier choices go a long way in making you lean, fit and trim. Below are tips to cut back on Sugar.

1. Try saving sweets for special occasions. Plan a candy bar or cookie ahead of time, say, on the weekends. It is far better to incorporate them into your diet than binge on them when feeling deprived.
2. Bake your own sweets with half of the sugar. Or try substituting applesauce for sugar in muffin and sweet bread recipes.
3. Use dried fruits as extra sweeteners in cookies. Beware of dried fruits as snacks alone. They are rich in calories and can stick to teeth causing tooth decay.
4. Use powered sugar as a substitute for icings on chocolate cakes. Get a doilie and place on top of cake. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and remove doilie…Wallah! Poetry in motion without the extra fat in icings!
5. Use “conserves” instead of “preserves”. The former do not have added sugar.
6. Use sliced fresh fruit as a topping for french toast or pancakes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. This helps bypass the maple syrup.
7. Buy plain non-fat yogurt and add your own fresh fruit. Flavored yogurts can contain up to seven teaspoons of added sugar.
8. The product “Equal” is actually two naturally occurring amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine) hooked together. This works well for sweetening cold products, but breaks down in cooking.
9. Look for breakfast cereals with six grams or less of added sugar and more than four grams of fiber. Read the label and beware of words that end with “ose”. These are sugars too: corn syrup solids, dextrose, maltose etc.
10. Beware of fruit-flavored waters. These products can have as much sugar as sodas. Make your own beverage with half fruit juice and half mineral water.
11. Eat fresh fruit whenever possible. When buying canned fruit, buy those packed in their own juice or “lite” syrup.
12. Avoid having sweets around “for guests”. Chances are you will eat them before your friends and family will.

Those are not that easy to follow but with discipline and determination, you’ll surely get by!

source: http://www.spineuniverse.com

To an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 20g. to 500g.

The lecturer replied,

“The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued,

“And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. ”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, set them down and don’t pick them up again until after you’ve rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

== Accept that on some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.

== Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

== Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

== Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

== If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

== If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

== It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

== Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because you won’t have a leg to stand on.

== The second mouse gets the cheese.

== When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

== Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

== You may be the only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

== Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

== We could learn a lot from crayons…Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

== A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today…I did.

Thanks to my friend joy for sharing this to me.

Our society can not function without people working around the clock; the world cannot shut down at 10:00 P.M.. This is unfortunate for those that work the night shift and for society because accidents due to night shift errors is very common. Lack of sleep is thought to be the blame in the 1986 Chernobyl and 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear power plant melt downs. Also, in 1986 the Columbia space shuttle nearly had a fatal launch due to “operator fatigue” of a night shift worker. In a 1988 study the Wall Street Journal reports; there is an estimated 70 billion dollars of lost productivity and mistakes due to fatigued night shift workers.

Experts now realize that sleep loss is dangerous and that night shift work has different effects on sleep, health and work performance. Night shift workers may have increased sleep disorders, gastrointestinal complaints, ulcers, heart problems, high blood pressure depression, mood swings, substance abuse and fatigue.

Most people need 8 hours of sleep a day to feel rested. Parts of the nights sleep are spent in light sleep stages and the other parts of the night are spent in deep sleep stages. The deep sleep portion is the most important time of the sleep process where you nourish and restore your brain and body functions. With out the deep sleep you will not feel rested. Through out the night we go back and forth from deep to light sleep. We stay in the deep for about 45 minutes and then if we are deeply disrupted we come back up into light sleep. It is normal to have five 45 minutes deep sleep cycles in an 8 hour period. Anything that upsets these cycles will cause sleep problems.

If you work the night shift and sleep during the day, there are many things that can disturb your deep sleep and awaken you during your light sleep phase. Noise is the biggest problem. Daytime sleepers have to contend with noisy neighbors, children, traffic, lawn mowers and such. Noise is the most common complaint of people who sleep during the day; so, noise prevention should be given top priority. When looking for a home to rent or buy, always look for one in a quiet neighborhood. Look at the house after school hours and on Saturday when the neighborhood kids are home from school and day workers are home mowing their lawns. Look at the house more than once at different times of the day. Between 4:00 and 5:00 P.M. during rush hour traffic is a good time too. Make sure the house is not near any train tracks, noisy factories, or airport fly-bys. Make sure the bedroom is in a location as to not be near the street or noisy neighbors. Look in the backyards neighboring the house to see if there are any dogs that will bark during the day. If there is open properties near by, check to see if there will be construction in the future that could disturb your sleep. Check to see if there are dual pane windows in the house, they not only reduce cold and heat but noise as well. Wear ear plugs to block out all noise. It is also important to turn off your phone ringer and disconnect your door bell.

Another sleep depriver is too much light. Our body’s entire cycle is based upon light and dark. For millennia we have been sleeping in the dark and waking in the light. If you are doing the opposite of this set body program, you are fighting against generations of programming. Since sunlight will disturb your day you should choose a house where the bedroom is on the north side of the house. This side is often in the shade. If you are renting, make sure you ask if you can put mini blinds on the windows to block out the light. Wear a black eyemask to further block out the light. You do not want any light coming in through your eyelids while you are sleeping. You can put dark paper, foil or tinting on the windows to darken the room.

Not being able to come home and unwind after work is another problem night shift workers face. When you work the day shift you are able to come home and unwind and relax for about 6 hours before you go to bed. Night shift workers usually come home and get right into bed bringing all the stress of work with them. It is important to wind down and distance yourself from a stressful job before you try to sleep. Give yourself at least an hour of doing something you enjoy. Eat breakfast, watch a morning show, listen to music or read a book. Or, go for a run or do some form of exercise. Take a hot shower to relax yourself. Try to set a routine that stays the same everyday, if possible. Come home, do the same thing every morning. Get into bed at the same time every morning and wake up at the same time every afternoon.

If you have children in the home you need to have a family meeting to talk about the noises that children make. Most small children do not understand what quiet is. Play a couple of whispering games to teach them. Older children are capable of being quiet. Give rewards to them for being quiet. Buy head phones for their TV’s and stereos so they can still listen to their music with out disturbing you.

For most night shift workers it is wise to stay on the same sleep schedule, even during the weekends. If you work 5 days a week for 8 hour shifts it would be very difficult to switch to sleeping at night on the weekends and back to days during your work week. If you work a compressed schedule of 4 – ten hour shifts it is easier to switch your sleep schedule because you have three days to do it in. Use naps to make the transitions easier, on the day you get off work sleep only 4 hours. Then get up and do some fun things with your friends and family and go to bed when they do. Do this for the next three nights. The day you go back into work, take a 2 or 3 hour nap in the afternoon to make sure you will be alert during work.

Written by Donna Theobald – © 2002 Pagewis