One health-related gadget that I fully approve of if you do decide to get one is the Basis wristband. The wristband, which is not yet out in the market but is already available for reservations, looks just like an ordinary and somewhat even a bit ugly wristwatch until you look more closely. It is in fact a multi-sensor band that stands out among other heart rate monitors because it also collects other data like calories burned, physical activity, and sleep patterns. What’s even more impressive is that it does more than just gather data for you, but it actually processes this data and helps you make sense out of it to so you can adjust your daily activities to help you achieve your health goals, whether that be weight loss or improve your sleep quality. You can access all your health data on your personal online dashboard, which you can view on your PC, your tablet, or your phone. In short, this is a real all-in-one health monitor that you can use regardless of what your current lifestyle might be.

And if my rave is not good enough for you, know that the Basis wristband has been awarded the CES 2012 Best of Innovations Award for Health and Wellness.

Image via Basis

Get thick and dark curtains for the bedroom. My curtains are light and airy. They’re perfect for the morning, but at night, the moonlight or the city lights shine through. That never really bothered me, but I thought I’d try sleeping in a dark room. It helps!

Turn the air conditioning on. This is NOT going to work for those who are in winter right now. But for those in tropical countries, why don’t you try cooling the room down before you sleep? Again, I normally am not bothered by the heat that much, but I noticed that when the room is cool (temperature depends on your preference), I don’t spend hours just forcing sleep to come.

Do NOT think about your day (and issues) while in bed. I think that this is my main problem. When I lie down, I like to mull things over. This habit makes it hard for my mind to relax and shut down. Now I am trying to do the thinking while I relax in the living room. When it’s time to sleep, I think of my “happy places” – a favorite beach, this nice little mountain resort, and so on.

Try these?

In the last post, we had a reality check on relationships and the money of giving gifts. In this post, let us look at some other aspects of the Christmas celebration wherein we can reduce the stress we might experience.

The Christmas meal
I wrote meal because some people eat lunch or dinner for the “main event.” It does not really matter which meal you eat with the whole family – or group of friends – the important thing is to be able to handle the preparations without overly stressing yourself out. One commonly suggested thing is to make the meal potluck. Truth be told, this has been the tradition in my family for many years now. Each family brings his own dish (or dishes) and shares it with the rest of the group. Not only will this lessen the burden on the host family in terms of preparation but also in financial aspects.

You probably won’t get away with not cooking anything. So as much possible, you should stock up on your non-perishables NOW. Plan the dishes that you will be preparing and as early as now, go get the stuff that you need. Of course, vegetables and other perishables would have to wait till the day before but canned and dry goods can be bought way ahead of time to avoid the Christmas rush.

Don’t forget to sleep and rest!
In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, you might overlook your own health – and that is the worst thing that you can do. Remember to take care of yourself and to get much needed rest in order for you to have enough energy to breeze through the holidays.

A report by Reuters states:

The greatest increase in stroke risk — 70 percent — was noted among women who slept 9 hours or more per night, according to their report in the medical journal Stroke.

After following the group for an average of 7.5 years, the researchers found that 1,166 women experienced an ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked. This prevents oxygen from reaching the brain and the brain’s tissue begins to die.

Upon further analysis, Chen’s group found that women with a sleep duration of 6 hours or less, 8 hours, or 9 hours or more increased the risk of stroke by 14 percent, 24 percent, and 70 percent, respectively, compared with sleeping 7 hours.

However, the study does not conclusively state that if women lessen their sleeping hours, their risk of stroke will be lower. Chen further states:

Our data do not imply that if women with long sleep cut their sleep hours they would be at a lower risk….Further studies are needed to help us understand the possible mechanisms involved in the associations found in this study.

Sometimes I wish that they would conduct further studies to give more conclusive information before releasing the results to the general public!

Photo courtesy of erin watson

So, take my example – I am used to sleeping at least 10 hours a day. For the past 3 weeks, I have been sleeping 2 to 3 hours. That gives me sleep debt of 7 to 8 hours every day. This adds up to 49 to 56 hours per week! And just like financial debt, we all have to pay back sleep debt or otherwise pay the consequences.

What happens when you have sleep debt? The more hours you “owe,” the more tired you will be during the day and the more chances that you will fall asleep when you are not supposed to. This is why, for the past few days, I have been falling asleep at odd times during the day. More so, when the body cannot handle it anymore, you will simply sleep in later – there is nothing you can do about it. Of course, we can drink as much coffee and other stimulants as we want. They will help keep us awake. However, this simply means that we are not treating our bodies right.

The solution to sleep debt? Catch up on this weekend.

So, how do you know if you are sleep deprived? If you always feel sleepy – like I do – does it automatically mean that you are sleep deprived? According to Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler, you may be sleep deprived if you answer yes to the following:

1. Do you often feel drowsy during the day?
2. Do you usually fall asleep within the first five minutes after lying down in bed?

Then again, she says it is either you are sleep deprived or you have a sleeping disorder. She goes on to say:

Other than daytime drowsiness and rapidly falling asleep at night, short episodes called microsleeps are another hallmark of sleep deprivation. Microsleeps are short bursts of sleep that occur during the waking hours. These may be so transient that you may not even be aware that they are occurring.

It’s not possible to fight sleep deprivation with caffeine or other stimulant drugs. Developing and maintaining a healthy sleep cycle is the only way to overcome the effects of sleep deprivation.

Maybe that’s why even 5 cups of coffee do not really help me during the day. Maybe I am sleep deprived…what do you think, how about you?

Anyhow, did you know that smoking an affect our sleeping patterns too? According to a study conducted at the Johns Hopkins University, it does!

Here’s another good reason to put away those cigarettes – a new study shows that smoking can lead to unhealthy sleep patterns, making you feel groggier the next day. Scientists have long speculated that smokers have poorer sleep quality than nonsmokers because of conditions associated with the habit, such as sleep apnea and lung disease. Now, research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine led by Dr. Naresh M. Punjabi, shows that smoking might be the culprit for decreased sleep quality.

Aha! I know I have been smoking a lot lately as well. I know I shouldn’t but it is hard not to. I have a whole range of excuses for that. So maybe that is why I still feel groggy in the morning. Maybe that is why I cannot seem to be full of energy despite a long night’s sleep. What about you? Do you smoke? Do you experience this as well?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, “sleep needs vary across populations, and the study calls for further research to identify traits within genes that may provide a “map” to explain how sleep needs differ among individuals.” More than this, “another reason there is “no magic number” for your sleep results from two different factors that researchers are learning about: a person’s basal sleep need – the amount of sleep our bodies need on a regular basis for optimal performance – and sleep debt, the accumulated sleep that is lost to poor sleep habits, sickness, awakenings due to environmental factors or other causes.”

It is complicated, isn’t it? I suppose the determining factor would be how your body responds to the amount of sleep you get. If you sleep for 7 hours and you still can’t function optimally during the day, then the chances are that you need more. On the other hand, if you sleep for 10 hours and you feel groggy and not even coffee can do much for you, then you should probably lessen your sleeping hours. As for me, I am sticking to my minimum of 10 hours a day if I can!

Did you know that eating the wrong food before going to bed can keep you from sleeping? Maybe that’s why I have trouble sleeping sometimes…Well, nutrition expert Joy Bauer gives us some tips on how to snack late at night:

Bedtime Snacks for Adults
–6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
–Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
–3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bedtime Snacks for Teens
–One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
–Low-fat granola bar
–Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

Bedtime Snacks for Children
–1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
–1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
–One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)

The choices do not look so bad, huh? I personally like the apple with peanut butter a lot. In fact, they are staples in my pantry. It seems that these suggestions are being taken seriously by other bloggers – why don’t you too?