How to feel even more amazing with less sleep

Have you ever thought you need more than 24 hours in your day?

Well I believe I have found a way...

No! Not to get more than 24 hours in a day :) but how to make more time for yourself:

Actually, it's fairly straightforward...

Just get less sleep.

Honestly. My friend, who wrote this guide, has 2 kids, a full-time job, works part-time as a writer, has a great family and social life and still manages to feel amazing every day.

When I first heard him speaking about this, I thought there is no way that is true. When I asked him about it, he told me how he does it, and he didn't really think it was unusual as he has been doing it for years...

But when I questioned further he had to teach himself how to do it and now he has written a guide on how you can do it.

Imagine having an extra 2-4 hours every day....

What would you do with that time?
How much more could you achieve?

More time with your family...
More time to work on your goals in life...
More time to finish work on time...
More time to write that book....

The possibilities are virtually endless.

Read, my friend, Steven's story here.

I honestly think you'll be amazed and excited by the opportunities this can give you in life.

Why hammocks are best for afternoon naps

It's all in the same swaying motion you use to put fussing babies to sleep.

GENEVA - The mystery of why it is virtually impossible to lie in a gently rocking hammock without falling asleep has been solved.

An analysis of the brainwaves of sleeping subjects revealed that a slow swinging motion both helps us fall asleep faster and slip into a deeper sleep than in a stationary bed.

The findings also help to explain the age-old belief that cradling a baby will send it off to sleep, and why it is so difficult to stay awake in a rocking chair.

The study, published in the journal Current Biology, found that lying on a slowly rocking bed helped each subject in a small test group fall asleep more easily, and spend longer in a deeper stage of sleep.

The Swiss scientists who carried out the research suggested that the swinging motion's effect could help synchronise our brain activity into a pattern associated with sleep.

One of the study's co-authors, Dr Sophie Schwartz of the University of Geneva, said: "It is a common belief that rocking induces sleep. We irresistibly fall asleep in a rocking chair and, since immemorial times, we cradle our babies to sleep.

"Yet, how this works had remained a mystery. The goal of our study was twofold: To test whether rocking does indeed soothe sleep, and to understand how this might work at the brain level."

Twelve volunteers were asked to take an afternoon nap on a custom-made bed or "experimental hammock" that could either remain still or be made to rock gently.

During two 45-minute naps, one with the bed stationary and one with it swaying, their brain activity was monitored. The swaying motion of the bed was found to increase the duration of N2 sleep, a form of non-rapid eye movement sleep that normally accounts for about half of a good night's rest.

While in the swaying bed participants also recorded more slow oscillations in the brain and flurries of activity known as sleep spindles, which correspond with a deeper level of sleep.

Dr Michael Muhlethaler, another co-author, said: "We observed a faster transition to sleep in each and every subject in the swinging condition, a result that supports the intuitive notion of facilitation of sleep associated with this procedure.

"Surprisingly, we also observed a dramatic boosting of certain types of sleep-related (brainwave) oscillations."

The researchers said the results could help them find potential treatments for sleeping disorders such as insomnia. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

The end of your sleep deprivation

If you sleep like a baby all night, every night then I’m sorry, but this message is NOT for you!

But if, like me you have ever suffered from insomnia or any other form of sleep deprivation, then I know what you’d give for a good night’s sleep…

** Just about anything, right? **

The endless hours staring at your bedroom ceiling...the thoughts and worries that play full volume in your head and just won’t leave you alone...shuffling aimlessly around the house waiting for sleep to come … trying to cope the next day when everyone else is wide awake and refreshed...

Only to return to bed, exhausted, and STILL not get a good night’s sleep.

Chronic insomnia or persistent sleep deprivation really is a waking nightmare. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.

I’ve spent fortunes trying various ‘cures’ over the years.

Nothing ever worked.

Until I got chatting to self-help author and guru Bradley Thompson and found out that he too used to suffer from insomnia.

What’s more, he claimed to have found a cure and to be sleeping the sleep of the just ever since. And he found it by accident!

He told me about his remarkable discovery. This cure is based on a radical new use of a fairly old technology, discovered by a German research scientist way back in 1839. I must admit, if it hadn’t been for his credentials, I would have thought the guy was NUTS for thinking that this could apply to insomnia.

“Yeah, right!” I thought.

Still, I agreed to try it. Like I said, I would have tried anything.

You know what? IT WORKED! And, much to my delight and surprise it has WORKED EVERY NIGHT EVER SINCE!

If you’re a sufferer, you should be dancing on the table right now, because THIS IS THE REAL DEAL – a permanent cure for your sleepless nights.

It is 100% safe, 100% effective, does not involve taking drugs and – this is the bit I like! – requires absolutely *NO* effort on your behalf at all.

I’ve got my life back! I’d love to think I can help someone else get theirs back too. Check out Bradley’s site here.

Sweet dreams!

7 Surprising Facts About Sleep by Barbara Brody

Can't sleep? You have plenty of company. About half of all adults experience insomnia on occasion, and 1 in 10 battle insomnia on a regular basis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. If you fall into one of those groups, chances are you're already following the tried-and-true rules for a good night's sleep: Don't have too much caffeine (especially late in the day), don't exercise late at night, keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature, and make sure your bed, pillows and linens are comfy. Those are all good tips, but there are lesser-known things you can try to help you get more rest.

1. Set a Bedtime Alert

Most of us already use an alarm to wake up in the morning, but sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep, suggests setting it at night as well. "I tell people to set their alarm for one hour before bedtime, which reminds them to begin what I call the power-down hour," says Dr. Breus, who is also a spokesman for the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach. He says you should spend the first 20 minutes of that hour taking care of any necessary chores (like walking the dog or making your kids' lunches), then spend the next 20 minutes on hygiene (washing up, brushing your teeth, etc.), and save the last 20 minutes before bed for relaxation. You don't necessarily have to meditate, if that doesn't appeal to you; you can also do deep breathing exercises, read a book or even watch a little TV (as long as it's not too stimulating). 

2. Don't Clear Your Mind

Experts say anxiety and depression top the list of reasons people have trouble sleeping. Part of the problem is that many of us just can't seem to quiet that internal voice that starts rambling on about the worries of the day. Of course, if you can clear your mind, go ahead and do it. But if that's impossible, don't force it--you'll only end up panicking about the fact that you're not sleeping, says Paul McKenna, PhD, author of the soon-to-be-released book I Can Make You Sleep. Instead, try slowing down your thoughts. "Practice saying anything and everything that comes into your mind to yourself in a slow, monotonous, drowsy tone," says Dr. McKenna. It doesn't matter if you're thinking about what to buy tomorrow at the grocery store or how a big presentation at work is going to go. If you slow everything down and talk to yourself in an even tone, you'll find it's that much harder to keep worrying (or stay awake). 

3. Count Numbers—Not Sheep

Another great way to quiet those racing thoughts is to count backward from 300 by 3s, says Dr. Breus. Unless you're a math ace, you probably won't be able to focus on anything else while you're doing this, which means you'll end up distracting yourself from your stressful thoughts. 

4. Get Up a Half-Hour Earlier

Yes, you read that right! If you're suffering from chronic insomnia, try getting up, for example, at 6:30 instead of your usual 7 wakeup time—no matter what time you fell asleep the night before. You may be extra-sleepy for a little while, but this is hands-down the most effective way to reset your body clock, says Dr. McKenna. It works because it teaches your body that it can't catch up on sleep in the morning, so eventually you'll start feeling drowsier earlier in the evening. 

5. Consider Seeing a Professional

A sleep psychologist is someone who specializes in gathering info about your emotions and your behaviors specifically as they relate to sleep. Often found at sleep centers, a sleep psychologist can usually help resolve your sleep issues in just four to six sessions, says Joseph Ojile, MD, founder of the Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis and a spokesman for the National Sleep Foundation. 

6. Don't Worry If You Can't Sleep Right Away

You shouldn't pass out the second your head hits the pillow. If that happens all the time, it's a sign that you're sleep deprived. (Ditto for nodding off during boring meetings and long movies.) Ideally, it should take 15 to 25 minutes from when you lie down to when you drift off to sleep, says Dr. Breus.

7. Go to Bed When You're Tired

If you're having ongoing sleep troubles, don't worry so much about the fact that it's almost midnight and you have to get up in less than seven hours. Forcing yourself to stay in bed when you're not sleepy is just going to contribute to more tossing and turning, says Dr. Ojile. Instead, get up, do something relaxing, and go back to bed whenever you do feel tired. You might end up exhausted the next day (but that was bound to happen either way under these circumstances), and the following night you should have better luck getting to bed earlier.

Poor Sleep Linked To More Colds

US researchers found that people who slept fewer than seven hours a night, and who spent more of that time awake, were nearly three times more likely to develop a cold than people who had eight hours or more of undisturbed sleep.

The study was the work of Dr Sheldon Cohen, of the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and colleagues, and was published in the 12 January issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Poor sleep is thought to be a predictor of low immunity, and thereby more readily predisposing people to the common cold, although there is no direct evidence tying sleep quality in the weeks leading up to exposure to the risk of infection. The researchers said that studies had also shown that people who slept between seven and eight hours per night had the lowest rates of heart disease, illness and early death.

For this study, which took place between 2000 and 2004, Cohen and colleagues examined the links between sleep quality and sleep duration in the weeks leading up to being exposed to a cold virus, to the susceptibility to catching it.

The researchers recruited 153 healthy male and female volunteers aged 21 to 55 years and interviewed them every day for fourteen days to find out how long they had slept the previous night, how efficient their sleep had been, that is what percentage of the time in bed was actually spent sleeping, and whether they felt rested. The researchers then worked out the average quantities of sleep duration and sleep efficiency for each person for the 14 nights.

The volunteers then went into quarantine and took nasal drops containing the common cold virus (rhinovirus). They were kept under close observation for signs of a cold during the day before their exposure and for 5 days afterwards. They also gave mucus samples during this observation period, which were tested for virus cultures, and 28 days or so later they gave a blood sample that was tested for antibody response to the cold virus.

Before the 14 days of monitoring, each participant also underwent a "pre-challenge" examination, where the researchers obtained information about potential confounders such as virus-specific antibody levels in their blood, demographics, body mass index, psychological variables and health behaviours.

The results showed that:

• The less a person slept, the more likely he or she was to develop a cold (there was a graded association between infection rate and average sleep duration).
• Participants who slept fewer than 7 hours were 2.94 times more likely to develop a cold than those who had 8 hours or more sleep.
• The more efficiently a person slept (more of the time in bed actually spent asleep), the less likely he or she was to develop a cold (i.e. there was also a graded association between sleep efficiency and rate of infection).
• Participants whose sleep efficiency feel below 92 per cent were 5.50 times more likely to develop a cold than those whose efficiency was 98 per cent or more.
• Feeling rested was not linked to rate of infection.
• These relationships could not be explained by the potential counfounders such as levels of virus-specific antibodies beforehand, demographics, the season of the year, body mass index, socioeconomic status, health behaviours, and psychological variables.

Cohen and colleagues concluded that:

"Poorer sleep efficiency and shorter sleep duration in the weeks preceding exposure to a rhinovirus were associated with lower resistance to illness."

The researchers also looked at separate components of illness and how they linked to the variables they measured.

"When the components of clinical illness (infection and signs or symptoms) were examined separately, sleep efficiency but not sleep duration was associated with signs and symptoms of illness," they wrote, but "neither was associated with infection."

"A possible explanation for this finding is that sleep disturbance influences the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, histamines and other symptom mediators that are released in response to infection," they suggested, recommending that seven to eight hours sleep a night would appear to be a reasonable target.

The editors noted that the study was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and by supplementary funds provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health.

Sleep Habits and Susceptibility to the Common Cold."
Sheldon Cohen; William J. Doyle; Cuneyt M. Alper; Denise Janicki-Deverts; Ronald B. Turner.
Archives of Internal Medicine Vol. 169, No. 1, pp 62-67, January 12, 2009.

Lack of Sleep Increases Risk of Heart Attack.

A new study conducted on more than 1,255 men and women patients with high blood pressure, aged between 33 to 97-years, with 70 as the average age, suggests that subjects who did not get the standard 7.5 hours of sleep and witnessed elevated levels of blood pressure on falling asleep, were 4 times as likely to suffer a stroke, fatal or non-fatal heart attack or die suddenly of cardiac arrest. They had a 68% higher risk of any one of these cardiovascular complications, compared to their better-rested counterparts.

The study conducted at Jichi Medical University in Japan, Columbia University Medical Centre, New York City and Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, N. Y. and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, saw researchers follow their subjects over a 50-month period, during which they compiled data on their sleep duration, their day and night blood pressure, including cardiovascular history.

However, it should be noted that only sleep deprived study subjects who failed to see the normal blood pressure dip that occurs overnight were at risk. Others who slept less than 7.5-hours, but did not witness a spike in their overnight blood pressure, like their counterparts who slept longer, without experiencing heightened levels of overnight blood pressure, were not at risk of a higher rate of heart disease.

The study findings confirm what doctors have known for long: chronic sleep deprivation results in a number of health problems like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Therefore, researchers say, these findings make it imperative that doctors with high blood pressure patients should inquire about their sleep patterns for risk assessment of high blood pressure patients.

Researchers suspect lack of sleep results in increased nervous system activity during the day, which tends to place undue stress on the cardiovascular system. According to study leader, Dr. Kazuo Eguchi of Jichi Medical University, Japan, non-dipping overnight blood pressure is tied to increased nervous system activity during the day, suggesting the combination could have an "interactive effect to increase cardiovascular risk".

Teens might not get enough sleep: study

PARIS (AFP) - Scientists have confirmed what parents of teenagers have always suspected: adolescents are out of sync with the rest of the world.

Most teens probably don't get enough sleep and suffer in their school work because their internal clocks make them night owls, according to a study published Tuesday.

Researchers in Australia showed the average teenager misses more than an hour of sleep each night and is forced to wake up 2.5 hours earlier than his or her natural rhythms would dictate.

High school students with a late-night "circadian preference," as the biologically-driven cycle is called, reported doing more poorly in school, and feeling more frequently depressed and unhappy.

"For all people, there is a genetic disposition to being either a 'morning lark' or a 'night owl'," explained lead author Suzanne Warner, a professor at Swineburne University of Technology in Hawthorn, Australia.

But when hormonal changes kick in at the start of adolescence, she told AFP, young people start to stay up later and—given the chance—wake up later too.

Most of the students in the study were such "evening persons," she said.

"Teenagers find that they are most alert in the evening and do not feel sleepy until later, and so find it difficult to get enough sleep during school term," she added.

The key is melatonin, a hormone that signals to the body that it needs rest and sleep. In teenagers entering puberty, it is released later and later in the evening.

There are also environmental factors that contribute to the problem, she said.

Ambient light tends to minimize the amount of melatonin secreted, and the constant use of computers could keep adolescents up past their natural bedtime, even after lights are turned out.

"One thing parents can do is to lower the lights, and switch off computers and televisions an hour before bedtime," advised Warner.

In the study, Warner and two colleagues compared the sleep patterns of 310 students during a school term and while they were on holiday.

Whereas the adolescents slept more than nine hours during the school breaks, they averaged less than eight hours when hitting the books.

"Night owls" were more likely than "morning larks" to have negative attitudes about themselves, to express feelings of unhappiness and voice irritation with their classmates, according to the study, published in the Netherlands-based Journal of Adolescence.

They also complained of low energy and "impaired" daytime functioning.

"For classes that start before 9:00 a.m., we have to question whether the students are going to be alert and able to learn," said Warner.

Previous research has shown that nine hours is the optimal amount of sleep time for teenagers.

Circadian clocks are found in organisms ranging from bacteria to human beings, and impose a roughly 24-hour schedule on our activities, such as sleeping and eating.

The mechanism controlling these rhythms is found in individual neurons located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei inside the brain. Scientists have identified at least one gene that determines whether one's "clock" will be naturally set for early or late rising.

The same process is involved in jet lag, Warner points out. "You could say that a lot of young people feel quite jetlagged coming into the school term—it is a very similar feeling," she said.

Parents should rethink a tendency to let adolescents set their own bedtime schedule, she added.