For the most part, it will be uncomfortable trying to fall asleep as your stomach is empty, you're feeling hungry, and your mind is trying to suppress the hunger. Then again, you don't want to go to bed with a full stomach, because then your stomach will be put into constant work trying to digest all of what you've stuffed it with, and you may also feel uneasy with a full tummy. One other thing is drinking (or not drinking) a bit of water before sleeping. Some people say it's healthier, some say it's not. Personally, I think it depends on the person, in the sense that if you don't have a drink before getting in bed, you may consequently get thirsty if you don't fall asleep quick enough, then again if you do have a drink, you might be forced to get up and relieve your bladder at some point in time before you wake up in the morning (or maybe even before you fall asleep!). So for this last bit, use your own judgement from your own experience!
To all of you who have already mastered all this and more, I envy you! :) Otherwise, I do hope you found this either remindful/helpful and I forever wish you all less sleepless nights!
Falling Asleep - Mindset(Continued) & Body State
With this in mind, what I am trying to get at is: stress. The amount of stress you give your computer, the less willing it is to shutdown quickly - same goes with your body - the more worried and stressed you keep your mind going, the less likely you will fall asleep sooner. So stop thinking about the crap that happened earlier today, stop worrying about what's coming tomorrow. Taking some deep breaths helps to slow things down!
Body State
Internally, your body should be ready to drop down into hibernation. What this means is that you don't want your organs and what not to be working intensively. You should empty your bladder before going to sleep. Obviously, you wouldn't want to have your bladder waking you up in the middle of the night to interrupt your sleep! The same goes for your stomach. Ideally though, you should not go to bed on a completely empty stomach!
Body State
Internally, your body should be ready to drop down into hibernation. What this means is that you don't want your organs and what not to be working intensively. You should empty your bladder before going to sleep. Obviously, you wouldn't want to have your bladder waking you up in the middle of the night to interrupt your sleep! The same goes for your stomach. Ideally though, you should not go to bed on a completely empty stomach!
Falling Asleep - Mindset
Mindset
Another key part about falling asleep is having the ability to clear your mind. By this I mean you really need to stop thinking. Stop working your mind. JUST STOP. It is easier said than done of course, but if your mind is working, or stuck on something, chances are, you are not making your body calm enough to fall asleep. So if you are one that finds it hard to clear your mind, try to think of happy events in the past, something satisfying, something non-stimulating. Maybe it's a pure white never-ending wall, maybe it's a rainbow, maybe it's that smile of your partner. I like to think about this the way computers work and the way they respond to shutting down as well. If your computer is under heavy load and you try to shut it down, it'll usually take a much longer time to clear everything up than if you were to tell it to shut down when not much is running.
Another key part about falling asleep is having the ability to clear your mind. By this I mean you really need to stop thinking. Stop working your mind. JUST STOP. It is easier said than done of course, but if your mind is working, or stuck on something, chances are, you are not making your body calm enough to fall asleep. So if you are one that finds it hard to clear your mind, try to think of happy events in the past, something satisfying, something non-stimulating. Maybe it's a pure white never-ending wall, maybe it's a rainbow, maybe it's that smile of your partner. I like to think about this the way computers work and the way they respond to shutting down as well. If your computer is under heavy load and you try to shut it down, it'll usually take a much longer time to clear everything up than if you were to tell it to shut down when not much is running.
Falling Asleep - Sleeping Position - Continued
Small not noticeably uncomfortable things may cause your muscles to get tensed - obviously not something that will help shutdown your body. Therefore this is the reason why the recommended sleeping position is to lie flat on your back, legs straight, hands by your sides. But I'm sure many of us, including myself, can speak from our own experiences that this isn't ever the easiest way to fall asleep. A good alternative suggestion would be to try to get into a comfortable position as close to the ideal sleeping position as possible. Comfort varies from person to person, so for you, it may be slightly leaning to one side, for someone else, it may be spreading out their hands/legs more, and for someone else, it may just be placing your hands together on top of your torso. Whatever it is, the bottom line here is to get into a comfortable position for yourself, as close to the ideal sleeping position, and one that will not cause your muscles to get tensed and for your body to not feel pressured in the least amount of ways.
Falling Asleep
Sleep is a vital part of life. Depending on the person, some people require less sleep, some people require more sleep. Nevertheless, there comes times when we're lying in bed, awake, unable to fall asleep.
This here is part 1 of my guide on some recommended ways to help you fall into unconsciousness.
Sleeping Position
The ideal position in which you would like to fall asleep in is of key importance. If you are in an awkward, and uncomfortable position, chances are, this will not help. What you want is to be in a position that will let your body feel comfortable and relaxed. You do not want to be lying in a position where you're causing a strain on certain muscles in certain areas of your body. You do not want to be putting pressure on parts of your body either. Examples of this includes sleeping on your hand, which hinders blood flow, or heavily sleeping on your front, which may hinder normal breathing.
This here is part 1 of my guide on some recommended ways to help you fall into unconsciousness.
Sleeping Position
The ideal position in which you would like to fall asleep in is of key importance. If you are in an awkward, and uncomfortable position, chances are, this will not help. What you want is to be in a position that will let your body feel comfortable and relaxed. You do not want to be lying in a position where you're causing a strain on certain muscles in certain areas of your body. You do not want to be putting pressure on parts of your body either. Examples of this includes sleeping on your hand, which hinders blood flow, or heavily sleeping on your front, which may hinder normal breathing.
Tackling Allergies
So how do you tackle allergies effectively in your everyday life?
I believe there are 4 primary ways to go about this:
There has been research and experiments done on genetic engineering to shutdown specific proteins.
Common types of antihistamines are Seldane, but it provoked cross reactions with other medications so now it is being marketed as Allegra, which has less or none of the side effects of Seldane which were causing problems previously. There's also Cetirizine, Loratadine, etc. Sometimes one medication works while another doesn't, so don't hesitate to try others if you feel like the one you're using isn't being too effective. Of course, do consult a professional in the field if you are able to.
For asthma, leukotrienes are chemicals that can be released by white blood cells and can trigger the asthma. Ventolin is the most common inhaler, it works like adrenalin, but has less effects on our hearts.
You can also go for allergy testing, but that's not really fool proof though...
If avoidance doesn't work, and antihistamines don't work either, then you could try to opt for allergy shots. These could be altered forms of the allergen, and tiny amounts get injected into your body. This would allow for the reduction in the IgG antibody of the ones responsible for the allergic reaction, and therefore prevents IgE to the allergen.
Good luck!
I believe there are 4 primary ways to go about this:
- Avoidance
- Antihistamines
- Decongestants
- Immunotherapy
There has been research and experiments done on genetic engineering to shutdown specific proteins.
Common types of antihistamines are Seldane, but it provoked cross reactions with other medications so now it is being marketed as Allegra, which has less or none of the side effects of Seldane which were causing problems previously. There's also Cetirizine, Loratadine, etc. Sometimes one medication works while another doesn't, so don't hesitate to try others if you feel like the one you're using isn't being too effective. Of course, do consult a professional in the field if you are able to.
For asthma, leukotrienes are chemicals that can be released by white blood cells and can trigger the asthma. Ventolin is the most common inhaler, it works like adrenalin, but has less effects on our hearts.
You can also go for allergy testing, but that's not really fool proof though...
If avoidance doesn't work, and antihistamines don't work either, then you could try to opt for allergy shots. These could be altered forms of the allergen, and tiny amounts get injected into your body. This would allow for the reduction in the IgG antibody of the ones responsible for the allergic reaction, and therefore prevents IgE to the allergen.
Good luck!
Culprits of Allergies
The main culprit at hand here is the mast cell. It is a particular white blood cell. Immunoglobulin E, or abbreviated as IgE, can give an antibody-allergen reaction, which is basically the antibody trying to protect against the allergen. This causes the release of histamine into the blood stream, and from that it causes the particular reaction.
There are 2 main antibodies: IgE and IgG.
The histamine molecule can be easily described with an analogy. It is like a structure where a key needs to be bound and be the right fit for activation to occur. They float all around in your body. Histamines fit into receptors and 'unlocks' the effect. What you want is therefore anti-histamines, which are similar to histamines in the first place, but while they fit into receptors, they don't 'unlock'. Hence this will block out the histamines and no effect will occur.
Some anti-histamines make you drowsy, so sometimes companies tend to market them into sleeping aids as well! Smart but tricky if you ask me! Just make sure you are all aware of this.
There are 2 main antibodies: IgE and IgG.
Image source: Wikipedia.com
The histamine molecule can be easily described with an analogy. It is like a structure where a key needs to be bound and be the right fit for activation to occur. They float all around in your body. Histamines fit into receptors and 'unlocks' the effect. What you want is therefore anti-histamines, which are similar to histamines in the first place, but while they fit into receptors, they don't 'unlock'. Hence this will block out the histamines and no effect will occur.
Some anti-histamines make you drowsy, so sometimes companies tend to market them into sleeping aids as well! Smart but tricky if you ask me! Just make sure you are all aware of this.
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