Smokers have a high likelihood of being snorers as well. Smoking causes swelling in the tissue of the nose and throat, as well as damaging the lungs. Nicotine can also cause disruptions in sleep that can contribute to snoring.

A group of European researchers studied snoring in a group of smokers between 25 and 55 years old. They studied 15,000 people from five different countries to see if they could find a link between smoking and snoring.

Out of the study group, 24% of the people who currently smoked and 20% of the people who smoked in the past suffered from snoring problems. This was compared to 14% of the people who did not smoke. They found that the more a person smoked, the louder their snoring.

Second-hand smoke also created a higher likelihood of snoring. 20% of the people who lived with someone who smoked also snored.

Another interesting fact they uncovered was that more men smoked but the female smokers had a higher chance of snoring.

So just what is it about smoking that leads to snoring problems? They didn’t come up with a definitive answer to that question, but one of the theories is that the irritation to the airways caused by smoking leads to problem breathing, which in turn leads to snoring.

Another theory is that the body goes through nicotine withdrawal while asleep, which disturbs the sleeping pattern. This disturbance contributes to the snoring.

So you can add one more reason for quitting smoking. Not only does it damage your health and your body, it can lead to snoring problems which can ultimately lead to drowsiness, irritability and stress (in both you and your family).

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A number of studies have shown that massage therapy is a highly effective stress reduction technique.  An earlier study, conducted by the University of Miami Medical School and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, suggested that children receiving 30 minutes of therapeutic massage daily were less depressed and anxious than they were at the time of their admittance.

This particular study also observed marked differences in the health and behavior of the children in the test group, over the children in the control group.  The nurses taking part in the study also noted that the children were more cooperative, and were able to achieve a higher level of sleep quality.  On the biological level, the children in the control group exhibited lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their saliva and in their urine.  It quickly became evident to researchers that massage can play a significant role in stress reduction.

It is highly encouraging that both the medical establishment and the general public are starting to realize the impact that stress can have on an individual’s health and well being.  Some physicians and researchers have suggested that stress is responsible for over 75% of all disease in the western world, including skin disorders, high blood pressure, headaches, digestive ailments, muscle pain, and depression.  By employing the age-old techniques of massage therapy, there exists the distinct possibility of overcoming these terrible afflictions. 

The eminent Victorian physician, Dr. Stretch Dowse, noted the following back in 1887:  “The mind, which before massage is in a perturbed, restless, vacillating and, even despondent state, becomes after massage, calm, quiet, peaceful and subdued; in fact, the wearied and worried mind has been converted into a mind restful, placid, and refreshed.”  While modern medicine is full of promise in certain areas, it is not wise to ignore the knowledge and insights of the past.  Massage therapy has helped countless people cope with the stress of modern life.  It could help you, too.

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Bruxism can be a real nuisance. “It’s much like having a large football player standing on the tooth,” said Dr. Noshir Mehta, Chairman of General Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and Director of its Craniofacial Pain Center.  Under normal circumstances, a person’s teeth make contact for about 20 minutes a day with only 20 to 40 pounds of pressure to be able to chew. During sleep bruxism, however, the upper and lower teeth come into direct contact in as much as 40 minutes per hour, and with a force of about 250 pounds on the first molar. 

Sleep bruxism is not a disease, but it is the third most common sleep disorder after sleep talking and snoring.  This condition is more prevalent in children, who often outgrow it, and causes behind adult cases are very different from those of the younger age bracket. 

In the 1960s, Dr. Gilles Lavigne, a Professor of Dentistry and Medicine at the University of Montreal, and President of the Canadian Sleep Society explained that bruxism was thought to be the body’s response to “malocclusion” — a problem that arises when the upper and lower teeth don’t fit together.  Due to lack of clinical evidence, the theory was not accepted in the medical and dental community. 
Later on, stress was cited to be the cause of the sleep disorder.  Proponents of this theory failed to explain why not everyone with sleep bruxism was stressed and not everyone with stress ground their teeth. Some recent research studies also reveal the connection of sleep bruxism to neurochemicals like dopamine, but its significance is still being questioned. Dr. Lavigne’s latest studies have identified a pattern of activation in the autonomic nervous system that correlates strongly with sleep bruxism. He emphasized that sleep bruxism is not an indicator of neurological disease.  No matter what science eventually discovers as the cause of sleep bruxism, current medical literature point out to stress, smoking, alcohol, and caffeine as the main “triggers” of the disorder.

Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or even acupuncture may help promote overall heath and wellness. Doctors, however, say that these alternative healing methods will not cure or relieve sleep bruxism. 

For treatment, anti-anxiety medications and other pharmacological treatments may be prescribed by doctors to help bring bruxism to a halt. Patients, however, must be aware of that these drugs are potentially habit-forming.  “It works too well,” said Dr. Michael Gelb, a clinical professor at the New York University College of Dentistry.  The drug “working well” also entails the potential of substance abuse if the patient is left to use the drug without doctor supervision.

In the meantime, dentists suggest that patients may use a mouth guard.  The mouth guard is a small plastic device that covers some or all of the teeth to protect them against damage, but does not really stop the grinding or clenching itself. The temporary relief can be quite expensive, as the device is customized to fit the user.  But a more affordable version can be bought at over-the-counter drugstores which are usually better than nothing. 

Dr. Charles McNeill, director of the Center for Orofacial Pain at the University of California, San Francisco agrees that mouth guards may protect the teeth but should only be for temporary use as it may also be more likely to induce a chewing response and increase bruxism.  They can also cause irreversible damage to the bite, or arrangement of the teeth. Customized mouth guards made by a dentist last longer, fit better and are generally designed to distribute the force of grinding to reduce jaw pain.

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In just 3 minutes a day, it teaches you how to:

• Strengthen the tongue to keep it from falling into your throat… a very common cause for snoring, and a very unhealthy and dangerous way of breathing in your sleep!
• How to open up a narrow throat with the 3 single most powerful exercises
• How to quickly find out if you have an airway block in your nose, and 2 exercises to quickly start curing it.
• The single most important thing you must know about a weak jaw that’s causing you to snore… heavily.
• The real reason why your “soft palate” (that small, soft hanging tissue in the back of your mouth) can quickly start vibrating like a flag in the wind, making you snore all night long… and why wearing a device won’t work to prevent that!

The Reason WHY These Exercises Work…

…is because they’re directly aimed at your “weaker muscles”, which are blocking your airways… instead of removing them (like in surgery) or pushing them aside (like those incredibly uncomfortable devices they make you wear in your mouth).

Here are just a few things you will discover in the program:

• The most important and most little known breathing exercise that changes the way you breathe everyday… which removes tension that blocks your throat and makes you snore.
• An easy way to fake yawning over and over again… that completely opens up the throat.
• The 2 single most effective sleeping positions that diminish 90% of snoring the very first night you use them!

“This Works When Nothing Else Does!”

All it takes is 3 minutes a day, using a program tailor-fit to your specific snoring problem.

Never again…

Have restless nights because of your snoring

Worry about your lover leaving the bedroom

Get up tired in the in the morning
 
Risk your health with unhealthy breathing habits that cause you to snore

To learn more about the Stop Snoring Exercise Program Click Here!

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It is really frustrating when not able to sleep. You toss and turn on every side of your bed. Until you thought of every single detail you have done during the day. While most people can easily get to sleep even sitting on a chair, there are others who seem to to have trouble getting and staying asleep. This is one of a classic symptom of anxiety and stress.

Anxiety and stress are two different words to describe the same experience such as increased heart rate, abdominal discomfort or dizziness. While stress is normally a response to a threatening situation, anxiety is mostly caused by worry. Usually anxiety is observed as more short term. Anxiety ends when the triggering situation to cause this feeling ceases, while stress can last for weeks, months and even years.

Difficulty in sleeping is only one of the many signs if your life is clouding you with anxiety and stress. However, there are many other symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. Because each of us has a unique chemical make-up, the symptoms will vary from person to person.  When anxiety is diagnosed, it can also generate many symptoms such as:

· difficulty in concentrating
· feeling restless, tensed and apprehensive
· loss of appetite
· specific obsession over stressful topics
· depression
· frequent feeling of crying for no apparent reason
· constipation
· difficulty swallowing
If you also find yourself worrying compulsively over going crazy, dying early, having a serious illness, or of being alone, these are also other symptoms of anxiety. 

Stress can bring about risky mind and body disorders. If not given attention immediately, it can lead to other chronic health problems.  Common symptoms of stress are relatively the same as with anxiety. This  also includes:

· panic and anxiety attacks
· over eating
· mood swings and irritability
· sadness or depression

Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of apprehension or fear, while stress can come from any situation or a thought that makes you feel frustrated, nervous, angry or even anxious. When anxiety and stress starts affecting your everyday life and it is blown out of proportion, it’s time to get help.

To gain relief from anxiety and stress, changes have to be made. Change the way you explain a situation to yourself. If possible, try not to veer away from situations that make you feel anxious and be confident that you can cope with it. View events in your life as challenges that you can manage. Help yourself to find relief from anxiety and stress. Take a positive outlook in your life and motivate yourself so that you can handle the situation when faced with it.

Here are some practical ways to cope with anxiety and stress.

· Calm yourself and relax.
· Exercise regularly. It can improve your mood.
· Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits to increase body energy.
· Talk to your friends and your family about what is bothering you.
· Meditate. This will also help you if you are having sleeping difficulty.

Anxiety and stress are a common feeling we experience in our everyday lives. However, life seems to torment us with new ways in stressing us and afflict us with anxiety. We just have to know how to deal with it. It is also better to speak up and talk to someone about your worries than keep it to yourself and forever suffer the consequence. There are available medications that can relieve the symptoms for anxiety and stress.

Remember that anxiety and stress are manageable and can be treated. Getting anxiety relief  is really not hard to obtain. Now relax, and go get yourself some sleep!

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Work is sometimes referred to as “the sum of our existence.” Work is why we get up early in the morning and go home late at night. Work is what consumes most of our energies. We need to have jobs, so we are not idle, so we can have sense of purpose, and so we can survive in today’s world. Work utilizes our talents, supports our family’s needs and wants. However, work is also where we tend to be stressed out, with related issues making us weak, and at times, it even gives us some anxiety panic attacks.

It is mostly at the office where we spend our waking hours. It is there that, no matter how much you try to avoid it, you end up feeling like you’re trying to outrun a roadrunner despite knowing the futility of the act. It is there that the potential for conflict is high. You get to meet difficult people, you have an “impossible” boss, and you might encounter someone trying to make a move on the same position you’ve been eying for the past six months. It is there that you first have this mid-life crisis. It is there that temptations abound left and right.

The long hours, the threats of being laid-off, and workplace bullying can cause harmful emotional and physical responses. These things can happen whenever there is a conflict between job demands and working with other people. In retrospect, the high demands of a particular job and the knowledge that we don’t have any control of the situation often leads to stress.

Stress produces strain, disrupts equilibrium, and it is the source of any number of emotional, physical, economic and social problems. The stress from our work could be from countless hours in overtime, cutbacks on our privileges, and the pressure to perform to an exacting standard. Prolonged workplace stress leads to  absenteeism, sickness, dissatisfaction, high employee turn-over, and reduced job efficiency. Even petty office politics can be enough to set someone off, making them irritable and rash with their decisions.

The National Institute For Occupational Mental Health report cites the following about workplace stress:

-  25% view their jobs as the number one causes of stress in their lives
-  Three-fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
- 26% of workers said they were “felt burned out often” by their job
-  Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial problems

SYMPTOMS OF WORKPLACE STRESS

-  Aching muscles
- Restless sleep
-  Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
-  Irritability
- Low morale
-  Headache
-  Upset stomach

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Don’t reach for a chocolate bar for comfort or grab a burger to cope with stress. Here are tips to manage workplace stress.

1. Yoga – preferably in a gym near your office
2. Proper Planning – schedule your business trips and other matters, but leave room for adjustments
3. Balance – find time to focus on your personal and family life
4. Social Network – surround yourself with friends you can lean on
5. Positive Outlook – let work-related issues cease to bother you at work

There is a need to have stress management programs. Companies should be concerned with their employees’ mental health, as well as the physical, as stress hampers productivity. They should help solve difficult work situations and get to the bottom line. Stress management programs teach workers about the nature and sources of stress, as well as the effects on their health. This program is workable and easy to implement, with many potential benefits for the employer and the employees alike.

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Most often than not, people who experience bouts of lost sleep try all sorts of medicines and treatments that promise sufficient shut-eye. However, most people do not realize that what they need is to slow down, take a break, and just pamper themselves to recover lost sleep. The following are some natural sleeping aids that can help one get some well-deserved shut-eye sans the drugs:

- Soothing music

Listening to soothing music before going to bed can calm the senses and provide a sense of peace and well-being. Since being calm and relaxed is important for quality sleep, soothing music prepares the body and mind for sleep. Aside from these benefits, soothing music can also block obtrusive background noises that can disturb sleep.

- Quality bed linens

People often settle for what is practical when shopping for bed linens and sheets. Most think that spending for 500-thread count sheets is impractical when in fact, spending a bit more can help them save a lot. Lost sleep can trigger sub-par work performance, decreased productivity, and deteriorating health. These can cost more than some great sheets.  Sheets with 500-thread count are more comfortable and relaxing than regular sheets and can help induce stress-free sleep.

- Great feather pillows

Pillows are essential for having a good night’s sleep. They provide additional comfort as well as neck and head support during sleep. Regular feather pillows are great for sleeping but they can get flat over the years. Ideally, feather pillows must be replaced or, at least, refilled every one or two years to enjoy maximum comfort and support.  

- Memory foam pillows and mattresses

Some people experience allergic reactions to down and feathers. In this case, using pillows made of memory foam are more beneficial for restful sleep. Memory foam is called as such since it follows the contours of your head and body which enables it to provide sufficient support for a comfortable sleep.

- Warm bubble baths

Soaking in a warm bath can induce sleepiness and promote restful sleep. The warmth of the water and its gentle movement calm the nerves and relieve stress. In addition, the gradual lessening of body temperature after a soak can help a person fall asleep easily.  

- Aromatherapy

It is common knowledge that certain scents are capable of relaxing the body and promoting peaceful sleep. Lavender and chamomile oils are two popular items that are often used in aromatherapy for sleeplessness. Lighting chamomile-scented candles, slathering on lotions scented with lavender, or putting aromatic pouches inside pillows can help a lot in inducing sleep.

-  Sleep-friendly diet

Foods rich in tryptophan – an essential amino acid with sedative properties – can help promote better sleep. Turkey is one of the known sources of tryptophan so having a light turkey dinner before bedtime can help prime the body for sleeping. In addition, milk and herbal teas are also great in inducing sleep.

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You may not know it but studies suggest that snoring is a sign that you will have a higher chance of having cardiovascular disease, suffer from stroke and diabetes. Snoring may not really sound like it a serious problem but you have to consider that it is.

Aside from affecting you socially, it will also affect your health. If you snore, the chances of you getting a good night’s sleep are very slim. When you start snoring, you will wake up from deep sleep and will try to move in your bed in order to stop it. You may not know it but you actually wake up when you snore.

This will cause you to feel lightheaded when you wake up in the morning, and you will also feel very tired. As you know, sleep is supposed to relax you and upon waking up, you should feel refreshed. If you don’t feel refreshed, you didn’t get enough sleep because of snoring.

Even if you sleep about 8 hours a day or more, it will not be enough and you will feel very unrefreshed when you wake up in the morning. However, you don’t have to suffer from this very common condition. All you need is a little discipline and you will find that snoring has a cure.

First of all, you need to know about the different causes of snoring in order for you to have an idea on what to do in order to stop it.

Snoring is caused by over relaxed throat muscles or has excess fat in your throat. One of the main causes of snoring is overeating before going to sleep. Eating causes your throat muscles to relax and therefore, will cause you to snore. Another cause of snoring is by drinking alcoholic beverages before you go to sleep. Drinking alcoholic beverages also causes your throat muscles to relax.

So, in order to stop snoring, you have to stop eating excessively before going to sleep and also stop drinking alcoholic beverages or stop drinking “night caps” before you go to sleep. Smoking before going to sleep also causes the throat muscles to relax therefore, it is wise to abstain yourself from smoking before you go to sleep in order to stop snoring.

Another cause of snoring is by being fat or by being overweight. Fatty tissues in your throat may develop if you are fat. Therefore, exercising is another way to stop snoring. These are some of the home remedies that you can try in order for you to stop that music you are making when you sleep.

Snoring can also be caused by your sleeping position. If you are still overweight but on the process of slimming down, try to sleep on your side. Studies have found that laying flat on your back when you sleep causes snoring. Try sleeping on your side.

If you stop snoring, you will be able to have a healthier body and also have a healthier relationship with your sleeping partner. Keep all these simple home remedies in mind and you will eventually stop snoring.

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Sleeping on your side (with arms on the sides or with legs bent)

Sleep on your side with your legs drawn up slightly toward your chest and a pillow between your legs. Use a full-length body pillow if you prefer.
This position can help keep your hips level and reduce any pain you might have there.

Also , this position may be particularly helpful if you have osteoarthritis in the spine, spinal stenosis — a narrowing in the spine — or hip pain.

Sleeping on your back (with arms by the side or with arms by the head)

If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back. You might try a small, rolled towel under the small of your back for additional support. Support your neck with a pillow.

This position may be helpful if you have low back pain.

Sleeping on your abdomen

It is generally not good for your back to sleep on your stomach, but if you need to for some specific reason, then it will help reduce back strain if you put a pillow under your pelvis and abdomen . Use a pillow under your head if it doesn’t place too much strain on your back. If it does cause strain, try sleeping without a pillow under your head.

This position may be helpful if you have degenerative disease or a herniated disk in the central portion of your spine.

Tips for the best positions for lying down or sleeping:

- Try to maintain the curve in your back (such as lying on your back with a pillow under your knees or a lumbar roll under your lower back, or on your side with your knees slightly bent).
- Do not sleep on your side with your knees drawn up to your chest.
- Avoid sleeping on your stomach, especially on a saggy mattress, since this can cause back strain and can be uncomfortable for your neck.
- Select a firm mattress and box spring set that does not sag. If necessary, place a board under your mattress.
- Try a back support to help you feel more comfortable. Try tying a rolled sheet or towel around your waist.

So….. Enjoy  your  sleep !

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We can never deny the fact that all of us have our limits. Like our minds, our body can only take so much until it falls apart. It is a common fact that we can do anything if we set our minds into it, but we need to realize that our body should be able to cope with what we want it to do.

Your Body And Stress

Stress affects us differently depending on the state of our body. The most common ailment attributed to mental stress is headache or migraine, or even dizziness from time to time. We would also feel some minor cramps, aches and pains on our back, shoulder, or in different parts of our body when under the grip of stress.  And all of this can lead to a sleepless night.

There is also a possibility that stress can affect our body chemistry as well. Too much brain activity can lead to nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, or even constipation. There were even reports that stress is attributed to a bout of ulcer when a hyperactive body produced too much acid that can abrade the linings of your organs.

There is a chance that a person might need to go to the hospital or undergo a series of medication to remedy the problem. But if you don’t take the initiative to nip stress at the bud, then you will sure to experience the same thing all over again.

Stress And Your Behavior

A person under the grip of stress tends to act rash and outside their normal behavior. Depending on the level of stress a person is subjected to, they might have trouble sleeping or might affect their sleeping time altogether. You might no longer want to sleep in the evening since you tend to think more of your problems when you lie down in bed during the quiet of the night. Unconsciously, our bodies would slowly get sleepy during the day and remain active at night.

Stress can also affect the emotional state of the person. They will either go into depression and self-pity; or give in to their rage by venting it out on everyone they see. There were even cases that stress can drive a person berserk or permanently affect their state of mind if not properly addressed.

Stress Management 101 – Coping With Your Problems

The mind is where stress starts so it is up to you to take the necessary steps to teach your mind how to cope with your problems when they crop up. Determining the source of your stress is the first step to getting rid of it.

It is essential that a person undergoes stress management to help them relax even when they are swamped with problems. You can delve into your favorite hobby to divert your mind to help it relax. Watching movies and listening to your favorite songs is also a good idea on getting your stress level under control.  And once you tame your stress, those nights you can’t sleep will be a thing of the past.

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