Rest Easy: How to Ensure a Good Night's Rest

Sleep problems are actually extremely common in our society, and they can have serious consequences. Sleep problems can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, loss of energy, fatigue and emotional instability, and in the longer term, can elevate your risk of serious health conditions including high blood pressure and heart attack. And poor sleeping can cause difficulties with learning, memory, thinking and feelings, which may lead to poor school and work performance. Furthermore, problem sleepiness can manifest as drowsy driving or workplace accidents and errors.

Aside from some of the more serious things that could be negatively affecting your sleep, there are some variables or situations that you can have more control over. Let's talk about how to change your sleeping conditions so you sleep easier and get the rest your body needs:

1. The Right Sleep Position: The position that is the least stressful on your body is on your back with a pillow under your neck and another under your knees so they are comfortably bent. Bent knees give the lower (lumbar) spine support. The pillow under the neck gives it support as well. However, not many people are able to stay in this position for an entire night. Also, people who snore tend to avoid sleeping on their back because their snoring becomes worse.

2. The Right Mattress: Try to have as firm and supportive of a mattress as you can for your body. Also find out about the warranty. Good mattress companies provide a warranty that pretty much guarantees your satisfaction. It may include a trial period (to see if the bed works) and a money-back guarantee if you don't like it.

Pillow tops are not necessarily a good thing. Much of the time, pillow tops soften up the surface of your bed too much, which means it will not support your body well. You need to see how it feels when you sleep on it. Memory foam mattresses and tops are very supportive, and they do mold to your body. The only drawback is that they can trap heat. If you run hot at night, this may not be the mattress for you.

3. The Right Pillow: In general, your pillow must support you in the sleep positions you are in at night. If you only sleep on your back, your pillow must support your neck accordingly. If you only sleep on your side, the pillow must be thick enough to support the entire part of the body from the neck to the shoulder at a 90 degree angle. If you sleep on both your back and your side, the pillow needs to support both positions.

Custom-made pillows are available that can provide you with the proper support for your body and sleep patterns. Your doctor can actually take measurements of your body so a pillow can be created to fit you perfectly.

To learn more about proper sleep position and what you can do to ensure a good night's rest, talk to your doctor.

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Go Organic - Create Your Own Garden of Good Food

Organic foods are grown or raised (meat and dairy) in an environment free from anything artificial including chemical fertilizers, pesticides, weed killers, drugs, antibiotics and hormones. Organic food is produced in a manner that helps retain powerful nutritive value and avoids unnecessary exposure to potential toxins - a double-whammy of health benefits.

One of the easiest ways to purchase organic food is locally from farmer's markets, family farms and food co-ops, many of which use organic production methods. If you like the idea of consuming an apple grown down the street, picked at the peak of its ripeness without post-harvest pesticides, and that didn't travel thousands of miles from another country (which may or may not have appropriate pesticide regulations), then a farmer's market, farm or co-op is an excellent resource.

There is probably no better way to gain access to the healthy organic foods your body craves most than by growing them yourself. More and more people are getting on the home-gardening bandwagon as food, fuel and energy costs continue to rise. Home gardening, especially organic gardening, can be a great help in avoiding the consumption of manufactured foods and offset some of the cost concerns with organic produce.

Don't get discouraged if you aren't growing the world's biggest tomato or tallest stalk of peppermint. Maybe all you can get to grow at first is a few lettuce leaves for salads or sandwich toppings and some of your favorite herbs to spice up your cooking. Don't expect too much from your little garden. Try to enjoy the organic gardening experience itself and other health benefits it brings, like exercise, time spent outdoors in the fresh air, and a sense of well being. Try to think of the chemical-free, vitamin-filled, fresh, natural foods it yields as an added bonus.

Once harvested, use your homegrown ingredients to create healthy, tasty meals and snacks. Aim to preserve the nutrients and wholesome nature of the food. Eat produce fresh and raw, soon after picking it. Consider freezing or canning fruits and veggies preserving their precious nutrients for storage and use later in recipes. This is especially important because some items only come around at certain times of the year and often in great abundance

Remember, if the idea of organic gardening and growing your own food seems more like a chore than a blessing, try to remember all the benefits - and the next thing you know, you'll be sitting down to a delicious meal made with your own favorite, healthy, homegrown foods. To learn more about the health benefits of organic foods, visit the Organic Consumers Association Web site (www.organicconsumers.org).

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Three Easy Ways to Reduce Stress

Stress is more than just something that expends valuable time and energy - it can also have serious health ramifications, particularly if you don't deal with the underlying issues that are causing your stress. Here are three "stress busters" to help ease your stress and put a smile back on your face:

1. Relax: The average day can seem like one stressful task after the other, which adds up to a state of constant stress and frustration. Make time to get away from the daily grind, whether that's setting aside an hour or so each night before bed to take a walk, read a good book or just put your feet up and unwind. Sometimes all it takes is a little time to yourself to reduce your stress dramatically.

2. Refresh: Stress can be nothing more than your body and mind getting stuck in a rut of the "same old, same old." Stagnation sets in, which leads to stress over time. To avoid this pattern, think outside your daily box every once in a while: learn a new skill, incorporate new exercises into your workout routine, take a different route to work - anything to mix things up a little.

3. Rejuvenate: No matter how successful you are at incorporating anti-stress strategies into your daily routine, it isn't always enough. To truly rejuvenate, plan a few vacations every year; you'll be less stressed leading up the time off, just knowing it's around the corner, and getting away from normal responsibilities can do wonders to ease stress and rejuvenate your spirit.

Your doctor is a great source of information on how to deal with stress and prevent it from ruining your day.

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