Tips for a goodnight sleep

Get a good night's sleep

Like eating well and being physically active, getting a good night's sleep is vital to your well-being. Here are 13 tips to help you:

• Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day-even on the weekends.

• Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Avoid exercising closer than 5 or 6 hours before bedtime.

• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. The stimulating effects of caffeine in coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully. Nicotine is also a stimulant.

• Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. A "nightcap" might help you get to sleep, but alcohol keeps you in the lights stages of sleep. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the sedating effects have worn off.

• Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A large meal can cause indigestion that interferes with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause you to awaken frequently to urinate.

• Avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep, if possible. Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns.

• Don't take naps after 3 p.m. Naps can boost your brain power, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. Also keep naps to under an hour.

• Relax before bed. Take time to unwind. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.

• Take a hot bath before bed. The drop in body temperature after the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help relax you.

• Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or a TV or computer in the bedroom. Also, keeping the temperature in your bedroom on the cool side can help you sleep better.

• Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day.

• Don't lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and so some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

• See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping. If you consistently find yourself feeling tired or not well rested during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. Your family doctor or a sleep specialist should be able to help you.

10 COMMANDMENTS OF MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH!!!!!

1.Accept criticism as the other person's problem not yours.

2.Appreciate yourself and reaffirm yourself worth whenever necessary.

3.See the good points in events even problem can have beneficial effects.

4.Rather than looking backward with sorrow, look forward with joyous expectation.

5.Rather than fretting about what you don't have give thanks and be grateful for what you do have.

6.Learn from mistake, convert them into triumph.

7.Insulate yourself from distasteful surrounding through whole some detachment.

8.Let go of what you no longer need and enjoy what you now attract.

9.Grow in courage and self mastery from all circumstances.

10.Be aware of larger consciousness of which you are a part.

Exercise plan during Pregnancy

Have a Fit Pregnancy

Wondering if you'll have to give up your regular pre-pregnancy work-outs? Is it safe to start an exercise plan during pregnancy? Get answers to these questions and learn other facts on having a fit pregnancy.

Why Exercise During Pregnancy?

Whether you're pregnant or not, exercise is one of the best things you can do for your physical and emotional health. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women without health problems or pregnancy complications exercise moderately for 30 minutes or more on most, if not all, days of the week.

Pregnant or not, exercise helps keep the heart, bones, and mind healthy. Staying active also seems to give some special added paybacks for pregnant women.

Here are some really good reasons to get regular exercise during pregnancy:

• It can ease and prevent aches and pains of pregnancy including constipation, varicose veins, backaches, and exhaustion.
• Active women seem to be better prepared for labor and delivery and recover more quickly.
• Exercise may lower the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy.
• Fit women have an easier time getting back to a healthy weight after delivery.
• Regular exercise may improve sleep during pregnancy.
• Staying active can protect your emotional health. Pregnant women who exercise seem to have better self-esteem and a lower risk of depression and anxiety.

Is Exercise Safe for All Pregnant Women?

No. But for most healthy moms-to-be who do not have any pregnancy-related problems, exercise is a safe and valuable habit. Even so, before exercising during pregnancy talk to your doctor or midwife. She will be able to suggest a fitness plan that is safe for you. Getting a doctor's advice is important for both women who exercise before pregnancy and for those who'd like to start a fitness routine.

Women with the follow problems may not be able to exercise during pregnancy:

• heart disease
• lung disease
• obesity
• severe diabetes
• thyroid disease
• seizure disorder
• persistent bleeding in the second or third trimester
• complications with past pregnancies
• premature labor
• pregnancy related high blood pressure

What Type of Exercise is Best During Pregnancy?

Low-impact exercise that requires moderate exertion is probably best. Walking, swimming, dancing and cycling seem to be comfortable and enjoyable activities for most pregnant women.

According to the ACOG, many different types of exercise can be safe for most pregnant women. They do recommend following these guidelines when choosing a pregnancy exercise plan:

• Avoid activities in which you can get hit in the abdomen like kickboxing, soccer, basketball or ice hockey.
• Steer clear of activities in which you can fall like horseback riding, downhill skiing, and gymnastics.
• Do not scuba dive during pregnancy. Scuba diving can create gas bubbles in your baby's blood that can cause many health problems.

What Guidelines Should I Follow?

Follow these tips to have safe and healthy work-outs:

• When you exercise, start slowly, progress gradually, and cool down slowly.
• You should be able to talk while exercising. If not, you may be exercising too intensely.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Don't exercise on your back after the first trimester. This can put too much pressure on an important vein and limit blood flow to the baby.
• Avoid jerky, bouncing and high-impact movements. Connective tissues stretch much more easily during pregnancy. So these types of movements put you at risk of joint injury.
• Don't exercise at high altitudes (more than 6,000 feet). It can prevent your baby from getting enough oxygen.
• Make sure you drink lots of fluids before, during and after exercising.
• Do not work-out in extreme heat or humidity.
• If you feel uncomfortable, short of breath or tired take a break and take it easier when you resume exercise.

How Will I Know if I'm Overdoing It?

Stop exercising and call your doctor as soon as possible if you have any of the following:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Calf pain or swelling
• Abdominal pain
• Blurred vision
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Vaginal bleeding
• Decreased fetal movement
• Contractions

How Can I Prepare my Body for Labor and Delivery?

Pelvic floor exercises or Kegel exercises can help prepare your body for delivery. The pelvic floor muscles support the rectum, vagina, and urethra in the pelvis. Strengthening these muscles by doing Kegel exercises may help you have an easier birth. They will also help you avoid leaking urine during and after pregnancy.

Pelvic muscles are the same ones used to stop the flow of urine. Still, it can be hard to find the right muscles to squeeze. You can be sure you are exercising the right muscles if when you squeeze them you stop urinating. Or you can put a finger into the vagina and squeeze. If you feel pressure around the finger, you've found the pelvic floor muscles.

The Positive and Negative of Water Therapy

We’re all used to hearing about drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. Well, this is pretty much a calculated amount. Those 8-10 glasses are what a person on a typical day loses through activity. So those glasses of water are just to maintain your body’s ideal hydration.
Though this 8-10 glasses may vary since different people have different routines. Some may be more physically active or are situated in warmer or colder climates.
A popular therapy nowadays concerning water intake is water therapy. It can be traced back to Chinese and Indian medicine. It involves taking in a liter to a liter and a half of water or even more in an effort to cleanse the body.
The Good
Now taking in a liter of water a day is practically harmless. It even helps in flushing out toxins. Healthy water intake can even help flush out small kidney stones and other harmful mineral build ups in the body. It prevents dehydration.
The Bad
One possible danger of water therapy is the unregulated intake of water. Our body has a natural mechanism of getting rid of excess water. If you take in more water than you could get out, then you are risking a possible fatal condition called hyperhydration or water poisoning. This could result into conditions such as heart failure, stroke or brain damage.
When you reach the point that your body can’t balance out your fluid levels, you are also disrupting the balance of electrolytes. This is why sports drinks contain minerals such as salt to replenish electrolytes that are lost through physical activity.
So a good take on water therapy is to take it in moderation. Always seek professional medical advice before engaging in such “therapies.” Who knows? You might just harm yourself in a blind effort to better yourself.

Trigger Finger

Trigger Finger is an oftentimes painful condition in which your finger or thumb "locks" in a bent position. It's generally caused by swelling within a tendon sheath.
Normally, tendons in your finger glide smoothly within their protective sheaths as you move your fingers. But if a sheath becomes inflamed from injury or overuse, the tendons may "catch."
At first the affected finger may seem stiff and click when you move it. You may feel a bump and tenderness in your palm at the base of the finger.
As the problem worsens, your finger may catch at times and then suddenly pop straight--like a trigger being released. eventually, your finger may not fully straighten.
Initial treatment of a trigger finger may include rest and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. A more effective alternative ( at any time ) is an injection of a steroid medication (Cortisone) into the tendon sheath.
In severe situations, surgery ( usually outpatient) may be required.