How sleep affects your body and what you can do to prevent sleep deprivation.

When I was a teenager I probably spent more than half my day sleeping or lying on the sofa napping. Most teens and young adults are like that. Babies, too, of course. They need huge doses of rest and relaxation (between bouts of physical energy and exertion) due to their bodies working overtime to develop and grow. But what about adults? Wasn’t it true that Benjamin Franklin despised sleep and said, “There will be sleeping enough in the grave?” Or that Thomas Edison thought we should only sleep four to five hours a night so as to get the most of our waking day? While workaholics and geniuses might be able to pull off all-nighters, most of us can’t and shouldn’t. And though we sometimes glamorize the feat of sleeplessness (thanks to Edison), biologically we require seven to nine hours of sleep.

All things in nature seek balance. The same can be said for the human body. And so, our ability to relax and de-stress is equally important as our ability to produce. From a health perspective, here are some facts why our bodies need sleep:

• High blood pressure: Skipping just one hour of sleep is bad for your health. Middle-aged adults who miss just one hour of sleep for five years are 37% more likely to develop high blood pressure.¹
•  Cardiovascular heath: Not getting enough sleep can jeopardize the health of your arteries. Reuters News reported on a new study that showed sleeping “less than five hours a night” can increase the risk of hardening of the arteries by 27%, and those who slept more than seven hours decreased their risk, having only a 6% chance of developing hardening of the arteries.²
• Weight gain: “Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.”³
• Disease: Lack of sleep disrupts the delicate system of balance within the body, causing hormone imbalance, immune deficiencies and “increased risk for colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes.”⁴
•  Mood: Cranky, irritable, impatient? Lack of concentration? These are some of the effects of sleep loss. “Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.”⁵

How much smarter would Edison have been if he’d realized the importance of a good eight hours? Good question. Not sure there’s an answer. But here’s what you can do to steal a couple more hours of sleep a night…

• Avoid overstimulating activities an hour or two before bed: For starters, avoid stress in the evenings. Hours before bed, try to relax your mind rather than engage or stimulate it. Find an activity that relaxes you instead of stresses you out. If you have small children this may seem like a ridiculous suggestion. But once you get the kids to bed, that’s when you need to focus on you. Try muscle relaxation, meditation, yoga or even guided visualizations. Don’t watch the news or an action movie an hour or two before bed. These things add to physical and mental stress and make falling asleep difficult.
•  Avoid caffeinated products: Think a cup of “soothing” green tea is a good idea before bed? Heck no. It has caffeine in it. Try to avoid all caffeinated products (coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) after three in the afternoon. Caffeine stays in your bloodstream anywhere from three to 12 hours (for pregnant women it lasts up to 18 hours!). Even decaffeinated products have traces of caffeine in them. Look for “caffeine free” on the label. 
• Avoid food an hour or two before bed: Eating a couple of hours before bed is bad on many levels, especially weight gain and sleep deprivation. A stomach that’s busy digesting doesn’t want to sleep! Besides, food is energy. You don’t need to energize right before crashing for the night. If you need to grab something, try warm milk (it has melatonin, which is responsible for helping the body to relax) or a piece of toast or crackers. Bland, low-fiber foods are less taxing on your digestive tract. 
• Love your bed: Save your bed for sleep and sex only. If you’re the type of person who eats and/or drinks in your bed, watches TV, listens to the radio and has trouble falling asleep, maybe it’s time to remove all those stimulants from the bedroom. You may even be associating your bed with feelings of frustration and lack of sleep. Redefine your sleeping space. Make it a sanctuary of harmony and peace. You may have to trick your mind into doing this, but it’s well worth it in the long run. Heck, maybe it’s even time to get new sheets and a fluffy new comforter! 
• Try herbal remedies: Find an all-natural sleep supplement that combines relaxing, commonly used herbs (like valerian or chamomile) in one formula. When combined, the sedative effect is increased and synergy occurs, which may have a greater, more natural effect on relaxing.
• Get medical help: Insomnia could be a symptom of another medical problem such as depression. A checkup with a physician may be helpful to identify hidden medical problems or other health issues that require resolution. Review all supplements with your physician prior to use, due to any medications that you may be taking.

Coming up next week: Better Digestion (juicing, fasting, probiotics, enzymes and more…)

1. Too little sleep raises blood pressure risk: study, Reuters, June 9th 2009
2. Skimping on sleep is bad for the heart: U.S. study, Reuters, December 2008
3. http://www.health.harvard.edu
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com
5. http://www.health.harvard.edu

One way to help keep the heart healthy is to get enough sleep.According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Not getting enough sleep can raise your blood pressure. As reported on MSNBC, “The study, among the first to directly measure sleep duration in middle-aged adults, found missing an average one hour of sleep over five years raised the risk of developing high blood pressure by 37 percent.”

Trying to reduce stress and getting a full night’s sleep is a good idea.

Res-Q Sleep is a natural, herbal sleep-aid that encourages healthy sleep patterns by promoting a calming effect gently easing you into sleep. The Res-Q difference is the combination of multiple relaxing herbs working together in synergy for better results.

Since the Res-Q Sleep supplement contains all-natural herbs plus melatonin, it is not habit forming and there is not any risk of dependency. Our special offers are the lowest prices ever. Ask about our special money saving promotions! For questions or to place an order call 1-800-262-5483.

Buy Res-Q Products Online

References:
Too little sleep may raise blood pressure, MSNBC and Reuters Health, June 2009,

In support of National Sleep Awareness Week (March 1-8), we at Res-Q would like to educate you on the importance of a good night’s sleep.

So many of us take a good night’s sleep for granted; In fact, many people glamorize how little sleep they get each night, as if running on only three hours makes them stronger or tougher.

Unfortunately the opposite is true. Chronic lack of sleep, by most experts, is now considered dangerous. In fact, “untreated sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes and other chronic diseases,” according to the National Institutes of Health. (1)

In a recent report by The Division of Sleep Medicine of Harvard Medical School, “going without adequate sleep carries with it both short- and long-term consequences:” (2)

“In the short term, a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality.”(3)

The National Sleep Foundation recently polled a group of people on how they felt each morning. The reason being that this data almost always corresponds with the amount of sleep people get. When they asked readers how they typically feel when they wake up, the results were alarming.

“Over half of respondents replied that they wake up feeling “slightly groggy,” while around 38 percent replied “exhausted.” Only almost 9 percent said they feel “well-rested.”(4)

A good night’s sleep is crucial. And we at Res-Q strongly suggest taking measures to address any sleep issues you may have.

There are few options to address the problem. One such option is prescription drugs. This, however, tends to lead to dependency and a host of other negative health issues and harmful side effects.

Another healthier, safer option is Res-Q Sleep. It’s one of the only all-natural sleep remedies on the market today that works to address several specific sleep issues. It helps with occasional sleeplessness and waking up during the night.  It also works as a calming agent, designed to ease restless sleepers into a gentle sleep. Because it’s all-natural, there is not any threat of waking up in the morning groggy or disoriented.

For more information on how to purchase Res-Q Sleep, please call a product consultant at 1-800-26-ALIVE (1-800-262-5483), or visit http://www.myresqproducts.com/.

The New York Times wrote an interesting article this month about sleeping pills becoming more popular. Use of sleeping pills increased for adults age 18-24. Sleeping pill use for those under age 45 increased by 50%.

Is our fast-paced society and high-pressure lives driving us to sleep less and less?

There is such a great need for rest. There is a safe all-natural product called Res-Q Sleep. If you need help getting to sleep, then why not try something something natural?

If you need help getting to sleep, try Res-Q Sleep, a safe dietary supplement intended for use with occasional sleeplessness. Res-Q Sleep is a prescription-free sleep aid that combines all-natural ingredients such as soothing herbs and melatonin to create the most effective all-natural sleep aid. Res-Q Sleep can help you relax so that you can sleep better. Since Res-Q Sleep does not cause dependency, Res-Q Sleep is safe for everyday use, and does not have harmful side effects.

Buy Res-Q Supplements Here

Email us at sales@n3inc.com

References:
Sleeping Pills Rising in Popularity among Young Adults, New York Times, January 14th, 2009

 Recent news reports reveal that not getting enough sleep can be bad for your arteries and can contribute to the hardening of the arteries. When the arteries are narrowed, there is less room for circulation. If blood clumps and circulation should stop, a heart attack could happen.  

Read News Article  

What does this mean? If you already have bad arteries, then getting a full night’s sleep should be a part of your heart-health program. If your arteries are healthy, then getting a full night’s sleep could help play a role in maintaining the health of your cardiovascular system.  

We are proud to add to our heart-healthy line of Res-Q products, a sleep aid called Res-Q Sleep. Res-Q Sleep contains all-natural herbs to help with occasional sleeplessness. Visit N3 Oceanic, the makers of the Res-Q product line, at http://www.MyResQproducts.com/, or call us toll free at 1-800-26-ALIVE. 
  

References:
Skimping on sleep is bad for the heart: U.S. Reuter’s, Tue Dec 23, 2008

References:
Delayed sleep phase syndrome: A placebo-controlled cross-over study on the effects of melatonin administered five hours before the individual dim light melatonin onset, Journal of Sleep Research, Vol. 7, Number 2, June 1998.

The synergistic action of Res-Q Sleep, an all-natural sleep aid helps calm and relax you so that you can fall asleep easier at times when otherwise you would have to stay up for hours trying to unwind. The relaxing herbs help calm and relax while melatonin helps re-set the body’s internal clock.

For these occasions, when you need quality sleep, Res-Q Sleep may be used so that you are able to maintain a normal sleeping pattern.

Res-Q Sleep is good to have on hand because you never know when you might need it.

Res-Q Sleep is not a drug and is intended for occasional sleeplessness; it does not create a dependency and is safe to use as needed to aid the body in the natural sleep process.

The active ingredients in Res-Q Sleep are natural.

For more information on Res-Q Sleep, please contact us at 1-800-26-ALIVE. It is recommended that you speak with a Res-Q consultant prior to placing your first order.

References:Sleepy brain prone to sudden shutdowns study, Reuters May 2008

It was reported on the news this week that the National Sleep Foundation released a report that showed that out of those surveyed, the average amount of sleep was less than seven hours and that one-third fell asleep at work. Most significantly, was that work was a reason keeping people up at night.

Try a bottle of Res-Q Sleep today. Call one of our friendly consultants at 1-800-26-ALIVE.