What is Health Care

What is Health Care

Code Red and Blue — Safely Limiting Health Care's GDP Footprint

what is health care

Public and private policymakers from red and blue states are converging on three conclusions that portend a momentous choice for physicians accustomed to benefiting from health care's growing share of the gross domestic product (GDP).
First, if the average health gain per dollar spent (“value”) were brought to the level of the highest-value U.S. health care providers or of national health systems in other wealthy countries, our per capita spending would decrease by 15 to 30%.1,2
Second, the annual gap of 2 to 3 percentage points between health spending growth and GDP growth saps broader economic vitality.3 Warren Buffett likens our health system to a tapeworm inside the U.S. economy that drags down our global competitiveness and suffocates funding for K–12 education, basic research, infrastructure maintenance, and other public goods. Politicians struggle with the gap's effect on government debt and creditworthiness, because the gap steadily increases the proportion of Americans requiring public funding to afford access to good care, especially among seniors whose need for health care has been extended by medical progress.
Third, U.S. health care needs to adopt new work methods, outlined in the Institute of Medicine's vision for a learning health system.4 Such methods would enable clinicians and health care managers to more rapidly improve value by continuously examining current clinical workflows, management tools from other service industries, burgeoning databases, and advances in applied sciences (especially health psychology and information, communication, and materials technologies). They could then use the insights gained to design and test innovations for better fulfilling patients' health goals with less spending and rapidly scaling successful innovations.
Whether a learning health system could improve value fast enough to perpetually neutralize the annual gap of 2 to 3 percentage points remains unknown: better care sometimes adds costly but useful clinical services and prolongs later life stages requiring greater resource use, but exemplars of value such as Kaiser Permanente, Intermountain Healthcare, and CareMore continue to improve.
Politicians are motivated to foster learning health systems that may close the gap. They fear voter backlash if an increasing proportion of Americans cannot afford good care. Two factors now constrain politicians' ability to fund required consumer subsidies with government debt. The 2008 financial meltdown, 2001 tax cut, and two wars have pushed federal debt as a percentage of GDP to twice the level it had generally maintained since recovering from the fiscal aftermath of World War II levels (see graph

what is health care

Federal Debt as a Percentage of GDP, Historically and as Projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
), and a growing fraction of U.S. creditors are not American. Unconstrained by patriotism and unnerved by devaluation in several European governments' bonds, foreign creditors will demand higher interest rates if U.S. debt continues to increase as a percentage of GDP. Higher interest rates increase debt and suppress the economic growth needed to reduce it. Perpetually raising taxes to offset the annual gap's effect on debt isn't feasible, especially when the economy is weak. Alternatives include increasing the informal rationing that already occurs in states where many physicians won't treat Medicaid patients and improving health system efficiency by 2 to 3 percentage points annually, as has been done in several other U.S. service industries.5
Most approaches to persuading the health industry to create robust learning health systems strengthen incentives for improving value. Provider-directed incentives improve payments to health care providers that attain more health gain per dollar spent than they have in the past or than their peers do. Examples include Medicare's chronic illness and bundled-payment demonstrations, pay-for-performance programs launched over the past decade, and newer approaches such as accountable care organizations, bundled payments, medical homes, and hospital value-based purchasing. Some physicians will be more directly affected in January 2013, when they will receive reports from Medicare comparing them with their peers. By 2017, these comparisons will be used to modify all physicians' Medicare fees. Patient-directed incentives link the fraction of health care costs paid by patients to the extent to which they select higher-value health care providers and treatment options, including self-care.
Both approaches have been tested by non-Medicare health care purchasers. Safeway Stores, Unite Here Health (a health-benefits trust), the employee health plans of some states and cities (California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota and the city of Los Angeles), and some options offered by health insurers all use patient communications and strong patient incentives to move market share to higher-value providers; others use provider-payment methods instead. Their effectiveness depends on better harmonizing the way that all payers assess and reward physicians and other health industry participants. Modest forms of harmonization are illustrated by the Bush administration's Chartered Value Exchanges and support for the National Quality Forum and by the Affordable Care Act's provision that the Independent Payment Advisory Board recommend policies affecting all payers.
The split in the debt-trend line forecast by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) — downward toward solvency, upward toward “fiscal Armageddon” — mostly reflects uncertainty not about whether stronger incentives to improve value will succeed, but about whether Congress can withstand the health industry's pressure to preserve its revenue. Perpetual growth in health spending in excess of GDP will negate any noncontinuous fiscal fix, such as postponing Medicare eligibility. Since physicians powerfully influence the use of health care resources and public opinion about health policies, Congress needs their support to legislate sufficiently compelling multipayer incentives for health care providers to close the gap permanently and safely.
However, demand for most physicians' services would probably decrease in response to stronger incentives for value. Such incentives would eliminate service use that is safely preventable, inappropriate, or unwanted by well-informed patients and trigger reassignment of physicians' work that could be performed by less costly workers or by automating some diagnosis and treatment. Medical specialists remember substantially decreased demand during the heyday of managed care. Primary care physicians realize that larger numbers of patients are being well cared for by peers who use e-mail contacts with patients, nurse call centers, and team-based visits.

what is health care

Physicians can successfully resist policies that threaten their incomes. Their opposition to managed care contributed to its decline and faster subsequent growth in health care spending. Physicians neutralized Medicare's full implementation of fee reductions under the formula for a sustainable growth rate.
Some physician leaders believe that preserving physicians' income may be unnecessary for enlisting physicians as stewards of patients' pooled health insurance dollars, which comprise income that their patients forgo or taxes they pay. Most physician specialty societies have committed their members to such stewardship by endorsing the Physician Charter. If they are wrong, can physicians succeed in such stewardship without substantially lowering their incomes?
Physicians could lobby to slow policies limiting overall health care spending. However, broadly targeted postponement won't satisfy foreign creditors. Physicians could lobby to protect their incomes but not those of others in the health care industry. Or they could enhance their incomes by exporting their expertise through telecommunication to rapidly developing countries facing physician shortages. Progress has been swift in high-fidelity telecommunication and instant language translation for services that don't require manual examinations or procedures or that can be performed by less expensive health workers with remote physician supervision.
The CBO's diverging trend lines present physicians with an urgent choice. One path leads to a gain of 2 to 3% in annual efficiency, robust federal creditworthiness, and thereby equitable access to good care, the other to better protection of physicians' incomes and traditional roles but wider informal rationing of health care services. Osler anticipated today's code red and blue when he wrote, “Medical care must be provided with the utmost efficiency. To do less is a disservice to those we treat, and an injustice to those we might have treated.” Which path will physicians choose?



credit: http://www.nejm.org

Kids With Early Language Skills Better in Anger

Kids With Early Language Skills Better in Anger Management

Kids With Early Language Skills

A new study suggests that toddlers with good language skills are better able to manage anger later in life.

Children with good language skills at age 2 expressed less anger during frustrating situations at age 4 than did those 4-year-olds with less advanced language skills, according to the study's findings. 

Children whose language skills developed quickly also expressed less anger at age 4. 

The new study followed 120 children from 18 months old until they were 4. Children periodically underwent tests that assessed their language skills and their ability to cope with frustrating tasks. One task asked children to wait for eight minutes before opening a present while their mother finished work. 

Two aspects of language appeared to help children rein in their anger. First, more-developed language skills allowed kids to ask for support from their parents during a frustrating situation (for instance, asking the mother whether she was finished with her work). Children also used language to occupy or distract themselves from becoming angry. (One child dealt with the waiting task by counting for a full minute.) 

"Better language skills may help children verbalize rather than use emotions to convey needs and use their imaginations to occupy themselves while enduring a frustrating wait," said study researcher Pamela Cole, a professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University. 

The study was recently published in the journal Child Development.



credit: http://www.medindia.net

How To Quit Smoking

How To Quit Smoking

Quit Smoking

Whether you're a teen smoker or a lifetime pack-a-day smoker, quitting can be tough. But with the right game plan tailored to your needs, you can replace your smoking habits, manage your cravings, and join the millions of people who have kicked the habit for good.

Why quitting can seem so hard

Smoking tobacco is both a psychological habit and a physical addiction. The act of smoking is ingrained as a daily ritual and, at the same time, the nicotine from cigarettes provides a temporary, and addictive, high. Eliminating that regular fix of nicotine will cause your body to experience physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. To successfully quit smoking, you’ll need to address both the habit and the addiction by changing your behavior and dealing with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Relieving unpleasant and overwhelming feelings without cigarettes

Managing unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common reasons why adults smoke. When you have a bad day, it can seem like cigarettes are your only friend. Smoking can temporarily make feelings such as sadness, stress, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air. As much comfort as cigarettes provide, though, it’s important to remember that there are healthier (and more effective) ways to keep unpleasant feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises. 

For many people, an important aspect of quitting smoking is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings without smoking. Even when cigarettes are no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to smoke in the past will still remain. So, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally have you reaching for a cigarette.

Ways to create your personal stop smoking plan

Designing your personal game plan

Tailoring a personal game plan to your specific needs and desires can be a big help. List the reasons why you want to quit and then keep copies of the list in the places where you’d normally keep your cigarettes, such as in your jacket, purse, or car. Your reasons for quitting smoking might include:

I will feel healthier and have more energy, whiter teeth, and fresher breath.

I will lower my risk for cancer, heart attacks, strokes, early death, cataracts, and skin wrinkling.

I will make myself and my partner, friends, and family proud of me.

I will no longer expose my children and others to the dangers of my second-hand smoke.

I will have a healthier baby (If you or your partner is pregnant).

I will have more money to spend.

I won't have to worry: "When will I get to smoke next?"

Source: Smokefree.gov Online Quit Guide

Questions to ask yourself

To successfully detach from smoking, you will need to identify and address your smoking habits, the true nature of your dependency, and the techniques that work for you. These types of questions can help:

Do you feel the need to smoke at every meal?

Are you more of a social smoker?

Is it a very bad addiction (more than a pack a day)? Or would a simple nicotine patch do the job?

Is your cigarette smoking linked to other addictions, such as alcohol or gambling?

Are you open to hypnotherapy and/or acupuncture?

Are you someone who is open to talking about your addiction with a therapist or counselor?

Are you interested in getting into a fitness program?

Take the time to think of what kind of smoker you are, which moments of your life call for a cigarette, and why. This will help you to identify which tips, techniques or therapies may be most beneficial for you.    

Start your stop smoking plan with START

S = Set a quit date.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

How to quit smoking and manage cravings

After quitting, you may feel dizzy, restless, or even have strong headaches because you’re lacking the immediate release of sugar that comes from nicotine. You may also have a bigger appetite. These sugar-related cravings should only last a few days until your body adjusts so keep your sugar levels a bit higher than usual on those days by drinking plenty of juice (unless you’re a diabetic). It will help prevent the craving symptoms and help your body re-adjust back to normal.

Tips for managing other cigarette cravings

Cravings associated with meals

For some smokers, ending a meal means lighting up, and the prospect of giving that up may appear daunting. TIP: replace that moment after a meal with something such as a piece of fruit, a (healthy) dessert, a square of chocolate, or a stick of gum.

Alcohol and cigarettes

Many people have a habit of smoking when they have an alcoholic drink. TIP: try non-alcoholic drinks, or try drinking only in places where smoking inside is prohibited. Or try snacking on nuts and chips, or chewing on a straw or cocktail stick.

Cravings associated with social smoking

When friends, family, and co-workers smoke around you, it is doubly difficult to quit or avoid relapse. TIP: Your social circles need to know that you are changing your habits so talk about your decision to quit. Let them know they won’t be able to smoke when you’re in the car with them or taking a coffee break together.  

In your workplace, don’t take all your coffee breaks with smokers only, do something else instead, or find non-smokers to have your breaks with.

Additional tips to deal with cravings and withdrawal symptoms

Stay active: Keep yourself distracted and occupied, go for walks.

Keep your hands/fingers busy: Squeeze balls, pencils, or paper clips are good substitutes to satisfy that need for tactile stimulation.

Keep your mind busy: Read a book or magazine, listen to some music you love.

Find an oral substitute: Keep other things around to pop in your mouth when you’re craving a cigarette.

Good choices include mints, hard candy, carrot or celery sticks, gum, and sunflower seeds.

Drink lots of water: Flushing toxins from your body minimizes withdrawal symptoms and helps cravings pass faster.

Keep a craving journal

For the first week or so of quitting, make entries into a log book to monitor your daily progress. Note the moments in your life when you crave a cigarette as these are your triggers to smoking. Are there certain people or environments that trigger your cravings? If you smoke, how does it make you feel? Jot down some other things you can do to feel the same way. Later, when you’re having a bad day, you’ll be able to look back at the comments you wrote in week one to get perspective on how far you’ve come.

Get support from others

Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times. 

Keep the pounds off   

Weight gain is a common concern when quitting smoking. While it’s true that many smokers put on weight when they stop smoking, the gain is usually small, on average 3-5 pounds. Weight gain occurs because the oral gratification of smoking is replaced by the self-soothing mechanism of eating. To maintain a healthy weight, it’s important to find other, healthy ways to deal with stress and other unpleasant feelings rather than mindless eating. Eating a healthy diet and staying active can help you maintain your current weight.

Manage changes in mood

Mood changes are common after quitting smoking as a result of nicotine withdrawal. They will be especially pronounced if you have been using cigarettes to manage your moods and relieve stress, depression, or anxiety, for example. After quitting, you may be more irritable, frustrated, restless, angry, or despondent than usual. You may also experience headaches, trouble sleeping, and difficulty in concentrating. However, these changes usually get better in 1 or 2 weeks as the toxins are flushed from your body and you find other, healthy ways to manage your moods. Let your friends and family know that you won’t be your usual self and ask for their understanding.

Finding the resources and support to quit smoking

There are many different methods that have successfully helped people to quit smoking, including:

Quitting smoking cold turkey.

Systematically decreasing the number of cigarettes you smoke.

Reducing your intake of nicotine gradually over time.

Using nicotine replacement therapy or non-nicotine medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

Utilizing nicotine support groups.

Trying hypnosis, acupuncture, or counseling using cognitive behavioral techniques.

You may be successful with the first method you try. More likely, you’ll have to try a number of different methods or a combination of treatments to find the ones that work best for you.

Medication therapy

Smoking cessation medications can ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings, and are most effective when used as part of a comprehensive stop smoking program monitored by your physician. Talk to your doctor about your options and whether an anti-smoking medication is right for you. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved options are: 

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy involves "replacing" cigarettes with other nicotine substitutes, such as nicotine gum or a nicotine patch. It works by delivering small and steady doses of nicotine into the body to relieve some of the withdrawal symptoms without the tars and poisonous gases found in cigarettes. This type of treatment helps smokers focus on breaking their psychological addiction and makes it easier to concentrate on learning new behaviors and coping skills.

Non-Nicotine Medication

These medications help you stop smoking by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the use of nicotine. Medications such as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix) are intended for short-term use only.

Non-medication therapies

There are several things you can do to stop smoking that don’t involve nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medications: Ask your doctor for a referral or see Resources and References below for help finding qualified professionals in each area.

Hypnosis

A popular option that has produced good results. Forget anything you may have seen from stage hypnotists, hypnosis works by getting you into a deeply relaxed state where you are open to suggestions that strengthen your resolve to quit smoking and increase your negative feelings toward cigarettes.

Acupuncture

One of the oldest known medical techniques, acupuncture is believed to work by triggering the release of endorphins (natural pain relievers) that allow the body to relax. As a smoking cessation aid, acupuncture can be helpful in managing smoking withdrawal symptoms.

Behavioral Therapy

Nicotine addiction is related to the habitual behaviors (the “rituals”) involved in smoking. Behavior therapy focuses on learning new coping skills and breaking those habits.

Motivational Therapies

Self-help books and websites can provide a number of ways to motivate yourself to quit smoking. One well known example is calculating the monetary savings. Some people have been able to find the motivation to quit just by calculating how much money they will save. It may be enough to pay for a summer vacation.

Helping a family member quit smoking

It’s important to remember that you cannot make a friend or loved one quit smoking; the decision has to be theirs. But if they do make the decision to stop smoking, you can offer support and encouragement and try to ease the stress of quitting. Investigate the different treatment options available and talk them through with the smoker; just be careful never to preach or judge. You can also help a smoker overcome cravings by pursuing other activities with him or her, and by keeping smoking substitutes, such as gum and candy, on hand.

If a loved one slips or relapses, don’t make them feel guilty. Congratulate them on the time they went without smoking and encourage them to try again. Most smokers require several attempts to successfully quit for good.

Parents of teen smokers

Most smokers try their first cigarette around the age of 11, and many are addicted by the time they turn 14. This can be worrying parents or guardians, but it’s important to appreciate the unique challenges and peer pressure teens face when it comes to quitting smoking. While the decision to quit has to come from the teen smoker him- or herself, there are still plenty of ways for you to help.

Tips for parents of teen smokers

Try to avoid threats and ultimatums. Find out why your teen is smoking; he or she may want to be accepted by a peer group, or want your attention. Talk about what changes can be made in his or her life to help them stop smoking.

Be patient and supportive as your child goes through the quitting process.

Set a good example for your kids by not smoking yourself. Parents who smoke are more likely to have children who smoke.  

Know if your children have friends that smoke. Talk with your kids about ways to refuse a cigarette.

Explain the health dangers, as well as the unpleasant physical aspects of smoking (such as bad breath, discolored teeth and nails).

Establish a smoke-free policy in your home. Don't allow anyone to smoke indoors at any time.

Source: American Lung Association

Smokeless or spit tobacco is NOT a healthy alternative to smoking

Smokeless tobacco, otherwise known as spit tobacco, is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. It contains the same addictive chemical, nicotine, contained in cigarettes. In fact, the amount of nicotine absorbed from smokeless tobacco can be 3 to 4 times the amount delivered by a cigarette.

What to do if you relapse

Quitting smoking didn’t work, now what?

Having a small setback doesn’t mean you’re a smoker again. Most people try to quit smoking several times before they kick the habit for good. Identify the triggers or trouble spots you ran into and learn from your mistakes.  

You’re not a failure if you slip up. It doesn't mean you can't quit for good.

Don’t let a slip become a mudslide. Throw out the rest of the pack. It's important to get back on the non-smoking track now.

Look back at your quit log and feel good about the time you went without smoking.

Find the trigger. Exactly what was it that made you smoke again? Decide how you will cope with that issue the next time it comes up.

Learn from your experience. What has been most helpful? What didn’t work? 

Are you using a medicine to help you quit? Call your doctor if you start smoking again. Some medicines cannot be used if you are smoking at the same time.
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TIPS FOR GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

TIPS FOR GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

How you feel during your waking hours hinges on how well you sleep at night. Similarly, the cure for sleep difficulties can often be found in your daily routine. Your sleep schedule, bedtime habits, and day–to–day lifestyle choices can make an enormous difference to the quality of your nightly rest. The following sleep tips will help you optimize your nightly rest so you can be productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and full of energy all day long.

GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

The secret to getting good sleep every night

Good sleep strategies are essential to deep, restorative sleep you can count on, night after night. By learning to avoid common enemies of sleep and trying out a variety of healthy sleep-promoting techniques, you can discover your personal prescription to a good night’s rest.

The key is to experiment. What works for some might not work as well for others. It’s important to find the sleep strategies that work best for you.

The first step to improving the quality of your rest is finding out how much sleep you need. How much sleep is enough? While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need at least 8 hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

How to sleep better tip 1: Keep a regular sleep schedule

Getting back in sync with your body’s natural sleep–wake cycle—your circadian rhythm—is one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, you will feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you alter your sleep schedule by only an hour or two. Consistency is important.

Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.

Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake–time even on weekends.

Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep–wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.

Be smart about napping. While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge, especially for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. If insomnia is a problem for you, consider eliminating napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and limit it to thirty minutes.

Fight after–dinner drowsiness. If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Discovering your optimal sleep schedule

Find a period of time (a week or two should do) when you are free to experiment with different sleep and wake times. Go to bed at the same time every night and allow yourself to sleep until you wake up naturally. No alarm clocks! If you’re sleep deprived, it may take a few weeks to fully recover. But as you go to bed and get up at the same time, you’ll eventually land on the natural sleep schedule that works best for you.

How to sleep better tip 2: Naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin production is controlled by light exposure. Your brain should secrete more in the evening, when it’s dark, to make you sleepy, and less during the day when it’s light and you want to stay awake and alert. However, many aspects of modern life can disrupt your body’s natural production of melatonin and with it your sleep-wake cycle.

Spending long days in an office away from natural light, for example, can impact your daytime wakefulness and make your brain sleepy. Then bright lights at night—especially from hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen—can suppress your body’s production of melatonin and make it harder to sleep. However, there are ways for you to naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle, boost your body’s production of melatonin, and keep your brain on a healthy schedule.

Increase light exposure during the day

Remove your sunglasses in the morning and let light onto your face.

Spend more time outside during daylight. Try to take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night.

Let as much light into your home/workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, move your desk closer to the window.

If necessary, use a light therapy box. A light therapy box can simulate sunshine and can be especially useful during short winter days when there’s limited daylight.

Boost melatonin production at night

Turn off your television and computer. Many people use the television to fall asleep or relax at the end of the day. Not only does the light suppress melatonin production, but television can actually stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it. Try listening to music or audio books instead, or practicing relaxation exercises. If your favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.

Don’t read from a backlit device at night (such as an iPad). If you use a portable electronic device to read, use an eReader that is not backlit, i.e. one that requires an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.

Change your light bulbs. Avoid bright lights before bed, use low-wattage bulbs instead.

When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep. Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try an eye mask to cover your eyes.

Use a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night. As long as it’s safe to do so, keep the light to a minimum so it will be easier to go back to sleep.

How to sleep better tip 3: Create a relaxing bedtime routine

If you make a consistent effort to relax and unwind before bed, you will sleep easier and more deeply. A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses.

Make your bedroom more sleep friendly

Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from barking dogs, loud neighbors, city traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan, recordings of soothing sounds, or white noise. You can buy a special sound machine or generate your own white noise by setting your radio between stations. Earplugs may also help.

Keep your room cool. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.

Make sure your bed is comfortable. You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam or egg crate toppers, and pillows that provide more support.

Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex

Ifyou associate your bed with events like work or errands, it will be harder to wind down at night. Use your bed only for sleep and sex. That way, when you go to bed, your body gets a powerful cue: it’s time to nod off.

Relaxing bedtime rituals to try

Read a book or magazine by a soft light

Take a warm bath

Listen to soft music

Do some easy stretches

Wind down with a favorite hobby

Listen to books on tape

Make simple preparations for the next day

How to sleep better tip 4: Eat right and get regular exercise

Your daytime eating and exercise habits play a role in how well you sleep. It’s particularly important to watch what you put in your body in the hours leading up to your bedtime.

Stay away from big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.

Avoid alcohol before bed. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, so stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.

Cut down on caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.

Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks, which act as diuretics, only make things worse.

Quit smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep. Additionally, smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.

If you’re hungry at bedtime

For some people, a light snack before bed can help promote sleep. When you pair tryptophan–containing foods with carbohydrates, it may help calm the brain and allow you to sleep better. For others, eating before bed can lead to indigestion and make sleeping more difficult. Experiment with your food habits to determine your optimum evening meals and snacks. If you need a bedtime snack, try:

Half a turkey sandwich

A small bowl of whole–grain, low–sugar cereal

Granola with low–fat milk or yogurt

A banana

You’ll also sleep more deeply if you exercise regularly. You don’t have to be a star athlete to reap the benefits—as little as twenty to thirty minutes of daily activity helps. And you don’t need to do all thirty minutes in one session. You can break it up into five minutes here, ten minutes there, and still get the benefits. Try a brisk walk, a bicycle ride, or even gardening or housework.

Some people prefer to schedule exercise in the morning or early afternoon as exercising too late in the day can stimulate the body, raising its temperature. Even if you prefer not to exercise vigorously at night, don’t feel glued to the couch, though. Relaxing exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching can help promote sleep.

How to sleep better tip 5: Get anxiety and stress in check

Do you find yourself unable to sleep or waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. When you wake up or can’t get to sleep, take note of what seems to be the recurring theme. That will help you figure out what you need to do to get your stress and anger under control during the day.

If you can’t stop yourself from worrying, especially about things outside your control, you need to learn how to manage your thoughts. For example, you can learn to evaluate your worries to see if they’re truly realistic and learn to replace irrational fears with more productive thoughts. Even counting sheep is more productive than worrying at bedtime.

If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping you awake, you need help with stress management. By learning how to manage your time effectively, handle stress in a productive way, and maintain a calm, positive outlook, you’ll be able to sleep better at night.

Relaxation techniques for better sleep

Relaxation is beneficial for everyone, but especially for those struggling with sleep. Practicing relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include:

Deep breathing. Close your eyes—and try taking deep, slow breaths—making each breath even deeper than the last.

Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting at your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of your head.

Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity makes you feel.

How to sleep better tip 6: Ways to get back to sleep

It’s normal to wake briefly during the night. In fact, a good sleeper won’t even remember it. But if you’re waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep, the following tips may help.

Sty out of your head. The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to cue your body for sleep, so remain in bed in a relaxed position. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over the fact that you’re awake or your inability to fall asleep again, because that very stress and anxiety encourages your body to stay awake. A good way to stay out of your head is to focus on the feelings and sensations in your body.

Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you are finding it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Remind yourself that although they’re not a replacement for sleep, rest and relaxation still help rejuvenate your body.

Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not to cue your body clock that it’s time to wake up. Also avoid screens of any kind—computers, TV, cell phones, iPads—as the type of light they emit is stimulating to the brain. A light snack or herbal tea might help relax you, but be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a meal at that time of the day.

Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when you are fresh and it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a brainstorm or great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive and creative after a good night’s rest.

How to sleep better tip 7: Cope with shift work sleep disorder

A disrupted sleep schedule caused by working nights or irregular shifts can lead to sleepiness in the work place, affect your mood, energy, and concentration, and increase your risk of accidents, injuries, and work-related mistakes. Shift workers tend to suffer from two problems: sleeping at home during the day and staying awake at work during the night. To avoid or limit these problems:

Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation from mounting up. If that’s not possible, avoid rotating shifts frequently so you can maintain the same sleep schedule.

Avoid a long commute as reduces sleep time. Also, the more time you spend traveling home in daylight, the more awake you’ll become and the harder you’ll find it to get to sleep.

Drink caffeinated drinks early in your shift, but avoid them close to bedtime.

Take frequent breaks and use them to move around as much as possible – take a walk, stretch, even exercise if possible.

Adjust your sleep-wake schedule and your body’s natural production of melatonin. Expose yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, use bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wear dark glasses on your journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.

Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or a soothing sound machine to block out daytime noise.

Make sleep a priority at the weekends or on your days off so you can pay off your sleep debt.

How to sleep better tip 8: Know when to see a sleep doctor

If you’ve tried the tips above, but are still struggling with sleep problems, you may have a sleep disorder that requires professional treatment. Consider scheduling a visit with a sleep doctor if, despite your best efforts at self–help, you are still troubled by any of the following symptoms:

Persistent daytime sleepiness or fatigue

Loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Unrefreshing sleep

Frequent morning headaches

Crawling sensations in your legs or arms at night

Inability to move while falling asleep or waking up

Physically acting out dreams during sleep

Falling asleep at inappropriate times

More Health Tips

Top 10 tips for a healthy back, including lifting advice, how to sit properly and back-strengthening exercises.

Healthy Back

1. Exercise your back regularly. Walking, swimming (especially backstroke) and using exercise bikes are all excellent ways to strengthen your back muscles.

2. Always bend your knees and your hips, not your back.

3. Never twist and bend at the same time.

4. Always lift and carry objects close to your body.

5. Try to carry larger loads in a rucksack and avoid sling bags.

6. Maintain a good posture. Avoid slumping in your chair, hunching over a desk or walking with your shoulders hunched.

7. Use a chair with a backrest. Sit with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest. Change how you sit every few minutes.

8. Quit smoking. It is thought that smoking reduces the blood supply to the discs between the vertebrae and this may lead to degeneration of these discs.

9. Lose any excess weight. Use our Healthy weight calculator to find out if you're a healthy weight for your height. 

10. Choose a mattress suited to your height, weight, age and sleeping position.

5 Small Tips to Help you Lose Weight

5 Small Tips to Help you Lose Weight

Lose Weight 

It's easier than ever to gain weight. Our lives are constantly becoming less physical, as the need for convenience and ease is met with advances in technology. At the same time our diet is suffering from high-fat greasy foods and genetically altered food products. Combine these together, and its' easy to see why the pant size of Americans are growing by the inch. Fortunately for all of us, there actually are very convenient, plentiful ways to counteract those pesky pounds, and here are five great ways of doing just that. 

 lose weight Tips 1

 It's often said that the only way to eat an elephant is one small bite at a time, and losing weight is no different. It's a big deal that can be handled by doing several small things that will help you keep the weight off. Since one of the largest contributors to expanding pant sizes are those several little snacks you pig out on throughout the day, stopping those can be a big help. The solution - brush your teeth! Brushing after each and every meal signals to your body that meal time is over, and you're less open to eating when your mouth is clean and fresh.

lose weight Tips 2

 Many people underestimate the importance of water. Water is necessary for your body to function properly, and you need at least a few glasses of water a day to give your body what it needs. Water can also help you lose weight. By replacing all of those soft drinks and coffees throughout the day with water, you can eliminate as many as 245 needless calories or more from your diet. Water also does a good job of flushing from your body toxins and excess waste that it doesn't need. You'll also find yourself with more energy for longer periods of time, and you won't find yourself hit with thirst so often. 

lose weight Tips 3

 Obviously, one of the best ways to make sure you lose weight is to ensure that you burn off most all of the calories that you take in throughout the day. Aside from exercise, a good way to do this is to make sure that most of your calorie content is consumed in the morning or at lunch. By doing this, you give your body time to process these foods and utilize those calories as energy. Eating during the evening doesn't give your body this chance, and it will be forced to convert those calories as stored fat. Fix yourself a big, hearty breakfast, and not only will you burn off those nasty calories, you'll also have more energy and will have a smaller appetite throughout the rest of your day. 

lose weight Tips 4

 It's no secret that we eat far more food than we need. We are a culture that is obsessed with food, and we pack in more than our bodies can possibly handle. If you want to lose weight, the first thing you have to do is cut down on your portions. As a general rule, when you get a plate of food, discard between a quarter and a third of it before you even sit down. It may be painful to do so, but the bottom line is that you don't need all of that extra food. Your body won't be able to burn that many calories. 

lose weight Tips 5

 When most people think of exercise, they imagine push ups, trips to the gym, jogging, or other intensive forms of exercise that are difficult to start and take a lot of effort and discipline to stick with for any length of time. Fortunately, all of that is really not necessary for losing weight. Walking is one of the most efficient fat-burning exercises on the planet, and it can be done anywhere you are. Walk around the office, take the stairs, and go out of your way to get the steps in. If you really want to lose weight, start walking every single day for extended periods. Any good long walk is beneficial, but it is generally recommended that you take 30 to 45 minute trips to lose those pounds. 

Believe it or not, losing weight isn't actually a bone-crunching, life-threatening challenge. It's a simple process that requires two things - knowing all of the little things that can help put the weight off, and the self-discipline to keep those little things up. Anyone can do it - keep yourself in a positive mindset, and you'll notice those pants fitting more loosely in no time.

Health Benefits of Peaches

Health Benefits of Peaches

Benefits Of Peaches

Many people love the flavor and smell of peaches, and enjoy the versatility of using peaches in desserts, salsas, and beverages. The nutrition in peaches is excellent and they also have great health benefits. Peaches are stone fruits, meaning they have a large seed (or pit) in the center. Stone fruits aretypically filled with nutrition and the peach definitely falls into that category.

Peach Vitamins and Nutrition

Peaches are rich in Vitamin C, which is well known to boost the immune system and protects against heart disease. They also are a good source of Vitamin A, a vitamin that plays a role in vision, immune function, embryonic development and reproduction, bone metabolism, skin health, and can help fight cancer.

Vitamins B1, B2 along with Vitamin A help maintain the the nervous system, magnesium levels in the body, help synthesize hemoglobin, and also strengthen the immune system. In addition, the antioxidants in peaches slow cell damage by free radicals.

One peach contains about 2.5g of fiber, 16g of carbohydrates, almost no fat, and 1.5g of protein all packed into only 66 calories. The fiber helps prevent several diseases and can help you lose weight. Peaches are known to lower the cholesterol level in the blood which prevents cardiovascular diseases, anemia and renal diseases and can destroy extra fat layers. As a result, peaches can even help you lose weight.

Iron and Potassium in Peaches

The iron content of a peach is good for those with anemia, including some pregnant women. The potassium in a peach is good for cardiac health and lower your blood pressure. Finally, peaches act as a gentle laxative and can flush out the toxins from the bladder and kidneys and relieve constipation.

Fresh Peaches are the Best

As with many fruits, most of the vitamins and minerals are contained in the peach's skin, so if you don't care to eat the fuzzy skin, you may want to try the peach's cousin, the nectarine, which has a smoother skin.

As you might expect, all of the above benefits are most realized when eating fresh peaches. Canned or dried peaches lose some vitamin content and peaches canned in syrup will likely have higher sugar and calorie content.

When eating a fresh peach, definitely avoid the pit. Peach pits contain hydrocyanic acid (or cyanide) which is a toxic substance, and ingestion of large quantities can be fatal. Buy and eat your peaches fresh during peak peach season (May to October), avoid the pit, and enjoy the many health benefits of this wonderful fruit.
More Health Tips

6 Foods to Get You In the Mood

6 Foods to Get You In the Mood

Turn up the heat

By Jennifer Berman, MDWant a really romantic dinner? Sure, candles and soft music are nice, but what you andyour man nosh on could truly take things to another level. The following (healthy!) foods may actually affect hormone levels, brain chemistry, and energy, heightening arousal and sex drive.While there aren't double-blind studies proving the aphrodisiac properties of these foods, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting they really help, so why not work in one (or more) on your next date night.

Asparagus

You're not alone if those fleshy gr

een spears remind you of...well, you know.This veggie's phallic appearance nodoubt has something to do with its legendary aphrodisiac status, but the goods are inside, too. Asparagus is rich in vitamin B6 and folate, both of which can boost arousal and orgasm.And it also boasts vitamin E, which stimulates sex hormones in both men and women.

Avocados

Energy and a healthy libido are crucial for great sex, 

and avocados can give you both. They're loaded with minerals,monounsaturated fats (the good kind that protect the heart and lower cholesterol), and vitamin B6—all of which help keep your energy and sex drive up.They're also a top source of omega-3 fatty acids, which naturally boost your mood, making you more likely to feel ready for bedroom action.For more on avocados' health benefits, check out "The Amazing Power of Avocados.

Chile peppers

Chile peppers can really spice things

 up—and not just in your mouth—thanks to capsaicin, a chemical that's beenshown to induce the release of endorphins in the brain, which creates a feeling of euphoria.The potential payoff? Enhanced foreplay and hotter sex.

Chocolate

This sweet has long been linked with love and sex for good reason. It contains tryptophan, which helps the bodyproduce serotonin, a natural feel-good chemical that may play a role in sexual arousal.

Chocolate also offers a hit of phenylethylamine, a stimulant thought to contribute to that lovey-dovey feeling. So, go ahead, indulge a little!

Licorice

This candy (sold conveniently in, um, whips) is thought to mimic the effects of estrogen and progesterone, criticalhormones for normal reproductive and sexual function and response. Eating it may help you get in the mood—and stay that way more often.Plus, enjoying this candy may reduce symptoms of PMS, a real perk both in and outside the bedroom.But note: Don't settle for just any old licorice-flavored candy. Be sure to buy a variety that contains real licorice-root extract.

Oysters

It's not the slippery feel or the singular taste of oysters that make them a sexy superfood. It's zinc, which oystersare loaded with. The mineral helps the body produce testosterone, a hormone critical in regulating women's and men's libido and sexual function.Research suggests that zinc can improve sperm count and swimming ability, and increase sexual potency in men.For women, zinc may help ovaries—the source of estrogen, progesterone, and some testosterone—stay healthy, keeping you primed for bedroom action.

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