Teenagers Sleep http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com News on Natural Remedies for Teenage Insomnia posterous.com Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:49:00 -0700 Sleep Remedy Studies on Melatonin-Rich Foods http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/sleep-remedy-studies-on-melatonin-rich-foods http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/sleep-remedy-studies-on-melatonin-rich-foods

With the National Sleep Foundation reporting that six out of ten Americans suffer with insomnia several nights a week and 25% of the U.S. population uses sleeping drugs (known as “hypnotics”), an increasing number of people these days are looking for natural sleep remedies. In recent research studies, it was discovered that both walnuts and tart cherries contain significant levels of the natural sleep hormone melatonin, and may therefore be a natural, food-based way to get a better night’s sleep.

Russel Reiter, Ph.D., a professor of cellular biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center says, “Relatively few foods have been examined for their melatonin content. Our studies demonstrate that walnuts contain melatonin, that it is absorbed when it is eaten, and that it improves our ability to resist oxidative stress caused by toxic molecules called free radicals. Walnuts also contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to inhibit certain types of cancer and to keep the heart healthy.”

Melatonin is best known as a sleep remedy. It is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, located in the center of the brain. At night or in the dark, the pineal gland releases melatonin to regulate the sleep cycle. The body produces less melatonin with advancing age. While melatonin doesn’t require a prescription, it is a potent hormone. If too much is taken, it can make it more difficult to wake up and may result in daytime grogginess. It is best used under the supervision of a doctor. Nutritionists recommend that melatonin is best consumed as part of a whole food or whole food supplement.

In another study done at the University Of Texas Health Science Center, researchers discovered that the tart “Montmorency” cherry also contains a significant level of melatonin. Cherries are available in concentrated supplement form and can be taken in the evening to improve the quality of sleep. Other ways cherries can be eaten include dried cherries, frozen cherries and cherry juice. You can add dried cherries to yogurt, granola, salads and baked foods. Cherry juice should be diluted with water or sparkling water as it is high in natural sugars.

The brain can also be assisted in its melatonin production by taking calcium supplements. William Sears, M.D. writes: "Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods." It's important to note that a balanced ratio of calcium and magnesium is important to overall health, and that these two minerals should be taken together for best results.

Digestibility and absorption are important factors in selecting the best forms of calcium and magnesium to use. For example, Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com is a natural sleep remedy that contains six types of calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and horsetail herb -- all combined in a softgel with carrier oils. Oils such as evening primrose have been shown to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.

Corrine E. of Alberta Canada says: "I have used many types of sleeping pills during the last 20 to 25 years to try to help cope with chronic insomnia and none of them have helped me for as long or as consistently as Sleep Minerals II. This sleep remedy has made a big difference for me."

So, if insomnia and sleeplessness have troubled you, be sure to keep your cupboard stocked with natural sleep remedies and use them well to make insomnia a thing of the past.

For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html

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Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0700 Better Sleep for Teenagers and Adults - Studies Give Tips http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/better-sleep-for-teenagers-and-adults-studies http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/better-sleep-for-teenagers-and-adults-studies

Sleeping well is a highly valued thing.  According to an article in the United Kingdom’s “Daily Telegraph”, a good night's sleep has been voted life's “Greatest little pleasure”.  The poll, which interviewed 3,000 people in the UK, asked them what their greatest little pleasures in life were.  The British company “Bachelors” conducted the survey.  The sleep theme showed up in other places as well, with “Little pleasure” number three being “Sleeping in newly laundered bedding.“  Number six was “Cuddling up with a loved one in bed”.

Chronic insomnia contributes to sleepiness during the day, increased accidents and illness, and may have an adverse effect on concentration, interpersonal relationships and the ability to handle stress.  Because good sleep is so vital to health, scientists continue to pursue the trail of finding things that enhance its quality and quantity.  Dr. Ramakrishnan, a professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, says, "Exercise improves sleep as effectively as sleeping drugs in some studies.”  His study found that on average, exercise increases total sleep time by 42 minutes.

Studies at the University of Arizona found that walking more than six blocks a day at a normal pace significantly improves sleep at night for women.  Scientists suspect that exercise helps set our biological clock into a consistent wake/sleep pattern, or it may boost the brain's production of serotonin, a neurochemical that encourages sleep.

A drop in body temperature may help you fall asleep.  According to a study in the Journal “Sleep”, making a special effort to cool down before bedtime may be of particular benefit to insomniacs. Sleep specialists have long debated whether the nighttime drop in temperature induces sleep or follows it. To investigate this question, Doctors Murphy and Campbell of the New York Hospital’s Cornell Medical Center in White Plains, recruited 21 men and 23 women, aged 19 to 82.

The researchers identified the time at which the subjects' body temperature fell most sharply. This point almost always occurred in the two hours before sleep began.  Therefore, people with trouble falling asleep might benefit from taking hot baths about 90 minutes before bedtime, the researchers speculate. When they get out of the bath, body temperature will drop rapidly, and this might help them to fall asleep faster.

Warm milk has long been a highly recommended folk remedy for insomnia. Regarding this, William Sears, M.D. says: "Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods."

Calcium is directly related to our cycles of sleep.  In one study, published in the European Neurology Journal, researchers found that calcium levels in the body are higher during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase.  The study concluded that disturbances in sleep, especially the absence of REM deep sleep or disturbed REM sleep, are related to a calcium deficiency. Restoration to the normal course of sleep was achieved following the normalization of the blood calcium level.

Jobee Knight, a nutritional researcher and President of http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com in Glendale, CA., is someone who fought her own battle against sleeplessness and insomnia. She decided to put her background to use by searching out effective natural insomnia remedies for relaxation and deeper sleep. The result was Sleep Minerals II, a sleep remedy which contains six forms of calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and horsetail herb – all combined in a softgel with carrier oils. Oils such as evening primrose have been shown to increase mineral absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and increase bone density.

One mother of a teenage son who was suffering with insomnia, was grateful to find Sleep Minerals II.  She says: “Our son began to have trouble sleeping about a year and a half ago. He was up until 2:00 a.m., and then he got up at 5:00.  This continued for quite a while.  He was miserable and so were we.  He’s an athlete and a student and we just couldn’t live like this.”

“We had spent hundreds of dollars on testing and supplements with a naturopath and it just didn’t work.  I searched on the Internet and found Sleep Minerals II.  I thought to myself, ‘I’ll give it a try, there’s nothing harmful in it’.  Well, from the get-go it helped Mitchell sleep better.  He’s been using it as a sleep remedy for some time now.  He is sleeping well and is so happy and healthy.  He’s a normal teenager again.  I just can’t say enough about what this product has done for us.”

So if you need help with getting better sleep, take the tips of recent research studies and do some form of exercise during the day, keep yourself cool before bedtime, and use an effective form of calcium as a sleep remedy to relax yourself into a deep, restful sleep.

For more information on Sleep Minerals II, visit http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html

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Sat, 09 Jul 2011 17:42:00 -0700 Study Shows Insomnia in Teenage Girls Increases When Periods Begin - Natural Insomnia Remedies Can Help http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/study-shows-insomnia-in-teenage-girls-increas http://teenagerssleep.posterous.com/study-shows-insomnia-in-teenage-girls-increas

THE STUDY: A study in the Journal of Pediatrics has found that the changes of puberty can create a period of substantial risk for the development of insomnia.  The researcher's data came from a random sample of 1,014 adolescents who were 13 to 16 years of age in the city of Detroit Michigan.

RESULTS: A total of 88% of adolescents with a history of insomnia reported that they currently had insomnia. In an exploratory analysis between insomnia and puberty development, the onset of menstruation was associated with an increased risk for insomnia that was three times greater. There was no difference in risk for insomnia among girls before menses onset (menstruation) relative to boys, but a difference emerged after menses onset.

CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia seems to be common and chronic among adolescents. The often found gender difference in risk for insomnia seems to emerge in association with the onset of menses.

NATURAL REMEDY: Teenagers are a special breed, having to face all the challenges of being in an in-between stage of life; not quite a child anymore and not yet an adult.  Along with an acceleration of social interests and activities, they also sustain accelerated physical growth and increased nutritional needs.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 90% of teen girls and 70% of teen boys aren’t getting enough calcium.  Their bones are growing the fastest during the teen years and they need more calcium than at any other time of life.  This calcium deficiency can translate into irritability, nervous tension, hyperactivity and insomnia.

Due to a deficiency of crucial minerals at the teenage time of life, calcium and magnesium supplements can be an effective sleep remedy.  One natural insomnia remedy that’s gaining in popularity for all ages is Sleep Minerals II from http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com.   It contains six forms of calcium, three forms of magnesium, boron, Vitamin D and Vitamin K, all combined in a rapidly absorbed softgel. 

One mother of a teenager who was suffering with insomnia, was grateful to find Sleep Minerals II.  She says: “We had spent hundreds of dollars on testing and supplements and it just didn’t work.  I searched on the Internet and found Sleep Minerals II.  I thought to myself, ‘I’ll give it a try, there’s nothing harmful in it’.  Well, from the get-go it helped our child sleep better.  I just can’t say enough about what this product has done for us.”

For more information on Sleep Minerals II visit http://www.NutritionBreakthroughs.com/html/sleep_remedy_for_insomnia_help.html

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