Archive for April, 2010
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A body pillow is most certainly a pregnant girl’s best friend, especially in the latter months of pregnancy. Don’t be misled to think that carrying a small child in your belly is a prerequisite for needing a body pillow. So how do you know if a body pillow is going to benefit you or someone you love?
Body pillows can be of great benefit to you regardless of the sleep position you prefer. Whether you are a back, side or stomach sleeper, body pillows can be used in a variety of ways to help support your spine and give you more comfortable, deeper and thereby more effective sleep.
Back sleepers can use a body pillow under one side to slightly turn their body, many times improving breathing position (and decreasing snoring) and reducing strain on the lower lumbar spine. The lower portion of the body pillow can also be placed under the knees to further reduce strain on the delicate sciatic and pelvic nerves as well as the lumbar nerve roots.
Body pillows are more than teddy bear replacements; they are long pillows which serve to give cushioning and support for the legs, hips and upper back when you lay on your side. A good body pillow keeps the spine in its proper alignment by supporting the shoulders and hips as it holds the arms and legs in a position perpendicular to the axis of the body.
Without a body pillow in place, your arms and legs fall down to the bed while side lying, folding your arms and legs across your body into a position known as adduction. Prolonged adduction of the shoulders and hips will interfere with proper blood flow and nerve function in both the arms and the legs. In several cases this can potentially cause and certainly aggravate carpal tunnel symptoms or numbness, tingling or pain in the hands, arms, legs or feet.
Keeping your arms and legs in their proper position also serves to prevent a number of common problems that interrupt a solid night’s sleep, including tossing and turning throughout the night, having to frequently reposition your pillow and leg cramps, all of which will keep you from getting into and staying in deeper sleep stages where the highest quality rest and healing occurs.
Stomach sleepers can use a body pillow to turn them enough to take the strain off from the neck and the upper back that causes stomach sleepers headaches, brachial plexus and carpal tunnel symptoms. By gradually positioning more and more of the body pillow under your torso you can progressively change from a face down position to one of side sleeping without the frustrating adjustment period of sleepless nights typically associated with trying to change sleep habits.
The reason that pregnant women love body pillows is because they can be used to help support the abdomen, relieving tension on the already overworked pelvic and abdominal muscles, tendons and ligaments. They also help to hold the pelvic joints in a natural, relaxed position, working to relieve low back pain commonly reported in the final months before delivery. Since side sleeping is essentially the only position which is healthy for both baby and mommy, getting added support in this position is critical.
A challenge that is commonly faced by body pillow users is managing multiple pillows with a limited amount of bed space. Cognizant of this, some pillow manufacturers have produced specially designed body pillows that eliminate the need for a separate head and neck pillow. This allows you optimal support and functionality without having to kick your spouse out of bed for need of more pillow space.
Added benefits to using a body pillow include being able to use it as a back support cushion while sitting up in bed, or as a wrap-around pillow/backrest/desk for reading, paying bills or doing your homework. Storing your body pillow is easy, as it can be stored across the top of the bed when you aren’t using it.
If you want to improve your quality and quantity of sleep, consider the benefits of a body pillow in addition to or in replacement of your current neck pillow. Supporting your body while you sleep pays great rewards in not only allowing you to sleep better, but also in helping you to wake refreshed and energized so that you can perform throughout the day at your peak potential.
Nick Preston
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/do-you-have-to-be-pregnant-to-need-a-body-pillow-62940.html
Eating disorders is not caused by a single factor, there are many factors that can play a role in the appearance of these disorders like cultural and family pressures, emotional and personality disorders and also genetic and biological factors.
Similar personality traits like low self-esteem, dependency, and problems with self-direction are present to people with eating disorders. Specific personality disorders or behavioral characteristics that might put people at higher risk for one or both of the eating disorders have been determined by researchers.
The following personality disorders like avoidant personalities and dependent personalities mostly in anorexia and borderline and histrionic personalities mostly in bulimia and narcissism which can be present in anorexia and bulimia too have been reported by studies. Patients with bulimia or anorexia can present one of these personality traits. The more important factor in determining treatment choices may be the patient’s specific personality disorders even if they are anorexic and bulimic.
Avoidant personalities are present to people with anorexia. The symptoms which characterize this personality disorder are: being a perfectionist, being emotionally and sexually inhibited, having less of a fantasy life than people with bulimia or without an eating disorder, not being rebellious, or usually perceived as always being “good”, being terrified of being ridiculed or criticized or of feeling humiliated.
Behavioral and eating pattern can be developed by the person with both anorexia and avoidant personality disorder. So for some individuals the only way to obtain love is achieving perfection, with all that involves. Trouble-free and attaining some ideal image of thinness make part of the drive for perfection. In this case the individual is driven to demand nothing, including food. A sense of being even more imperfect and a renewed sense of striving for perfection precede the failure to achieve love. Anorexic patients have a total lack of self but generally people with eating disorders are not typically suicidal. Through process of not-eating they try to revenge on those whose love is always out of reach.
Borderline personalities can be present to people with bulimic anorexia. The following characteristics can be present to these people like: frantically fearful of being abandoned, unable to be alone, difficulty to control their anger and impulses, prone to idealize other people and unstable moods, thought patterns, behavior and self-images. Emotional weapons like temper tantrums, suicide threats, and hypochondriasis can be used by the people with borderline personalities for causing chaos around them. The difficulty in treating bulimia can be the severity of this personality disorder and it can be more important than the presence of psychological problems, such as depression.
The following personality traits like inability to soothe oneself, inability to empathize with others, need for admiration, hypersensitive to criticism or defeat can be present to people with bulimia or anorexia which are often highly narcissistic. Depression and anxiety disorders can be present to patients which have eating disorder but also can be present in families of these patients. It is unknown if emotional disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are causes of the eating disorders.
About 69% of patients with anorexia and 33% of patients with bulimia have obsessive-compulsive disorder which is an anxiety disorder. It is believed that eating disorders are variants of OCD. In compulsive behavior, repetitive, rigid, and self-prescribed routines that are intended to prevent the manifestation of the obsession, may be present obsessions which are recurrent or persistent mental images, thoughts or ideas. Generally women with anorexia and OCD may become obsessed with exercise, dieting, and food. Compulsive rituals like weighing every bit of food, cutting it into tiny pieces, or putting it into tiny containers are often developed at these patients. Other anxiety disorders like phobias, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with bulimia and anorexia.
At people with eating disorders, especially anorexia, depression is present which is more severe in darker winter months. Also the patients with bulimia suffer from a specific form of bulimia which is worse in winter. May seems to be the peak month for suicide because the onset of anorexia appears to peak in this month. An eating disorder is rarely cured by treating and relieving depression. Social, psychologic or possibly biologic factors can cause a distorted view of one’s body called body dysmorphic disorder which can be associated with anorexia or bulimia but can also appear without any eating disorder. In this case emotional disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression are commonly to people with this disorder. A disorder in which people have distorted body images involving their muscles has been reported by experts and it is present to men which believe that are “puny” and results in excessive body building, preoccupation with diet and social problems.
Another factor which is present in triggering and perpetuating eating disorders is negative family influence. Children with insecure attachments are present in family with parents who fail to provide a safe and secure foundation in infancy. Mothers play an important role in their child’s life. So mothers of people with bulimia are critical and detached and mothers of anorexics tend to be over-involved in their child’s life. People with either eating disorder have parents with alcoholism or substance abuse. It seems that psychiatric disorders are present to parents of people with bulimia than parents of patients with anorexia. A higher incidence of sexual abuse is often present to women with bulimia. People with bulimia have an obese parent or have been overweight themselves during childhood. Parents can influence their children’s eating habits and prevent weight problems and eating disorders through a healthy eating habits themselves.
Genetic factors play an important role in anorexia. From this point of view twins had a tendency to share specific eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity). A genetic propensity toward thinness caused by a faster metabolism and reinforced by cultural approval, an inherited propensity for obesity and inherited personality traits are some inherited traits that might make someone susceptible to eating disorders. Culture pressures is other factor which can lead to anorexic people.For example clothes for thin bodies, TV programs which present anorexic young models. Excessive exercise plays a major role in many cases of anorexia at athletes. Young female athletes and dancers may present the following problems:eating disorders, amenorrhea (absence or irregular menstruation) and osteoporosis.
The most common factor present in eating disorders which include chemical abnormalities in the thyroid, the reproductive regions, and areas related to stress, well-being and appetite are hormonal problems. A result of malnutrition or other aspects of eating disorders is the change of these chemicals. The limbic system is a small area of the brain where many of these abnormalities begins. Also hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is a specific system with an important role in eating disorders. In brain is found a small structure that controls our behavior, like eating, sexual behavior and sleeping, and regulates body temperature, emotions, secretion of hormones, and movement called hypothalamus. An extension of the hypothalamus downwards called the pituitary gland controls thyroid functions, the adrenal glands, growth and sexual maturation. Major emotional activities like anxiety, depression, aggression and affection are controlled and regulated by amygdala,a small structure which lies deep in the brain.
Stress hormones called glucocorticoids are produced by the HPA system, including the primary stress hormone cortisol which is very important in marshaling systems throughout the body (including the heart, lungs, circulation, metabolism, immune systems, and skin) to deal quickly with any threat. The inhibition of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a powerful appetite stimulant that also has anti-anxiety properties is one of the specific effects. Certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that regulate stress, mood and appetite and are being heavily investigated for a possible role in eating disorders are released by the HPA system. Serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine are the three hormones that are important. So norepinephrine is a stress hormone, serotonin is involved with both well-being and appetite and dopamine is involved in reward-seeking behavior. Low levels of leptin, a hormone that appears to trigger the hypothalamus to stimulate appetite have been observed in people with anorexia and bulimia.
The reproductive hormones that are severely depleted in anorexics are produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary system. Some experts believe that these reproductive abnormalities are a result of anorexia and others have shown that menstrual disturbances occurred before severe malnutrition set in and remained a problem long after weight gain in 30% to 50% of people with anorexia.
There are many factors who contribute at development of anorexia. Unfortunately teenage females are the most affected.
For more resources regarding signs of anorexia or girls with anorexia please review this website http://www.anorexia-center.com
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/factors-which-cause-eating-disorders-133376.html
There are so many people that have to deal with stress of everyday life. There are so many problems that a person can face and it is sometimes very hard on the body. For some people, they are finding it harder and harder to get a good nights rest at night. When a person is dealing with sleep apnea, they are going to have a harder time with relationships and keeping them.
Many that deal with sleep apnea are depressed and will suffer from terrible mood swings. They are going to experience these problems at work and at home. For a lot of them, they are going to find it hard to keep friends or make new ones. This is due to the fact that they are going to have mood swings and get irritated more easily. This is because they are not getting the appropriate amount of sleep that their body requires.
Having sleep apnea is going to be hard on work relationships. Many times tempers will be shorter and people that are not getting the sleep that they need will become more irritable and will find themselves not getting along with their co-workers and business partners. This can make for a very stressful situation and one that will only get worse if the problem is not resolved.
Many times, not getting enough sleep will effect the way that a person will be able to deal with everyday problems that may happen with their family members and their children. Many parents and spouses will have a hard time dealing with problems that can occur on a normal day. They may find that they loose their temper easily and get worked up over the small things that happen.
Another problem with sleep apnea and relationships is that a person that is taking on the stress of dealing with it will have a harder time performing sexuality. There are many people that will not have an interest in having sex with their partner. This is going to take a toll on any relationship over time. This is a good reason why a person should start to think about getting help with their sleep apnea so that they can have a happy and healthy relationship with their spouse or partner.
Many people that have to deal with lack of sleep due to sleep apnea are going to find it harder to make a relationship work. This is a big problem for many people and will only add to the stress of it all. Getting help with it and finding ways to make the sleep apnea better is the only way that a person can get on with their lives and be happy and healthy in their relationships with anyone personal or business related.
Darren Mallory
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/how-sleep-apnea-can-affect-a-relationship-60235.html
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http://sleepapneadevice.blogspot.com/
Breathing difficulties are very common and it is reassuring to know that there are a huge amount of respiratory supplies available on the internet. It is estimated that between thirty and forty million people have asthma in the United States alone. In the entire world, the number of suffers is thought to be close to three-hundred million.
Duration : 1 min 23 sec
sleep apnea is one main reason people snore. If it too bad you could be hurting yourself by not getting enough sleep. Tell your doctor–especially if you feel tired throughout the day. There is help available for this. I use a CPAP machine which helps. It blows air in your nose to keep the airway open and resolves the snoring problem too.
Since I was 5 years old, I always slept a lot (still asleep after nap time in kindergarten). As the years progressed, I continued to have to take afternoon naps for about 2 hours a day. Now I am 19 and I find myself sleeping sometimes 14 to 16 hours at a time? Is there some type of disorder to go along with this?
Narcolepsy/Cataplexy
and
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
are the first two that leap to mind.
I have seen one fellow with an odd disorder of his reticular activating system which essentially meant that he slept all morning till about 10am, was GCS 3 and completely unrousable to painful stimuli! But then woke at 10-ish and seemed fairly normal after that during the day!