Each week, we add about a million and half people to our current world population, which is at 6.8 billion. We have we reached the point many describe as global overpopulation. The family of humans, known as the hominids, has populated Earth, according to the fossil record, for 5 to 6 million years. The hominids transitioned from one genus to another before our genus, homo, appeared about a million and half to two million years ago. We transitioned through a number of homo species before our species, homo sapiens (“sensible humans”) emerged about 150,000 years ago.

 

Over time, we’ve accumulated people. Two-thousand years ago, our population was at 250 million. In the year 500 A.D., it remained the same. By 1000 A.D., we climbed to 500 million people. We reached 750 million people around 1500 A.D. We hit our first billion mark in 1800 at which time the Industrial Revolution kicked in. We added people more rapidly and began to move quickly in the direction of human overpopulation. Between 1800 and 1900 we added 600 million people. At 1900, we were at 1.6 billion. By 1960, in 60 short years, we nearly doubled that as we reached 3 billion.

 

In 1960, we humans had been here about 150,000 years. It took us that long to accumulate 3 billion people. How long did it take for us to double that number? Thirty-nine years!  In 1999, we reached 6 billion people. It is estimated that we will be at 9.2 billion by 2050. 

The effects of global overpopulation are multiple and ominous. As the result of having so many people who do not understand our reality and its behavioral demands, we have created an interrelated web of global environmental problems. We are depleting our natural resources: our forests, fisheries, range lands, croplands, and plant and animal species. We are destroying the biological diversity on which evolution thrives (this is being called the sixth great wave of extinction in the history of life on earth, different from the others in that it is caused not by external events, but by us).

 

With powerful new electrical and diesel pumping techniques, we are draining our aquifers and lowering our water tables. We are systemically polluting our air, water, and soil, and consequently our food chain. We are depleting the stratospheric ozone that shields us from harmful ultraviolet radiation. And, we are experiencing symptoms of global warming: heat waves, devastating droughts, dying forests, accelerated species extinction, dying coral reefs, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, more frequent and intense storms, and a more rapid spread of diseases.

 

With so many of us on a very small and fragile planet, and with the addition of so many more every week, we can no longer continue to relate to each other, our environment, ecological systems and biosphere as we have throughout our history. Nature, which could not care less, will eliminate us. To sustain humanity and advance our civilization, humankind must travel on a new and far more enlightened track. The solutions to global overpopulation and other pressing issues can be found at the website below.

 

We try to laugh it off whenever we come across a filler in the magazines or newspapers about a couple getting divorced because one of the spouses was snoring. Actually the problem of snoring is more serious. It is not a mere nuisance. Snoring can lead to serious social and health consequences.

Increased risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressures are linked with snoring.

The sleeping partner and the snorer both lose their sleep due to snoring. In order to stop the snoring, the snorer might wake up often and this also leads to disturbances in the sleeping pattern of the spouse. During the day, the couples face lack of productivity, irritability and sleepiness due to the disturbed sleep caused by snoring.

Snoring can cause one of the spouses to sleep in another room, leading the relationship to go sour. Social and physical intimacies of a couple are also affected by the snoring. The couple becomes unhappy and the snoring partner feels isolated.

There are different variations of snoring. Mild snoring can be cured by waking up and turning to the opposite side. If a person continues to snore, despite the changes in sleeping positions, then it is labeled as severe snoring.

Severe snoring can also cause severe sleep deprivation for the couple which can lead to the immune system not responding quickly to the healing process, very poor emotional and mental health, mood changes, not thinking very clearly and slow reaction.

Heredity, obesity, approaching old age, being a male, smoking, lacking health fitness, deformities in the nose, tonsils or enlarged adenoids, lengthy soft-palate, alcoholism, allergies, cold, sinus infection and sleeping on the back with overlay of pillows which are soft are some of the causes for snoring.

To stop snoring, try to reduce weight, sleep on your side, sleep without a pillow, try to elevate the head at least four inches from the bed, avoid smoking and secondary smoke, do not eat heavy food or alcohol before bed and say no to high-fat dairy products before bed time. Try decongestants to clear nasal passages.

Nasal strips and sprays which claim to cure snoring are available in the market. Most of them are unproven and can not withstand any serious medical research. Occasionally some of them might cure mild snoring.

If all the above do not give any relief consult a good ENT practitioner, who might suggest continuous positive airway pressure which is nothing but sleeping with an air mask to get continuous air pressure in the throat and thereby reduce the snoring if not stop it completely.

A good night sleep will make one a healthier person. Sleep well to be slim and sexy. One would be in a better mood to work and have better immune system to fight illnesses especially influenza.

Growth hormone is built up to repair damaged tissues and for children to promote growth.

Here are some methods to prepare to sleep soundly:

Set your alarm and try to wake up at the same time everyday. Waking up at different time every day would cause one to be groggy and lethargic.

Give yourself half an hour before you sleep.

Make sure there is no disturbance to wake you in the middle of the night, e.g. your dog that will wake you or your husband who comes into the room late to sleep.

Dump the 24/7 work. Even if you sacrifice your sleep, work would never be completed. So sleep and be fresh to get that piece of work done better and faster the following day.

Do not pass your sleeping time. It will be difficult to sleep. Switch off lights and music. Your brain will tell you to sleep.

Avoid coffee, hot chocolates or tea at least 8 hours before sleep.

Alcohol before sleep will make one a light sleeper. The breathing of your husband will wake you.

Research has found that eating rice; a high carbohydrate meal could help you to sleep faster.

The mattress you choose is very important. You should be able to sink into sleep and wake up without aches and pain in the morning.

Take a shower half an hour before sleep helps.

Put on socks in air conditioned room.

A 20 minute nap in the afternoon at tea time is good. If you are working do it at break if you can afford.

Exercise at least 2 hours before sleep may boost the production of serotonin which encourages sleep.

Do not read disturbing stories or watch scary movies.

Have sex which induces sleep.