Getting the right amount of sleep is key to leading a more fulfilled and restful life. Think about the times when you didn’t get sufficient sleep. How did you feel the next day? People who don’t get the right amount of sleep often feel restless, irritable and sometimes have symptoms synonymous with feeling sick. In the United States not getting enough sleep isn’t just a problem; it seems as if it’s an epidemic. Does anyone get a full eight hours of sleep?

Depending on your chemical makeup as well as what your daily activities look like, getting a “normal” range of sleep may vary anywhere from five to ten hours simply depending on the person. However, according to various studies that have been done, the normal range for most people is approximately eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, you’ll probably recognize it after a while. Your body will be sluggish, you won’t be able to concentrate, and you may put on weight. That’s right. Didn’t you know that sleeplessness can lead to weight gain? When we are sleeping at night, we are in bed. However, when we are awake in the middle of the night with nothing more to do, often many of us will turn to the refrigerator for comfort- hence the added pounds.

It has been said that getting sufficient sleep each night can actually add years on to your life, while not getting a sufficient amount can actually detract from your life. That’s a pretty scary thought that can keep you awake at night. Some things that people advise in order to get better sleep include such things as turning your television off. There is evidence to show that when you leave your television on at night, the light from the television as well as what you’re watching is a stimulant, which keeps you awake. For some people, however, they need some sort of noise to lull them to sleep. If this is the case, opt instead to turn on a fan or create a music cd of soothing music that you can play when you go to bed.

If you live with someone who is noisy and likes to stay up all night, you may need to sit down with them and discuss what is going on. If they respect you, then you should be able to come to some sort of a compromise. For example, they can try to be quieter at night, perhaps use headphones if they need to listen to something on the computer. There is always something that can be worked out. If you live in a small apartment where you have no choice but to always be in each other’s face, you may need to discuss something more serious such as making other arrangements for either the other person to not stay there at night. Yes, your sleep is that important. There are many things that we can do without in this life. Sleep is not one of them though. Do you remember the last time you got a really great night of sleep? How did you feel when you woke up?

If you are suffering from snoring then there are many simple snoring remedies that can be tried to give you quick relief. This will help you to sleep well and also allow your life partner to sleep well. This problem is caused because of the blocking of breathing airways due to the muscles in your throat, nose and soft palates.

Here are some simple snoring remedies that may help:

1) There are several pills and sprays available that help in preventing the swelling of muscles in the throat and nasal tract. These pills and sprays normally have plant extracts. By preventing swelling of the muscles you will be able to breath properly and thus prevent the annoying noise.

2) Another natural way to stop this problem is by refraining from smoking and having excessive alcohol. Smoking causes swelling of the muscles in your nose and throat and thus block air passage. Alcohol causes the muscles to get in extra-relaxed mode thus blocking airways. Avoiding these items is the simplest form of snoring remedies.

3) If you are obese or overweight then you can suffer from this problem. The excess muscles and fat in your neck and throat cause airway blockages. Exercises for the throat and neck are sure short snoring remedies that give excellent results. The key to success is being regular and consistp>If you are suffering from snoring then there are many simple snoring remedies that can be tried to give you quick relief. This will help you to sleep well and also allow your life partner to sleep well. This problem is caused because of the blocking of breathing airways due to the muscles in your throat, nose and soft palates.

Here are some simple snoring remedies that may help:

1) There are several pills and sprays available that help in preventing the swelling of muscles in the throat and nasal tract. These pills and sprays normally have plant extracts. By preventing swelling of the muscles you will be able to breath properly and thus prevent the annoying noise.

2) Another natural way to stop this problem is by refraining from smoking and having excessive alcohol. Smoking causes swelling of the muscles in your nose and throat and thus block air passage. Alcohol causes the muscles to get in extra-relaxed mode thus blocking airways. Avoiding these items is the simplest form of snoring remedies.

3) If you are obese or overweight then you can suffer from this problem. The excess muscles and fat in your neck and throat cause airway blockages. Exercises for the throat and neck are sure short snoring remedies that give excellent results. The key to success is being regular and consistent.

4) Sleeping with your head raised by having an extra pillow or by having a raised bed can help you in preventing this problem. Similarly sleeping sideways is one of the simplest snoring remedies that almost always work. These techniques prevent the throat muscles from blocking air passage and thus prevent snoring.

A new study at the University of Leicester aims to investigate the DNA of sleep. The research in the renowned Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester is being carried out by Ms Mobina Khericha and Dr Eran Tauber. It represents a new approach to study the genetics of sleep. Using fruitflies as models the researchers aim at understanding the genetics of sleep and identifying genes involved in this process.

Ms Khericha said: “Recent studies have revealed the presence of sleep-like state in the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster that shares striking similarities with mammalian sleep.

“For example, sleep in the fruit fly can be modulated by chemicals such as caffeine, and is characterized by a reduced arousal following sleep deprivation. In older flies sleep becomes shorter and fragmented. Fruit flies are a powerful model organism that has been extensively used to understand the genetics of human development, behaviour and disease.

“Sleep is ubiquitous in a diverse range of organisms including reptiles, birds and mammals, and is widely accepted as critical for survival. However, despite intensive research, the genetic and molecular mechanisms controlling sleep are largely unknown.

“Our project is mostly focusing on identifying genetic variation that underlies natural sleep variation between individuals. Analysing the variation in sleep pattern has already allowed us to identify several genome regions that include candidate genes that cause natural variation in sleep.”

Experiments are currently being carried to identify the specific DNA variations that cause the changes in sleep pattern. This project addresses the recent initiative of research councils to replace animals protected under the Animals Act 1986 with invertebrate models, and offers an alternative approach to the study of the basic science of sleep, which would otherwise require a large number of rodents or other vertebrate models.

Ms Khericha adds: “My hope is to identify important genes regulating sleep that could then serve as working hypotheses to study the genetic of human sleep disorder”.

Mobina Khericha will be presenting her research at the Festival of Postgraduate Research which is taking place on Thursday 25th June in the Belvoir Suite, Charles Wilson Building, University of Leicester between 11.30am and 1pm. This event is open to the public and is FREE to attend.

For more information contact Ms Khericha:
mk159@le.ac.uk
0116-2523421

Source
University of Leicester, UK