Wenatex Blog | Healthy Sleep for a Better Life

Did you know that you can learn to control your dreams… or that the most common dream is that your partner is cheating? I didn’t until I read this eye-opening (pardon the pun) article this morning.

We know so little about our dreams but this article has taken views from dream experts and collated them into 9 concise and interesting points that you might find very enlightening like I did.

Read the article for yourself at http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/9-things-about-dreams

If you have a view or personal experience on the subject, please let us know, we would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in the subject of healthy sleep and want to learn more, Wenatex conducts free seminars on the subject all over Australia. If you are interested in registering to attend one in your area, go to http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

Grandma’s recipe of a warm glass of milk to get you off to sleep isn’t just an old wives’ tale, it is absolutely true. Dairy foods contain tryptophan which is an amino acid which promotes sleep. Other carbohydrate-rich foods such as a few crackers complement dairy foods by increasing the level of tryptophan in the blood. So tonight if you can’t sleep, enjoy some cheese and crackers with a glass of warm milk, that will do the trick!

There are other food related things you can do to help you sleep. These can be found in a great slideshow at Foods that Help or Harm your Sleep.

If you would like to learn more about getting a healthy night’s sleep, Wenatex conducts free healthy sleep seminars all over Australia. Register your interest in attending at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

While researching sleep subjects this morning, I came across this article on the 11 alive website and was gobsmacked! People sending text messages while asleep… what is the world coming to?

We pay the price for staying connected with the world. The mobile phone has meant that we can receive emails and notifications at any time of night or day and now it is affecting our sleep. Sleep specialist Dr Cunningham has the last say in this article when he states, “(With smart phones), it becomes more difficult to separate our waking from our sleeping lives.”

Wenatex has always taught that for a number of reasons, all electronic devices (including mobile phones) should be kept out of the bedroom. This article provides yet another reason.

If you would like to read the article, go to http://www.11alive.com/news/article/225193/40/Expert-claims-sleep-texting-as-new-phenomenon-

Please let us know what you think.

If you would like to find out more about how to get a healthy night’s sleep, Wenatex conducts free seminars all over Australia on the subject. To register your interest, go to the Wenatex website at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

Every now and then, Catalyst on ABC TV features an excellent story on a sleep related subject. One of the most important stories featured on Catalyst looked at what happens to us when the “body clock”, also referred to as “circadian rhythms” is “out of sync”. Circadian rhythms make up your internal timekeeper linking your body to time, for example, daily, weekly, monthly etc.

If you are interested in seeing the video, go to the ABC Catalyst Story Archive at http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2351893.htm

Let us know what you think.

If you would like to find out more about the body clock or more about healthy sleep in general, Wenatex conducts free seminars all over Australia. If you are interested in finding out about a seminar close to you, you can register your interest at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp.

An article I read this morning discussed some recent research done in Germany which showed that “Human brains store memories during sleep, and specifically preserve memories identified as important during waking hours.”

“It looks like if you tell someone something is important, it gets enhanced more after sleep.”

I think this is why before we go to sleep, a lot us us run through in our minds what we need to remember the following day, I know I do.

Sleep is a fascinating subject… the more we learn, the more important we know it to be for a healthy life.

Please let me know your thoughts.

If you would like to read this fascinating article, you can find it at: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/02/01/Brains-rank-memories-as-we-sleep/UPI-92481296609041/

Wenatex conducts free seminars all around Australia on the subject of healthy sleep. If you are interested in registering for a seminar near you, you should register at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp.

A colleague recently alerted me to a fascinating article which highlights a recent discovery by scientists who found electrodes that can “record neuron activity in the part of the brain that controls memory” which means that they may be able to tap into the thoughts and dreams of people who are not able to communicate in any other way.

This is a fantastic discovery and one that we should watch for future updates.

Read the article at http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-scientists-hope-to-record-peoples-dreams/story-e6frfku0-1225944886499 and let me know your thoughts.

 

When you had a tough decision to make, did your parents ever tell you just to sleep on it and the answer will come to you? Well, it appears that they instinctively knew what some recent research has uncovered, that letting a problem rest will help you to differentiate between the vital and the irrelevant aspects of the problem and help you make a better decision.

Read the article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1325435/Got-tough-decision-make-Just-sleep-it.html and let me know your thoughts.

Do you remember your dreams? Do you often have freaky dreams? Have you experienced a recurring dream?

The study of dreams is a fascinating area - researchers have discovered a lot in the last few years but there is much more to learn.

A really good article I read this morning gives a fascinating insight into the science behind dreams. If you are interested in the subject and wish to read the article, go to http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/freaky-dreams-what-do-they-mean.

Please share your thoughts and experiences.

To make the most of your dreams, you need to get a good night’s sleep. Wenatex conducts free seminars on the benefits of a healthy night’s sleep in local venues all around Australia and New Zealand. If you wish to find out more, please register your interest at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp.

More and more research is coming out linking memory with sleep. I read quite a good article this morning  that suggests that sleep assists “prospective memory” — things we intend to do — as opposed to “retrospective memory” — things that have happened in the past.

The example used in the article is:  Before sleeping you remembered you had a message to deliver to your colleague and you would see him in the conference room tomorrow, sleep enhances the likelihood that you will tell him in the conference room, but not in some other context, the office, elevator, the mail room, for example.

Read the full article at http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/01/memory-and-sleep-intertwined/15275.html

The human brain works in mysterious ways. Do you have an opinion? I would love to hear it.

Wenatex have free seminars all over Australia, New Zealand, and Toronto Canada educating people about the benefits of healthy sleep. If you are interested in coming along, you should register your interest at http://www.wenatex.com.au/seminars_registration.asp

“The sleeping brain is not stupid… it’s smart and it is making sophisticated decisions about which memories are important and should be held onto.” This article is an excellent one as it talks about the latest sleep research results in terms that even the most “non-tech” person like me can understand.

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/634169.html

The subject of sleep is fascinating. Please share your thoughts.