Friday 3 January 2014

Sleeping Disorder and Solutions. PART 1

Fighting Sleeping Disorder

Sleeping disorder is a problem which 3 out of any 10 adults are facing today. Causes ranges from stress related issues and what I refer to as the self factor.

Benefits of Sleep.
Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.

Adequate sleep provided you with mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight etc.

What is Sleeping Disorder?
Sleeping disorder is a situation when you realize that you find it hard to sleep or your sleep is always interrupted. Normally, we should have an 8hr sleep everyday. Let's break it down so that we can see that we are are not to distort the perfect arrangement of nature.

We have 24hrs in a day. 12hrs (Day) for our Daily activities. 12hrs (Night) for dinner/rest and sleep. 7am to 7pm is 12hrs (Day) 7pm to 7am (night) out of this 12hrs, 8hrs should be for rest/sleep. The remaining 4hrs should cover for eating, family discussion and preparation for the next day. Its even beneficial to spend like 1-2hrs out of the 12hrs (Day) sleeping. We call it siesta.
Now if your sleeping pattern does not in any way agree with the aforementioned, then you might just be suffering from the sleeping disorder.

The body system is programmed to hibernate at a certain time, but you can force it to continue working. You're doing the body system a great harm. Your body is still fully working till 8pm, from 8pm upward, the body is hibernating, if you eat anything during this period, the body will work extra hard to digest the food. Its like forcing a tired sleepy man to work. You can't have a sound sleep like this.

One Danger of Sleep Deprivation
(We'll add more in the next post)

It can add to your waistline (Weight)

Ever noticed how when you’re short on sleep you crave sugary foods that give you a quick energy boost? There’s a good reason for that.
Sleep deprivation has a direct link to overeating and weight gain.

There are two hormones in your body that regulate normal feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while leptin sends signals to the brain when you are full.
However, when don’t get the sleep you need, your ghrelin levels go up, stimulating your appetite so you want more food than normal, and your leptin levels go down, meaning you don’t feel satisfied and want to keep eating. So, the more sleep you lose, the more food your body will crave.

What you can do?

1. Don't just live your life as you like. If you have a detailed daily plan, you hardly will over work yourself.

2. Eat healthy foods, fruits, do it on time. Don't eat too much. Chew well, take plenty fluids.

3. If you can't sleep without having to read or watch TV, there's a problem. Sleep should come naturally. (Follow what has been discussed and the subsequent tips)

4. Respect your bedroom. These are the things that should not be in your bedroom.
*A Reading Table,
*A TV
*A Book Shelve
*Books on your Bed
*Wardrobe (we have dressing rooms) though this applies just to the wealthy.

Why we said all these shouldn't be in the bedroom is that, mere thinking of your bedroom alone should make you wanna sleep.

Your bed should always be laid with clean sheets and pillowcases. Well ventilated. No Bright lights.

You can say to yourself that this post is not as true. It might be because you're still young and your young body is still rugged. A time will come when all these will certainly come back.

Cultivate a very good sleeping habit today and enjoy a healthy life.

Bonus.
Average Sleep Needs by Age

Newborn to 2 months old. 12 - 18 hrs
3 months to 1 year old. 14 - 15 hrs
1 to 3 years old. 12 - 14 hrs
3 to 5 years old. 11 - 13 hrs
5 to 12 years old. 10 - 11 hrs
12 to 18 years old. 8.5 - 10 hrs
Adults (18+). 7.5 - 9 hrs

Next, we will discuss The Stages of Sleep and Myths and Facts about Sleep

Till then, Sleep well.

Monday 30 December 2013

4 Steps to Living A Satisfying Life

To enjoy everyday, week, month and year of your live, some things are very important. I'm going to touch the four that I feel are most important.

1. GOD
I have to go a little spiritual here. God gives us life. He deserves our respect and obedience. If you haven't, establish a tight relationship with him today, I mean right away. Love him. Loving him means obeying his commandments.

An obedient child will always be free with his or her parents. Sometimes he wouldn't have to ask before the parents responds. That's how God is. Praise him, thank him, obey him, worship him, pray.

2. YOUR HEALTH
Success is nothing with Bad health. Watch what you eat, how you eat and when you eat. Don't you ever skip meals. Have a balanced diet. Balanced diet is alien to many of us even as we have been hearing it since our childhood days. Keep clean.

Hygiene is the key. Cultivate the Hand Washing Behaviour (HWB) Whenever you step out of your house and return, Hand Wash must be the first thing you do.
For those of us without private cars, those metals we place our hands in the buses, BRT Stations etc, we carry germs. So try hard to keep clean and stay out of fumes, get yourself a nose guard. Take it along wherever you go.

Don't hate, its dangerous for your heart. Forgive easily. Smile. Listen to good music. I mean GOOD MUSIC. Watch and Listen to comedy. Its good for our total Health.

3. HAVE A SET GOAL
Of what use is a football match without a goal post Or a relay race without a finish line? Set yourself goals and set deadlines. Don't set goals that you well know you cannot reach. Don't procrastinate. Write down your new ideas or new perceived ways or achieving your goals.
Do a self assessment at the end of every week. Make sure at the end of each day you've achieved something beneficial to your set goal. Don't be too proud or shy to ask for help. Be in the company of those of the same orientation as you.

4. EXTEND A HELPING HAND
Knowing God as we said earlier compels you to love others because God is love. At the end of each day you should have made someone happy in the course of the day. You're more happy when you try your best to make others happy. Be ready to give, no matter how little. Cultivate a self sacrificing spirit. Let the "Me First" Virus go with 2013.

Enjoy 2014 and the rest of your life.


Saturday 21 December 2013

The End of the Greeting Custom

When I was a child, I was taught to respect all elders. In those days, you don't have to know an elderly person before you show your respect by greeting them. In fact its expected of you as a child.

I grew up in a city in Kogi State, Kabba. There we have these peace loving people who won't only cook for their family alone but also for their neighbors. You see them carrying a tray on their heads sharing food. Greeting in Kabba is something that I can refer to as the core of their custom. They can greet to the extent of irritation. Something like "Okun henh, okun hun, okun hehn" they continue making that sound even when they've walked far away from you.

This custom started to change when we were started to be taught not to talk to strangers. The world started changing, customs are be swept under the carpet of civilization on the quest to ensure security for we the children. The abolishment of this custom was also based on the rate at which children are been kidnapped back then.

When I moved to Lagos, I find it extremely hard to walk pass an elderly person and not greet them. I look at them wanting to open my mouth but the kind of look I get from them was like "Do you know me somewhere?" Or "Who be this?"

So far from that expectation of the elderly back then that a child greets, these elders aren't seeing greeting as an obligation of a younger person or a child.

Recently, I greeted an elderly man that I don't know from Adam, he smiled at me, answered me so well and said "My son, do you know me?" I said "No sir" and he said "You must have been taught so well" I felt so good deep inside me.

If only this custom could be brought back.

I hope you enjoyed this piece. It'll only get better.

Next, I will be writing about the difference between the values impacted in those that grew in the villages and that of those in the cities. Till then.. Peace!!!

When Last Did You Send An SMS?

I could remember when sending an Sms is N15, it came down to N10, N7, N5, and now N4.

I'm sure all those major telecommunication companies go dey swear give BBM, Wechat, Nimbuzz, Whatsapp, even small 2go for this.

I feel the law of gravity is also effective on the market prices. When MTN sim is still been sold for N14,000 a friend of mine jokingly said, he won't buy one until they are selling it for "Gbanjo" in Iyana Ipaja or Oshodi. I was coming home from work one evening and I saw sim cards on the floor in Iyana Ipaja going for N100 and I remembered his words.

On a serious note now, we don't send sms anymore. But my Fiancee sent me an sms on a certain Saturday and it felt soooo good, as in we just finished our bedtime chat on BBM and Wazzzza, the text Message came in. I called her back and reassured her of my Love for her.

Things changes, we left our handwritten love letters when SMS came, now we've left our SMS' for the Chatting Apps, Soon, we are gonna leave these chat apps for something else, something new. But you can make use of the old ways to surprise your loved ones. Imagine dropping a love letter inside your lady's bag..... Its a wonderful thing.

I hope this write up make sense to you guys. It just came to my head and I just felt like sharing it with you all.

Gracias muchos Amigos!!!