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Saturday, February 5, 2011

Getting a Good Night's Sleep.

 

   We go through many stages of sleep when sleeping. There are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye-movement(REM). These cycles usually take about 90 minutes. NREM is the stage where we are deep in sleep and REM is the stage when we have dreams. While our bodies goes into slumber, our brains are still working through the night. Our bodies are controlled by a biological clock that controls our sleep patterns. When it is night, our bodies recognize that and start to lower our temperature to signify that it is time to sleep.

   Women around the world should be aware about the relationship between sleeping habit and breast cancer. Research shows that women who get less sleep will be more likely to develop breast cancer. Besides, staying up late at night with the lights on will increase the risk of developing breast cancer. This is related to melatonin - a hormone released highest during our bedtime. When melatonin hormone production is inhibited, it may disturb the release of estrogen, thus will increase the risk of breast cancer.

   Some people suffer from insomnia. The reasons that cause the inability to sleep  could be stress, depression, anxiety, medication, diet, bad sleeping habit and sleeping environment. Lack of sleep can cause a poor function of the immune system and depression that may lead to cardiovascular diseases. In order to have the best sleep, and to wake up fresh the next morning, we should avoid eating meal before going to bed because it will increase our blood sugar level which will cause us to wake up in the middle of the night. Other than that, we could do something relaxing like listening to a soothing song and reading a book that will put us to sleep, while keeping the light dim so that we can fall asleep faster. So, don't forget to maintain the same sleeping patterns everyday!

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