Noise at night can be disruptive—or it can lead to better rest. These are some of the most potent sounds for sleep.

White noise

If you regularly struggle with insomnia, make sure you’re aware of these easy fixes. And if you’re trying to sleep in a loud environment, white noise might help you nod off more easily. A mixture of all sound frequencies at once, at the same level of intensity, white noise does a good job of masking other noises that can disrupt your sleep. Like a whirring fan or the hum of an air conditioner, white noise provides an even, steady stream of sound. In a study published in the journal Sleep Medicine, researchers at Brown University Medical School reported patients in a hospital intensive care unit awakened less frequently during the night with white noise present, because it decreased the difference between background noise and the “peak” noises that punctuated the hospital’s noise environment.

Ocean Sounds

It’s no surprise that ocean waves are a popular choice for soothing sleep sounds. For many people, the rhythmic crashing of water onto sand and rock can be meditative—and meditation carries some surprising health benefits. By creating a mental state of relaxation, contentment, and gentle focus, the wave sound can be deeply relaxing. In an interview with LiveScience, Dr. Orfeu Buxton, an associate professor of behavioral health at Penn State University, described how the sound of the ocean can promote sleep. “These slow, whooshing noises are the sounds of non-threats, which is why they work to calm people, “Buxton explained. “It’s like they’re saying: ‘Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry.’”

Other water sounds

It’s not just ocean waves that can provide soothing sounds to go to sleep. Maybe it’s the light patter of a rain shower, or the steady flow of a running stream that helps you wind down at the end of a long day. One key to the power of water sounds to help us sleep, said Buxton, is the relatively gentle, gradual variations in the intensity of moving water sounds. Even more than volume, the abrupt, sudden presence of a noise can be jarring to sleep, Buxton and fellow researchers found in their 2012 study of how hospital noises disrupt sleep, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Topics: sleep habits, REM sleep, wellness, stress

According to Webster the habit definition is:

Topics: wellness

According to Webster the habit definition is:

Topics: wellness

Wile, the seven-year-old son of photographer Magnus Wennman, watches cartoons on his iPad— a modern bedtime ritual for some. The stimulation may drive off sleep, but so does the backlit screen: Light at night inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate our daily biological rhythms.
 

Topics: losing sleep, wellness, circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation

Joe Diemand, 76, has spent the past 20 years as a truck driver, sometimes driving all night. Such work, he says, leaves you “so tired that you can’t sleep.” The World Health Organization has described night shift work as “probably carcinogenic to humans.

Topics: losing sleep, wellness, circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation

This blog began with me reading stories from women (many in their 30s and 40s) who suffered from serious heart attacks.  As I read through the entire post, I knew it was pertininet to share the findings with Alaska Sleep Clinic's blog readers. We know that younger women can have heart attacks, and it’s acknowledged that doctors are not good at picking up heart attack symptoms in younger women.

Topics: women, sleep deprivation, life with sleep apnea, wellness

For people living with cancer, sleep doesn’t always come easy.

Topics: wellness, circadian rhythm, cancer, sleep deprivation

We all know that getting good sleep at night has a direct impact on how we feel during the day. If you sleep poorly even one night, you will probably feel sluggish and tired the next day. If you continually get poor sleep it can lead to some serious health problems down the road.

However, while most of us know how important sleep is to our health, many people may not realize that they're practicing poor sleep habits.  Below is a list of seven bad sleeping habits to avoid as soon as possible:

Topics: Sleep Tips, sleep hygiene, wellness, health

NATIONAL WELLNESS MONTH

All during August, National Wellness Month focuses on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. Create wholesome habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel!

Research has shown self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. Whether you challenge yourself to a new yoga pose or try a different spa treatment, make a small change and impact your health in positive ways.

The term "hygiene" is often misunderstood as strictly being synonymous with "cleanliness." The true meaning of hygiene has to do with sets of practices, habits, and environmental influences that impact one's health. Hygiene of all kinds are important to your health and well-being as most are aimed at reducing your chances of coming into contact with diseases, getting infections, spreading germs and viruses, or preventing oral cavities and gingivitis.

If all of these other types of hygienic practices are aimed at preserving your health, exactly what is sleep hygiene and how can it help you in your everyday life?

Topics: sleep hygiene, sleep habits, wellness