7 Signs You're Not Sleeping Well

For some, a great night's sleep is elusive—tossing and turning once you're under the covers or repeated nighttime awakenings is (sadly) part of your nightly routine. For others, sleep seems to come easily. And then, there are those who think they're getting decent shut-eye every night but actually aren't. Look out for these subtle, surprising clues that you may not be getting the kind of deep, restful slumber you need for optimal health.

1. You're Fueling Yourself with Coffee—All Day Long. 

Mier Kryger, MD, a physician and professor at the Yale School of Medicine and editor of Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, says one of poor sleep's biggest signs is when a patient mentions an all-day coffee habit.

You need coffee to stay awake?

"Feeling like you have to drink coffee in the morning to wake up and throughout the day to stay awake indicates a problem." Robert Rosenberg, DO, a sleep medicine specialist and medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley, Ariz., suggests that if you're drinking coffee to keep you going, ask yourself why. "Have you convinced yourself it's because you really like coffee, but actually it's because it helps you feel more alert or awake? A lot of people who rely on coffee, soda, or energy drinks throughout the day actually have a sleep disorder," says Rosenberg.

Think again, you may have a sleep disorder

2. You Sleep 'til Noon (or later!) on Your Days Off.

You wake up early Monday through Friday to make it to work on time, so when the weekend rolls around, it's normal to want to stay under the covers, right? Not so much, says Rosenberg. "If you can sleep for 11, 12, or 13 hours when you don't have to set your alarm for the next morning, there's a good chance your body is making up for a sleep debt," he says. While this kind of sleep pattern may seem normal—after all, sleeping in may have been one of your favorite pastimes when you were in high school or college—it's likely that your body is just trying to make up for getting too little sleep on a regular basis. "Maybe you're fooling yourself that you can get by on 5 hours of sleep most nights, or perhaps there's another sleep issue that's keeping you from getting good rest—without you even realizing it," says Rosenberg. 

Sleep until late noon may indicate something is not right

3. You've Got a Short Fuse.

Tend to get really irritable at least a few times a day? When you're sleep-deprived, there's a good chance you'll be more irritable than usual, says Kryger. "It's often the partners of my patients who talk about their loved ones losing their tempers easily," he says, which prompts the doc to take a deeper look into potential sleep problems. There's no doubt that being sleepy has an effect on mood: One study by University of Pennsylvania researchers found that people who got only 4.5 hours of sleep a night for one week reported feeling more stressed, angry, and sad than when they snagged more shut-eye. The good news? Their moodiness improved dramatically when they resumed their normal sleep.

Easy to get irritated? You may not get enough sleep

4. You usually Wake Up with a Dry Mouth, Sore Throat or Headache.

There's a good chance you blame these symptoms on allergies or post nasal drip, but they can actually signal sleep apnea, says Rosenberg, a disorder where your airway collapses during shut-eye, causing you to stop breathing for 10 to 60 seconds at a time during sleep. This collapse prompts the walls of your airway to rub against each other and vibrate when you take in air, says Rosenberg, creating the typical snuffle-snort noises we call snoring—and causing a dry mouth and sore throat in the process. 

Plus, the halted breathing that happens repeatedly throughout the night can starve your brain of oxygen, leading to headaches. If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, see a sleep specialist immediately, says Rosenberg, as the condition has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. New research published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that sleep apnea may even be an unrecognized cause of osteoporosis. If you're diagnosed, several solutions exist; one of the most common is a Continued Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask, which supplies constant and steady air pressure in your nasal passageway to prevent nighttime awakenings (and snoring!).

Dry mouth and sore throat after wake up may due to sleep apnea

5. You Wake Up Multiple Times to Go to the Bathroom.

Sure, you may just be able to blame your small bladder or prostate for those repeated trips to the loo—but Kryger says this can also be a sign that you're waking up repeatedly throughout the night due to a disorder (such as sleep apnea). "When you're dealing with any condition that wakes you up in the middle of the night, there's a good chance you'll go to the bathroom just because you're awake—not necessarily because you really have to go," he says. If you're going to the bathroom 3 to 4 times a night, schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist, who can help you uncover the real reason for your nighttime awakenings.

Uncover the real reason for your nighttime awakenings before end up sleeping in washroom

6. You Fall Asleep—Even When You'd Rather Not. 

Maybe you get home from the office and opt for a catnap instead of a quick workout. Or your favorite show is on TV but you can't keep your eyes open long enough to get through the first 10 minutes. If you tend to snooze when you're not actively engaged in an activity, or have trouble staying awake even when you really want to be awake, it could point to sleep problems, says Rosenberg. "A lot of my patients tend to keep themselves busy because they get sleepy otherwise," he says, "and that's not normal."

7. You're Gaining Weight.

If the number on the scale is creeping up and you don't feel like your diet has changed enough to explain the weight gain, it could point to a lack of sleep. According to one study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, those who slept less than 6 hours a day were nearly 30% more likely to become obese than those who slept 7 to 9 hours a night. The researchers say it's because study participants who got less shut-eye had reduced levels of leptin (the hormone that signals satiety to the brain and suppresses appetite) and increased levels of ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates hunger).

Gaining weight? Blame your sleeping habits

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7 Best Remedies for Bladder Infections

Bladder Infections

If you feel burning or stabbing pain when you urinate, you might have a bladder infection. Bacteria growing in the bladder or urethra cause bladder infections. The urethra is the tube that takes urine out of your body.

Anyone can get a bladder infection, but they’re more common in women than men or children. Bladder infections are also called urinary tract infections (UTIs). The best remedies for bladder infections include a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle adjustments.

Drink More Water

Increase the amount of water you drink when you’ve got a painful UTI. Fluids perform two jobs: they empty bacteria out of your bladder, and dilute your urine.

Drink at least 8 glass of water a day

Urine is made of waste products and acids from your body. Concentrated, dark urine is more acidic and is sometimes more painful to pass when you have a bladder infection. Diluted urine is lighter in color and usually doesn’t burn as much.

Avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea or soda. Caffeine can irritate your bladder even more when you have an infection.

Frequent Urination

Bacteria can grow in your bladder for a variety of reasons. “Holding it,” or not going to the bathroom when you need to, can increase the risk of bacteria growth. One of the best remedies and preventive tools for bladder infections is to urinate frequently.

It’s especially important to urinate after having sex. Sexual activity can push bacteria deeper into the urethra of both men and women. Urinating soon after sex flushes bacteria away from your urinary tract, so it can’t settle and cause an infection.

Urinate frequently to eliminate bacteria infection

Antibiotics

In some cases, a minor UTI resolves itself. You might feel symptoms for a day or two, but with increased hydration and urination, it should pass. Other infections are more serious and require medical treatment.

Your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics for a bladder infection. The length of treatment might vary, depending on the specific drug you’re taking.

It’s important to take your medication for the full course even if you feel better before it’s done. You’ll need the full dose to make sure the harmful bacteria are out of your system.

Some infection require specific antibiotics

Pain Relievers

Severe bladder infections can cause pain in the pelvic region even when you’re not urinating. Antibiotics will help you feel better, but it may take a day or two before the drugs kick in.

Ask your doctor if it’s safe to take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers in the meantime (it is for most people). OTC acetaminophen or ibuprofen can take the edge off the pain as you wait for the antibiotics to start working.

Apply Heat

If anti-inflammatory meds don’t work for you, try a heating pad instead. Place the pad on a towel to avoid burning yourself, and center the heat over your bladder.

Or, try a warm, moist compress. Low heat across your abdominal region can soothe the dull ache that is sometimes a symptom of a UTI.

Warming your lower abdominal area can soothe the pain

Appropriate Dress

Bladder infection remedies can include how you dress. Think casual, relaxed, and flowy. Clothing that lets your skin breathe can help keep the bacteria in your urinary tract at bay.

Moisture is a breeding ground for bacteria, in the bladder and elsewhere. Cotton underwear and loose pants or skirts promote air circulation and reduce the chances of bacteria growth. Tight jeans and other snug-fitting pants can trap moisture in your most delicate areas.

Tight jeans are bad for health

Cranberry: Yes or No?

Cranberry has been a natural and alternative treatment for bladder infections for generations. But does it really work? The answer isn’t clear-cut, which often leads to more questions and confusion.

According to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, cranberry juice and tablets have shown some promise as a remedy for UTI in women who get recurring infections. Because the studies are of a very specific population, the findings don’t offer evidence of efficacy for a larger population.

Cranberry Myth for Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs)

Important: talk to your doctor about using cranberry juice as a treatment for your bladder infection. Drinking it probably won’t hurt, but it might not help as much as you would like.

Run your urine test when you suspect an infection

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How to Help a Person With Diabetes

Diabetes is tough. When you have diabetes, you need to eat healthy food, stay active, control your weight, take your medicine, and check your blood glucose (sugar) to see how you are doing. And that’s on top of handling all the other things in life! No wonder a person with diabetes can feel stressed out and afraid — and even depressed!

You want the best for your loved ones with diabetes — whether they are family members or friends. Maybe you are looking for ways to ease the pressure your mother feels. Or maybe you would like to help your husband take better control of his diabetes. It’s a hard disease to handle alone. You can make a big difference in how well your loved one copes with diabetes. Use these tips to get started today.

Diabetes Tips

1. Learn about diabetes. 

There is a lot to learn about living well with diabetes. Treatment is changing and we are learning more every day. You can use what you learn to help your loved one.

• Attend a class.
• Look on the Internet.
• Ask the doctor or nurse how you can learn more.

2. Understand your loved one’s diabetes. 

Each person’s experience with diabetes is different. What things are hard for your friend to manage? What things are easy?

3. Find out what your loved one needs. 

Try asking these three questions.

• What do I do that helps you with your diabetes?
• What do I do that makes it harder for you to manage your diabetes?
• What can I do to help you more than I do now?

4. Talk about your feelings. 

Diabetes affects you, too. Telling your loved one how you feel can help both of you.

5. Offer practical help. 

Instead of nagging, find ways to be helpful. Ask what would help your loved one most.

• Offer to go to the doctor with your father or mother.
• Take a walk with your wife.
• Cook a tasty and healthy meal for a friend.

6. Try a new approach. 

When things aren’t going right, try something new. Find one thing that works and build from there.

7. Get help. 

Many people can help you help your loved one with diabetes.

• Find a diabetes support group in the health section of your newspaper or on the Internet.
• Ask your health care provider about ways to get help if your loved one is sad or depressed.
• Your support can make a big difference in how well your loved one copes with diabetes.

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Who can/can't Donate Blood

You Can...

Let others benefit from your good health. Do donate blood if ...

• you are between age group of 18-60 years.

• your weight is 45 kgs or more.

• your haemoglobin is 12.5 gm% minimum.

• your last blood donation was 3 months earlier.

• you are healthy and have not suffered from malaria, typhoid or other transmissible disease in the recent past.

There are many, many people who meet these parameters of health and fitness!

Do abide by our rules - be truthful about your health status!

We ensure the health of blood, before we take it, as well as after it is collected. Firstly, the donor is expected to be honest about his or her health history and current condition. Secondly, collected blood is tested for venereal diseases, hepatitis B & C and AIDS.

You have to be healthy to give 'safe blood'

You Can't...

Do not donate blood if you have any of these conditions

• cold / fever in the past 1 week.

• under treatment with antibiotics or any other medication.

• cardiac problems, hypertension, epilepsy, diabetes (on insulin therapy), history of cancer,chronic kidney or liver disease, bleeding tendencies, venereal disease etc. 

• major surgery in the last 6 months.

• vaccination in the last 24 hours.

• had a miscarriage in the last 6 months or have been pregnant / lactating in the last one year. 

• had fainting attacks during last donation.

• have regularly received treatment with blood products.

• shared a needle to inject drugs/ have history of drug addiction. 

• had sexual relations with different partners or with a high risk individual.

• been tested positive for antibodies to HIV.

Pregnancy And Menstrual Cycle

• Females should not donate blood during pregnancy.

• They can donate after 6 months following a normal delivery and when they are not breast feeding. 

• Females should not donate blood if they are having heavy menstrual flow or menstrual cramps.

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Blood Donation Facts

Facts about Blood Needs

• Every year our nation requires about 4 Crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 40 Lakh units of blood are available.
• The gift of blood is the gift of life. There is no substitute for human blood.
• Every two seconds someone needs blood.
• More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood

Facts about the Blood Supply

Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from generous donors.

Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.

Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.

Facts about the Blood Donation Process

• Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.
• Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration, medical history and mini-physical, donation and refreshments.

• Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood.
• The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour and 15 min.
• The average adult has about 10 units of blood in his body. Roughly 1 unit is given during a donation.

• A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.
• A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.
• All donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases before it can be transfused to patients.

Facts about Blood and its Components

• Blood makes up about 7 percent of your body's weight.
• There are four types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typically, two or three of these are produced from a unit of donated whole blood – hence each donation can help save up to three lives.
• Donors can give either whole blood or specific blood components only. The process of donating specific blood components – red cells, plasma or platelets – is called apheresis.
• One transfusion dose of platelets can be obtained through one apheresis donation of platelets or by combining the platelets derived from five whole blood donations.
• Donated platelets must be used within five days of collection.
• Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks.

Facts about Donors

• The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."
• Two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are: "Never thought about it" and "I don't like needles."
• One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.

• If you began donating blood at age 18 and donated every 90 days until you reached 60, you would have donated 30 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 500 lives!
• Only 7 percent of people in India have O-negative blood type. O-negative blood type donors are universal donors as their blood can be given to people of all blood types.
• Type O-negative blood is needed in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known and with newborns who need blood.
• Thirty-five percent of people have Type O (positive or negative) blood.
• 0.4 percent of people have AB-blood type. AB-type blood donors are universal donors of plasma, which is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions.

So, what are you waiting for?

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3 Simple Trick to Reduce Your Stress

Between meeting deadlines, making dentist appointments, and remembering to buy milk, it’s easy for anyone to get stressed. But luckily, staying calm and peaceful no matter what is happening on the outside isn’t as hard as it might sound. Next time your stress levels are starting to hit critical levels, try one of these three easy de-stressing tips.

1. Close Your Eyes

Take a few moments to daydream. Picture yourself laying out on the beach or simply curled up reading a favorite book. By taking your mind and thoughts away from meeting that deadline, you will immediately feel a sense of calmness.

2. Just Breathe

Taking full, deep breaths is an easy way to relax. Inhale and fill your belly with the breath, and then slowly let it out. Feel your chest and your belly release each time and see if you can breathe more deeply with each breath. Do this ten times.

3. Relax Your Muscles

In this exercise, focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing your muscles. If you’re sitting at a desk, tighten your leg muscles for a few seconds and then release. Move slowly up your body, ending at your face. Or, you can begin with your face and shoulders and end at your toes.

Next time your stress levels hit critical levels, try one of these easy stress reduction tips.

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We say Tomato, The Doctor say…Tremendous

Tomato? Tremendous!

Eating a rainbow of produce is an effective—and tasty—way to ensure intake of a wide array of nutrients and phytochemicals; and just within the tomato family itself, you can find red, green, yellow, orange, and purple varieties. 

With their low carbohydrate content, fiber, and complement of nutrients, tomatoes fit nicely into many different nutritional strategies, including vegetarian, low-carb, and Paleo-style diets. Due to tomatoes’ natural sweetness, people on very low carbohydrate diets sometimes avoid them, but this isn’t necessary.

Tomatoes—particularly when they’re in season—are sweet, but although they have a slightly higher glycemic index than, say, spinach and broccoli, their glycemic load is extremely low. This means it would take a very large amount of tomatoes to have an adverse impact on blood sugar, although, of course, individual sensitivity to carbohydrate varies. They are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K1, beta-carotene, and potassium.

Tomatoes are perhaps most touted for their antioxidant phytochemical, lycopene – best known for its role in men’s health (lycopene is the most abundant carotenoid found in the prostate gland). This great antioxidant has other beneficial roles worth mentioning.Lycopene may help prevent sunburn, and studies have shown it also has the potential to be mildly hypocholesterolemic via naturally inhibiting HMG CoA reductase, as well as increasing LDL receptor synthesis.

Interestingly, lycopene concentration is higher in tomato products—such as tomato paste and tomato sauce—than in fresh tomatoes. As a fat-soluble carotenoid, the body absorbs lycopene best when taken with some fat—in case anyone needed an excuse to drizzle a fresh tomato salad with a little olive oil, or sprinkle some cheese over tomato sauce and zucchini noodles. 

As if their flavor and nutrient content weren’t good enough reasons to eat tomatoes, there’s another beneficial substance hiding in tomatoes, tucked away like a little secret: melatonin! Yes, it’s true: tomatoes contain a small amount of melatonin, and it seems to have a similar function in plants as it does in humans: regulation of the circadian rhythm. A study in which multiple tomato cultivars were grown in the same greenhouse, but some were grown in full sunlight while others were shaded, found that the shaded tomatoes had as much as 135% more melatonin than the non-shaded ones, suggesting that light exposure plays a role in their melatonin content, just as melatonin synthesis is regulated by photo-exposure in people.

Some researchers have pointed to the bioactive phytochemicals in various plants as being a key factor contributing to the healthfulness of the Mediterranean diet. In looking at select foods common in certain Mediterranean countries, they noted tomatoes, olive oil, wines, and grape skins, for their melatonin content, which, while small, might still be one part of the multifactorial picture underlying the benefits of this traditional cuisine. At about 250ng/g of dry weight, the melatonin content of tomatoes isn’t enough to act as a sleep aid, but it’s an interesting bit of trivia nonetheless.

Don’t limit yourself to the more common red tomatoes. Other varieties bring enhanced nutritional properties, such as purple tomatoes, which have a higher anthocyanin and antioxidant content. Plant breeders recognize these as providing a longer shelf life and protection against certain plant pests, but they’re helpful for human health, as well. Yellow tomatoes also have something to offer beyond their sweet taste. While the lycopene in red tomatoes has been shown to be helpful in fighting prostate cancer, serum from rats fed yellow tomatoes—which contain no lycopene—has been shown to beneficially influence expression of Connexin43 (Cx43), a protein that regulates cell growth, on human prostate cancer cells in vitro.

Enjoy the bounty of tomatoes and enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with this wonderful food. You can find such a great variety of recipes, both hot and cold, where tomatoes add a splash of flavor, a touch of color, and of course, nutrition galore.

Scramble Egg with Tomatoes

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