The Benefits of an Adult taking a Mid-day Power Nap

It happens to everyone occasionally: that often ill-timed little head bob as you catch yourself nodding off to sleep. Daytime drowsiness is your body’s way of signaling that you haven’t had enough sleep. When you’re sleepy, you feel sluggish and your thought processes and reaction times slow. You also tend to be more irritable when you’re tired. Enter the power nap – a short daytime nap that refreshes your body and brain and relieves some of the unpleasant after-effects of too little sleep. 

Sharper Thinking

Your brain is heavily dependent on getting enough sleep, and it’s the first of your body organs to malfunction when you don’t. When you’re sleepy, you tend to:

• be forgetful
• lack creativity
• daydream or lose focus
• make errors in judgment
• have difficulty performing complicated tasks

NASA-sponsored research conducted by doctors at the University of Pennsylvania found short naps lead to clearer thinking and improvement in all of these areas for subjects with sleep restricted schedules. Several large companies have taken notice of the performance benefits of so-called NASA naps and offer sleeping rooms so their employees can take a short snooze during the workday.

Better Mood

Your family, friends and co-workers might know when you haven’t gotten enough sleep without you telling them. Even one bad night’s sleep can leave you feeling unusually anxious, irritable, short-tempered and down in the dumps. These negative effects on your mood can add to your already foggy thinking and might make you even less productive.

Napping has a positive effect on your mood when you’re sleep-deprived. And because of how your brain is wired, when you feel better, you do better. Benefits of napping on mood include:

• more energy and motivation
• improved ability to cope with everyday stresses and irritations
• a more positive outlook and attitude.

Getting the Most Out of a Nap

As with so many things in life, timing is everything when it comes to a great adult nap. Early afternoon is usually the best time of day for a nap. There is a natural lull in your body’s daily rhythm from about 1 to 3 p.m., which can make it an optimal time for a short daytime snooze. Napping during the evening is generally not a good idea because it could interfere with your nighttime sleep.

How long you sleep is also important in terms of getting the most benefit from a nap. To avoid feeling groggy when you wake up, limit your nap to less than an hour. However, you don’t need to sleep a full hour to reap the benefits of a nap on your mood and thinking. A nap as short as 20 to 30 minutes will do the trick. In fact, even a 10-minute nap can help counter sluggish thinking.

When to See Your Doctor

While short power naps are a healthy and effective way to deal with occasional daytime sleepiness, it’s important to see your doctor if you’re sleepy most days. Many medical and mental health conditions can cause ongoing daytime sleepiness, which increases your risk for accidents and some serious health problems. It’s important to find out what’s interfering with you sleep so you can get back to consistently enjoying a good night’s sleep and feeling healthy and vibrant during the day.

References & Resources

1. Clinical Neurophysiology of Sleep Disorders; Christian Guilleminault, M.D.
2. Seminars in Neurology: Neurocognitive Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
3. Acta Astronautica: Optimizing Sleep/Wake Schedules in Space: Sleep During Chronic Nocturnal Sleep Restriction With and Without Diurnal Naps
4. Sleep.org: Sleeping at Work — Companies With Nap Rooms and Snooze-Friendly Policies
5. National Aeronautics and Space Administration: NASA Naps
6. Journal of Sleep Research: Benefits of Napping in Healthy Adults: Impact of Nap Length, Time of Day, Age, and Experience With Napping
7. Why We Nap: Evolution, Chronobiology, and Functions of Polyphasic and Ultrashort Sleep; Claudio Stampi, M.D., Ph.D.
8. National Sleep Foundation: Sleep Drive and Your Body Clock
9. Journal of Thoracic Disease: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Sleep Disorders
10. Journal of Psychiatric Research: Determining the Level of Sleepiness in the American Population and Its Correlates

SOURCE

CASE STUDY: Not only does Weight Resistance Training Benefit the Body but the Mind as Well

You probably know that strength training has many physical health–related benefits, including:

• a lower risk of all causes of death
• fewer heart attacks and strokes 
• improved body composition (Garber et al. 2011)

However, did you know that it can also help with your mental health? O’Connor, Herring and Caravalho (2010) completed an extensive review of the research on this topic, admitting only studies that met certain criteria for quality research. 

So what does the research show? Amenda Ramirez, who has a degree in exercise science from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM), and Len Kravitz, PhD, the program coordinator of exercise science and a researcher at UNM, summarize highlights of the findings below. 

Resistance Training and Anxiety

While it is normal to experience anxiety in relation to interviews, tests, new challenges or performances, prolonged anxiety is associated with sleep disruptions, mental distress, bodily pain, poor health and limitations to physical activity. From the seven resistance training studies on this topic that met the criteria for inclusion in the review, the researchers conclude that resistance training is a meaningful intervention for people suffering from anxiety. Interestingly, two of the seven studies compared the effects of high-intensity resistance training (exercises performed at 80% of 1-repetition maximum [1-RM]) with the effects of moderate-intensity training (50%–60% of 1-RM) and found that the lower intensity was more effective in reducing anxiety. 

Resistance Training and Improved Brain Cognition 

Cognition refers to your brain’s processing ability to obtain knowledge through thought, experience and the senses. Cognition research attempts to determine how we transform events and experiences into stored memory, which can be recovered and used to complete mental and physical tasks. Highly associated with cognition is executive function, the “command and control” conductor of cognitive skills. This brain control center manages all of the tasks in your life, such as writing an article, doing a research project, preparing for a class and organizing a trip. A great amount of research on exercise and cognitive function has been completed with older adults as subjects, as it’s been felt that exercise might offer this population consequential benefits in this area (Colcombe & Framer 2003). O’Connor, Herring and Caravalho note that seven randomized controlled studies show that resistance training improves several aspects of cognition in healthy older adults. Uniquely, one of the most profound effects is a marked improvement in memory and memory-related tasks. Additionally, it appears that improved executive function is a major benefit, both of resistance training (Anderson-Hanley, Nimon & Westen 2010) and of cardiovascular exercise (Colcombe & Framer 2003). 

Resistance Training and Self-Esteem 

Self-esteem is a person’s self-opinion. High self-esteem is strongly associated with positive physical and mental well-being. Resistance training has been shown to improve self-esteem in healthy adults (both younger and older), in populations with cancer or depression and in people undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. 

Resistance Training And Sleep 

As you have probably already experienced, insufficient sleep is a problem for your physical and mental health! Consistent sleep deprivation (less than 6 hours a night) is associated with:

• cognitive impairment
• mental illness
• hypertension
• obesity
• cardiovascular disease
• stroke
• daytime sleepiness
• motor vehicle accidents
• an overall diminished quality of life

The research indicates that physically active people usually have healthy sleep patterns and a lower risk for sleep apnea. Furthermore, depressed persons with sleep disorders show a 30% improvement in sleep from a regular resistance training intervention. These results appear to become most effective after 8–10 weeks of consistent resistance training.

References
Anderson-Hanley, C., Nimon, J.P., & Westen, S.C. 2010. Cognitive health benefits of strengthening exercise for community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32 (9), 996–1001. 

Colcombe, S., & Framer, A.F. 2003. Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: A meta-analytic study. Psychological Science, 14 (2), 125–30. 

Garber, C.E., et al. 2011. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: Guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43 (7), 1334–49. 

O’Connor, P.J., Herring, M.P., & Caravalho, A. 2010. Mental health benefits of strength training in adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4 (5), 377–96.

Case Studies Show that Massage Eases Low-Back Pain

For chronic low-back pain, massage therapy seems to be more effective than medications, physical therapy, education and exercise. These findings—from a randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers at the Group Health Research Institute; the University of Washington, Seattle; the Oregon Health & Science University, Portland; and the University of Vermont, Burlington—were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2011; 155 [1], 1–9). The study’s purpose was to compare the short-term and long-term effects of structural massage, relaxation massage and usual care for people with chronic low-back pain.

Investigators randomly assigned 401 people who had been experiencing nonspecific chronic low-back pain for at least 3 months to one of three groups: structural massage, relaxation massage or usual care. Structural massage focuses on specific pain-related soft tissue. Relaxation massage (e.g., Swedish massage) promotes overall relaxation through long strokes, kneading, circular movements or vibration. Usual medical care consists of medication, physical therapy, back exercises and education. Massage subjects received a 1-hour massage once per week for 10 weeks. All participants were assessed for symptoms, medication use and functional ability at the end of 10 weeks and again after 6 months and 1 year.

Data analysis showed that patients in both massage groups spent fewer days in bed, were more active and used less anti-inflammatory medication than those who received usual care. After 10 weeks, function had significantly improved in twice as many massage patients as usual-care patients. Lead study author, Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute, said, “We found that massage helps people with back pain to function even after 6 months. As expected with most treatments, the benefits of massage declined over time.” After 1 year, massage benefits were no longer significant.

Cherkin and colleagues advised doing further research to determine why massage therapy is so effective and why both structural and relaxation massage are equally effective.

Australian Study suggests that driving w/ your left hand will reduce ones tendency to eat drive thru

How to Resist Fast-Food Cravings 


The secret to avoiding the drive-thru? Hold the wheel with your left hand. In a new Australian study, people who practiced exercises with their non-dominant hand—your left hand if you're a rightie, or vice versa—for just 2 weeks were less likely to act on an impulse than those who used their stronger hand. Training your self-control in one area can help you accomplish goals in many other areas, too says study author Thomas F. Denson, Ph.D., professor at the University of New South Wales. Holding yourself to a promise to hit the gym a few times a week, for instance, may help you control the urge to splurge on food. 


Here’s how it works:
You brain has a network of circuits that helps you practice all forms of self-control. Practicing it in one domain—i.e., using your non-dominant hand— can lead to better discipline in another domain, such as controlling your anger. "When you practice self-control, your body is forced to monitor your behavior and override the impulse to act on habit", says Denson. Practice impulse control by using your computer mouse or holding your coffee mug with your other hand for a few moments each day.

Try these Steps to Reduce Your Likelihood of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease

If it's possible, try walking to school or work

Reduce your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Walking approximately 6–9 miles a week is associated with increased gray matter in the brains of older adults, according to a study published in Neurology (2010; 75 [16], 1415–22) “Just by walking regularly, and so maintaining a little bit of moderate physical activity, you can reduce your likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease and spares brain tissue,” Kirk I. Erickson, lead study author and assistant professor of psychology at University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, told HealthDay.  

Try walking to your local convenience store rather drive to the supermarket

The study participants were subjects in the Pittsburgh site of the larger Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study, a longitudinal study conducted over a 13-year period.

The Pitt researchers wanted to determine whether consistent moderate physical activity among older adults would be associated with cognitive health in later life. The scientists enrolled 299 adults with a mean age of 78 in 1989 and recorded the distance each person walked per week. Nine years after this measurement, investigators conducted MRI brain scans to measure brain size. At this stage, none of the participants exhibited any cognitive impairment. Four years later, approximately one-third of the subjects had experienced cognitive decline.

Try to include walking in your other fitness regimens

 Data analysis showed that the individuals who walked a minimum of 6 miles per week had more gray-matter volume in the brain and only half the risk of developing cognitive impairment compared with less active subjects. Sections of the brain that retained more gray matter included the frontal and temporal brain regions, including the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. These brain regions can be subject to age-related deterioration. More gray matter in these areas is associated with reduced risk of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairmentMore physical activity, however, does not provide more benefits. 

Try walking on the beach regularly

“That’s because the size of our brain regions can only be so large,” said Erickson. However, the improvements that can occur are important: “What we often think of as an inevitable component or characteristic of aging—memory decline and brain decay—is clearly not inevitable. There’s plenty of evidence now . . . that shows that we can retain our brain tissue and retain our memories well into late adulthood by maintaining an active and engaged lifestyle.”.

Try going on a hike at your local state or national park

Moods on Twitter Follow Biological Rhythms, Study Finds - NYTimes.com

Moods on Twitter Follow Biological Rhythms, Study Finds - NYTimes.com