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10 Healthy Choices to Make This Week

Leta Shy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:32:17 PST

New Year's resolutions season may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't have a fresh start. The start of a new week is the perfect opportunity to resolve to make a few changes to your lifestyle to be healthier and happier. Here are 10 healthy choices you should make this week.

Source: Thinkstock

5 iPhone Alarm and Sleep Aid Apps For a Better Night's Rest

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:21:48 PST

The long nights and short days of Winter can really throw off a gal's sleep schedule. Waking up before the sunrise can prove to be an impossible task when snuggled up in a warm bed, and a jarring, noisy alarm can make it even harder to start your day. Thankfully, these apps for your iPhone can help you fall asleep faster and wake up without annoying sound effects.

7 Reasons You're Not Sleeping

FitSugar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:15:42 PST

Difficulty sleeping can make the night long and the following day feel even longer. Ads for prescription sleeping pills run frequently on late-night TV, bu adopting healthy sleep habits can be as effective as medication, with no side effects. Here are reasons you may be suffering from insomnia.

3 Ways to Make Over Your Sleep

Leta Shy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:12:30 PST

Are you getting the best sleep possible? If you just answered a bleary-eyed "No," chances are your sleep patterns need a makeover. Find out three ways to revamp your sleep and wake up rested.

Limit distractions: Light emanating from your TV or iPad before you go to bed, noisy neighbors, or a never-ending stream of cars outside your window can all take away from quality sleep. Make sure you keep distractions to a minimum by powering down at least 20 minutes before bedtime - otherwise you may be so wired it'll take even longer for you to fall asleep. If outside distractions are the source of your wide-eyed nights, try a white noise machine (or a white noise app like Simply Noise [$1] on your iPhone).

Read on for two more ways to make over your sleep for a better night's rest after the break.

4 Lazy Moves That Boost Your Health

Prevention — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:16 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You don’t have to go on a deprivation diet or spend hours exercising to ward off disease and be your healthiest self! Instead, try these supersimple tips
By the editors of Prevention

Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits. We’ve rounded up 15 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage “no pain, no gain” and try these tips today.

Lazy Move No. 1: Protect Your Ticker by Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive - it also boosts your risk of a heart attack. According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.

Twenty Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Plus when you’re exhausted, you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.

Keep reading for three more lazy ways to improve your health.

Would You Rather Catch Up on Sleep or Exercise?

Leta Shy — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:33:05 PST

There may be fewer cases of the flu than normal this year, but that doesn't mean that a lot of us aren't getting sick. And feeling run-down can throw a wrench in our workout plans, not to mention keep you up all night.

If you've been battling sickness, feeling exhausted, or just too busy, your sleep and exercise routines have both probably taken a beating. And while having a regular workout routine is important if you are trying to lose weight or stay healthy, so is getting enough sleep - lack of sleep can lead to weight gain and lead to a never-ending cycle of exhaustion. So when the weekend rolls around and you haven't been your usual well-rested, productive self, what's your priority: sleep or exercise?

7 Tips to Wake Up and Get Out of Bed Fast

Emily Co — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:05:15 PST

You're late to work, again. No matter how much you reason with yourself, your lateness is probably due to the fact that you couldn't get out of bed. It's always unpleasant to drag yourself out of bed, so here are some tips to help you wake up alert and get you out of bed quickly:

Assess your health. Your drowsiness in the morning might be health-related. Perhaps you need a better diet and exercise plan or maybe you have sleep apnea. If you've been doing everything right, go to a doctor for an expert opinion.
Coffee on your bedside table. This is for extreme cases, but leaving some coffee or another caffeinated drink like Mountain Dew on your bedside table might be a good way to get yourself out of bed.
Place your alarm clock strategically. If you place your alarm clock across the room or outside your door, this might force you walk to the clock to shut it off.

Read on for more tips.

Get a Good Night's Rest . . . Regardless of Who You Are Sleeping With

Heather Dale — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:32:09 PST

If improving your sleeping habits made the list of your 2012 resolutions, then let's get to it! There are simple things you should and shouldn't be doing to get some quality shut-eye, but what about the person who sleeps to your right (or left)? Do you ever look at your partner as a roadblock to your sleeping success? If your significant other is interfering with your sleepy time, here are some helpful tips to get you back on track . . . no separate rooms required!

Some like it hot, some like it cold: If your partner likes to keep the heat cranked throughout the night, while you prefer to keep it at a lower temperature, use scientific evidence to win this battle. Like it or not, room temperature has a significant impact on sleep. To get proper, quality sleep, the body needs to reach an internal temperature of 65 to 72 degrees F. If he (or she) is still set on sweating it out, load up the blankets on their side of the bed and have them wear socks and a sweatshirt to bed.

Keep reading for more tips.

5 Reasons You Need More Sleep

Shape — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:14:00 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Whether you admit you need help nodding off or are still in denial about the major suitcases under your eyes, chances are you could use an intervention: a full two-thirds of Americans say they have trouble getting enough shut-eye at least once a week. That’s pretty harrowing, considering that sleep is absolutely essential for health and normal functioning. If you need a reason to hit the sack early read on. You’ll be surprised how much skipped sleep impacts your well-being.

You'll Live Longer
Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well, according to new research in the journal Circulation. Other studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing breast cancer.

See even more benefits of sleep after the break!

Tired Traveler? 8 Tips to Get Your Baby Back to Sleeping

Kate Stahl — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:15:41 PST

It's prime vacation time! While your pre-baby trips probably involved stocking up on sleep, travel with a lil one can be anything but restful. Just ask me: my 9-month-old was sleeping 12 hours a night last week, but since we arrived in Florida a few days ago, I'm back to 3-4 hour stretches. Torture. Luckily, one of the fellow guests at our resort is a pediatrician, and she helped with a few tips to get my go-go baby - and yours, too - back on the right track.

Try to arrive before bedtime so your lil one has time to acclimate. Let her explore the new room, and explain where you are and where everyone will be sleeping.
Bring a white noise machine or fan to mask strange new noises.
Follow your at-home bedtime routine; give your baby a soothing warm bath, read books quietly, nurse in a darkened room . . . whatever usually works for you.
Try to re-create her sleeping location as best you can by bringing a crib sheet or blanket from home (even a worn shirt of mom's can help). Also make the new room's lighting as similar to home as possible. Keep clicking for four more tips.