Andre Health Blog

As well as avoiding as many harmful chemicals as we can by choosing natural cleaning products, gardening and eating organically, and all the rest of it, we also need to help our body to get rid of the chemicals it does take in. You can’t avoid breathing in a few toxins throughout your day. If you live in an urban area, you will have to breathe in traffic fumes. If you live in a rural area, you probably inhale fertilisers (yes, even organic ones like blood and bone, or powdered sheep poop). And it’s impossible these days to stay clear of areas where commercial cleaners and disinfectants are used, or to completely avoid plastic and vinyl products that give off fumes. So your body needs help purging out these toxins.

Much has been written about how to have a full detoxification and cleansing session, which often involves fasting, drinking herbal teas, massage, enemas, etc., etc.

But the easiest thing that everyone can do to detoxify is to get a good night’s sleep. That and drinking plenty of fresh water and eating your vegetables, just like your mother told you.

A good night’s sleep is the operative word. OK, if you’re the parent of a newborn, you won’t be having an unbroken night for some time yet (but you will, you will – don’t worry). But there’s no real excuse for the rest of us not to have a solid night’s sleep nine nights out of ten.

These simple tips should help you improve your quality of sleep:

* Be regular. If you fall into the all-too-common pattern of staying up late and sleeping in on the weekends, there’s a very good reason why you feel so awful on Monday morning – you’re jetlagged.

You should always try to wake up at the same time each morning; this seems to be more important than going to bed at the same time. What about a lazy morning in the weekend? You just have to wake up at the same time… nobody said you had to get out of bed. This is what dressing gowns, paperbacks and big cups of coffee are for.

* Have a daily wind-down ritual before bed. Going through the same pattern every night helps your body know it’s time to sleep (this works for children and adults). A typical routine may be to have a warm drink, go to the lavatory, brush teeth, get undressed, do a little journaling, lights out.

* Avoid watching TV before bed, as this can be too stimulating. The same can also apply to intense books and computer games, although not to the same extent. And don’t watch TV in bed.

* A warm drink and a light snack (light being the operative word) can help you relax. Warm milk and a banana are good supper choices, as these both contain minerals that stimulate the sleep-inducing hormone serotonin. Cheese and crackers are other popular supper snacks, as these have a high GI and can stop you waking up hungry – it’s going to be eight hours until your next meal, after all. While a tiny dash of alcohol (and I mean tiny) can be relaxing and unwinding, don’t have a whole gin and tonic before bed. Alcohol is a sedative, but the quality of sleep isn’t that good afterwards. A small thimbleful of something added to a large glass of warm milk or cocoa is about right. And for goodness’ sake, avoid tea and coffee before bed! Remember to brush your teeth after the drink.

* Keep the bedroom for relaxing in. Try not to use the bedroom for studying, working or watching TV. Some people also suggest that you should not exercise in your bedroom, either. However, the bedroom can be one of the few places you have privacy to work out without your family getting in the way or laughing (and there’s a handy mirror in there, too, to check technique). Bedrooms can also be a teenager’s haven and one of the few quiet places for studying and homework. Just keep TVs and computers out as much as possible.

* Use good curtains to block out streetlights.

* Make sure the bedroom’s warm.

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The basics for a healthy sleep   

An old English proverb says: “Sleep is better than medicine”. And this is true, but only if you sleep correctly. You can sleep the right way if your mattress is perfectly in harmony with your weight, your build and your sleeping customs.

Your biomechanics is correct when your backbone is well situated – regardless whether you are lying on your back, in a side position or in a face-down position. If, for instance, the degree of hardness is not right, disturbances in blood circulation and irregular strains may appear. These can lead to disorders in the locomotive system. The possible results are neck and back pains as well as soft tissue rheumatism.

Generally, there are the following types of mattresses: spring core, cold-foam and latex. Each mattress type is distinguished by different qualities.

Spring core mattresses provide a high sleeping comfort as well as a pleasant sleeping climate due to their optimal ventilation. On the other hand, cold foam and latex mattresses have excellent support qualities, while simultaneously relieving the pressure from the shoulders and hips.

Considering that we spend almost one third of our life in sleep, mattresses seem to be the most pleasant and most practical health tool. When mattresses are combined with the right bed frame, ergonomics and relaxation value are additionally increased.

Sleep Tips

It doesn’t necessarily have to be Sunday so that you can get up with a pleasant, vital sensation.

Regardless of which sleeper type you are or which sleeping customs you have, there are some important points which can always contribute towards better sleep:
- Sleep at the perfect room temperature (18°C).
- Ventilate the covers extensively before going to bed.
- Avoid disturbing sources of light and noises.
- Don’t eat too opulent meals before sleeping.
- Allow yourself 30 minutes of rest before going to bed.
- Get yourselves in the mood for sleeping with some music, reading or a warm cup of milk.

Mattress Care Tips

- Ventilate your mattress by pulling back the bed covers when you get up.
- In order to ensure proper pressure distribution of the mattress, you should turn it over
  and rotate it along its own axis every now and then.
- Dry-clean your mattress if necessary and use the vacuum cleaner in a low-power mode
  for protecting the mattress.
- Due to ergonomic and hygienic reasons, you should change your mattress after 5-7
  years of use

There are few things better and more needed in life than a good night’s sleep. After a night of rest we wake up happy, energized and ready for the day ahead. Our minds clearer, our ideas fresher, our outlook more positive. A night of tossing and turning however, has us up in the morning feeling frustrated, exhausted and not at all prepared for the day facing us.

So what are the things keeping us up at night? They could be any or all of the following:

1. Bad dreams:

Bad dreams can stem from so many different things. They are often associated to something going on in your life, no matter how outrageous they may seem. Bad nightmares can wake us up in the middle of the night and shake us to the core. Worst of all, the people we live with are usually asleep at these times leaving us with no one to talk to. Waking up from a nightmare and looking out to darkness and a silent creaking house can be really scary.

In these instances it’s good to turn on a little nightlight, drink some water and read a book to send your thoughts elsewhere.

2. Things on our minds:

If there is something that’s been bothering you or adding stress to your life for some reason, it might be difficult to fall asleep. There is something about the silence of the night time that makes all of the thoughts we suppress during the day come to the surface of our minds. There’s not much that you can do in these situations other than maybe make a plan of how you’re going to resolve the issues you’re facing, or come to terms with the fact that you have little control over the outcome. Superstitious people like to sleep with worry dolls under their pillows.

3. Glaring sunlight:

Temperature can really affect our sleep.

Homes that are on timed-heaters might suddenly turn to ice in the middle of the night which can wake someone up. Similarly, sleeping in the heat can be quite uncomfortable. Having proper shading on our windows makes a big difference. Not only does it cool down the rooms of a house or building, but it also stops the glare of the sunlight from hitting our faces in the morning and allow us to enjoy a long night’s sleep.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you enjoy a better night’s rest.