Why does sleeping on your back affect pregnancy and which positions improve digestion? From managing the health risks of working night shifts to understanding how dreams impact waking life, prioritizing sleep hygiene is vital for overall wellness.
Sometimes, the reason you're unable to fall asleep is not that cut and dry. Food intolerances? Nutritional deficiencies? They can all affect your sleeping habits. Here's what you should know.
Read more →
If hot summer nights are making it difficult to sleep and turning on the AC isn't an option, here are 11 expert-approved tips to help you drift off to sleep.
Read more →
Sleep disorders and personal schedules can damage sleep quality. Kristen Knutson of the University of Chicago says "there is laboratory evidence that short sleep durations of four to five hours have negative physiological and neurobehavioral consequences.
Read more →
In an interview with Vogue Paris, Rihanna confessed that she only gets three to four hours of sleep. Should you be doing the same?
Read more →
Ever woken up furious because you just dreamed your [partner cheated](https://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011388-signs-partner-having-emotional-affair/) on you? It may seem crazy, but what you dream about at night can set the tone for the rest of your day. [A 2013 study](http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.
Read more →
Located underneath the lungs, the diaphragm is a muscle that contracts every time a person takes a breath. This contraction causes the diaphragm to drop down, allowing the lungs to expand and take in air. Hiccups occur when the diaphragm suddenly contracts at other times.
Read more →
If you are having a tough time getting a good nightâs sleep, cutting tyrosine-rich foods out of your late afternoon and evening meal plans might help. Tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning your body can manufacture it on its own. Youâll find it in numerous foods and even in alcoholic beverages.
Read more →
Adenosine is a chemical in your brain and body that belongs to a class of substances called neurotransmitters. These substances support basic nervous system communication by carrying âmessagesâ across the gaps between individual nerve cells.
Read more →
The wrong sleeping positions can affect your whole body, causing immediate pain and long-term damage. Poor sleep posture interacts with existing conditions, such as shoulder injuries and osteoarthritis, to make them worse.
Read more →
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 34.3 percent of lesbian couples and 22.3 percent of gay male couples were raising children. The Census data also found that same-sex couples raising children live in 96 percent of the counties in the United States.
Read more →
Muscular tension may reduce your quality of sleep or interfere with your sleep cycles. Relaxation techniques, changing your sleep position, massage and stretching may alleviate this type of tension.
Read more →
People who sit at a desk to work most of the day often complain of lower back pain from remaining in the same position for extended amounts of time.
Read more →
When you agree to work the night shift, you expect to change your lifestyle only slightly to match the need to sleep during the day in order to sleep at night. But that change of schedule can be easier said than done, warns the National Sleep Foundation.
Read more →
Around 5.7 million people in the United States regularly work the night shift or a rotating shift, according to a 2004 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most people work the night shift because it is a job requirement, but others choose it for personal preference or better pay.
Read more →
Insomnia, characterized by difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, is very common. Sleeping pills are one of the ways to treat insomnia. Modern drug treatments for insomnia typically fall into two broad categories: benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines.
Read more →
Your heart is responsible for supplying blood to every living cell in your body. To perform this essential task, your heart must beat in a controlled fashion so it can fill and empty efficiently.
Read more →
A cervical collar is to be worn after neck injury or surgery to prevent excessive movement of the neck and to allow it to heal, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center.
Read more →
While you're fast asleep at night, your brain is working furiously to process information and update your memory. This phenomenon occurs during the rapid eye movement -- or REM -- phase of sleep. REM sleep happens every 60 to 90 minutes during sleep and lasts only about five minutes.
Read more →
Sleeping or lying down in positions that weaken the muscles and stretch the ligaments of the lower back can cause poor posture and aggravate back problems and pain. The body curves inward naturally at the lumbar area, at the small of the back above the pelvis or hip bones.
Read more →
Successful bodybuilding requires a great deal more than spending countless hours at the gym. To gain lean muscle mass, you also need to have a healthy diet and ample rest for your muscles to recover and grow. Exactly how much sleep you need may vary for each person.
Read more →