“The body needs a small amount of sodium to function, but most Americans consume too much sodium. High sodium consumption can raise blood pressure, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While sodium has many forms, most sodium we consume is from salt.”
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/salt/index.htm)
“High blood pressure—or hypertension—is a major risk factor for heart disease. Half of Americans have high blood pressure, and many don’t know they have it. Have yours checked and talk to a healthcare provider about what your numbers mean for you. Before age 60, more men than women have high blood pressure. After age 60, more women than men have high blood pressure. While anyone can have high b/p, African Americans tend to get it at a younger age. Young Hispanic adults, people of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Dominican backgrounds are at higher risk. Also know, life style habits play a part which includes: Eating too much salt, drinking too much alcohol, and not getting enough exercise can raise our blood pressure.”
NIH – National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/high-blood-pressure/high-blood-pressure-education-month)
“Both eczema and psoriasis can cause a rash — patches of red, raised, itchy skin — and they can appear in the same places of the body, such as the hands and scalp. Neither condition is contagious but both can lead to infections. An experienced dermatologist may be able to spot the differences, but to the untrained eye, it’s hard to tell. More than 32 million Americans will have atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema, in their life. About 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. The biggest difference between eczema and psoriasis is the underlying causes.
If you have eczema, summer might not be your favorite season. Some people with eczema are sensitive to heat. In hot weather, overheating can cause perspiration, which can lead to skin flare.
However, for most psoriasis patients, abundant natural ultraviolet B (UVB) light from sunshine can be a blessing. UVB light can slow down the abnormal growth of skin cells. It is used as a medical treatment for psoriasis for some.
But remember, too much of a good thing can become damaging. If you go sunbathing without using sunscreen or are exposed to sunlight for too long, overexposure can trigger psoriasis symptoms. If you start to feel itchy or see red spots, get out of the sun!”.
Penn Medicine (https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2022/march/psoriasis)
“The National Toxicology Program (NTP) recently released a report about how persistent night shift work is related to cancer risk (1). This report follows a similar evaluation released in July, 2019 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (2), an update of their 2007 report (3). Both agencies reviewed existing studies of night shift work and cancer and both convened experts in the fields of human, animal, and basic science research. In the recent NTP report, it was concluded that there is “high confidence” that persistent night shift work that results in circadian disruption can cause human cancer.
In addition to cancer, night shift work has been associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, metabolic disorders, and sleep disorders (4). Night shift workers might also have an increased risk for reproductive issues, such as irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriage, and preterm birth. Digestive problems and some psychological issues, such as stress and depression are more common among night shift workers. The fatigue associated with nightshift can lead to injuries, vehicle crashes, and industrial disasters (5).”
CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2021/04/27/nightshift-cancer/).
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day—even on the weekend. This will help program the body to feel sleepy when it’s time for bed and to wake up refreshed in the morning. Our busy day-to-day lives may distract from the time ticking by. Set a timer on your phone 30 minutes before your designated bedtime to remind yourself it’s time to wind down.
Speaking of winding down… slow down your busy mind before bedtime with a calming activity like reading a chapter of your latest book or listening to soft, soothing music. Just be sure to keep the tunes calm and the volume low.
Keep your bedroom quiet and cool. Bedrooms have a purpose—to help you get in the right state-of-mind to fall asleep fast and get a good night’s sleep. That’s it. If your bedroom doesn’t help you wind down, then it’s not helping you establish a good bedtime routine. Find out what’s distracting you—consider rearranging your furniture or switching out décor. To keep your sleep space distraction-free, put computers, tablets, and other work tools somewhere you can’t see from your bed. And use your bed for sleep only, so your brain associates it with sleeping.
Consider adding a hot shower to your bedtime routine. That way when your head hits the pillow, your body is ready to catch some Zzz’s. You can enhance that nighttime routine with Pure Zzzs Shower Mist. Its calming lavender essential oils will help you relax before bed.
Set the mood—to help you fall asleep fast. Dimming the lights tells your body that bedtime is approaching. Make sure your bedroom will stay dark until you get enough sleep. If natural light coming through the windows wakes you up earlier than your bedtime routine calls for, sleep with a mask over your eyes to block the light. Or consider putting up black-out curtains so your room stays dark even as the sun starts rising.
Even with the best sleep routine, you may wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, drink a glass of water, or soothe a cranky baby. Switching on the lights when your body is in “sleep mode” can jolt it wide awake, making it harder to fall asleep after your mid-night wake-up call. Put nightlights in places you might need to go to in the middle of the night, like the bathroom, kitchen, hallways, or in kids’ rooms. That way, you can avoid bright light and go back to your restful night’s sleep.
Tick, tock, tick, tock. Staring at the clock will only remind you that you are wide awake with less than the 7-8 hours you need each night. Avoid the temptation to look at the clock altogether by turning it away from your bed. This will help you avoid fixating on how long it takes to fall asleep.
Coffee will definitely not help you fall asleep fast. Stick to small amounts of uncaffeinated tea or other hot drinks if you want something warm before bed. It’s best to avoid tobacco completely because it causes users to sleep lightly and wake up too early in the morning.
A heavy midnight snack may not be in your best interest to help you fall asleep fast, but not because of the calories. A large meal before bedtime can cause indigestion. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause frequent awakenings to use the bathroom.
Herbal supplements like melatonin are sometimes used to treat occasional sleeplessness. ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs Melatonin Liquid contains a unique botanical blend of Lavender, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, and Valerian Root. Pure Zzzs works naturally with your body to support sleep and is formulated with the optimal level of melatonin, shown to help regulate your sleep cycle without next-day grogginess.* ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs are also available as gummies and tablets. These products are available in the supplement portion of the sleep aid aisle.
Some medicines can affect your sleep cycle. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if any medicines you’re taking may be disrupting your sleep.
After a long day of hard work, you might collapse on the couch, turn on the TV, and close your eyes for just a few minutes… but don’t give into that temptation to nap. Late-afternoon and early-evening naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you must nap, keep it to under an hour and take it before 3:00 PM.
Tossing and turning will only make you more restless after some time has passed. If you’re not sleepy, get out of bed and do something relaxing in dim light. Return to bed only when you are sleepy.
Luckily, for people with occasional sleeplessness, there are many safe and effective sleep medicines available over-the-counter such as ZzzQuil Liquid or ZzzQuil LiquiCaps. Both help you get the sleep you need.
Bright screens trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. Resist the urge to scroll through social media while in bed. Put your phone away 30 minutes before starting your bedtime routine to tell your brain it’s time to unwind.
“Do you often feel tired and groggy in the morning, even on nights when you’ve gotten enough sleep? It’s a frustrating experience, but there may be a simple explanation: you have poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality can impair your focus (concentration), w
Sleep Deprivation (https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-determine-poor-quality-sleep)
“The rarest blood type in existence is Rh null blood. This stuff is characterized by a complete lack of antigens in the Rh system, which is the largest blood group system. Besides making someone feel really special, Rhnull and other rare bloods are extremely valuable. Because Rh null blood can be considered ‘universal’ blood for anyone with rare blood types within the Rh system, its life-saving capability is enormous. As such, it’s also highly prized by doctors – although it will be given to patients only in extreme circumstances, and after very careful consideration, because it may be nigh on impossible to replacef”
Discovery (https://www.discovery.com/science/Rhnull-Rarest-Blood-Type-on-Earth)
“Children with Moebius syndrome often have trouble moving their faces. They may also have trouble feeding. Some children with Moebius syndrome also have abnormal development in the limbs or chest muscles. Moebius syndrome is not progressive, meaning it does not get worse over time. Moebius syndrome is very rare. The exact incidence is unknown, but some estimates are 2 to 20 cases per million births.”
Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/6064-moebius-syndrome)
“Moebius syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by weakness or paralysis (palsy) of multiple cranial nerves, most often the 6th (abducens) and 7th (facial) nerves. Other cranial nerves are sometimes affected. The disorder is present at birth (congenital). If the 7th nerve is involved, the individual with Moebius syndrome is unable to smile, frown, pucker the lips, raise the eyebrows, or close the eyelids. If the 6th nerve is affected, the eye cannot turn outward past the midline. Other abnormalities include underdevelopment of the pectoral muscles and defects of the limbs. Moebius syndrome is not progressive. The exact cause is unknown. It appears to occur randomly (sporadically) in most cases; however, some cases occur in families suggesting that there may be a genetic component.”
NORD (https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/moebius-syndrome/)
“Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has declared May to be “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.
More than 100 million people in the United States have asthma and/or allergies. Some people may have more than one of these conditions.
Allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases. A chronic disease lasts a long time or occurs often. An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a substance as harmful and overreacts to it. It is a long-term disease that causes your airways to become swollen and inflamed, making it hard to breathe. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed and controlled.”
Asthman and Allergy Foundation of America (https://aafa.org/asthma/)