Healthy Sleep
What is sleep? While you are sleeping your brain and body functions are still active. Sleep is a natural process that helps your body restore energy, supports learning and memory, and keeps you healthy. During sleep, your brain cycles through different stages of non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Non-REM sleep has three stages that range from light to deep sleep, while REM sleep is when most dreaming occurs. During each stage, your brain waves, breathing, heart rate, and body temperature change throughout the night. Certain phases of sleep help you: Feel rested and energetic the next day. Learn new information, get insight, and form memories. Give your heart and blood vessels a rest. Release growth hormone, which helps children grow and assists in muscle repair and tissue healing for everyone. Release sex hormones, which contribute to puberty and fertility. Maintain a healthy balance of hormones that control hunger and fullness. Strengthen your immune system by producing cytokines (hormones that help the body fight infection). You need all the stages to get a healthy sleep. How much sleep do I need? The amount of sleep you need depends on your age, lifestyle, health, and sleep patterns. The general recommendations for sleep are: Babies (4-12 months): 12-16 hours a day (including naps) Children (1-2 years): 11-14 hours a day (including naps) Children (3-5 years): 10-13 hours a day (including naps) Children (6-12 years): 9-12 hours a day Teens (13-18 years): 8-10 hours a day Adults (18 years and older): 7-9 hours a day During puberty, teenagers' biological clocks shift. They tend to fall asleep later and wake up later, which can conflict with the early school start times. This is one reason many teenagers don't get enough sleep. Some people think adults need less sleep as they age, but there is no evidence to support this. However, older adults often get less sleep or spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep. They also wake up more easily. It's not just the number of hours of sleep you get that matters. The quality of the sleep you get is also important. People whose sleep is frequently interrupted might not get enough of certain stages of sleep. If you are wondering whether you are getting enough sleep, including quality sleep, ask yourself: Do I have trouble getting up in the morning? Do I have trouble focusing during the day? Do I doze off during the day? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may need to improve your sleep habits. What are the health effects of not getting enough sleep? Sleep is important for overall health. When you don't get enough sleep (sleep deprivation), it does more than just make you feel tired. It can impair your ability to think clearly, react quickly, and form memories. This increases your risk of making mistakes, taking risks, or getting into accidents. Sleep deprivation can also affect your mood, leading to: Irritability Problems with relationships, especially for children and teenagers Depression Anxiety It can also affect your physical health. Not getting enough sleep, or getting poor-quality sleep, increases your risk of: High blood pressure Heart disease Stroke Kidney disease Obesity Type 2 diabetes Not getting enough sleep can also lower your levels of hormones that help children grow and help the body build muscle, repair tissue, and fight infections. Sleep deprivation also magnifies the effect of alcohol. A tired person who drinks too much alcohol will be more impaired than a well-rested person who drinks the same amount. How can I get better sleep? You can take steps to improve your sleep habits. First, make sure that you allow yourself enough time for sleep. Getting enough sleep each night may help you feel happier and more productive during the day. To improve your sleep habits, it also may help to: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening. Avoid nicotine. Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime. Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Avoid large meals and drinks late at night. Don't take a nap after 3 p.m. Relax before bed by taking a bath, reading or listening to calm music. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Get rid of distractions such as TVs, computers, and phones. Get enough sunlight exposure during the day. If you can't fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. See a health care provider if you have continued trouble sleeping. You may have a sleep disorder, such as insomnia or sleep apnea. In some cases, your provider may suggest trying a sleep study or other treatments. If you are a shift worker, getting good sleep can be more challenging. You may also want to: Take naps and extend your total sleep time Keep the lights bright at work Limit shift changes to help your body adjust Limit caffeine to the first part of your shift Remove sound and light distractions in your bedroom during daytime sleep (for example, use light-blocking curtains or earplugs)
MedlinePlus →Stress
What is stress? Stress is how your brain and body respond to a challenge or demand. When you are stressed, your body releases certain hormones. Hormones are chemicals that travel in your bloodstream and control how different parts of your body work. The hormones that are released when you are stressed make you alert and ready to act. They can raise your blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. This response is sometimes called a "fight or flight" response. Everyone gets stressed from time to time. There are different types of stress. It can be short-term or long-term. It can be caused by something that happens once or something that keeps happening. Not all stress is bad. In fact, it can help you survive in a dangerous situation. For example, one kind of stress is the jolt you may feel when a car pulls out in front of you while you are driving. This jolt of hormones helps you quickly hit the brakes to avoid an accident. A little short-term stress can sometimes be helpful. For example, the stress of having a deadline for school or your job may push you to get your work done on time. Once you finish it, that stress goes away. But stress that lasts a long time can harm your health. What causes long-term stress? Long-term stress, or chronic stress, lasts for weeks, months, or longer. As you go about your life, your body is acting as if you're being threatened. Causes of long-term stress include: Routine stress from the demands of work, school, family needs, money problems, and other daily pressures that don't stop. Stress from sudden, difficult changes in your life, such as divorce, illness, losing your job, or other unhappy life events that often have a long impact. Traumatic stress, which may happen when you're in danger of serious harm or death. Examples include being in a bad accident, a war, a flood, earthquake, or other frightening event. This type of stress can cause a long-lasting problem called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How can long term-stress harm my health? People respond to stress in different ways. If you're stressed for a long time you may notice that you are: Getting sick more often than usual because stress weakens your body's ability to fight germs Having stomach problems or trouble digesting food Having trouble sleeping Having headaches Feeling sad, angry, or easily upset When stress keeps going, your body acts as if you're always in danger. That's a lot of strain that may play a part in developing serious health problems, including: Depression Anxiety Heart disease High blood pressure Diabetes It's possible to get used to the symptoms of stress and not even realize there's a problem. So when there's a lot of stress in your life, it's important to pay attention to how it affects you so you can do something about it. How can I manage long-term stress? Simple things that improve your mental health may be helpful in managing long-term stress, such as: Get regular exercise. A 30-minute daily walk can help you feel better and help keep your immune system strong, so you don't get sick. Try relaxing activities. You could look for an app or wellness program that uses breathing, meditation, or muscle relaxation exercises. Get enough sleep every night. Avoid too much caffeine. Decide what you need to do now and what can wait. And focus on what you got done each day, not on what you weren't able to do. Ask your family or friends for support. When should I ask my health care provider for help with stress? Get help if you're having severe symptoms for 2 weeks or more, including: Trouble sleeping Changes in your eating that cause unwanted changes in your weight Troubles getting out of bed because of your mood Difficulty focusing your thoughts Losing interest in things you usually enjoy Not being able to do your usual daily activities Always get help right away if stress is causing you to: Have thoughts of suicide Feel you can't cope Use drugs or alcohol more often than usual Your health care provider may refer you to a mental health professional such as a psychologist or social worker. NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
MedlinePlus →Burns
A burn is damage to your body's tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight, or radiation. Scalds from hot liquids and steam, building fires and flammable liquids and gases are the most common causes of burns. Another kind is an inhalation injury, caused by breathing smoke. There are three types of burns: First-degree burns damage only the outer layer of skin Second-degree burns damage the outer layer and the layer underneath Third-degree burns damage or destroy the deepest layer of skin and tissues underneath Burns can cause swelling, blistering, scarring and, in serious cases, shock, and even death. They also can lead to infections because they damage your skin's protective barrier. Treatment for burns depends on the cause of the burn, how deep it is, and how much of the body it covers. Antibiotic creams can prevent or treat infections. For more serious burns, treatment may be needed to clean the wound, replace the skin, and make sure the patient has enough fluids and nutrition. NIH: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
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