Insomnia is a very common complaint among older adults. The condition affects more than 70 million Americans. Some symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, difficulty with early morning awakening, or not feeling rested by a “good night’s sleep.” Occasionally, insomnia lasts for a short time and can be easily managed. Other times it is a chronic condition, lasting more than six months. This chronic insomnia is more troublesome and can affect work, social relationships, and health. Many people with insomnia are also diagnosed with other conditions such as depression, anxiety, allergies, or pain.


Insomnia treatment begins with what is known as “sleep hygiene.” This includes regular sleep and wake times. You should avoid eating, drinking, or exercising before bedtime. The room should be cool, comfortable, and dark.


Philosophy of Sleep Hygiene


1. keep a regular sleep schedule


2. exercise regularly but avoid exercise before bed


3. go to bed when sleepy


4. do relaxing and enjoyable activities before bed


5. keep the bedroom quiet and comfortable


6. do not eat a large evening meal


7. if you are not sleeping within 20 minutes, get up and return to bed when you are sleepy


8. if you must take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes


9. avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine


10. have your pharmacist check your medications for stimulating drugs


If the “sleep hygiene” methods are not working, then it may me necessary to begin using medication.


If you are still having difficulty getting a good night’s sleep, you should talk to your pharmacist or doctor. The cause of your insomnia will need to be determined and you may need medication to help you sleep. Even if medication is used for insomnia, “sleep hygiene” principles should still be followed and can provide added benefit.


The best medication should act quickly and for a short period of time. This eliminates the “hangover effect” some people experience.


There are many other products that might be used for insomnia. Melatonin has been shown to be helpful in treating insomnia due to melatonin deficiency in elderly patients. It may also improve sleep quality but probably will not increase the length of sleep time. Kava kava and valerian root are also commonly used for the treatment of insomnia. Kava kava has not been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic insomnia. It is also known to be potentially dangerous to the liver. Valerian root may be helpful in helping one get to sleep as well as improving the quality of sleep.


There are a number of treatment options available for the treatment and management of insomnia. It is important to diagnose and attempt to treat the root or underlying cause first. After that, the practice known as “sleep hygiene” should be practiced. If “sleep hygiene” is not effective, then the use of prescription medication may be warranted.


The cheapest treatment is, of course, “sleep hygiene.” If you try this approach and are unsuccessful, I would recommend over-the-counter diphenhydramine, while still practicing “sleep hygiene.” There are many different types available. The next step would be to visit your doctor for a prescription. As is my usual recommendation, begin with the lowest priced medication.


For insomnia treatment, I would recommend trazodone first. Trazodone represents approximately 40% of all insomnia prescriptions. It is very cheap at less than $10 a month. If that is ineffective, go with temazepam. It is also very popular and cheap. It is, however, a controlled substance which means there is a possibility of addiction.

Comment below with anymore questions!

Do you often ask yourself if you’re still happy with the relationship? Do you often look back to check why you’re with the person you’re with right now? Do you feel that the relationship is brining you down more that it’s supposed to elate you? You may be in an unhealthy relationship.


What is a healthy relationship?
A healthy relationship should have the following qualities:

· A sense of respect for each other. Your significant other should be able to give you the same respect he expects from you. This is respect for your individuality, for your unique personality – your sense of humor or the weird way you laugh. Also this entails a sense of respect for your decisions. Accepting your decisions and understanding it. Simply put, mutual respect in a relationship means that you value each other’s differences and understand, not try to change the other person’s personality.


· Trust for each other. Trust means knowing that your partner is faithful to you no matter how many tempting opportunities surround him. This is when you see your boyfriend talking to a new girl in his class and you’d know deep inside that your partner loves you enough to not fool around. Everybody is entitled to feel jealous. It is, after all, a very normal emotion. It is how you react to that emotion that will count. Acting on jealousy will only bring you down and will not be healthy for your relationship.


· Honesty with each other. This should go hand in hand with trust as trust is based on how truthful your partner is to you. How can you trust someone who can’t be honest with you? Once you’ve caught your partner in a major lie, you’ll have doubts the next time he tells you where he’s going or who he’s going with.


· Supportiveness. Your partner will not just need your support during problematic times. There are people who seem to just appear from nowhere to offer a helping hand when everything seems chaotic, but is nowhere to be found during happy times. It’s nice to have someone to share triumph and happy times with. It always feels good to know that you have someone who believes in your capabilities and celebrates your achievements with you.


· Fairness. Relationships should be give and take. Taking turns in making decisions, be it as simple as choosing a movie to watch or a place to eat at. This means that you’re not keeping count of how many times the other person has made the decision for the two of you as a couple, and you’re not turning the decision making process into a power struggle as to who should get his way.


· Separate Identities. This means compromising in situations where there is a difference in interest. This doesn’t have to end up with one losing his identity just to give way to the other person. Both partners should still be able to maintain time for their own interest like when they started with the relationship.


· Open communication. This means being able to express how you feel openly and honestly to your partner without fear of having your candidness misinterpreted. Having the sincerity to speak what’s on your mind, provided you’ve thought it out thoroughly enough to know that what you say will be taken in a good, constructive way.

What makes a relationship unhealthy?

A relationship starts becoming unhealthy once it becomes mean, disrespectful, controlling and hurtful. Some people are exposed to domestic violence and start bringing it over to the way they carry a relationship. A person who has grown up to watching physical and emotional abuse inside their homes will most likely think that it’s normal in a relationship.


Relationships normally need work. It may have started with an overwhelming feeling of love for one another, but then again, keeping that love is a totally different thing altogether. Understanding you and your partner’s differences, accepting them and working around those differences will make your relationship easier to handle. Keeping it healthy, will make you both flourish and grow not just as individuals, but as a couple as well.

For all of us holidays, especially around Christmas is the season where we meet our family, friends and enjoy the time together. It is also the time when we tend to eat a lot, especially high calorie, high fat rich food items like pastries or meat based dishes. And then once we are done with the holiday, and get ready to return to our normal lives, we find a couple of pounds have been added to our weight. All this is primarily because of eating too much in a short span of time without any control. A lot of people face this issue of not being able to control their weight during the holiday season and end up starving or going on fad diets, which will only make them ill and weak.


Here are a few steps one can take to maintain their weight over Christmas and holiday seasons;


1. Routine -
If one has been following a set routine pattern of eating during the rest of the year, they must try and maintain that during holidays as well. This means having breakfast or lunch at a fixed timing, which will reduce craving or hunger at odd times. Also they should monitor what they eat which will give them an idea as to what to cut down and what they can eat moderately


2. Exercise-
It is not possible all the time to work out when you are traveling during Christmas or holiday season. But one should opt to walk to the grocery store instead of taking the car or taking the staircase even if elevators are available. Any form of exercise will help burn the excess fat accumulated from eating all those rich food.


3. Experiment with food-
A couple of weeks before your holiday begins start experimenting with food, try different salad dressings and see what appeals to your taste. Also try cutting down on meat and piling on vegetables, which is a good alternative to controlling your calorie intake.


4. Lifestyle alteration-
One should understand that maintaining their body weight is all to do with the kind of lifestyle they adopt. And when you are on a holiday and are having social gatherings or parties, watch the amount of alcohol you consume, as this will add to your calorie consumption.


What is important is to not worry about one’s weight, but stay active and enjoy the holidays.

Thousands of people are looking for lose weight tricks which can help them with their ongoing struggle. All over the world people are looking for some answers which can make the difference between a frustrating struggle to lose weight, and smooth steady progress. Here are some lose weight tricks designed to help you find the right path.


Lose Weight Tricks 1
If you are determined to lose weight, you have got to stick at it. Nothing great was ever achieved without some effort, and possibly the odd sacrifice. Don't worry if you think it is all taking too long. Time seems to go very quickly in our busy world, so before you know it you will be where you want to be. The time will pass anyway, so make use of it to create a better and healthier you.


Lose Weight Tricks 2
Reward yourself when you achieve major targets. It is a time tested psychological trick to give yourself small treats as a reward when you achieve something significant. Losing your first five pounds is a vital landmark, for example, so go and visit your favorite restaurant to celebrate. Of course you need to exercise some restraint when you get there, but you are more likely to do this when you are full of satisfaction having reached a significant target!


Lose Weight Tricks 3
Eat a lot of salad food. There are virtually no calories in salad, but plenty of water and nutrients. Salad will allow you to still eat decent sized meals and not feel hungry, but reduce the number of “empty calories” you take in. This can be extremely beneficial, as most people's calorie intake is too high.


Lose Weight Tricks 4
If you have sugar in tea or coffee, try to cut down on the number of cups you drink. Many people find themselves routinely drinking five or six cups of coffee or tea a day, and if these have sugar in, you are taking in and extra couple of hundred calories you don't need. You can take these two hundred calories in a healthier form, or cut them out altogether to help you lose weight.


These lose weight tricks are simple, but effective. Apply them and you will surely see some positive results.

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition, the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than fat. That means your body has to expend more effort to pump blood through it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally burns more calories.


Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit groans from most people. There's all the logistics to work out - the time, equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your good intentions. Here's a list of answers for some of the most commonly used excuses not to exercise.


I don't have time to exercise!
Exercise could be one of the most important things you'll do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you're doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats right out into the family room and make use of your television time. Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the news or your favorite show, be active. Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Exercise doesn't have to be a solid hour at the gym. Anything that revs up your motors is great for your body.


I don't have the right equipment at home.
You don't need equipment to exercise. A brisk walk around the block is good for you - and burns over 200 calories. Vacuuming your carpets can burn nearly as much. Flip on your radio or pop in your favorite high-energy CD and dance. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your 'exercise' has to be a carefully planned workout to work all the right muscles in the right order with the right tension. Exercise means being active. Just do it.


I can't afford a membership to the gym.
If you'd rather exercise at the gym (and have access to their fitness machines, whirlpools, swimming pool and trainers), there are a lot of ways to make it more affordable. Check with your health insurance company to see if they offer incentives. Most of the major health insurance companies, including Blue Cross, cover part or all of fitness club memberships as part of your benefits. If yours doesn't, or if you don't have health insurance, call your local YMCA or YWCA. Most offer 'scholarships' or sliding fee scales for memberships to their facilities.


But exercise is such a chore!
Says who? Make getting your daily exercise fun. Play a game. Go dancing. Grab a few friends for a weekend hike in the state park. Exercise doesn't have to be routine. Stop thinking of it as a chore and start thinking of it as recreation. You'll be amazed what a difference it makes.

Life without emotions is like an empty canvass. Our life should have some color once in a while, or else life would be completely dull and boring. Emotions are so important in daily life. For that reason, human emotions have been the object of research and study for thousands of years. What has changed over the years has been the general approach to this investigation. For many years, researchers in psychology focused on what seemed to be rational and what could be directly observed through physiology. Hence, emotion was neglected as it was seen as more part of mind than body.

\tAll humans have basic emotional needs. These needs can be expressed as feelings, like the need to feel important, accepted, and respected. While all humans share these needs, each differs in the strength of the need, just as some of us need more water, more food, or more sleep. One person may need more freedom and independence, another may need more security and social connections. One may have a greater curiosity and greater need for understanding, while another is content to accept whatever he has been told.

\tUnlike physical health, many people including physicians have somehow neglected the importance of emotional stability. A person's emotional stability is vital in achieving overall health. Emotional stability contributes to the individual's sense of well-being. Without this, one can be prone to internal chaos, depression, despair, and isolation. In fact, emotional health influences other aspects of health such as physical, mental and social health.

\tStress leads to the release of certain chemicals to prepare us for action. When this is not required, these excessive chemical levels can cause damage to our body over time. Emotional issues may manifest themselves as illness. One very difficult form of stress to cope and manage is emotional stress. It is often self-created, it can come out of nowhere and the stress caused by it only heightens the emotions felt. As the emotional stress increases, the emotions get worse, heightening the emotional stress. Thus, the problem recreates the cause and the problem only gets worse.

\tEmotional stress is often triggered by a dramatic event that puts a person's nervous system under severe strain. This stress-inducing event could be losing a loved one, seeing someone die, ending a relationship, or being put into a life-threatening situation. These emotionally-charged occurences put a severe strain on a person's mind. The incredible strain can cause changes in the way that the brain works. In fact, a severe emotional strain could even cause someone to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

\tTherefore, maitaining emotional health is necessary to achieve optimum health. It requires a multi-dimensional approach. The various aspects of this approach may include counseling, anger management, meditation, and physical exercise. People should not be haunted by emotional stress. Instead, they should look and try to understand where it is coming from. There are various support groups and solutions that are easily accessible to help someone cope with emotional stress and illnesses. One should not dwell on negative feelings and emotions, which can only hamper the beauty of the different colors of life.

There are so many people promising to tell you how to lose weight fast, that it can be confusing. So much of the advice is contradictory, and there are many people who only have their own self interest at heart. It is certainly not easy to find the information you need. Here you will find out how to lose weight fast.

Lose Weight Fast Tip 1
Keep track of your weight. Weighing yourself weekly is not really going to give you an accurate enough picture of your progress. If you are really serious, it is much better to incorporate a daily weighing into your schedule. For maximum accuracy, try to weigh yourself as part of your routine, at the same time each day. Weighing yourself every day means there is nowhere to hide, you have got to face your progress, or lack of it, and deal with it honestly.

Lose Weight Fast Tip 2
Take a bit more exercise. Losing weight doesn't depend on extreme exercise programs, which can often be counter productive. Even if you just walk to the shops every day, it is still regular, consistent exercise. However small the amount of exercise you do, if you do it consistently, it will yield results. If you are burning calories you would not have burnt before, the only result can be weight loss.

Lose Weight Fast Tip 3
Be honest and realistic. You cannot lose weight by eating unhealthy food, and not burning it off. One or the other has to change. Although both eating healthy food and exercising is the most effective approach, if you are an exercise fanatic, you can lose weight with that alone. One side effect of this approach is that your muscles will be stronger, and have a better tone. You will be able to eat more food without putting on excess weight, so long as you exercise hard. Taking in more calories doesn't lead to obesity if you're burning them off again.

Lose Weight Fast Tip 4
Use a slendertone machine. These are machines which you strap to your body, which exercise your muscles with no real effort from you. Whenever you are in sedentary mode, such as when watching your favorite TV shows, you can take advantage of modern technology and still be working your body. This means that you don't have to give up your favorite lazy pastime, you can enjoy it and still exercise!

Consistency is the key to effective weight loss. Small but often is far more effective than an unsustainable over enthusiastic burst followed by a let down. Keep at it and you will get where you want to go.