Quit smoking today

I mean today. Maybe tomorrow. But do not procrastinate.

Why? Smoking is baaaad m'kay. Don't let that make it appeal to you. 1 in 2 lifetime smokers die from their habit. There is a dramatic difference between a smoker's lungs and a non smokers lungs, look that up sometime.

Do you want wrinkles at age 20? (or more lines and wrinkles if you're well into adulthood) No, I don't think so. Its possible that sometime when you're old you could need a limb amputated due to smoking.

The fact is, smoking tobacco just makes you less of a person. It does not enhance you in any way. Strive for superiority, rather than impulsively smoke and sabotage your health. Smoking will hurt your self esteem in the long run.

Interesting fact: Living in places with really high levels of air pollution like Riverside, CA is like smoking over 1 pack of cigarettes a day.

Electronic cigarettes are one way to kick the habit:

Could you be snoring yourself to death?

The very short answer to this question is Yes. I don't know anything about you as a reader but you probably stumbled upon this blog because you were interested in learning about the possible dangers of snoring or sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is when breathing repeatedly starts and stops. This could be because your throat muscles relax (obstructive sleep apnea) or because your brain will not send the proper signals to the muscles which control breathing. (central sleep apnea)

Here are some symptoms of this disease:

Excessive daytime sleepiness, also known as hypersomnia. Very loud snoring. Headache in the morning. Difficulty staying asleep also known as insomnia. Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat.

Being male, over age 65, and obese greatly increases the chances of having the disease, although all types of people get sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can cause so much daytime drowsiness that you could fall asleep when driving, so its not something to ignore. It can also cause relationship issues so do something even if there is just a remote chance that you have it.

I hope you learned something new. Thanks for stopping by.

Are you sleeping well enough?

Do you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, or are you waking up a lot in the middle of the night? If you don't have a sleep disorder that you know of, the problem might be (more or less) your diet.

One common reason for waking up in the middle of the night is the urge to urinate. You shouldn't be drinking much after 8:00 PM (assuming you go to bed at a normal time). Alcohol is one substance that will disrupt your sleep. You will probably fall asleep quicker, but you're much more likely to wake up tossing and turning. 

What kind of foods do you eat before bedtime? A snack is likely to help you out. Warm milk, yogurt, cereal, nuts, etc is likely to improve your sleeping patterns as long as its just a snack. Stay away from large amounts of protein and high fat foods like burgers and fries before bedtime (maybe avoid burgers and fries otherwise but that's something else.) 

You might be surprised to learn that Vitamins and supplements could be counter productive if taken before bedtime. Ginseng as well as B Vitamins are better off taken in the morning than at night. Its possible that medications you take contain a small amount of caffeine, so check with your doctor or another specialist and see if drugs you might be taking are interfering with your sleep. 

Are you a smoker? If you don't plan on kicking the habit anytime soon, keep in mind that nicotine is a stimulant and may disrupt your sleep. 

From experience, I recommend that you don't think about anything important before going to bed. You may consider making a story in your head, especially one that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Your thoughts will probably blend together at some point and you'll find yourself dreaming. 

Try getting some extra exercise throughout the day and see if that helps. You should be able to fall asleep faster, and less likely to wake up in the middle of the night.

How do you spend your time?

Are you an internet addict? This is just a general question for my readers, I'm not assuming that you are. The chances are, you should not be an internet addict. Why? Because IA's are more likely to struggle with depression than those who spend their time wisely.

Do you spend much time being socially isolated? I hope not. This is another thing that contributes to depression, although most people already know this. Cases of depression have risen among college students, according to this article.

Getting less than 7 hours of sleep, or more than 9 hours of sleep will most likely contribute to depression. Hopefully you have a habit of going to sleep at about the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. (Most mornings and nights, you don't always want routine)

Although I wish that we as humans didn't have to sleep as much since it does take up time, you need that beauty rest.