Another interesting and important posting from the National Sleep Foundation site.

Most kids sleep later during the summer vacation.  Remember to start getting them on their school sleep schedule early since it takes a few weeks to get it set.  The article recommends two weeks for best results.  There are other good recomendations in the article also.

Popularity: 5% [?]

We found this article about an interesting study that indicates that Green light can be used to reset the body’s internal clock.  We have known about how Blue light can reset the body’s clock for some time now we can add Green to the list of light colors for treating Circadian Rhythm disorders.  The study was done at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and was reported in the May 12 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

We have a product called the Bright Light Hat Visor that uses Blue and Green lights mixed together to reset the body’s clock.  It can be used to treat SAD, Jet Lag and other forms of Circadian Rhythm disorders.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The Marsona DS-600A is the most complete Sound Machine we sell.

Marsona ds-600a Sound Machine

I had a room mate in college that had trouble sleeping.  He could only sleep when he turned on an old-fashioned window box fan.  He needed the fan to drown out all the other noise of our college dorm.  Seemed like a perfectly logical idea to me.  But both of us would always wake up with dry eyes.  I have always enjoyed sleeping on rainy days.  The sound of the rain puts me to sleep almost instantly.  So I was very interested in the idea of a sound machine.  If you have trouble sleeping, you can choose from several different kinds of sounds.  You can even pick plain white noise, if you are one of those window box fan people.

The Marsona DS-600A is our top of the line Sound Machine.  It has the greatest selection of different sounds available.  Now you can enjoy the Surf as it meets the sand of the beach, a calm, gentle rain with the rhythm of a distant thunderstorm, or the steady, constant background of “White Sound”.  Relax to the sounds of a babbling Brook, the gentle lapping water at the Lakeshore, or the sounds of crickets and spring peepers on a Country Eve.  The sounds on the Marsona DS-600A are the favorite and most requested sounds based on years of Marsona customer feedback.

It is also completely portable.  It uses 4 AA batteries, so it is great for those who travel and have trouble sleeping.  You can even use it in the car or unfamiliar bedroom to help babies and small children fall asleep.  An international model is even available for those running on 240v current.

Set the timer and it will even shut itself off after 60 minutes.

It is the perfect thing for those who need to sleep in an environment where there are distracting noises that keep you from falling asleep.  Forget about the noisy neighbor or that pesky garbage truck.  Also great for those who suffer from tinnitus, the soft gentle waves or rain sounds will drown out the ringing in your ears.

The Marsona DS-600A Sound Machine will help those who have trouble sleeping to sleep better.

Popularity: 20% [?]

This Article appeared on Mercury News.com out in Silicon Valley CA.  “When teens hit puberty, their internal circadian clocks wind forward 1 to 3 hours, meaning they need 9 hours of sleep on average, a couple more hours than their younger siblings”.  As the parent of a pair of active teenagers, I can attest to the difficulty of getting them to bed at a reasonable hour.  After school, sports and homework there is so little time left.  Some days it is a struggle to get it all done and get them to bed before 10pm.  But the more we know about sleep, the more we learn that it is critical to their overall health and well being.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Today we had an interesting question about the SunUp Dawn Simulator. The customer was asking questions about product features. This is what the manufacturer told us:
The SunUp has a programmable dawn feature that can be set from 1 minute in length to 3 hours long.
The light stays on for about 30 minutes. Oddly, the manufacturer and I both use the SunUp every day but have never been able to lay in bed long enough for the light to turn off on its own.

Popularity: 36% [?]

SunUp from Light Therapy Products

Today I talked to the manufacturer of the SunUp Dawn Simulator. He has been fielding many calls for so called “defective units”. The defect turns out to be operator error. When people get their SunUp, they are anxious to test the unit. They set the clock and then set the dawn feature to “go off” or be at full brightness in 5 minutes. This is not possible for the clock to do if the sunrise is set for longer than 4 minutes. In that case, the clock would begin its sunrise 30 minutes before the alarm time. If you want to test the unit, set the alarm for 1-2 hours from the current time.
Another concern that people have is that the light may not wake them up. Go ahead and set your regular alarm clock as a back up for the first week, if you are nervous that the light won’t be enough to wake you. That way you will wake up refreshed and sleep deeply knowing that you will be woken up by the light or your back up alarm. As you gain confidence that the light is indeed waking you every day, you can skip setting the back up alarm clock.
Once you get woken up by this gently process, you’ll wonder how you ever survived being jolted awake in the dark!

Popularity: 29% [?]

Two separate articles about sleeping pills crossed my screen this past week. I found both interesting and worth sharing. The focus seems to be that sleeping pills are not meant to be a long–term solution for trouble sleeping or sleep disorders. The underlying cause of the sleep disorders should be the focus.

http://mayoclinic.com/health/sleeping-pills/SL00010

The second article is written by a pharmacist and speaks directly about the sleep aid Ambien and its risks. I had to try to connect to this link several times, but it was worth it.

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090808/LIFESTYLES06/308089983/0/LIFESTYLES21

Popularity: 80% [?]

More and more people are having trouble sleeping due to sleeping disorders

-Only 20% of teenagers get enough sleep (8-10 hours is optimal)

-A study done at the University of Michigan states that children who get less than 9.75 hours of sleep are 40% more likely to be overweight by sixth grade.

-The same study shows a direct correlation between the hours of sleep a child gets and their risk for obesity.

The rate for obesity declines with more sleep.

-29% of the people with sleep disorders are depressed.

-Over 2 million children suffer from sleep disorders

-Adults who sleep less than 7 hours have a high risk for weight gain.

-Only 20% of teens get adequate sleep.  A survey reported that 16% of teens admit to having trouble sleeping and 28% admit to falling asleep in school.

-New science relates the lack of adequate sleep to increased risk for obesity, depression, alcohol and drug abu

se and future cardiovascular disease.

-Adolescents with a history of having trouble sleeping are twice as likely to have ADHD as those without.  Some ADHD medications can exacerbate the trouble sleeping.

-A good night of quality sleep is key to memory and learning.  Our brain takes information into our short term memory and moves to the long term memory during sleep.

How can you and your family get the quality and ideal amount of sleep?

-Set a sleep schedule and do your best to keep it!

-Stay away from caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners, as well as alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.

-Stay physically active and exercise early in the day.

-Have a relaxing bedtime routine to get your body ready for sleep

-Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day.

-Get lots of bright light in the morning.

-Drink 8-10 eight ounce glasses of water per day.  Even mild dehydration (1/2 cup of your body’s water) could turn into low-grade chronic fatigue.

-Naps are ok but try to limit them to 15 minutes.

-Go to bed when you are sleepy.  If you don’t fall asleep in 15-20 minutes get up and leave the bedroom.

-Move the television out of the bedroom.

-Keep the bedroom cool and add blankets if you are chilly.

Light therapy products has many different products to help with sleeping disorders.

There are many products designed to help capture that sometimes elusive deep sleep.  Aromatherapy seems to be gaining popularity because the scents can be changed to address specific issues.  Lavender promotes relaxation while peppermint clears sinuses and has a calming quality. There are sleep and relaxation CDs that help the body as well as the mind to relax.  A good quality ionizer can cle

an the air of pollutants and impurities to ease breathing and relaxation. Dust mite bedding covers help to reduce the allergens on sheets, mattresses, and pillows.  Bed linens made with natural fibers breathe helping

to maintain comfortable temperatures. There are many things to

try, but the important thing is to keep searching for the combination that is right

for you and your body. Get the rejuvenating sleep that your body deserves every night.

Popularity: 90% [?]

Discover new products to help if you have trouble sleeping.

It seems like when we are under stress, our quality of sleep seems to suffer.  During times of stress, we need great quality sleep more than ever!  At Light Therapy Products, we have many customers who complain about having trouble sleeping along with chronic sleep disorders.  In order to address this, we have begun to add a product line for sleep and relaxation.

We will be adding more items weekly after product reviews and testing.  I can personally attest to the fantastic cds by Dr David Illig.  These cds relax the body by convincing it that it is not in physical danger, which triggers the fight vs. flight response.  These cds have helped me to relax and feel rested when nothing else seems to work.  A friend recommended them telling me that she had used them during her divorce when she was having trouble sleeping.  I have passed them on to friends who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, job loss, divorce, and all types of stress which can attribute to trouble sleeping.  Protect your sleep so that you can deal more rationally with whatever comes your way.

Popularity: 96% [?]

Learn how to stop having trouble sleeping this spring with products from Light Therapy Products

Spring here is beautiful and very much alive.

The trees are budding, the egret and the bluebirds have returned, and things are starting to turn green.

Traditionally, this is a slower time of year for us here at Light Therapy Products.  However, this year, we are making some exciting changes to our website and product line.

We have added a section of sleep and relaxation products, and we are continuing to add to our product offerings!

Soon, the sleep/relaxation section will have its own landing page icon so that it is easy to find.

We are still building the new product line but there are already some great things available to help you if you’re having trouble sleeping.

• Dawn simulator alarm clocks
• White noise generators
• Pillows
• Compact Discs
• Headphones
• Aromatherapy Candles and Oils
• And some great new books.

So many of our customers tell us that they have trouble sleeping.  Although light boxes and sunrise alarm clocks can help with that, we have been looking for a broader range of products that can help more people.  We have personally used some of the products, and we look forward to your feedback on the rest of the items.

An important part of having and maintaining energy is being well rested.  I recently read some great tips for getting quality sleep:

-Time evening work outs more than 2-3 hours before sleep.

-Limit or eliminate caffeine (even decaf has caffeine) after 3pm if you are having trouble sleeping.

-Keep your bedroom below 62 degrees for better brain function.

-If you have trouble regulating your body temperature at night, try wearing socks to bed.  Your body’s thermostat is often connected with the feet.  If they are warm, your body furnace won’t crank the heat.

-Make sure that your bedroom is reserved for romance and sleep-that’s it.  Remove any items or activities that detract from the peaceful and calming atmosphere that the bedroom should be and are causing you to have trouble sleeping.  Your body will learn that this is a place of relaxation.
- Start your day off in a brand new way with one of our dawn simulators.  These great clocks wake the body with light instead of sound.  You can make have your own personal sunrise every day. The light tells the body to come out of the deep sleep cycle and get up for the day.  With 4 or more months of dark mornings, doesn’t that sound great?!  Then to wake the body fully, try using a light box, taking a brisk walk or doing your version of a work out.  Nothing says wake up like deep breathing and bright light therapy!

Popularity: 100% [?]