“All About Your Body Clock”

 

FEEL THE RHYTHM: Your body has tiny clocks all over the place to keep everything running smoothly. But the master one in your brain calls the shots and drives your circadian rhythm. That’s your 24-hour cycle that controls things like your body temperature, hunger, and -- the big one -- sleep. And that clock is wired directly to your eyes, so light has a big effect on it.

WHAT MAKES YOU TICK: When you open your eyes in the morning, light floods your brain. It turns certain genes on and off to get you revved up for the day. It also tells your brain to stop making melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. Later, as the day fades, darkness flips the melatonin switch back on to set you up for sleep.

LARKS AND OWLS: Most people’s clocks run on about the same schedule. But some are a little outside the typical range. Larks rise early, alert and raring to go. Owls? You have to drag them out of bed, but once evening rolls around, they’re on it. Scientists think larks may have slightly faster clocks, and owls slower ones. Fast, slow, or in between are all fine. The key is to work with your clock, not against it.

HOW YOUR CLOCK SHIFTS WITH AGE: As you get older, your body clock goes through a few changes. Newborns sleep up to 17 hours a day, while teens need more like 10. Teens also tend to stay up later and sleep in longer. As you move into adulthood, you typically settle in to 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. And after age 65, you might see other shifts, like waking up earlier.

IS YOUR SCHEDULE KEEPING YOU DOWN? You might think you can pull a string of late nights and make up the lost sleep on the weekend. But that’s like being on a leaky boat and thinking, “I’ll bail it out on Saturday.” Your body craves routine, and late nights and sleeping in can keep you out of sync. If you do grab some extra shuteye, limit it to an hour, two at the most.

JET LAG: Going from L.A. to New York may not seem like a big deal. But the next morning, when your alarm clocks says 7 a.m., your body clock’s groaning that it’s only on 4 a.m. You’ll adjust, but it might take a few days. The more time zones you cross, the worse it is, especially if you fly east. And changing our clocks twice a year for daylight saving time is like jet lag without leaving the ground.

LACK OF RHYTHM TAKES A TOLL: When your clock’s off, it doesn’t just mess up your sleep. Your hormones, digestion, and even your immune system can take a hit, too. Scientists think fighting against your clock can make you sick. Some studies show connections between circadian rhythms that are out of whack and conditions like cancer, diabetes, bipolar disorder, and obesity.

ARE NAPS GOOD OR BAD? They can be good as long as you’re smart about them. A 20- to 30-minute nap in the early to mid-afternoon can make you more relaxed, alert, and productive. It can boost your mood, too. And it usually won’t cause problems with sleeping at night. But longer naps can leave you feeling out of it and may keep you awake when you don’t want to be. And naps are no substitute for good sleep habits.

REFRESH WITH ROUTINE: When you need to get yourself back on track, nothing beats boring. A regular schedule, day in and day out, is one of the best things you can do. Go to bed at the same time each night, then wake up at the same time each morning. Rinse and repeat. Aim to keep the time the same within half an hour on both ends, and you’ll be off to a strong start.

RESET YOURSELF, BUT NOT ALL AT ONCE: If you want to shift your bedtime from midnight to 10, it’s best to take small steps to get there. One big leap might just be frustrating. Instead, shoot for 11:45 for a night or two. Then shift to 11:30. Keep dialing back in 15-minute chunks. It’ll take a little longer, but it’s more likely to stick.

DIM THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT: We used to sleep in caves with no beds, pillows, or white noise machines. It worked because it was dark. So, think about a sort of second sunset at night -- inside your house instead of outside. At least an hour before bed, turn the TV off and dim the lights. Put away the phones, tablets, and anything that glows. Grab a book, put on some chill music, or take a bath and relax.

KEEP IT LIGHT IN THE MORNING: If you’re doing your best to get up at the same time every day but your body’s not playing along, pull those curtains open wide. Turn on the bright lights. Go for a short walk outside. Basically, load your brain up with brightness so you can cut off that melatonin supply. Have your coffee but drink it in a sunny spot for an even stronger effect.

CAN EXERCISE HELP? Yes. People who hit the gym in the early morning tend to get better sleep all around. An afternoon workout can be a good idea, too. Your body temp is higher then, which is good for your muscles. But don’t exercise within 2 hours of your bedtime, because it may rev you up and make you more alert. That’s not true for everyone, though, so pay attention to what works for you.

BEWARE THE LATE-NIGHT SNACK: Who can sleep with a grumbling stomach? But it’s not a good idea to eat right before bed. Your best bet is to fill up at dinner at the same time each night, a few hours before bed. And stay away from heavy meals, spicy foods, and caffeine in the later hours. If you do snack, try a carb with a protein, like cheese and crackers.

DIGITAL SLEEP THIEVES: You close up your laptop after another long day, brush your teeth, and hit the hay. Or maybe you zone out and relax with some TV or a look at your social media feeds. What’s the harm? Computers, TVs, and phones cast a type of blue light that can tell your brain to stop making melatonin. A better way to get ready for a good night’s sleep is to read or listen to relaxing music.

WHEN YOU NEED MORE HELP: Your rhythm can get so out of whack that you need treatment for it. If that happens, one option is bright-light therapy to reset your clock. You’ll work with a sleep specialist and use special lights 1 to 2 hours every day at specific times. Your doctor might also suggest a melatonin supplement or chronotherapy. That’s when you make small changes to your sleep schedule over time until you’re back on track.

TIPS FOR SHIFT WORKERS: If you wake up at night to go to work, flip on the bright lights as soon as you get up. Quick exercises like jumping jacks or a short walk can help, too. At work, keep it as bright as you can. If you head home when it’s light out, wear sunglasses, and once you’re back at your place, use blackout curtains in your bedroom to block out as much light as possible.

REVIEWED BY: Nayana Ambardekar, MD, WebMD, on November 09, 2019

National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Biomedical Beat: “Turn Back Every Clock,” “Circadian Rhythms Fact Sheet.”

National Sleep Foundation: “What Are Some Circadian Rhythm Disorders?” “Circadian Rhythm and Your Body Clock,” “How to Get on a Sleep Schedule,” “How to Become a Morning Person,” “4 Tips to Maximize Your Circadian Sleep-Wake Rhythm,” “Is It Bad to Watch TV Right Before Bed?” “How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Need?” “Catching Up on Sleep,” “Improve Your Sleep on a Shift-Based Schedule,” “What Is Circadian Rhythm?” Napping.”

Harvard Medical School: “Individual Variation and the Genetics of Sleep,” “Napping May Not Be Such a No-No.”

Nature: “Circadian Rhythms: Of Owls, Larks, and Alarm Clocks.”

UCLA Health: “Circadian Rhythms,” “Sleep and Health.”

Science: “Why Late Nights Are Bad for Your Immune System.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Circadian Rhythm Disorders.”

Sleep Health Foundation: “Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS).”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.  

“How Breathing Right Can Improve Your Life”

 

Focusing on your breath can reduce stress, spice up your sex life, help you burn more calories, and more.

TAKE A BREATH: For something so basic, we sure do get it wrong sometimes. "Breathing is the most important thing we do, but the thing we pay the least amount of attention to," says Belisa Vranich, PsyD, author of Breathe ($11; amazon.com). "Our breathing has gotten so dysfunctional that we think it's normal," she says. Turns out, you can use a better breath to fight anxiety, sleep better, and exercise harder. Here are situations where adjusting your breathing can make a huge difference.

WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED: You're in the middle of a work project, and it's not going well. You won't even notice it, but your natural reaction is to take quick and shallow breaths, which actually increases your body's stress response. "The fastest way to stop anxiety is to slow your breathing down to about five breaths per minute," says Patricia Gerbarg, MD, co-author of The Healing Power of Breath ($14; amazon.com) and assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at New York Medical College. Breathe gently and naturally without overfilling your lungs and without forcing the air out, she advises.

WHEN YOU’RE IN PAIN: Whether you've just stubbed your toe, you're nursing a splitting headache, or you have a painful chronic condition, the way you breathe may bring relief. In one small study published in Pain Medicine, volunteers who used a deep, slow breathing technique had a higher pain threshold when their skin was exposed to a very hot or very cold stimulus. Another study concluded deep breathing was ineffective for managing pain in ER patients, but that the majority of those who'd received instruction on deep breathing techniques felt it was useful.

DURING SEX: "Performance anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and problems reaching orgasm can make people anxious about sex," says Ian Kerner, sex therapist and author of She Comes First ($12; amazon.com). He recommends controlled mindful breathing, which can make you more aware of the sensations in your body and track your sexual response. To do it, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You can even count one-two in your head to help you relax. Need to take it up a notch? "I encourage patients to imagine their breath going into their genitals," he says. Visualizing it this way "can make you feel as if your genitals are becoming alive and activated, which can help with orgasm."

FOR CONCENTRATION: For those times that you need to hunker down and get into the zone, Dr. Gerbarg recommends taking a few short, forceful breaths. "Breathe in sharply and breathe out forcefully while shouting 'ha'," she says. (Maybe close your office door while you do this one.) Aim for 20 breaths per minute but do it for no more than 3 to 5 minutes, she advises. One warning: if you have high blood pressure, avoid this type of breathing.

TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS: Mindfulness is a big buzzword these days; benefits of this meditation-like practice include helping you control your emotions, bettering your relationships, and reducing anxiety and depression. Mindfulness means slowing down and noticing the moment you're in, whether that be the warm water over your hands while you do the dishes or how gorgeous the morning sunrise is. Dr. Gerbarg suggests focusing your awareness on your breath, paying attention to how it moves in and out. This method will slow down breathing and enhance your sense of calm.

ON A RUN: "Breathe through your nose and mouth," says Janet Hamilton, CSCS, exercise physiologist at Running Strong Professional Coaching. You want to relax your jaw so air can move easily through both. (If you use just your nose, for example, you won't be able to take in the same volume of air at the same rate. "It's like using a small garden hose versus a large fire hose," says Hamilton.) This will deliver the oxygen to muscles needed to work properly and perform. Without it, you won't go as far or fast. And don't worry about timing your breathing to your footfall pattern, says Hamilton. You'll naturally fall into a pattern that works for you. "Just relax and do what feels natural," she adds.

ON A RUN…IN WINTER: This is one instance when breathing through just your nose can be an advantage. It may feel more difficult or restricting at first, but it will warm the air before it reaches the lungs, bettering oxygen consumption, says Chip Huss, National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Master Instructor. If that's too hard to do, you can wear a scarf covering your face and breathe through your mouth and nose as normal. Breathing in cold air can cause airways to constrict, so warming the air can help keep airways relaxed, and the oxygen level in your blood stream up, which helps muscles get what they need to perform.

AT SPIN CLASS: Learn to breathe through your nose, then your mouth, advises Huss. But more important than how you breathe is getting into an optimal position to do so. Make sure you hinge at the hip (rather than rounding your back) when leaning over to reach the handlebars, which will give your lungs the space they need to fill with air. Obviously, you don't need those hills to be any harder than they already are.

WHILE LIFTING WEIGHTS: For best muscle power, inhale during the eccentric portion of the lift and exhale during the concentric portion, advises Huss. Translation: let's say you're doing a bicep curl. Exhale as you flex your elbow and curl up and inhale when lowering the weight back down.

DURING HIIT: You know those people killing it in the weight room who are—ahem—noisy breathers? They've got the right idea, especially during HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. Huss counsels clients in the martial arts breathing technique called the "Kiai." "It's a method of generating energy through forceful breathing with your diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles." When you do a Kiai breath, inhale, and then on the exhale make a "shushhhh" sound while letting air out of your teeth and drawing in your navel. To put it into action, take the burpee-pushup. Do the Kiai breath at the very bottom of the pushup and explode out into the jump. On a squat, Kiai at the bottom of the squat while driving your heels into the ground.

IF YOU’RE PREGNANT: The hee-hee-hoo-hoo way of breathing you've seen on TV shows might completely backfire, worsening labor, says Vranich. "I have my client actors huff and puff this way when they need to feel stressed for a role," she says. It puts your body into fight or flight mode. Not exactly what you were going for. During pregnancy and labor, practice cat and cow. On your hands and knees, exhale and round your back up (cat). On the inhale, form an arch at the bottom of your back with your tailbone tipped out (cow). Long inhales and exhales are key. "This form of breathing keeps your and your baby's blood pressure low."

DURING MEDITATION: If you have trouble letting thoughts go during meditation, practice breath awareness, says Dr. Gerbarg. Start with 5 to 10 minutes of "coherent breathing" (or 5 breaths per minute); the slow breath will make it easier to get into a state of meditation.

ON A HIKE: One of the newest health spa trends? Forest bathing. The Japanese practice (called Shinrin-yoku) involves visiting a forest. Breathing in certain organic compounds from trees has been shown to increase immune function and reduce stress. To make the most of it, Dr. Gerbarg suggests coordinating each breath with a certain number of steps, which will relax your breath for an even bigger stress-busting boost. Five breaths per minute is perfect for a leisurely forest walk, she says.

AT BARRE CLASS: In class, you'll do lots of mini pulses while in a squat or lunge, for example. It's so important not to hold your breath—even if that's exactly what you want to do, says Lina Belkin, Chief Training Officer at The Barre Code. For example, take lunge pulses. When you pulse down-down-down, you want to exhale-exhale-exhale. (The inhale will naturally come along). On isometric holds, another staple of barre classes (where you are holding one position until you shake), you may again hold your breath because you don't know if you can keep going, says Belkin. Instead, during the hold you want to inhale deeply, filling up your belly and then exhale by pulling your belly up and in.

AT YOGA: You'll hear the instructor tell you when to inhale and exhale. And it can take practice to follow along. "Don't get hung up on the mental racket of 'I can't do this breath thing,'" says Liza Pitsirilos, Co-Founder of WHEALTH, LLC and Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa Mind Body Programming Leader and yoga Instructor. Rather than trying to time your breaths, think about breathing into specific areas of your body. "This is a tool for healing," she says. For example, if you are having relationship problems, it may help to breathe through your heart. Or if you're having a lot of anxiety and GI problems, you might want to imagine breathing through your stomach.

IN A VINYASA FLOW YOGA CLASS: Vinyasa—or flow yoga—is different from other forms of yoga because you are doing quicker movements that "flow" together. Because the poses go so fast, "most people go back to their habitual short shallow breathing because they are in struggle mode," says Pitsirilos. So, slow your breath down and pace your movements according to your breath. (One movement per breath.) Don't worry about going the same pace as the class—what matters more is that you make the most out of your practice.

AT PILATES: Some people hold their breath just to bust out an extra rep, says Scott Danberg, Director of Fitness at the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa. "This unsafe breathing practice will lead to a rise in pressure in the chest, which can cause dizziness," he says. To do it right, inhale whenever the movement "feels" easier and exhale when the movement "feels" harder, he advises. You can use the technique for ab exercises and stretching, too, he says.

IF YOU HAVE COPD: Having COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) makes it difficult to breathe. The COPD Foundation recommends two techniques to get you the air you need without having to work so hard. The first is diaphragmatic breathing, which we already went over. The other is pursed-lips breathing: Breathe in through your nose for about 2 seconds. Pucker your lips, and breathe out very slowly—two to three times longer than you spent breathing in. Repeat.

IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA: More than 25 million people (including 7 million children) in the United States have asthma. Asthma can't be cured, and having it requires careful management using long-term control and short-acting medications, avoiding triggers, and regularly checking in with a doctor. Breathing exercises under the guidance of a trained therapist may also help. In a 2014 review of studies published in the journal Breathe, researchers concluded that learning fairly simple breathing exercises can improve a patient's experience with the disease and reduce their need for rescue meds. Talk to your doctor about trying these techniques yourself.

BY: Jessica Migala, Health Magazine, October 19, 2015

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.
 
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the Health Magazine and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the Health Magazine and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Health Magazine and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. Health Magazine and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by Health Magazine, Health Magazine employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of Health Magazine, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.