Optimising sleep for night shift
Mood and sleep
It’s no surprise that sleep, or a lack of sleep, affects our mood. One sleepless night will cause most people to be more irritable, short-tempered and stressed. After a good night’s sleep, your mood often returns to normal. Whilst sleep does affect mood, mood also affects sleep. People suffering anxiety or stress will experience agitation,……
Managing stress and Fatigue
Stress is something that has been with us for a long time. Even though the cause of our stress has changed, the response in the mind and body has remained the same. When stressed or in danger, the body engages its “fight or flight” response. This response evolved in ancient times when stressors were often……
How much sleep do you need?
The amount of sleep that people require varies between individuals depending on many factors. Age is a major determinant of the quantity of sleep. The table below provides a general guide to the number of hours sleep needed through the stages of life. Children generally require more hours of sleep each day, while for most……
Sleep Disorders
It is estimated that 6% of the population suffer from sleep disorders. Sleep disorders may make some health conditions worse such as, heartburn, depression, asthma and heart disease. Sleep disorders are diagnosed by a GP or sleep specialist. If you are experiencing poor sleep and have some of the following symptoms, you may want to……
Body weight & fatigue
EXCESS BODY FAT INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMEONE GETTING FATIGUED Imagine walking around all day with a backpack on containing a 10 kg brick. Wouldn’t you feel more tired at the end of the day? Well, body fat is “excess weight” you simply have to carry around. The more you have to carry, the more……
Is it possible to have too much sleep each night?
It is still largely unknown how many exact hours of sleep per day are needed in adults, according to their age, their environmental and socio-cultural characteristics. It is generally cited that 7-8 hours of sleep is sufficient for adults and there is ongoing research to identify what is the optimal sleep need. However, there is……
Who is responsible for your fatigue?
Fatigue affects everyone, at some time or another!…making US ALL responsible! When someone is fatigued, who is the first person to experience the effects? That’s right…you are! You will experience the adverse effects of fatigue long before you have a fatigue-related incident. Anyone who has fallen asleep at the wheel will have felt the effects……
Top 10 sleep tips
Poor sleep habits have often been reinforced over many years. The good news is that there are some common things you can do that will improve your sleep hygiene. Different things may work for different people. The main thing is to try not to worry about not getting enough sleep. The odd poor night’s sleep……
What can you do to manage fatigue?
Taking action against fatigue happens in two forms: 1) the action you take when you experience fatigue; and 2) the action you take to prevent fatigue and therefore become more fatigue resistant. Figure 1 below summarises the causes of fatigue and identifies the areas that need to be focused on to build fatigue resistance. Although……
Are you exercising hard enough?
A word of caution.If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do……