Smoking and sleep

Nicotine can hamper a person's ability to fall asleep or get good quality sleep. Studies have shown that the average smoker gets 30 minutes less sleep compared to non-smokers. Trouble getting to sleep after a cigarette is likely due to the stimulatory effect of nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal during later sleep periods may also affect sleep…

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Getting enough exercise

We’ve talked about all the benefits of physical activity, but how do we know your fitness is causing you to lack energy and feel fatigued? Ask yourself these questions: Do you breathe heavily after walking up a short flight of stairs?Do you need to take a break or rest if you walk for 1 hour?Are……

An introduction to sleep

Sleep is common throughout the animal kingdom. We do know there is still a lot to be leaned about sleep, despite considerable research. All animals require sleep and no permanent non sleeping species exists. Even plants and bacteria have a regular period of rest and inactivity. Humans spend one-third of their lives sleeping. Far from……

Optimising sleep for night shift

In a 2018 article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ 2018;360:j5637 doi: 10.1136/bmj.j5637 [Published 1 March 2018]) the topic of optimsing sleep for night shift was covered with the aim to provide sleep management skills for the individual. The article presents the best evidence from trials, guidance material and expert opinion, but outlines the limited……

Napping

Effective napping is a skill, which cannot be achieved by everyone. Napping cannot replace sleep, but can assist in times of sleep debt, extreme tiredness and/or when heightened alertness is required for your safety, such as driving a car. Naps may improve subsequent performance and alertness for a period of time, ranging from 2 to……

Avoiding injury when exercising

Regardless of your exercise choice, one truth applies to everyone: preparation can prevent injury. Many common exercise injuries stem from overlooking two basics: warm-up and stretching. Warm-up: The idea of a warm-up is to swing your body into gear gradually – not suddenly. A good warm-up consists of slow, deliberate, rhythmic movements that are similar……

Assessing your Fatigue

Your personal safety, and the safety of those around you, is dependent on three factors when it comes to fatigue: recognition that you are feeling fatigued;understanding the potential consequences of an accident whilst doing the task; andtaking action to manage your fatigue. You may be able to do some tasks during times of fatigue if……

Should burning fat kilojoules be my goal?

NO – burning energy whatever its source should be the major goal of exercise when trying to lose body fat. The reason is that 37,000 kilojoules of energy equals one kilogram of fat. So if we eat an extra 37,000 kilojoules in a week we would gain a kilogram and if we eat 37,000 fewer……

What is fatigue amnesia?

Have you ever driven into your driveway at home and on arrival thought to yourself, How did I get here? I cannot recall the trip home or the last part of the trip. You may have suffered from fatigue amnesia. Amnesia, in simple terms, is the loss of memory. Fatigue amnesia is where a person……

What factors increase the risk of a fatigue-related incident?

The following factors have been found to increase the risk of fatigue-related incidents (e.g. lane crossings) and accidents By planning your journey more carefully, you are more likely to stay fresh and vigilant at the wheel, safeguarding your own safety and the safety of others. The strategies outlined in the Journey Planning Guiding Principles document……

Smoking and sleep

Nicotine can hamper a person’s ability to fall asleep or get good quality sleep. Studies have shown that the average smoker gets 30 minutes less sleep compared to non-smokers. Trouble getting to sleep after a cigarette is likely due to the stimulatory effect of nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal during later sleep periods may also affect sleep……