5 Sleeping Disorders and Celebrates Who Have Them

It's true – celebrities are just like everyone else, you can even ask People Magazine. That's a mantra that's true even with sleeping disorders. Whether you suffer from one yourself or are looking toward keeping your nightly routine in check, take a look at these well-known sleep sufferers and how they help keep their conditions under control. 

Narcolepsy – Jimmy Kimmel

The comedian and late night talk show host has admitted to being extremely tired throughout the day, causing him to fall asleep often, especially in the afternoons. After being diagnosed and treating his narcolepsy with drugs, Kimmel has admitted his case is "fairly mild," and he actually benefits from its unique qualities, such as being able to fall asleep very quickly.  

Sleep Apnea, Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq's size is most often pointed as the cause of his sleep apnea, a fact he also agrees causes his loss of sleep. After being tired and with complaints of snoring from his girlfriend, he participated in a sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Shaq said he found relief with a nasal CPAP mask, after finding that other masks wouldn't fit his large figure.

Side note- Gene Simmons (Kiss bassist) was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea on his biopic "Family Jewels" TV series.  Here is a clip:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YIClbypooE

Snoring, Kevin Jonas

According to his wife, the Jonas brother snores far louder than the average person. Though the noise waves fluctuate, she admits to opting for the guest bedroom when his noises are unbearable. 

Sleepwalking, Jennifer Aniston

The actress says she has sleepwalked on a number of occasions, most often when under a large amount of stress or after not getting enough sleep. Tens of other famous folks attribute sleepwalking to their lack of routine. 

Insomnia, Madonna

The same goes for not being able to sleep. With stress and grueling schedules, Madonna, along with plenty other industry cohorts admit to difficulties falling asleep. Most agree that travel and inconsistent hours, along with schedules that are constantly changing, are some of the biggest offenders. 

Are you suffering from one of these sleeping orders? Consider lifestyle changes or talk with your doctor to find a personalized method to keep your sleeping habits under control.  

Continue Reading

De-stress and Loosen Your Muscles

Whether you are aware of your stress level at any given time, it can greatly affect your personal health. Your mood, your comfort level, how well you're able to interact with others – it's all affected by the amount of stress (or lack thereof) you're dealing with. 

Why Stress Matters

When you aren't able to relax, when your mind is racing and constantly worried about something, your body follows suit. Your shoulders clench in, muscles become tense, you're tight and ready to twinge a body part any time you move too quickly. Being stressed comes with the inability to relax – that's part of the definition. When your mind isn't able to calm itself, neither is anything else; you will carry that tension for as long as you're worked up. 

However, relaxing is an important part of creating rest. Even if you're unable to sleep, you can do the body plenty of good by sitting and letting your muscles breathe. A small catnap or "resting your eyes" can provide similar results. It's a short amount of time where the body lays still, isn't exerting energy, and can catch up on its necessary functions. 

When this can't be done all on your own, it's a good idea to locate the source of your stress and do your best to eliminate it. Problem solve or move the most stressful of daily tasks off of your plate (as realistically as possible). Then look toward relaxation techniques like soothing scents, massage, exercise, or talk to a loved one about what has you so worked up all the time. Hopefully, by approaching your stress from various areas you can work to eliminate as much of it as possible. And, in the process, allow your body some much needed muscle relaxation and some hard-earned rest.  

Continue Reading

Get Better Sleep By De-Stressing Your Life

Did you know that stress level has an incredible effect on our sleeping habits? Even in the smallest amounts, it can work to keep us awake at night or lessen the amounts of rest we’re able to achieve. Even when we’re at our most tired. Not sleeping, however, then leads to even more stress, only perpetuating the process. 

But de-stressing is a process in and of itself, and almost never as easy as it sounds. 

Once they achieve it, folks can get more and deeper sleep while saving their waking hours for clearly planned out tasks. Not worrying about what and when something is slated to take place (whether or not that ever happens), or whatever other type of stress weighs heavily on one’s mind. With such incredible perks, however, folks aren’t likely to give up on de-stressing so easily. 

They look to tactics such as exercise, massages, eating healthier (or eating a comfort food), scented candles, and more. De-stressing might just be as easy as finishing off your to-do list for the day. Some have been shown to work in various degrees –sometimes in tandem with one another, and sometimes, not at all. 

The tricky part is that no two people deal with stress the same way. Meaning they aren’t able to eliminate it the same way, either. Over time, you’ll learn better as to how to remove stress from your life. And how to keep it from not letting you sleep. Only by truly relaxing – not only the body, but the mind, will you be able to better handle the day’s tasks without letting them spill into your nighttime routine. 

To work on improving your rest levels, especially when the body is most stressed, work on a tactic that lets your mind relax. It’s a proven way to drift into deeper and more restful bouts of sleep. 

Continue Reading

Jetlag-induced Stress Measured to Reduce Side Effects

Anyone who has ever traveled knows just how difficult it can be to adjust to a new time zone. The body just wasn't meant to switch gears so quickly. Meal times change, as do sleeping schedules. Not to mention the tired, rundown feeling we get from sitting on a plane (or in a car, or in an airport) for hours on end. And the combination of it all can lead to some serious jet lag. Jet lag that affects our moods, behavior, and our ability to fight off germs. Which is why people often become sick after traveling. That and the exposure to so many people and their respective germs.

Compiling all of these variables, however, undoubtedly leads to stress. Even the threat of jet lag is enough to cause many some seriously uneasy tendencies. Which is why one airline took it upon themselves to measure each of these stress causing factors. But what's even more interesting is how they did it. Through blankets called “happiness blankets.” 

For the experiment, British Airways compiled a plane of willing participants, and covered them each with a blanket that measured various bodily functions with nodules. Such as heart rate, temperature, etc., all of which were able to determine just how jet lagged or stressed a person had become. That data was then paired against outside causes, like length of flight, lighting, position of seats, mealtimes, and more. Then, by seeing which areas cause the most stress, they hope to adjust in order to make flights as comfortable as possible. One of the biggest finds is that it’s important to let passengers sleep for as long as possible. British Airways has been able to accomplish this by allowing seats to further recline, allowing for darker cabins, and avoiding multiple service routes through nighttime hours. 

Though flying is still likely to cause ongoing stress, airlines are looking into lowering those factors by the very way that we fly. Hopefully, by better adjusting toward jet lag-free routines, flyers of all lengths will have better experiences both before and after their traveling routine. 

Continue Reading