10 Tips for Better Sleep Hygiene

Sufficient sleep isn't a luxury, but a necessity.

(NewsUSA) - Between office meeting and errands, sports practice and studies, many people sacrifice sleep for a few more hours of productivity. According to the National Sleep Foundation, fewer than half of Americans report getting adequate sleep every night.

But sleep deprivation results in more than just yawns. Inadequate sleep has been linked to depression, weight gain, hypertension, poor concentration and memory retention, and accidents.

Take driving, an activity that most Americans perform daily. In a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, 54 percent of respondents said that they have driven while drowsy. Twenty-eight percent confessed to falling asleep at the wheel. People know that alcohol impairs driving, but too few consider sleep deprivation's effect on their motor skills. Drowsy driving causes thousands of accidents each year.

Setting aside seven to eight hours for sleeping isn't a luxury -; it's a necessity. The American Sleep Apnea Association offers 10 tips for better sleep hygiene:

1. Set a sleep schedule, and stick to it.

2. Don't nap for more than 45 minutes a day.

3. Avoid excessive alcohol intake within four hours of bedtime. Do not smoke.

4. Avoid caffeine six hours before bedtime.

5. Avoid spicy food six hours before bedtime.

6. Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.

7. Use comfortable bedding.

8. Keep your room at a comfortable temperature.

9. Block out noise, and eliminate as much light as possible.

10. Do not use the bed as an office, workroom or recreation room.

If you feel tired even after sleeping eight hours, an undiagnosed sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, may be to blame. In sleep apnea, the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep, blocking the airway. Sufferers wake up for a few seconds every time they stop breathing, sometimes hundreds of times a night. Visit www.sleepapnea.org to find out your "Snore Score," or the likelihood that you have sleep apnea. The disorder can be treated, so it's important to speak to a doctor if you experience excessive daytime fatigue.

Study Links ED to Heart Attack

Erectile dysfunction can indicate a more serious health problem.
(NewsUSA) - A new study suggests that men experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED) need to worry about more than their sex life -- in men with cardiovascular disease, ED can indicate a greater risk of heart attack.

The study of 1,500 men, which was published in "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association," found that men with both ED and cardiovascular disease were twice as likely to have a heart attack than men with cardiovascular disease, but no ED. And the worse the ED, the greater the risk.

This research only confirms what doctors have known for years -- men need to take ED seriously.

The male organ serves as the barometer of a man's overall health, with dysfunction often acting as a precursor for other existing or potential health issues. Studies have established that men with ED are more likely to develop heart problems like heart attack, cardiac death, stroke and angina, or chest pain. ED can also be an early sign of diabetes, high cholesterol levels and other physical ailments. Even mild symptoms of ED can mean that there are issues in other parts of a man's body.

Before addressing ED, men should make sure that they are otherwise healthy. Doctors who specifically deal with sexual dysfunction issues, such as physicians with Boston Medical Group ( http://www.bostonmedicalgroup.com ), can identify underlying issues that may be causing ED.

Treatment is available even for men with diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and kidney or liver problems, who often have trouble taking oral medications for ED, due to potentially serious systemic side effects. Intracavernous pharmocotherapy (ICP) -- a small and minimally invasive injection of a combination of FDA-approved medications -- may be a better option. Other alternatives include intraurethral suppository and vacuum suction devices.

Sex is an important part of physical, psychological and emotional health. Men experiencing ED should ask their doctor about treatment options -- but only after looking for underlying health issues that may be causing the problem.