The National Sleep Foundation has recently posted an article on the connection between sleep and creativity. Speed Sleep is designed to provide an added benefit of increased creative problem solving abilities. The research supports the impact at the REM sleep levels that are achieved by using Speed Sleep. Here is some info from their findings:

Whenever you’re facing a problem or tough decision, you might get the following advice from a friend: “Sleep on it.” According to new findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that might not be a bad idea. Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) or “active” sleep may assist the brain in forming connections between unrelated ideas, a method of creative problem solving. Participants in the study were shown three words and asked to find a fourth that could be associated with the other words. They were tested in the morning and also in the afternoon after a nap — some groups with and some without REM sleep. Researchers found that the REM sleep group’s performance improved by almost 40 percent compared with their morning testing. Study author Sara Mednick said in a statement, “We found that — for creative problems that you’ve already been
working on — the passage of time is enough to find solutions; however, for new problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity.”

Authored by Hui-Ling Lai, PhD., RN, and Marion Good, PH.D. FAAN of Case Western Reserve University’s Francis Payne Boulton School of Nursing were published as “Music Improves Sleep Quality in Older Adults” (Journal of Advanced Nursing, 49 (3), February 2005, p.234-244). The study found that soothing music-specifically music with a tempo of 60-80 beats per minute (BPM)-resulted in significantly better sleep quality, better perceived sleep quality, longer sleep duration, greater sleep efficiency, and more.

Food is also related to sleep by appetite and metabolism. Research by Dr. Van Cauter shows that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have bigger appetites due to the fact that their leptin levels (leptin is an appetite regulating hormone) fall, promoting appetite increase. This link between appetite and sleep provides further evidence that sleep and obesity are linked. To top it off, the psychological manifestations of fatigue, sleep and hunger are similar. Thus, when you’re feeling sleepy you might feel like you need to head for the fridge instead of bed.

Better sleeping has so many benefits that you might doze off trying to read through them all.  But one of the benefits that may seem counter-intuitive is the increase in productivity.  Americans often bring their work home with them or stay late at the office, which cuts into their sleeping hours.
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Sleep aids in medication form often do more harm then good. The idea of popping a pill and falling into a blissful state of heavy rest may very well sound like a dream come true for insomniacs and others with problems sleeping. But it would be naïve to assume that a pill can solve any problem. Rebound insomnia is one of the unfortunate side effects of sleeping pills, and a major reason why when searching for the proper sleep aid, one should look for a healthier alternative than medications.

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Another edition of our popular “Links of the Week” is here to bring you this week’s breaking news about sleep aids and problems during sleep.  Lets dive right into things and get this sleeping informational party started.
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Sleep aids - over the counter pills and prescriptions - are the primary alternatives for people looking for a quick fix to get a good amount of sleep.  However, taking a sleep aid that forces the body to sleep is perhaps one of the worst ways to get an accurate and healthy amount of sleep.  The human brain is not dumb; it can recognize when an artificial sleeping agent is affecting its patterns of functionality.  The result of using taking a pill to get “better” sleep usually comes with multiple negative forms known on the warning labels as: side effects.
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A small, yet extremely beneficial study surrounding the immune system and sleep has provided the medical world with some great results.  It turns out that the immune system becomes more active during sleep, which translates into a better defense for fighting off bacteria and viruses that may attack during the late hours.
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Mention the words “Bed Time” to any child and you may be in for some unwanted complaining.  Yes, most children hate hearing those words; however, children need to get an adequate amount of sleep at a very young age in order to avoid the possibility of developing a sleep problem, and even worse, a behavioral disorder.
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Sleep problems cannot be cured by drinking cup after cup after cup of black coffee.  Coffee, a common morning stimulant, is OK to consume when it’s done in moderation.  However, over consumption of caffeine rich items, such as coffee, can lead to some annoying side effects that can actually decrease someone’s productivity throughout the day.
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