Little Tricks to Ward Off Insomnia

Posted by admin on Feb 27th, 2008
2008
Feb 27

Did you know that our bodies have internal clocks that tell us when to go to bed and when to get up? If the internal clock gets messed up you probably will get yourself involved in full blown insomnia. There is no question that you need sufficient sleep to function properly. If something cuts short your bedtime hours then you risk becoming ill with insomnia.

There are many techniques you can implement to beat down insomnia. One of these is trying to get back into a standard sleep cycle. Is something new responsible for changing your habits? Find out what it is and eradicate that obstacle to good sleep.

My personal advice is to stay away from sleeping pills. Why? There are many other ways to get rid of insomnia. Use the natural methods first before turning to drugs that can cause you more serious problems down the road.

A friend of mine takes a warm bath every night before she goes to bed. She swears this helps her avoid her insomnia tendencies. Sometimes she will drink some warm milk that helps her avoid heartburn. The heartburn condition can definitely create an insomnia condition in itself.

Another friend of mine will get up when he feels awake even though he knows it is his insomnia that is waking him up. He will grab an academic book he keeps on his nightstand. Needless to say, he is nodding off to dreamland quickly after reading a page or two.

One reader wrote to tell me that he listens to quiet music when he goes to bed. You can take tapes out of the library that are designed to help you go to sleep. Some audios will play wave sounds or a heartbeat to get you in the mood for sleep. Yet another reader swears that keeping the TV on is a sure way to get to sleep quickly!

My liberal friend listens to radio broadcasts of old TV and radio shows. He says this helps but he warns not to listen to political talk shows that can raise the blood pressure quickly!

Personally, I love to take a good nap. But when I get into an episode of insomnia I know to stop taking those naps. In addition I will then try to stay up a little longer at night. I have learned that this combination can be quite effective in helping you get the sleep you need to live a healthy life.

My experience tells me that getting some regular exercise of any type can help get rid of insomnia. I now walk at least a mile every day. I take my four dogs with me to give my neighbors a good smile and to keep the best comapany available to man or woman. They say I look like Charlton Heston driving a chariot! I also spend some time on the indoor bicycle each day. Exercise is always good for general health but it can be a godsend to stop insomnia as well.

Do you have a friend or family member who is adept at massage therapy? You won’t need a professional, just someone who can really rub it in (pardon the pun). A good massage near bedtime can be a nice way to ensure that you nod off quickly.

If you search your own mind and learn to recognize the patterns of your insomnia, you will find your own tricks to ward off the evil insomnia demon.

Greg Cryns is a website promotion expert and the owner of
Wahm Search Engine at http://www.wahmsearchengine.com

He also suffered from insomnia for a number of years so he understands the problems encountered by insomniacs. He is also the founder of Zap Insomnia at http://www.zapinsomnia.info
Sleep well!

Tags: indisposition, , , , , , , , , insomnia, insomnolence, restlessness, sleeplessness, stress, tension, vigil, vigilance

Training Tips That Really Do The Trick

Posted by admin on Feb 26th, 2008
2008
Feb 26

To train your dog, you first need to understand just how your four-footed friend thinks.

Dogs, no matter how cute and cuddly, are descendents of far wilder ancestors - wolves. Though they’ve become more docile and responsive to our commands over the centuries, these beautiful animals have kept their excellent eyesight, keen sense of smell, and their need to be a member of a pack. Only today that pack is you and the other members of your household.

To train your dog, you need to understand, learn and use this to your advantage. A pack has one leader (that’s you) and others (everyone else in the house) who show respect to that leader. Most breeds, with a few exceptions, don’t want to lead the pack; they feel safer with someone else in charge. If your dog senses that you’re a wimp in need of direction, he’ll gladly step into that leadership role and rule the roost. Somebody has to be the top dog - if you won’t, your dog will.

When it comes to training, what you want to do is redirect the dog’s natural inclinations to outlets that are acceptable to you. Training continues the work of building a relationship between you and your faithful companion. The process, done correctly and with patience, helps to establish communication, enhance understanding and is a subtle demonstration of your command over the dog.

Whether house training, training for obedience, or teaching your four footed friend a few more involved tricks to impress company start with an attitude of quiet confidence. From there, use some of these common-sense guidelines while working with your dog:

1. Always be firm and consistent - this will show your dog that he can’t get away with misbehaving, even if he is the cutest thing you’ve ever seen.

2. Keep training sessions short no more than 10 to 15 minutes two times per day, depending on your dog’s attention span.

3. Find a distraction-free place to work choose a quiet, familiar environment free of distractions so the dog’s attention isn’t drawn to other things that make it hard to focus on what you want to teach.

4. Every so often, show your dog who’s boss make him move and take his place, or eat your meal before feeding him his, these simple actions put your pet in his place and establishes you as a leader.

5. Never yell at or hit your dog this teaches him to be nervous and fearful around you and keeps him from learning what you want to teach.

6. Use repetition do things over and over and over again, using the same tone of voice, command and hand gestures until he gets it, reward every time your dog does as you ask.

7. Use reward not only the treats your dog loves, but lavish your dog with praise in a high-pitched, happy voice and add lots of squeals of delight for effect and be sure you say his name frequently.

8. When issuing commands like “sit” or “come” use a low, gruff voice dogs don’t understand any of the words we say, but they do recognize and respond to a change in tone.

9. Practice learned tricks regularly even after he’s got a trick, reinforce what he or she knows by doing the trick again and again every day; teach only one new trick each week.

If you’re having problems training your dog don’t lose hope (or patience). Start by talking to your vet (or breeder) and asking for some suggestions. You might also want to talk with other owners whose doge are well behaved and get some tips and tricks to use. If you like to use the computer, go online to some of the discussion forums devoted to dogs, visit dog.com for example, to talk to other dog owners who are also struggling to get their “best friends” to behave properly.

The time and effort you spend working with your dog will make a huge difference in his life, and yours. Not only will your dog be happier and easier to control in dangerous situations, but also he or she will have more freedom because you can count on your pet to behave properly in your home with company or when you’re out and about.

Valerie Slaughter is a veteran marathoner and author of “You Want To Do What!?” who trained for marathons with her dog, Sam. For more articles, information and tips about caring for pets (dogs, cats) visit: http://doghealthynews.wordpress.com/

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