1. Plenty of R&R (rest and relaxation) can boost your mood, focus and energy. Conversely, people with poor sleep habits experience higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety.

2. Want your kids to get A’s and B’s? Make sure they catch their Z’s. Well-rested equals alert in the classroom, and a regular sleep routine may boost math and literacy scores. Some schools are even starting later in an effort to help kids improve learning.

3. Reap the benefits of beauty sleep. When the body is sleep-deprived it produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can cause weight gain and oily skin.

4. Getting your eight hours in could cut your risk for chest pain, heart attack and stroke. A recent study by West Virginia University indicates that people who sleep five hours daily are more than twice as likely to experience these problems.

5. Rest is a responsibility, and apparently so is justice. In a study that appears in SLEEP, Swedish naval officers were more likely to act morally and make moral judgments when fully rested.

1. Your thyroid helps regulate your sleep patterns. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can cause difficulty sleeping, fatigue and irritability.

2. Believe it or not, menstruation can affect your sleep patterns. Two in three women experience menstrual insomnia—disturbed sleep due to tossing and turning and general menstrual discomfort.

3. Maybe you do sleep, but continue to experience tiredness regardless of how much sleep you get? If you snore, have a dry throat on waking or regularly become irritable, you may want to talk to your doctor. This could be a symptom of sleep apnea.

4. Your sweetie slumbers soundly while you lay awake at night, so you decide to wake him up. Sound familiar? Ladies, you may have a case of sleep envy. You’re not alone, either. Up to 40 percent of women envy the ease with which their darlings doze. Jealous much?

5. Some people toss and turn through the night before finding sleep. If this is caused by painful or irritating tingling or tugging in your lower limbs, you may have a condition known as restless leg syndrome (RLS).

Want to keep up with the latest sleep science? Visit the National Sleep Foundation site or check out the journal SLEEP.

If there’s a bug going around the office and you wake up with some of the same symptoms, you’ll likely assume you’ve got it, too. Most doctors think the same way. If he or she sees three people with colds in one day, it would be an easy guess that the next person with a stuffy nose and fever has the same thing.

The problem is that a lot of conditions share symptoms, and it can be misleading if not all the symptoms show up. This makes it easy to make a misdiagnosis—as many as one in five diagnoses are incorrect or go undiagnosed.

For women, the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions include ovarian cancer, autoimmune disease and hormonal imbalances. Heart disease, for example, is more common in men. When women experience the same symptoms, especially young women, a doctor may consider stress to be the cause instead.

The best way to avoid a misdiagnosis is to share all of your symptoms. Seeing the same doctor doesn’t hurt, either. When you and your doctor know your history and get the full story, it’s harder to miss the little details that make a big difference. Finally, don’t be afraid to do some research before your appointment and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

If you don’t stand up for your health, no one will. Get the full scoop from MSNBC.

Of 229 college students from a large university in the northeastern United States that used indoor tanning facilities, four in 10 met DSM-IV criteria for tanning addiction. Three in 10 met criteria for a test similar to the CAGE test (acronym for Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener). CAGE is a four-question self-test sometimes used to increase awareness of use and/or abuse of alcohol.

Students who met criteria for both also had greater anxiety and substance use than their counterparts, which leads some to believe tanning addiction may be related to stress.

"There is some growing evidence now that people use tanning as a way to cope with stressors, as way to increase positive mood, decrease negative moods, [and to] cope with environmental demands,” Catherine E. Mosher, co-author of the study, said in an interview with Health Day. “In that way it's similar to other addictive behaviors."

Sun exposure stimulates Vitamin D production in the body. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, but it’s also been known to boost mood. Just 10 minutes a day in the sun’s UV rays—the same rays that allow tanning beds to produce that golden glow—is enough to boost these levels.

However all of this UV exposure can cause serious skin damage. For tanning addicts, this means a significantly higher risk of skin cancer. Mosher says counseling may be one way to reduce the impulse to tan

“Counseling could be a logical intervention for these people who have excessive visits to tanning salons,” Mosher said. “If, for some people, tanning is a way to cope with emotions, then there are obviously healthier ways to do so than to go to tanning salons every week.”

Read more about Mosher’s study on Health Day, or find her study’s abstract in The Archives of Dermatology.

Exploding head syndrome is more common in women than men, and people with the disorder are usually in their 50s or older. Once a person has had an incident, sometimes called an auditory sleep start, he or she may not experience one again for long periods of time, if at all.

What’s unusual about the disturbance is it’s only heard inside the mind. It has been compared to thunder or an explosion that lasts just moments before the person wakes up. Episode-induced anxiety sometimes causes heavy breathing, rapid heartbeat and cold sweats.

Exploding head syndrome doesn’t cause swelling or damage, but on occasion the episode may be described as a headache. In some instances, people with the disorder may also see flashes of light. This is called a visual sleep start.

According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), the disorder has been linked with stress and fatigue. Episodes often come in clusters and are relatively erratic.

The ASA does caution people who think they might have the disorder to speak with their doctors. Similar experiences may be the result of medication or other conditions. Distress over episodes also could lead to insomnia.

Although the exact cause isn’t known, the ASA says that a regular sleep routine and calming activities before bed may help prevent incidents.

Radio personality Don Imus revealed Monday that he has stage 2 prostate cancer. He announced the news on his syndicated radio show "Imus in the Morning" and went on to say that he is confident he can beat the disease with help from his doctors.

The 68 year old Imus also stated that he thought his cancer may be related to stress, perhaps an allusion to his firing from CBS radio in 2007 over comments he made about the Rutgers women’s basketball team. A doctor for the American Cancer Society reacted by saying that while studies show that a person’s ability to fight cancer is impacted by stress, there are no studies demonstrating that stress has a role in actually causing cancer.

Stage 2 prostate cancer is defined as cancer that has spread through the prostate but not outside of it. It has a relatively good cure rate with proper treatment. Almost 99 percent of men whose prostate cancer is diagnosed in stage 2 live for 5 years, while between 65 and 90 percent survive 10 years beyond their diagnosis. Treatment for stage 2 prostate cancer ranges from "watching and waiting" to removal of the prostate along with radiation therapy.

For more information about prostate cancer, join the Healia Support Group for Prostate Cancer.

_{Photo: williacw, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh reported yesterday that optimists, people who tend to look at the bright side of things, live longer healthier lives than their pessimistic counterparts. While this is good news for those with sunny dispositions, on the flip side, pessimists have just found another reason to be negative.

The study examined data from the more than 100,000 participants aged 50 and older enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative that began in 1994. As part of this large initiative, women were asked to fill out a questionnaire measuring their tendency toward optimism or pessimism, which included questions such as: "In uncertain times, I expect the worst." Eight years into the study, optimistic women were 14% more likely to be alive than pessimistic women and they were 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease, the leading cause of death for women (and men) in America. The optimists were also less likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, or to smoke cigarettes.

A subset of women rated as being highly mistrustful of other people (called the "cynically hostile" group by the researchers) were 16 percent more likely to die from any cause and 23 percent more likely to die from cancer, than women who were more trusting.

While previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between optimism and longevity, most of them have been small studies involving only men. The present study not only examined data from thousands of female participants, it also went to great lengths to control for other factors that might explain the results such as physical activity levels, smoking, and blood pressure. Thus, the relationship between optimism and living longer found in the study is independent of these factors.

So how could optimism be responsible for extending life? That is unclear but the researchers propose that it may have to do with stress management capabilities. Optimistic people tend to have more friends and a larger social network to help them deal with crises, and they may also be better able to cope with stress on their own. Difficulty dealing with stress is a risk factor that has been associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and early death in previous studies. Optimists may actually have a different physiological response to stress that reduces its toll on the body.

However, the researchers also point out that while the present study demonstrates a relationship between optimism and longevity, it does not prove that optimism actually causes extended life. More research needs to be done to better understand the relationship between the two factors. For the optimists among us, the cup appears half full already.

For more information about managing stress in uncertain times, see the Healia Health Guide to Stress Management or share your thoughts in the Healia Health Community for Stress Management.

_{Photo: viZZZual.com, Flickr, Creative Commons}

Results of a poll released today show that one-third of Americans are losing sleep over the world economic crisis and other personal financial concerns. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with unhealthy lifestyles, poor job performance, and impaired judgment, and can negatively impact health.

The National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America poll surveyed 1,000 American near the end of last year about their recent sleep habits. Sixteen percent of those polled said they are losing sleep because of financial concerns, 15 percent reported losing sleep because of the state of the U.S. economy, and another 10 percent said job worries are keeping them awake.

The results also showed that in the past eight years, the number of Americans who sleep less than six hours a night jumped from 13 percent to 20 percent, and the number who reported sleeping eight hours or more dropped from 38 percent to 28 percent. Overall, the number of people reporting sleep problems has increased 13% since 2001.

According to the NSF, people who do not get enough sleep have more trouble working efficiently, which may compound stress they have about their job. Getting less sleep also makes it more difficult to exercise and eat healthy, leading to further health risks from an unhealthy lifestyle. Less sleep also makes you more than twice as likely to eat foods high in sugar and carbohydrates and to smoke cigarettes or use other types of tobacco. Not getting enough sleep may also impact leisure time, with many people reporting more difficulty having sex and engaging in their usual leisure activities, according to the NSF.

The NSF also says that lack of sleep not only endangers your health but can put you at greater risk of suffering a serious accident, such as falling asleep while driving. According to the poll, more than one-half of adults (54 percent) have driven when drowsy at least once in the past year and nearly one-third of drivers polled (28 percent) say that they have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving a vehicle.

The NSF suggests that doctors should always ask their patients about how they are sleeping in addition to the routine questions about diet and physical activity.

If you are having difficulty sleeping, you may be able to improve your sleep by practicing better "sleep hygiene." This requires you to follow a set of rules that help keep your sleeping routine regimented, including going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding naps, and using the bed for sleep and sex only (not watching TV, reading, or doing work). If you are having trouble sleeping due to your worries about the economy, talk to your doctor about ways you can improve your sleep.

For more information on good sleep hygiene and other sleep issues, read the Healia Health Guide to Excessive Sleepiness. For ways to help you deal with the stress of tough economic times, see the Healia Health Guide to Stress Management. If you want to share your own experience battling sleep problems, join the Healia Health Community for Sleep Disorders.

The economy is in decline; your house is worth less than you paid for it, you may be losing your job, that pile of bills just seems to be getting higher – and your anxiety and stress levels seem to be rising as fast as the stock markets fall. While your economic situation may not be as dire as this scenario, odds are that your financial situation is worse now than it was a year ago. With failing banks and massive layoffs leading the news daily, it can be difficult to escape the sense of impending doom.

It is perfectly normal to feel anxious or stressed out during times like these. In fact, it would be unusual to be unconcerned when events beyond your control are impacting your family’s financial future. According to the American Psychological Association, two-thirds of adults admit that the economy contributes significantly to their stress. But if you find that you are consumed by worry about your finances to the exclusion of anything else, or you are having difficulty sleeping due to your worry, you may be experiencing anxiety, also known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

People with GAD tend to have fears about terrible things happening to themselves or their loved ones even though they realize their fears are irrational. The American Psychiatric Association defines GAD in part as the presence of persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worries about issues such as money, health, family, or work that last six months or longer. GAD can be accompanied by physical symptoms including fatigue, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and others.

Whether your worries about the economy have risen to the level where they are interfering with your everyday life, or you just need some relief from the stress caused by uncertain economic times, the following tips provided by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America can help:

• Take a break from bad news. It is hard to turn on the TV without hearing some negative news about the economy. Take a break from all the bad news by turning off the TV, avoiding the radio, and staying away from internet news sites for awhile. Some people can feel their anxiety and stress level rising when they are exposed to bad news; if this sounds familiar, try taking a walk or listening to some music to get your mind off of the situation.
  
  
• Make a plan. Come up with a plan of action for how to adapt to the changing financial conditions. This could include measures such as postponing a planned vacation or home renovation, increasing revenue by taking extra hours at work or renting out a room in your house, or even delaying action for now but setting up contingency plans for what to do in case things get worse. Even if you have to make changes to the plan later, simply having a plan can make you feel more secure.
  
  
• Concentrate on things you can control. There are a lot of things happening in the economy that are completely beyond your control, and focusing on these things can make you feel powerless. Instead, try to focus on the things that you can do something about. If you’re worried about your expenditures, try prioritizing your expenses and cut costs by eliminating expenses that are not absolutely necessary. Make sure to continue paying off and debts you may have because ignoring debt only worsens your financial situation.
  
  
• Think conservatively. Don’t rush to make major changes to your investment strategy just because you feel like you should be doing "something." Make appropriate adjustments, such as: if you are nearing retirement or are worried about your job or financial security, talk to your financial advisor about diversifying your portfolio to include more low-risk investments that will minimize the impact of a struggling market economy. Continue to think in the long term. If you take your money out of the market, you’ll miss the gains when it goes back up, which analysts agree it will eventually do.
  
  
• Keep things in perspective. It’s only money. That may seem like cold comfort to someone who is losing their house, but try to remember that things like your health and your friends and family are truly the most important things in life.
  
  
• Stay healthy. Eating healthy, getting enough sleep and adequate exercise are critical to dealing with stress and anxiety. In addition allowing yourself enough personal time can help clear your mind of negative thoughts and do wonders for stress management.
  
  
• Talk to someone. Talking to someone can help you understand your fears and may even help you get over some of them. This could mean talking to a professional financial advisor about your situation or simply talking to a friend or family member. If you feel like your fears are interfering with your life, you may want to talk to a therapist.

For more information on how to successfully manage stress, see the Healia Health Guide on Stress Management or join the Healia Health Community for Stress Management. For more information on Generalized Anxiety Disorder, read the Healia Health Guide on Anxiety or ask a question to the people in the Healia Health Community for Anxiety.

Related blog post: Risk of Mental Health Problems Jumps as the Economic Crisis Grows and the Stock Markets Dive.  

_{Source: Anxiety Disorders Network of America, Spotlight: How to Survive Tough Economic Times and Manage Your Anxiety. http://www.adaa.org/gettinghelp/MFarchives/EconomicTimes.asp}

_{Photo: qnr, Flickr, Creative Commons}