How Much Sleep do you Actually Need?

How much sleep is enough? How much is too much? How much is too less? The sleep debate is one that goes on endlessly.

We are sure these questions must have played on your mind at some point in time. So that you don’t lose sleep over how much sleep is essential, we are going to shatter myths and put forth facts. Read on and clear all misconceptions about sleep and its importance in our day-to-day functioning.

1. The Power of Sleep

We all feel that we have better things to do than sleep. But the truth is that to do things better, you need to rest (sleep). While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing a wide variety of biological maintenance functions that keep you running in top condition. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you’re like a stereo that needs fixing. If you skip your required dosage of sleep every day, you will head for a physical and mental breakdown.

2. When to sleep

Some of us think that the lack of sleep at night can be made up by sleeping during the day. But sleeping during the night and staying awake at night is not how your body is designed to function. As per biology, at night, your body responds to the loss of daylight by producing melatonin - a hormone that makes you sleepy. During the day, sunlight triggers the brain to stop melatonin production so you feel awake and alert. In case you prefer to stay awake at night, we advise you to pay heed to this information and change your sleep schedule.

3. How much sleep do you need daily?

7.5 hours – 9 hours. This is the number of hours that adults must spend sleeping every night. The reason why this number is important is because the brain re-energises your body while you sleep. If you sleep any less, the brain cannot complete its night time duties and as a result you are not able to give your best during the day. No matter how tight your schedule is, do try to get the minimum amount of sleep.

We have given you enough gyaan on sleep and it's merits. Hope you give sleep the importance it deserves and spend sufficient time in bed. Sleeping.

Urban Sleeping Problems and How to Change Them

If you've ever lived in a rural/semi-rural setting, you'll have noticed that despite the lack of air conditioning, a plush bank account or even a book to read at night, people end to fall asleep easily.

Whereas, us city folks, hopped up on caffeine and Facebook, and depressed about salary and sex need more time, even medicine to fall asleep.

This is how you can get back to the natural night-is-for-sleeping ways.

Sleep Schedule

In the village, you sleep two hours or so after sundown because there's nothing to do after that, and then wake before sunrise. You have to milk the cows and pick up fresh eggs from the poultry shed. This creates sleep hygiene, a regularity of going to sleep and waking up at the same time everyday - even Sundays.

There's also no time for evening naps - another cause of sleeplessness at night.

Exercise

The advantage of getting up early is the exercise you pack into the the morning (though a farmer's workday is exercise!). The men use the afternoons to rest, and must reach home a few hours before sundown.

That takes care of exercise, but not too late in the day.

Caffeine

And yes - farms don't have espresso machines, or even chai-wallas. There's obviously no money for Coca Cola and chocolate. And besides, when you've got to feed a big family, that's all the stimulation you need to work.

Alcohol

While every civilization and economic strata has had their alcohol, not every gathering of friends needs it. More importantly, a 'nightcap' leaves you floating in a light stage of sleep, then wake up when the booze wears off.

Avoid Large Meals

Large meals take more time to digest - and can even cause indigestion. And since your bathroom is in the fields (it IS the field), you tend to eat a frugal amount. The same reason applies for not drinking too many fluids at night.

Medicine

Chances are, a born-and-raised rural is less allergic to most allergy-causing material (pollen, mud, some fruits) than With a regular workout, a healthy diet (zero junk food, zero bad fat), and plenty of exposure to sunlight and oxygen, they don't need medicines for heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications and the over-the-counter remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies like we do. I point these out because these medicines also mess with your sleep.

Eating mistakes that slow metabolism

You Don't Eat Enough 
You need to cut calories to lose weight, but it's important not to overdo it. Going too low delivers a double whammy to your metabolism. When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism. It also begins to break down precious, calorie-burning muscle tissue for energy, says Benardot. "Eat just enough so you're not hungry-a 150-calorie snack midmorning and midafternoon between three meals (about 430 calories each) will keep your metabolism humming." By eating a meal every 3 to 4 hours, you'll stay satisfied and keep from overeating later in the day.

You Avoid Caffeine 
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism 5 to 8%-about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

Your Carbs are White 
Boost your fiber intake by switching to whole wheat bread, pasta, and eating more fruits and vegetables. Research shows that some fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%. Studies find that women who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day-the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables. 

Your Water is Room Temperature
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily-enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

Your Food is Covered with Pesticides
Canadian researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Always choose organic when buying peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic versions tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.

Your Meal Lacks Protein
Make sure protein is a component in every meal. Your body needs it to maintain lean muscle. Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Research shows protein can up postmeal calorie burn by as much as 35%.

Your Diet Needs to Pump Iron
Iron-rich foods are essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat, says Lakatos. Until menopause, women lose iron each month through menstruation. Unless you restock your stores, you run the risk of low energy and a sagging metabolism. Shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach are excellent sources.

You're Missing This Crucial Vitamin
Vitamin D is essential for preserving metabolism-revving muscle tissue. Unfortunately, researchers estimate that a measly 4% of Americans over age 50 take in enough through their diet. Get 90% of your recommended daily value (400 IU) in a 3.5-ounce serving of salmon. Other good sources: tuna, shrimp, tofu, fortified milk and cereal, and eggs.

You've had One Tipple Too Many
Skip the second cocktail. When you have a drink, you burn less fat, and more slowly than usual, because the alcohol is used as fuel instead. Knocking back the equivalent of about two martinis can reduce your body's fat-burning ability by up to 73%.

You're Not Getting Enough Dairy
"There's some evidence that calcium deficiency, which is common in many women, may slow metabolism," says Lakatos. Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.

5 shocking sex facts

Sex can help you give a great speech

Before you get carried away, we are not suggesting you hop into bed with your boss or sleep with the entire audience. However, having sex can help ease those all too familiar and very dreaded pre-speech nerves. This theory was developed by the psychologist Stuart Brody, who asked 22 women and 22 men to keep sex diaries about their bedroom antics. The group of men and women then had to undertake stressful tasks, like public speaking and mental arithmetic tests. Brody found that the couples who had had penetrative sex were less stressed and their blood pressure levels returned to normal at more speed that the others. Sadly though, those who “did it” alone did not reap the calming benefits, so buddy up before your next big speech.

A couple kissing

The Victorians were filthy

It turns out that the Victorians weren’t the tight-lipped prudes we once imagined. In fact it would seem that the Brits of the nineteenth century were a rather fruity bunch. Not only was this the age that heralded the vibrator as a cure for hysteria, but it also saw a rise in kinky behaviour and tools, such as nipple piercings, pubic wigs and some rather gruesome looking sex chairs. The sauciness doesn’t end there though. Although it is still disputed, it’s thought that the term blow job also derives from this “prudish” period where people would speak about a ‘below job’ and referred to prostitutes as ‘blowsys’.

We kiss to inoculate

Researchers at the University of Leeds believe that humans kiss to inoculate. Women who catch cytomegalovirus typically cannot carry a baby to term. However, if women are exposed to the virus in small doses then they become inoculated. And how can you inoculate against the virus? Why, through swapping saliva of course. Therefore, the brain boxes at the University of Leeds have concluded that we don’t jump into bed with each other straightaway because if we did we might infect women. Therefore we kiss to protect women from catching cytomegalovirus. So pucker up and stay healthy by smooching.

Giving oral is as good as the gym

Sadly girls, giving oral will only benefit you if you’re the giver not the taker. A study has found that pleasuring a guy and swallowing can lower women’s blood pressure and reduce their risk of getting pre-eclampsia. However, if you don’t have the stomach to tackle your man’s area in this way there are other ways you can lower your blood pressure. Another study found that having regular sex with a partner you lived with could lower your diastolic blood pressure, whilst another study found a link between cuddling and reduced blood pressure. So, although you shouldn’t give up on the gym altogether, ladies, it might be worth swapping your sports kit for something a little slinkier once in a while.

Sperm is a great face cream

Although it’s not a great idea to bottle your man stuff and give it to your girl as a present, it turns out that sperm contains protein, which if applied to the face has the same anti-wrinkle benefits as moisturising creams. Apparently the white stuff can tighten skin and give you a little surgery-free facelift. Interestingly, this isn’t the only benefit sperm has to offer. It also contains zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium and fructose. Plus, if you’re still not convinced that sperm is super, a recent study in Albany found that women who had sex without condoms had fewer signs of depression than women who used condoms or did not have sex at all. Three cheers for semen

Study says semen makes women 'happier'

Turns out that we should all be dolling out oral sex treats for the good of our mental health, as a new study has found semen to be a natural antidepressant.

Hmmm…this is a new one on us boys.

The study carried out by The State University of New York found that semen has ‘mood-altering chemicals’ which will elevate our mood and increase our affection levels.

Not only that, seminal fluid has also been found to induce sleep and contain at least three antidepressants.

Taking it one step further, researchers have claimed that on this basis, women that have regular unprotected sex are less likely to be depressed and perform better on cognitive tests.

The happiness-boosting chemicals found in semen include: 

• Cortisol – known to increase affection
• Estrone and oxytone – which both elevate your mood
• A hormone which releases thyrotropin, an anti-depressant
• Melatonin – a sleep inducing agent
• Serotonin – an anti-depressant

But before you go about starting your mornings with a semen smoothie – these are just hypothesis for now. 

The researchers rounded up 293 female students and asked them to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about their mental health and certain aspects of their sex life.

Any unprotected sexual activity was used as an indirect measure of the presence of seminal plasma being in the women’s bodies.

They then completed a Beck Depression Inventory to ascertain their mental state.

The study found that women who were having unprotected sex showed less depressive symptoms that those who used condoms or even those who abstained from sex altogether.

We're not sure this counts as conclusive evidence just yet science guys – but we’d be interested to know the effects of this as a chat up line on the ladies…

Remorseful Carabuena says sorry

Over a week after he mauled a traffic enforcer, a remorseful Robert Blair Carabuena voluntarily went to the Metro Manila Development Authority office to seek forgiveness.

In his tweet, Yves Gonzales, head of the MMDA traffic disclipline office said Carabuena made the public apology at the enforcers' turf.

"Robert Blair Carabuena delivering a public apology here at the MMDA Main Office," he said Thursday.

In his speech, aired over AksyonTV, Carabuena repeatedly asked for forgiveness.

"Di na po lingid sa karamihan ang aking di kagandahang asal noon ika-11 ng Agosto. Sa iyo Mang Sonny, at sa iyong anim na anak, ako po ay humihingi ng inyong kapatawaran," Carabuena said.

Mauled traffic enforcer Saturnino Fabros was apparently not in the vicinity at the time of his speech.

"Ako po sana'y mabigyan ng pangalawang pagkakataon at personal na makahingi ng paumanhin kay Mang sonny," Carabuena added.

The Philip Morris employee admitted his wrongdoing and bared that he had a hard time last week due to the online and offline criticisms he had to endure.

"Naramdaman ko po ang galit ng publiko, kaya minabuti ko pong manatili muna sa aking tahanan at humingi ng payo, sa pamilya, mga kaibigan, pati na rin sa abogado," Carabuena said.

After making the apology, Carabuena also appealed to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino to still be allowed to drive amid a license revocation request at the Land Transportation Office.

"Ako po ay nakikiusap kay Chairman Tolentino na pahintulutang umusad ang proseso ng pagkansela ng aking lisensiya. At habang ang prosesong ito ay umuusad, ako po ay nakikiusap na ako po ay payagan na tuluyang makapagmaneho sa dahilan na ito ay aking kailangan ko sa paghahanapbuhay," he said.

Gonzales said that despite the apology, Tolentino is firm in pushing for the direct assault case. Fabros filed the charges last week after Carabuena was caught on tape hitting him after refusing to heed traffic rules.

"Chairman Tolentino announced that the case IS pushing through." said Gonzales.

Under the Revised Penal Code, direct assault can be filed against any person who shall attack, employ force, or seriously intimidate any person in authority while in the performance of official duties. It is punishable by a prison term of six months to six years