Corporate Naptime?

I wish my high school had been this progressive. Sure we have now seen later start times in some US schools but Japan has got it right.

"Dozing teenagers at Meizen high school are more likely these days to find their teachers dimming the lights, putting on classical music and joining their students for a power nap."

Meizen High, last year became the first school in the nation to promote mental alertness by officially encouraging all students to take 15-minute naps in their classrooms after lunch. The nap craze is actually catching on.

In the past few years, "nap salons" , have popped up in Japan's major cities. For about $4.50 you can take a 20-25 minute nap wash your face and get back to work.

The Japanese have gotten the nap down to a science. Here are their secrets:

• Naps should not last more than 30 minutes, lest they fall into a deeper sleep and awake feeling more groggy than refreshed.
• Department stores and catalogues now sell "desk pillows."
• Some Japanese companies have successfully pressed to have nap salon fees covered by health insurance providers, while others are endorsing something long unthinkable here -- in-office napping.

"People are realizing that our lack of sleep is actually slowing us down," Uchimura said, adding that Japanese workers get an average of between five and six hours of sleep a night. "To be in top shape well into the evening hours at the office, you need to take a nap."

Related Topics: Nap Quest, The Power of Napping


Technorati Tags: power nap, sleep, nap salon

Sleep and Migraines

I recently read an article showing that "women who suffer from 'transformed migraine,' a chronic, daily headache usually experienced by individuals with a history of migraines, may benefit from a better sleep routine." This study was done at UNC Chapel Hill, home of the Tar Heels, one of the best basketball teams of all time.

The group was split into 2 ( no pun intended on splitting headaches). One-half of the women were asked to participate in "behavioral sleep modification (BSM) instructions". After a bit of research I discovered this meant the following:

• Go to bed at the same time every night, at a time that allows for eight hours time in bed;
• Eliminate TV watching, reading or listening to music while in bed;
• Use visualization techniques to shorten the amount of time it took them to fall asleep;
• Eat supper at least four hours before going to bed and limit fluid intake within two hours of bedtime;
• Do not take naps.

It should be quite obvious that those who suffer from any headaches will not be getting good sleep but this was one of the first studies to see if these behavioral techniques would actually improve their symptoms.

Women in the BSM group:

• Reported a 29 percent reduction in headache frequency and 40 percent reduction in headache intensity.
• Migraines in some cases moved from daily to occasional

What is so fantastic about this research is that these people were able to help themselves without the use of medication! The BSM guidelines were quite strict and in truth I doubt many people will be able to follow them on a regular basis, but I think I probably could convince patients to do it if they had daily headaches. If nothing else it would be worth it to give these guidelines a try in conjunction with your other treatments.

Related Topics: Sleep Your Way to Weight Loss, Coping with Sleep Loss

Technorati Tags: migraine, sleep, behavior sleep modification

Teens, Sleep, and Driving

Teen driving restrictions seem to be working.

Think about it. Your kid is 15 or 16 and out of school. Maybe they have secured a summer job, or are working just enough for you to stay off their back. Meanwhile they found work where they do not have to go in until noon and they stay out late, because, well they can.

Their biological rhythms drift (as is normal for that age) and guess what it was their birthday recently and they are behind the wheel of a car!!! Check out these stats:

Fatality and injury crash rates for 16-year-old drivers were 20 percent lower in a state with nighttime and passenger restrictions than in a comparison jurisdiction that lacked these building blocks of safer teen driving, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In addition, the study also showed that twice as many crash-free teens reported never having violated their state's passenger restriction provision compared to teens that had crashed.

Here's the scary part: Statistics from 1995-2004 indicate that on average 104 teens aged 16 and 17 have died in drowsy driving crashes in July and August alone, compared to 87 in the other months -- that's a 20% increase!

And if you think this cannot happen think again: The National Sleep Foundation's poll indicated that 51% of the 16- and 17-year-olds surveyed reported they had driven drowsy at least once in the past year.

Some other scary stats:

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers
• 16-year-olds are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes per mile driven as are adults in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.
• Half of 16- and 17-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes are carrying at least one passenger under age 21 and no adult passengers.
• More than one third of deaths of 16- and 17-year-old drivers occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., despite the fact that there are fewer teens on the road during those hours.

Here's a tool that I think all parents should consider:

The AAA Foundation now offers an interactive DVD for teens called Driver-ZED, which puts users through 100 driving scenarios allowing them to experience conditions it could take several years to encounter on the road. Also included is supplemental information to aid parents in the process. Visit www.driverzed.org to learn more or contact your local AAA club.

Whether you are a parent or a teen, you really should check this out.

Related Topics: Fewer Teens Report Risky Behavior, Is Your Teen a Night-Owl? Blame Brainwaves

Technorati Tags: teen drivers, driving safety