Healthy Enviroment for Restful Sleep

Bright lights, loud noises, uncomfortable temperatures … these and other factors can lead to disrupted sleep. The following tips can help you to help create an environment that is calming, relaxing and soothing - one that encourages quality rest and sleep.


Check your bed. Is it comfortable? Lie down on it during the day, when you are not tired, and see how it feels. A bed that is too soft, too firm or that sags in the middle can impede your sleep. You can fix a too-firm bed with top padding, but a bed that is too soft or sagging should be replaced. It may seem expensive, but considering that you spend about 1/3 of your life on your bed - not to mention how quality of sleep affects your waking hours - a comfortable bed is worth the price.

• And Your Pillows. Like your bed, too soft or too firm pillows can affect your quality of sleep (as can the number of pillows you use). Experiment with different pillow types until you find ones that work best for you. If you suffer from allergies, consider hypoallergenic pillow.


• Look at Your Surroundings. Dr. Weil encourages a clutter-free home, which can help create a calm environment. Clean out anything you do not need in your bedroom, such as televisions, computers, stacks of papers, and knick-knacks, making the room’s sole purposes sleep and intimacy.

• Light and Sound. Excessive light and noise can impede quality sleep. To help block bright light, consider opaque window shades. If you have skylights, position your bed so your face is not directly in sunlight in the morning. For loud noises, consider inexpensive earplugs to block out sound or a "white noise" machine.

• Ideal Temperatures. Regulate the temperature in your bedroom so it is not too hot or too cold. Many people find that an ideal temperature is around 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but this depends on many factors including sleepwear preference, how many blankets you use, and your metabolism. Experiment to find the right temperature. If you and your partner disagree, compromise on a temperature midway between your respective comfort zones.

• Set the Scene. What promotes relaxation for you? Soft, lulling music, complete darkness, candlelight, a good book before bed… all can encourage relaxation and rest. Determine what helps promote a relaxed state and incorporate those elements into your nighttime routine and bedroom.

World View of Global Warming

The Snows of Kilimanjaro, which give their name to a short story by Ernest Hemingway and his film adaptation starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, have been a symbol of romanticism that has engulfed the African continent for centuries. But in recent years have also become a symbol of climate change.

 

A new study in the permafrost of the highest mountain in Africa, published today in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Accademy of Sciences' (PNAS) reinforces this idea. The research findings reveal that the glaciers located both in the crater on the slopes of the summit of Kilimanjaro could disappear within 20 years if nothing is done to reverse the current trend of global climate warming.



 

Portage Glacier 1914

Portage Glacier 2004

Glaciers across Western China and the Tibetan Plateau are shrinking, threatening more water shortages

In northern Guangdong, farmers who had good wells now must carry water past dried up fish ponds.

China is the rousing giant of global warming. It stands as a developing nation outside the guidelines of the Kyoto treaty, yet with more than one billion people and a huge energy-gobbling economy, it is one of the most influential countries in climate change.

Greenland's huge icecap, second only to Antarctica, is also showing signs of change, although measurements are preliminary. Outflow glaciers like this one on the central east coast, as measured by NASA airborne radar and laser, appear to be thinning and flowing more rapidly. The National Climate Data Center (NOAA) reports that 2002 saw the greatest measured surface melt of Greenland ice in 24 years of satellite records. Two deep ice cores from there provide a detailed Northern Hemisphere climate record extending beyond the last ice age.

Some of us are adjusting nicely..

Hummm  I wonder where the man is that was sitting in that chair......

SOS Climate Change

It is always a good thing to look at the information provided to us from

around the world. There are things happening to the earth that are

alarming and although areas of consern are being addressed a portion of

the damage which has been reported appears to be irreversible already.

Use your translator, if necessary, to look at SOS Cambio Climatico. I will

be intrested to read your comments. I found the site to be extremely well

done with much information.

Thank You for your interest and your feedback.

Carl

Go Green Any Where You Like

This is as Green as it gets!

Going Green is in vogue today. Some argue that the planet is in mortal danger;that we are destroying it at an alarming rate. They make the case that we all as a Human Race must conserve our resources by limiting our consumption and pollution. Wheather or not you buy into the idea of Gobal Warming, the melting ice caps, the gradual pollution of our air and water entirely or in part, having a cleaner earth, preserving our natural resources, using our technology to engage creative power sources and have clean air to breath just makes sence.

I think most of us have seen pictures of engineers perched on their high tech bikes or driving little cars that use little or no fuel. Most look a little strange but I guess I have to applaud the effort and personal commitment to the cause.

Even the comedian George Carlin got on board by telling his audience that"Kilometers are shorter than miles. Save gas, take your next trip in Kilometers."

The "Tree Huggers" as Green concious people are sometimes called, keep on inventing their gadgets to make their personal contribuations and sometimes just go over the top and around the bend!

This is a picture of a washing machine combination toilet, if you haven't figured it out yet. It uses the dirty wash water to flush the toilet. I just Love It! It gets my vote for the most creative contraption that I have seen in awhile.

Carl