HEALTH.COM: 6 Great Pillows for People With Acid Reflux
Does your heartburn keep you up at night? A wedge pillow might be just what you need, according to a sleep expert. Some 15 million Americans deal with heartburn every day–and the uncomfortable, burning sensation doesn't just go away when it's time to go to bed. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people with nighttime heartburn are more likely than their heartburn-free peers to report sleep issues like insomnia, apnea, and tiredness during the day. Quick refresher: Th
WOMEN'S HEALTH: How To Keep Up Your Healthy Routine While Traveling
MAKE A HOTEL FEEL LIKE HOME Call it the “first night effect.” “In a new environment (like a hotel room halfway across the world), we have a hard time falling asleep,” says Raj Dasgupta, M.D., an assistant professor at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Blame your brain. “We’re hyper-alert and cognitively aroused.” The trick to finding shuteye: convincing your body that you’re somewhere familiar. Bringing a small blanket or a photo of family memb
NY TIMES: Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
Q. Does magnesium help you sleep? A. Studies have found a link between low levels of magnesium, an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in a wide range of bodily processes, and sleep disorders. But if you are concerned you aren’t getting enough magnesium, changing your diet may be a better option than taking a supplement, as “there is really sparse evidence that taking super-therapeutic doses of magnesium will give you a benefit,” said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a professor of
Women's Health: The Best White Noise Machines To Help You Sleep Through Anything
Are you kept awake by night-owl neighbors, or other creaky, screechy noises that go more than just bump in the night? You may want to consider white noise machines and their dependable, sound-drowning capabilities. First, you’ll want to understand what noise is before you run out and buy a sleep machine, one of the trusty go-to solutions for insomniacs everywhere. “White noise is basically a constant noise that covers all hearable frequencies,” says Rajkumar (Raj) Dasgupta, M
Prevention.com: 12 Foolproof Natural Sleep Remedies That Experts Swear By
Insomnia can do worse than just tire you out the next day. If you're suffering from chronic lack of sleep, it can take a toll on your overall health. Ongoing sleep deficiency can lower your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight infections. It can trigger mood changes like irritability, depression, and anxiety. And studies have linked insufficient sleep to weight gain; increased risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes; and ev
Shape: How to Sleep On Any Flight, According to Top Sleep Docs
Booking a first-class seat that doubles as a bed might be the best bet for sleeping on a plane, but what's a girl to do when her bank account calls for coach? Well, no matter *where* your seat is, you're still going to want to focus on getting some quality rest to set you up for a healthier trip. That's because not getting enough sleep majorly multiplies your chances of catching a basic cold (like from that jerk sitting in front of you not covering his mouth when he sneezes).
Weight Watchers: 5 Things To Do When You Can't Sleep
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. Nearly half of Americans say a lack of sleep affects their daily lives, as per the National Sleep Foundation. “For something that sounds so easy, sleep is quite difficult,” says American Academy of Sleep Medicine spokesperson Raj Dasgupta, MD, assistant professor at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. “Sleep is like a puzzle and when you want to try to get good sleep, you need to find out which
Sleep Review Mag: Wedge-Shaped Pillow Can Help Ease Nighttime Reflux Symptoms, Study Says
Cleveland Clinic researchers previously tested the Medcline in patients with gastroesophygeal reflux disease (GERD), although that data has not been published. While GERD tends to present as classic heartburn symptoms, LPR can be more subtle and harder to diagnose, says Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, who was not involved in the study. It can also happen at any time of day, he
Fox News: 6 things not to do if you need to fall back asleep fast
If you can’t doze off within 15 or 20 minutes and you’re feeling frustrated, there’s no sense in just lying there. The best thing to do is to get out of bed and do something relaxing like read (a book, not a device), do breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, meditate or listen to music that makes you feel calm.Then, “you should only go back to bed when you’re ready to go back to sleep again,” Raj Dasgupta, MD, a sleep expert and an assistant professor at the Univ
MarketWatch: Watching Netflix at night? Why you might be ‘sleeping’ with the enemy
Of course, refraining from watching Netflix before bed is easier said than done. Binge-watchers can take certain steps to make sure that their viewing habits don’t cut into their sleep. Maintaining good sleep hygiene — meaning reserving the bed only for sleeping — is one factor, according to Raj Dasgupta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California. He also suggested reserving “movie time” during the day or week for watching TV early e
