The following quiz will help you to assess your knowledge about fatigue and driving.

For items 1-4, choose the letter of the one answer that most nearly describes your belief or opinion. For items 5 through 10 choose true or false.

(Answers Below Quiz, No Peaking!)

1. To be fully alert and operate safely during working hours, most people need to sleep about:
a) 9 hours or more per 24-hour day.
b.) 7 to 8 hours per 24-hour day.
c.) 5 to 6 hours per 24-hour day.
d.) Less than 5 hours per 24-hour day

2. When a person hasn’t had enough sleep, the unfavorable effects on performance can be fully overcome by:
a.) Walking around and getting some fresh air.
b.) Taking a short (less than 1.5 hr) nap.
c.) Getting adequate sleep.
d.) Using coffee or other stimulants.

3. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person:
a.) Has muscle twitches in his sleep.
b ) Cannot fall asleep.
c.) Stops breathing when asleep and awakens frequently.
d.) Wakes up and can’t go back to sleep.

4. For health and safety reasons, it is best to schedule driving hours so that sleep time can be:
a.) In one long period of 7 to 8 hours.
b.) Divided up into 3 to 4 hour blocks.
c.) Taken when you are absolutely too tired to drive any longer.
d.) As short as you can get away with.

5. If a driver gets only three or four hours of sleep on some work nights, it’s not a problem because he or she can make up the sleep on the weekend or days off.
a.) True
b.) False

6. Sleep apnea can be successfully treated medically.
a.) True
b.) False

7. The melatonin sold commercially as a sleep aid has not been proven safe or effective.
a.) True
b.) False

8. Because of bodily circadian rhythms, we feel more fatigued and our driving performance is not as sharp from 2 to 5 p.m. and is especially affected from 2 to 6 a.m.
a.) True
b.) False

9. There are five recognized types of sleep disorders.
a.) True
b.) False

10. Most people should take naps.
a.) True
b.) False

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Answers here
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. False

So, how did you do? I hope you enjoyed this quick quiz, and I also hope you are not driving when you are fatigued.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
Sleep Secret Audio

You might be surprised to learn how many times our body chemistry is the culprit whenever we are having a difficult time sleeping.  It is not always too many chemicals in our body but it may be the lack of something that we need.  If you are dealing with insomnia or having a difficult slime sleeping in any way, there are several things that you should try in order to build these imported hormones up inside of you before you try to go to sleep.  You might find that it not only helps you to go to sleep faster, it may keep you asleep for longer.

The first of these chemicals that we are going to talk about is the hormone that is known as serotonin.  Serotonin is present in our body for a number of different reasons but one of the main things that it does is to make us feel good.  If we are having a difficult time sleeping because we tend to fret over different things before we go to bed, serotonin may help to sway the balance in our direction.  This hormone is released from our body whenever we exercise so it is a good idea for us to move around a little bit through the day in order to have an abundance of it.  Believe it or not, warm milk may also trigger the production of serotonin because of the tryptophan that it contains.

Another hormone that we may need which can certainly help us to fall asleep is melatonin.  This is a natural sleep hormone but some of us may be deficient in it for one reason or another.  This particular hormone is available as a natural supplement and has been shown in many cases to help individuals who are dealing with insomnia.  By the way, it also helps a person who has jet lag for the same reason.  It reset our biological clock and helps us to go through the natural cycle of sleep.

One final thing that you should do is to make sure that you have all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.  Taking a quality multivitamin everyday may be able to help you to bring your body into the balance that it needs.  You should also make sure that you are eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables as this will also go a long way in helping to cure your insomnia.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood

**Recommended Resource**
Can a video really help you fall asleep? Check out our =>Insomnia video

I hope this post finds everyone doing well this weekend.

Did you ever notice that after you eat certain types of foods you just naturally fall off to sleep?  Many of us may think that these types of foods are what is necessary for us to get a good nights sleep.  We may not be aware of the fact, however, that we are not falling asleep because we are becoming naturally tired but because of a chemical reaction that is taking place within our body.

Whenever we eat foods that are high on the glycemic index, they release a large amount of sugar into our bloodstream.  This causes our body to react with a large amount of insulin.  It is the insulin that makes us feel lethargic and fall asleep, not the food.  Not only is this bad because of the type of sleep that we are getting, it also puts weight on our body rather quickly which can also affect our sleep.  If you would like to be able to sleep better, there are some foods that you can eat which will help you to do so.

The first thing that you should make sure that you are eating is plenty of raw vegetables during the day, especially greens.  The easiest way for you to be able to do this is to drink a green smoothie every day.  Yes, it may sound a little bit disgusting but it is delicious and extremely nutritious.  Mix a large handful of greens together with two pieces of fruit, water and some ice.  Blend it until it is smooth and enjoy.

You should also make sure that you’re getting the right kind of fats on a daily basis.  Depriving yourself of these fats is not going to help you lose weight for the long term so don’t worry about eating them.  The best way for you to be able to get them is by eating coconuts and avocados.  This will help to even out your blood sugar through the day and to make you more relaxed in the evenings.

Finally, you should try drinking some warm milk before bedtime.  Warm milk contains tryptophan which triggers the body to release the natural sleep hormone, melatonin.  You should’ve listened to your grandmother years ago whenever she told you to drink more milk to get better sleep.  As it turns out, she knew what she was talking about all along.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
“Give us seven minutes, and we’ll give you a good night’s sleep, Guaranteed!”
http://www.sleepsecretaudio.com

Many of the little things that cause problems such as this are the glands that are inside of our body.  Some of the main glands that can affect our sleep include the pituitary, the thyroid and the pineal gland.  Although these glands are only several ounces in size each, they can cause major problems if they get out of balance.  Not only do they cause problems with sleeping, they can actually disrupt on our entire life.

The thyroid gland is responsible for so much in the body that it is often considered to be the rudder that steers it.  If we are dealing with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, our sleep can be affected negatively.  Even Hashimoto’s disease which is not really a problem with the thyroid but rather a problem with tumors on the thyroid can cause it to function improperly.

The pituitary gland is what regulates the release of adrenaline into our system.  This can cause major problems for us because adrenaline will definitely keep you awake.  If we tend to stress unnecessarily, it may be a problem with our pituitary gland.  Then again, unnecessary stress can also be caused by a vitamin deficiency.  This is a problem that is best left to your doctor to diagnose.

Finally, we have the pineal gland.  This is a small gland that is located in the brain and it is responsible for releasing melatonin into your system.  Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone that is produced by this gland and it helps to regulate our internal clock.  If we are having a difficulty sleeping, melatonin or a lack of it may be to blame.  Either build up your hormone levels naturally or take it as a supplement in order to help you sleep.