July⢠2018 | 29
READERâS DIGEST
HowtoLieDown
Whichsleepingpositionisbest?Whateveryoufindcomfortableatanygiven
moment because comfort promotes slumber. Ergonomically speaking itâs
good to mix things up: over the long run lying the same way every night
could lead to aches and pains. If you sufer from...
Back or neck pain
Experiment until you
find a way to minimise
your discomfort. You can
use pillows for support.
HeartburnElevate your
head by approximately
15 centimetres to stop
food from backing up
into your oesophagus.
Obstructive sleep
apnoeaAvoid lying on
your back so gravity
wonât be working
against your airways.
HOWTOFOSTER
YOUR DREAMS
Scientists used to think that dream-
inghappenedonlyduringREM
(rapideyemovement)thelaststage
of the sleep cycle. We now know that
earlierstagescanbringwispsof
dreamsaswellbutREMisthetime
ofthemostdetailedactiveand
emotional ones.
Sleep deprivation is understood to
be dangerous but REM deprivation is
alsoanissueclaimsa2017review
publishedintheAnnals of the New
York Academy of Sciences.People
withfewerdreamsaremoresubject
to mood dysregulation (recurrent
temper outbursts or persistent
extreme irritability) pain sensitivity
Parkinsonâsdiseaseanxietydemen-
tia and delusions; ironically dream-
inghelpsyoumaintainyoursenseof
waking reality.
Dreams are threatened by alcohol
whichhelpsyounodofffasterbut
then disrupts REM. Benzodiazepines
(usedassleepingpillsoranti-anxiety
medication) âsignificantly repress
REM/dreamingâthereviewsays.
Anothercommonculprit:alarm
clocks.heyareoftennecessarybut
trytowakeupnaturallywhenever
possible in order to avoid interrupt-
ing sleep cycles.