5 Unconventional Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Cold and flu season has a way of sticking around a lot longer than anyone bargained for, and amidst the headaches, stinging coughs and clogged sinuses, most of us find ourselves wishing away a debilitating cold during the winter months.

We’re all aware of the usual immune system-boosting tips like drink lots of water, exercise, wash your hands, etc., but there are a few slightly unconventional methods that you may not have heard of. So how can you heal up quicker, or bet yet, not catch the bug in the first place? Here are five proven methods to boost your immune system:

Take cold showers

A research study back in 1993 revealed that people who took daily cold showers had more white blood cells to fight off viruses than those who took hot showers. As your body works to heat up after a cold shower, your metabolic rate increases, releasing more white blood cells and activating your immune system.

But let’s be real, who wants to take a cold shower? Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting you spend an hour lathering in ice water. Take your regular hot shower, and try finishing it off with a quick cold rinse.

Drink bone broth

We all know about the comforting powers of good ‘ol chicken soup, but you may or may not have heard about bone broth. Bone broth is what you get when you take animal bones and connective tissue, boil them, let them simmer for 10 - 20+ hours, and add herbs, vegetables and spices. Bones are loaded with proteins, anti-inflammatory amino acids, minerals, and other healing compounds, and the long simmering process ensures that all of that goodness is fully extracted and made available for you to consume. To learn more about bone broth, its benefits, and where you can get a hold of some.

Sleep more

Okay, so this one is pretty conventional, but we still had to squeeze it in. This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you, but prioritizing your sleep not only helps you recover quicker, but it helps strengthen your immune system, preventing sickness in the first place. Learn more about how you can get a better sleep.

Invest in R&R

We all know that stress is bad for us. But did you know that your stress levels significantly affect your immune system? Actively managing the stress in your life can help you avoid illness and recover quickly when you do get sick. Get a massage, practice regular meditation, see a chiropractor, or go to a yoga class. Whatever it is, find something that you can do consistently throughout the week to relieve stress.

Get more sun

Vitamin D plays a huge part in strengthening your immune system, and research has proven time and time again that Americans are highly deficient in this area. As we all know, sunshine is the primary source of vitamin D, so during colder months, the body’s vitamin D deficiency becomes even greater.

On warmer days, take the time to go for a walk or just sit outside during your lunch break. And don’t forget, especially during the colder months, to take your Vitamin D.

Try these five things all year long, and you’ll be smiling all the way through next year’s cold and flu season.

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/5-unconventional-ways-to-boost-your-immune-system

What Really Happens When You Hit ‘Snooze’

We can probably all agree that there are few things more satisfying in life than shutting off your alarm clock to stay in your dreamy slumber. However, there are certain things that happen to your body when you wake up, hit snooze and fall back to sleep.

When you surrender to your sleep once your alarm clock goes off, perplexity rises for your brain and body, causing you a state called sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is a foggy feeling that can last throughout the day, making you feel drained and exhausted. 

Drowning in the ocean of snooze can also have a significant impact on your REM sleep -a time when the brain is active, and body is inactive. Typically, the body transitions through different sleep stages to fall back to the final stage of sleep-REM.  Hitting the snooze button repeatedly makes it difficult for your body to restore the full consciousness. Not only this, but it also deprives you of having the restorative advantages of REM sleep. Falling back to sleep makes it harder for the brain to achieve the state of REM once you turn off your alarm.

A study conducted by the University of UK has found that abrupt snoozing not only disrupts your sleep cycle but also affects cognitive functions of the brain. It slows down brain processing and gives you a lethargic feeling that stays with you throughout the whole day. Ultimately, your disoriented mind suffers from the lack of concentration required to make important decisions.

Lastly, having constant interruption in the REM cycle can also affect your long-term memory. Sleep experts believe that we tend to process different skills and experiences during our REM stage of the sleep cycle, so if you’re one of those people who like to set an early alarm so you can experience the joy of snoozing, you may want to rethink this approach, as it disrupts the patterns of your sleep cycle.  

Although snoozing in the morning can be a magical feeling, it's not without its consequences. Practice setting your alarm for the exact time you need to wake up to enjoy a better night's sleep and more productivity throughout your day. 

Not a morning person? Here's how you can become one

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/what-really-happens-when-you-hit-snooze

6 Ways to Make Waking Up Easier

Waking up bright and early, or frankly, waking up at all, is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Try as you might to break your am snooze habits, all last night’s plans for a strong-willed morning can so quickly vanish with the sound of an alarm clock. We’re here to help you in the struggle with these 6 tips for making mornings just a little easier.

1. Get new curtains

Do you currently sleep with heavy curtains or fully drawn blinds? Try swapping these out for lightweight curtains or sleeping with your blinds slightly open. This will let the sunlight seep into your room in the morning and let your body wake up naturally, leaving you feeling far more relaxed and ready to get out of bed.

2. Wake up to your favorite song

Set your alarm in the morning to a calming song that you enjoy listening to. This will make you less likely to go for the snooze button and more likely to let the song play out and allow your brain to slowly wake up.

3. Stretch

Before you attempt to get out from the safety of your covers, do some simple stretches in your bed. Do some arm and leg raises, stretch out your chest and back, and let your covers naturally fall off as you stretch your way out of bed.

4. Brew a delicious cup of coffee

If you have an automatic coffee maker, take advantage of the timing feature and program your coffee maker to brew a fresh pot first thing in the morning. Waking up to the the sweet smell of coffee is a great way to force yourself out of bed and into the kitchen.

5. Stick to a morning routine

The body loves consistency, plain and simple. If you regulate your sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, your body will eventually wake up naturally at the same time. No feeling groggy, and no wrestling with the alarm clock.

6. Sleep well

Whether it’s because of your partner’s loud snoring, stress, or a sleep disorder, not getting a good night’s sleep is a surefire way to guarantee a difficult morning. Be sure to go to bed a decent time every night to ensure you’re getting 7-8 hours of sleep, and if snoring is keeping you up, try investing in a snoring mouthpiece.

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/6-ways-to-make-waking-up-easier

6 Ways to Make Waking Up Easier

Waking up bright and early, or frankly, waking up at all, is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Try as you might to break your am snooze habits, all last night’s plans for a strong-willed morning can so quickly vanish with the sound of an alarm clock. We’re here to help you in the struggle with these 6 tips for making mornings just a little easier.

1. Get new curtains

Do you currently sleep with heavy curtains or fully drawn blinds? Try swapping these out for lightweight curtains or sleeping with your blinds slightly open. This will let the sunlight seep into your room in the morning and let your body wake up naturally, leaving you feeling far more relaxed and ready to get out of bed.

2. Wake up to your favorite song

Set your alarm in the morning to a calming song that you enjoy listening to. This will make you less likely to go for the snooze button and more likely to let the song play out and allow your brain to slowly wake up.

3. Stretch

Before you attempt to get out from the safety of your covers, do some simple stretches in your bed. Do some arm and leg raises, stretch out your chest and back, and let your covers naturally fall off as you stretch your way out of bed.

4. Brew a delicious cup of coffee

If you have an automatic coffee maker, take advantage of the timing feature and program your coffee maker to brew a fresh pot first thing in the morning. Waking up to the the sweet smell of coffee is a great way to force yourself out of bed and into the kitchen.

5. Stick to a morning routine

The body loves consistency, plain and simple. If you regulate your sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, your body will eventually wake up naturally at the same time. No feeling groggy, and no wrestling with the alarm clock.

6. Sleep well

Whether it’s because of your partner’s loud snoring, stress, or a sleep disorder, not getting a good night’s sleep is a surefire way to guarantee a difficult morning. Be sure to go to bed a decent time every night to ensure you’re getting 7-8 hours of sleep, and if snoring is keeping you up, try investing in a snoring mouthpiece.

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/5-ways-to-make-waking-up-easier

Better sleep, better relationships

At Good Morning Snore Solution, we’re all about facilitating stronger, healthier relationships through quality sleep, and we love hearing stories from our happy couples about how our mouthpiece has done just that.  But don’t take our word for it, check out these testimonials from Good Morning Snore Solution customers.

“I went from sleeping about 4 hours a night to a little over 7 hours. I can sleep in the bed with my wife again! “

“We’ve been married for many years, and I just came to accept the snoring. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t completely disruptive to my sleep, totally annoying, and had me constantly kicking my poor husband during the night. It was a sad state for the both of us. Then, I was introduced to this amazing and innovative product...and within a week, both our lives changed!”

“My wife has suffered with my snoring for years and we had begun to give up hope until we discovered this simple little device.”

“After searching extensively on the internet, I decided to purchase the Good Morning Snore Solution. It took some getting used to sleeping with the product, but I stuck it out. Now 1 month later, thankfully it has done the job. My husband is sleeping without the use of his ear buds and movies to drown out my snoring. All I can say is YEAH!”

“The doctors have always been reluctant to try surgery as it was never guaranteed it would work and so we've been stuck with snoring for 19 years of marriage. I thought we would never figure it out and I had taken to leaving and sleeping in the guest bedroom. I came across this product and thought, "what the heck", so I bought it. It has been nothing short of miraculous as the snoring stopped immediately! It took some getting used to for her but here we are with a totally silent room!“

This Valentines Day, we want to give a shoutout to all our happy couples! Hearing your success stories is what fuels us to continue doing what we do, and we’re so grateful to be able to help couples like you. Got a story? Share it with us! We’d love to hear how Good Morning Snore Solution has helped you.  

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/better-sleep-better-relationships

Bedtime Botanicals and Sleep-Promoting Essential Oils

Whether it’s stresses from the day or more serious health issues that are keeping you up at night, there are many botanicals have been known to encourage a good night’s sleep.

Here are a few recommended botanical herbs and how to use them:

1. Passionflower can create a calming effect and help control that “vicious circle of thought going round and round in your head”; so you can go to sleep.
2. Magnolia bark, used in Chinese medicine, helps to reduce cortisol, which can help the sleep cycle. It promotes relaxation of both the body and mind, and is also good for reducing diabetes and obesity risk.
3. Ashawganda is a herb from India that helps to decrease stress. It brings more mental calmness, less anxiety and depression; reducing insomnia.
4. Lemon balm has been used for centuries medicinally as a sleep aid. It helps with restlessness, anxiety and insomnia. Studies have even shown it helps agitation and hyperactivity for Alzheimer’s and ADHD patients.

You can partake of these herbs as a tea by brewing your herbs and drinking about one hour before bedtime. You can take it as an extract form about 30 minutes before bed. Mix it with a little water if you do not like the flavor.

In addition to herbs, many turn to essential oils as a natural way to promote sleep.

The following are some sleep-promoting essential oils:

1. Lavender helps to relax the body and reduce the feelings of stress, anxiety or unease. In one study, lavender oil reduced depression by 32% in people suffering from post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
2. Clary Sage improves mood, balances hormones and reduces stress. Inhaling clary sage promotes soothing feelings of relaxation allowing for a restful night’s sleep.
3. Ylang Ylang essential oil can significantly decrease blood pressure and lower heart rate proving it has a sedative effect when inhaled. By acting directly on the olfactory system of the brain, Ylang Ylang has immediate positive effects on your mood and acts like a mild depression remedy. It can also lessen frustration and anger.
4. Roman Chamomile inhalation is a natural remedy for anxiety and general depression. In one study, volunteers experienced more drowsiness and calmness with Roman Chamomile which improved sleep quality. Roman Chamomile has also been proven to reduce symptoms of insomnia.

Essential oils can be inhaled by using a diffuser in the bedroom or by dropping a few drops on a cloth or Kleenex and holding it around the nose to breathe it in. Essential oils can also be used directly on the skin. It is recommended to mix your EO with a carrier oil first in case there is any skin irritation. Use jojoba, coconut or shea butter as a carrier.

Herbs and essential oils are great natural ways to relax and fall asleep quicker. However, if you’re not sleeping through the night, not feeling well-rested the next morning, or snoring, consider investing in a snoring mouthpiece.

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/bedtime-botanicals-and-sleep-promoting-essential-oils

2 Upsetting Yet True Facts About Snoring

In American Health Journal’s latest segment, Dr. Nancy Markley, CEO of MPowrx Health and Wellness, lets us in on some important facts about snoring.

Fact 1: No one is immune

Many of us are aware that snoring is a fairly common problem, but there’s a prevailing misconception out there that only men or people who are overweight snore. This is by no means the case, snoring does not discriminate, and can affect virtually anyone. Although excess weight is a large contributor to snoring, Dr. Markley explains that seemingly minuscule features like the size of your tongue, shape of your nose, and frame of your jaw all factor into whether you will snore or not.

Fact 2: Finding the right solution is a process

When dealing with snoring, many people dive straight into purchasing CPAP machines, snoring mouthpieces, chinstraps, nose sprays, etc. Dr. Markley clarifies that in order to be successful, snorers should not go straight to looking for a solution, but should first do some digging to find out why they snore.

“The key to resolving snoring is identifying those obstructions and trying to find a solution that fits with those findings,” says Dr. Markley.

Not everyone snores for the same reason, which is precisely why there is no silver bullet when it comes to a cure for snoring. The key is knowing your reason for snoring, and choosing the right solution from there.

For more information about the various causes of snoring, see Dr. Nancy Markley’s full segment on American Health Journal:

source https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/blogs/news/2-upsetting-yet-true-facts-about-snoring