#Biphasic trying to be monophasic

[beautifulsnake2162020]

🌻 If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notes, anonymous or not! Let's get to know the person behind the blog 🌻

Awe thank you so much

1.) I'm a Biphasic sleeper (I sleep for about 4 hours wake up, do some things, then go back for another 4 hours). I'm currently doing my best to go back to being a monophasic sleeper since we are now slowly going back outside. This is why I'm awake when majority of the people in my family are asleep in the early hours of the morning (i.e. the after midnight hours).;

2.) When I was little (from 4 - 6 years old), I took ballet lessons and had performed in many major theaters (I mean it's mainly for recitals and for the ballet school to show off their students). I stopped because it was getting difficult to balance school with ballet. But many of the things taught to me during those years are still embedded in me today. I have a tendency to point my toes without thinking when I'm just sitting down, whenever I hear "First Position" I sometimes think about the "Holding the basket" first position in ballet and when I couldn't think of an appropriate hairstyle I just resort in putting my hair in a bun.;

3.) I love perfumes. My favorite currently is Yves Rocher's Lilac perfume (which sadly they have phased out in my area - I don't know why though since it's one of their more popular perfumes ever since the Netflix version of the Witcher came out). I'm currently looking for a perfume that mixes Lilac and Pomegranate together - in the Midnote section since I think these two scents aren't heavy enough to be base notes. So if ever I do get the chance to make a perfume for my own it would probably have these two as the mid notes.

[msamba]

I Slept Like a Victorian for a Week

[…] In this video, I take on a week-long experiment. Since I already wear historical fashion, I thought it’d be fun to try sleeping like a Victorian for a week. Victorians (and many other people throughout earlier history) slept in two parts – known as biphasic sleep. In fact, sleeping monophasically is actually a relatively new construct. The week had its ups and downs, and I document the…

[chaoticrobotics]

hey moon i cant sleep you got any advice?

Moon: Chug half a bottle of Nyquil and eat like 10 melatonin after staying up for 48+ hours. You'll be asleep in seconds. >:3

Sun: "DO. NOT. DO. THIS!"

Moon: hehehe, yeah no. Don't do this. What you're gonna want to do is try to stick to a sleep schedule. So try going to bed around the same time within like half an hour each day. Don't go to bed at 9pm one day and then midnight the next, you'll want to stay in a range from like 9-10, preferably 9-9:30. Or whatever time you choose.

Also, don't go to bed super hungry or overly stuffed with food. It will mess with your stomach and make you toss more giving you a restless night.

Don't nap too much during the day. This is different for really young kids who need more sleep than adults. A nap for a kid is actually falling asleep for like an hour or so. If you take a nap as an adult, you are technically not suppose to go to sleep. Most people think a nap is sleeping for 1-2 hours, sometimes 3 or4. What it actually is would be just laying down for 10-20 minutes with your eyes shut, not moving or overly thinking, and relaxing.

You're not suppose to actually sleep when napping as an adult because sleeping for only 1-2 hours messes with your circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle. Those 1-2 hours are just long enough to go into REM sleep, "Rapid Eye Movement" sleep which is deep sleep, and disrupting that sleep is why you feel so groggy and worse after a 1-2 hour nap.

There is a method called Biphasic sleep, or segmented sleep. This is where you sleep in two, or more for Polyphasic, sleeping cycles. Monophasic sleep is what most people think sleeping is and what most people do, which is sleeping all in one go for 6-8 hours. When you cut that sleep up into two, Biphasic, or more, Polyphasic, sleep cycles, you can actually boost things like productivity and cognitive function while reducing stress!

There are two main ways to Biphasic sleep, both segments at night or one segment in the day and one in the night. To do both segments at night, you would cut your sleeping in half basically, so getting about 3-4 hours of sleep at first, usually in the earlier night around 8pm. Then you would stay awake for 1-3 hours, do something during that time, and then go back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. In Total you would be sleeping for 6-8 hours, just in segments.

The other way, one in day and one at night, actually depends on how you want to nap. First you need to determine if you want to sleep longer or shorter at night. For a longer nights rest, you will sleep during the night for about 6 hours, and then take a 20 minutes nap in the afternoon. For a shorter nights rest, you will sleep at night for about 5 hours and then have a 90 minute nap. All of these numbers can be changed slightly, just try to keep them around the numbers provided and remember that you are not supposed to go into deep sleep with a nap! Also, taking naps while Monophasic sleeping, getting 6-8 hours total in one go, may still disrupt your sleep schedule because of too much sleep/rest.

Anyway, you may also want to add some exercise to your daily routine to help get your body's excess energy out during the day. Just don't be like, exercising an hour before bed. It's better to do that during the afternoon.

There's also the problem that many humans have now where they use their phones and computers before bed. I want to tell you to stop all screen time like an hour before going to bed, but I know that's not an option for everyone. So I would say to try and get a blue light filter, either for your screen or glasses with that filter, to help limit your exposure to it. Blue light disrupts your body telling you it's time to sleep, so limiting that light can really help you get to bed easier.

Also, any medication prescribed by a doctor to help you sleep is definitely something you want. There is, like I joked about earlier, melatonin and nyquil, which are over the counter medicine you can use to boost your sleepiness, but be careful with that. Only use it when necessary because if you become dependent on them, especially melatonin, then you are messing with your body's natural creation of melatonin, especially since a standard 3 or 5 mg pill of melatonin is already far above the body's natural amount needed to fall asleep. Just be careful and make sure to do your own research along with read the instructions, ingredients, and side effects of any medicine you may want to use to help with your sleep cycle.

But uh... yea, haha. Sorry, I got a little carried away there. Most of this advice applies to adults, but young teens can also use it. But remember, teens and younger kids need much more sleep than adults, so it's okay to sleep in at times or take extra naps! And if all else fails, just try and listen to your body and rest when you need it. If you don't, then one day you are going to collapse and pass out while your body forces you to rest!

Sun: "It's really nice to hear you talk so much! It's been so long since you just rambled!"

Moon: Ah... yeah... thanks...

[dragonandtiger]

How is MImi Abel to sleep twice a day, perform chosen duties, all while keeping up with school/homework?

Practice and determination!

Okay, so if you want us to get more technical than that... Mimi has adopted a biphasic sleep pattern. It's actually not that uncommon for people to opt for this rather than the standard monophasic one. There's even individuals that go for polyphasic. Here's a quick rundown of their definitions:

A monophasic sleep pattern is when an individual sleeps once per day, typically for 8 or so hours a night.

A biphasic sleep pattern is when someone sleeps twice per day, sometimes referred to as a siesta sleeping pattern.

A polyphasic sleep pattern is when a person sleeps for periods of time throughout the day.

Basically, instead of sleeping in a single 8 hour block, Mimi and Palmon divide that into a couple 4 hour blocks. Well, maybe not as evenly divided as that, but essentially they get the same amount of sleep as the others overall, just scheduled differently.

Wallace is trying to adopt a biphasic sleeping pattern too, but it can be hard to get used to... especially with an easily bored partner like Noir.

[sarcasticbabywhispererjess]

The movie “Secret Obsession” opens with the main character Jennifer being chased through a rest stop bathroom by a knife wielding maniac. She escapes out into the rain (very dramatic), gets hit by a car and is subsequently brought to the hospital. 

The following happens in the hallway of the hospital and OR...

Bagging patient randomly off and on.

“She’s going into v-fib.” (closed captioning says v-tach)

No compressions are started.

“She’s unstable.” (no shit)

No one starts compressions… way to fail ACLS step 1. Get on the chest!

“We need to start compressions.” Yes, please!

No one actually starts compressions, but someone does listen to her with a stethoscope.

“Miss can you hear me?” She’s in v-fib and you’re not doing compressions, her brain isn’t being perfused… she ain’t gonna answer you, doc.

“She’s unresponsive.” Ya think?

“I’m losing a pulse.” She’s been in v-fib, but had a pulse this whole time? I think your monitor is faulty. Also, why start compressions if there’s a pulse… not that they have done any compressions so far.

Still no compressions.

Shocks with 300 joules… with paddles that we don’t ever use anymore. (You don’t shock with 300 joules on any defibrillators, 120-200 on biphasic, or 360 on monophasic… yes I looked this up.)

“Bradycardia. 30… 90/50.”

Patient is in an organized rhythm and has a pretty good BP.

“Charge to 360”  What?! Why?! Shocks her again. 

WTF?! Why did you shock her? You don’t shock bradycardia.

“Get another amp of epi”… shocks again. 

That was three shocks in like a minute… never any compressions.

Pulse is now 75… they call it a success and say they can start surgery.

That was a DISASTER of a code. I get that it’s a movie, but codes are exciting when you follow actual ACLS guidelines (less defibrillating though), they didn’t need to do this. Plus, just edit and reorder some of those lines and it would have made more sense. Also... 

DO SOME FUCKING COMPRESSIONS!

Ok, below I continue with a play by play and commentary on the rest of the movie... warning, spoilers ahead.

Jennifer is in a hospital bed, extubated after surgery, but hadn’t regained consciousness after surgery. No, we don’t do that. 

Leg is in a brace and sling. Huh? Why?

Has Coban, but no gauze wrapped around her head like a headband (not sure where her injury is… somewhere near her hippocampus since that is where her brain injury is according to the doctor when he is explaining about how her memory is going to be affected by her brain injury) and random pieces of white tape on her nose and fingers. ???

Jennifer is in the hospital for several weeks it seems after the montage of memory card games and learning to push her own wheelchair. All of her facial abrasions are healed as she’s being discharged which also denotes the passing of time. I’m not quite sure why they kept her so long. 

She is standing at the counter and is told by the nurse discharging her (who also was there the night she was admitted) that her CT results came back and is given a vague update. Nurse gives her prescription bags… I mean, I guess it’s a nurse, she’s not wearing a badge but is wearing a stethoscope around her neck  (confirmed later, she’s a nurse). She gives Jenn a cane to walk with when she gets home… 2-3mins a day (That’s like no time at all). Jenn is given no instruction of how to use it, I’ve only ever seen her use a wheelchair.

Jennifer is sent home with a wheelchair. Her leg brace is gone. So can she not walk because of her brain injury, not her leg injury?

Man, this nurse works a lot… she seems to be there every day/night. And she’s in charge of follow-up calls/appointments. They’re in California, so at least she probably makes pretty good money since she runs the whole damn hospital.

OK, cane/wheelchair is because of her leg. Why the fuck doesn’t she just have crutches? That’s dumb. I guess it’s to make her more helpless.

God damn, her skin is so nice. 

Russell and Jenn start to get intimate, Jenn has a scary memory flash and rebukes his advances. Russell doesn’t take it well. He roughly grabs her arm. He starts talking about how much he has done for her and how he’s her husband (is he though?), so he deserves better. Twat. Jenn is freaked out both by her memory and Russell’s behavior, but just turns off the light, rolls over away from him, and goes to bed. I would have left. 

Damn, nurse Masters is still at work? She literally works 24/7 in this ED. Jenn still has an active chart? There are doctor’s notes in it? This place hasn’t switched to EMR yet? But they have high res security cameras that hospital security can pull up and email files within minutes? Impressive. Do a lot of crimes happen in this hospital? So those are their priorities? Weird.

Wtf is a heritage tattoo? That’s how the detective figured out her maiden name? Seems far fetched, but I’m not looking it up.

The detective enters Jennifer’s home that she shared with her parents according to records… and he keeps touching things without gloves on. You’re a shit detective, dude. How have her parents been dead this whole time and no one has looked for them? They didn’t have jobs? Were they hermits?

Russell leaves and Jenn hears a lock sound from the bedroom door. She jiggles the door handle and can’t get it open, “Did he just lock it?” Well he didn’t unlock it ya dumb bitch.  Well apparently she was some kind of criminal in her past life, so she can open locks with a bobby pin. Really? The password on Russell’s computer is Jennifer’s maiden name. FFS. This is the most unrealistic thing in the movie. 

Why would he cut the cord for the internet? Just to be dramatic. He could just as easily have just unplugged the cord and taken it with him. Did he not want to use the internet anymore either? Anyway, he planned far ahead enough to disable the internet just in case she got into the computer, but didn’t delete all the pictures pre-photoshopping off his computer? Idiot.

Who just swallows a pill that someone puts in their mouth just because they also forced water into your mouth? You’re not a dog, Jennifer. 

Russell uses a chain and lock that he happens to have in his pocket to chain her to the bed. Pretty sure she can get that chain off of her ankle if she wanted to. It’s not that tight.

Oh my goodness, nurse Masters isn’t at work! Russell is super weird to her and then speeds away from the store where he bought lye.

The chain is much tighter suddenly… but loose enough that Jenn could get it off. Ok, wtf is wrong with her leg… she can’t seem to straighten it from like 30 degrees… they should’ve kept that brace on her from the beginning of the movie and also done more ROM exercises with her while she was in the hospital for all those weeks. She apparently used to be some kind of medic? Duct tape as an ace bandage ankle wrap? Probably not the most effective, but could be worse. Though I imagine she’d only have some soft tissue injury from that chain, I don’t know if she needs to wrap her ankle.

Jenn gets into the garage where she acts like it smells bad.. like a dead body, maybe? She hides in her car that is in the garage when fake Russell gets home. He also acts like the garage reeks. Why does he open the trunk to see the real Russell’s dead body? Like, he knows that it’s in there and he could already smell the decomposing body… he just wanted a better whiff? Also, why hasn’t he buried the body yet? He buried that witness the day he killed him. Well, semi-buried… it was a really shallow grave that Jenn tripped onto and touched the dude’s hand.  Honestly, he did a piss-poor job at hiding the body. Also, now that I’m thinking about it, real Russell’s body isn’t very decomposed for having been in the trunk of a car in a hot garage for several weeks (unless the garage has A/C, but there would still be a lot more rotting of the flesh after such a long time). Jennifer’s parents bodies decomp was much more progressed even though it seems they’ve all been dead the same amount of times.

The detective is at “their” house, he knows Russell isn’t Russell and there’s something nefarious afoot. This detective needs to go back to detective school. Stop touching potential evidence without gloves on. Why would fake Russell just cover up an old sign that has his actual last name on it? Just get a new sign, you nut job. Well, the shitty detective isn’t aware of his surroundings and doesn’t have his gun drawn, so of course fake Russell/Ryan is able to sneak up behind him and hit him over the head. He’s dead… actually probably just unconscious in an ice chest since fake Russell is only good at killing people most of the time. Also, I have a feeling we’re going to need the detective later to help save Jenn.

Uh oh, glasses are off… I guess he’s not Russell anymore. He’s crazy, obsessive Ryan.

Yes, take time to watch that video on your phone, Jenn… get sentimental while you’re trying to run for your life. 

Why is this dude so hyper focused on this chick? He’s hot. He could have his pick of plenty of girls. I suppose it’s hard to think in rational/logical terms with a sociopath no matter what he looks like. 

Oh good… he’s doing the villain speech where he explains his backstory. Apparently he had to light a single taper for it. I have a feeling the candlestick holder might come into play later… in Jennifer’s benefit. No, wait... he left the lighter and tied her up with flammable rope.  But she knocked it on the floor… moron.

Oh good, the detective is alive. He’ll save them both even if he’s also an idiot. Since all women need saving. 

Wait, she got herself out. Why hit him with the vase? The solid metal candle holder would’ve been a better choice. Solid work falling down the stairs, Jenn

The detective is out of the ice chest. And he’s using the Babe from Kill Bill incentive… yelling at himself to make his brain/muscles work. He at the very least has a concussion/TBI from being knocked unconscious, yelling at yourself doesn’t fix that.

Jennifer! Why are you going into the woods? You have his keys and there are so many cars on the property, you probably have a key that will work on at least one of them. Even if you didn’t have the keys, if you can pick a lock, can’t you hotwire a car too?  Why do you think you’d get better signal in the mother fucking woods? Yes, try to hit him with a heavy log that you can barely lift. You’ll get good momentum and swing. Just use one of those rocks you just threw to distract him. Idiot.

Ok, she shot fake Russell/Ryan in the back while he was wrestling with the detective. The first shot was fairly high in the chest and had a pretty good chance of hitting his lung or something important, but he’s still able to come at her. Her second shot got him in the upper right abdomen, so probably the liver and he just goes down... dead. FFS. At least have shot him in the heart area, that would’ve been slightly more believable. Oh well, I guess that’s that. A little follow up with the detective and Jenn. She’s moving back to San Jose (hopefully she’s getting a new place since her parents were murdered in her old house) and the detective is moving to AZ even though he never found his daughter that had gone missing as a child many years ago (a part of his backstory that brought nothing to the story and was never resolved).

Guys, this was not a great movie. I did kind of enjoy tearing it apart though.

[gethealthynotslim]

why not swap to a better sleep schedule than the old fashioned one monophasic cycle, could try biphasic or everyman cycle, would not suggest dymaxion cycle or uberman cycle, those are stupid. I switch between monophasic and biphasic sleep

who knew there was so much sleep related jargon

[sirencreed]

Fuck paywalls:

Dear Professor Ekirch

Let me start this letter with a confession. I truly admire your work on sleep in the early modern period (Ekirch 2001, 2005, 2015). I find your books and articles on biphasic sleep before the Industrial Revolution utterly thought provoking as they are powered by a trailblazing hypothesis, peppered with interesting evidence and written in a compelling style. That does not mean, however, that I don’t have some doubts about your claim that biphasic sleep was the predominant mode of slumber in Europe before the onset of industrialization in the 19th century. Drawing evidence from the eyewitness reports of the Antwerp criminal court during this period, I have argued that your hypothesis (or parts of it) can be significantly called into question (Verhoeven 2020). This material may have its flaws and issues as you rightly point out in your meticulous letter to the editor, but I’m still not convinced that biphasic sleep was the default mode in 18th‐century Europe. At least in its highly urbanized core, monophasic sleep seems to have been much more common. Let me try to explain.

First and foremost, there is the quantitative evidence. An important piece of information is the duration of sleep in early modern Europe. Eyewitness reports allow us to estimate this in great detail, as people frequently mentioned their bedtimes when they were called to the bench to testify in cases of burglary, manslaughter, or any other misdemeanour that had occurred during the night. Contrary to expectations, evidence shows that Antwerpers barely slept for 7 hr a day on average (Verhoeven 2020). True, there are some methodological flaws. First of all, it can be argued that some eyewitnesses may have been lying about the minutiae of their temporal lives. However, it can just as well be claimed that even the most deceitful witnesses could only spin their story within the narrow confines of magistrates’ expectations. Perhaps they sometimes stretched the truth or even told bare‐faced lies; nevertheless, they had to come up with timings that were plausible in the eyes of the judges. Secondly, and more importantly, one could argue that the sample is too small. Even though you repeatedly and erroneously refer to one of my subsamples (n = 86), the calculations on sleep and bedtimes are in reality based on a much larger sample (n = 271). Even so, I am the first to admit that more evidence is needed. I therefore looked for other clues. Using court proceedings, local legislation and a scientific logbook, various scholars have suggested that a night‐rest of 7 hr was also the norm in parts of 18th‐century Britain, Germany and Sweden (Voth 2012; Emich 2003; Ekman, 2018). Moreover, we should bear in mind that these sources provide gross estimates of sleep time, as they only detail the times when people got into and out of their beds. It is very likely that the net amount of sleep was (significantly) lower, as eyewitnesses frequently reported that they had been awake for some time before dozing off. Logical reasoning suggests that there was little, if any, room for ‘‘one hour or more of quiet wakefulness’’ in the dead of night. It would mean that Antwerpers, as well as people in some British, German and Swedish towns, would have slept for 5 to 6 hr or even less, which is way below our post‐industrial average and the (supposed) biological minimum (Carscadon & Dement 2011; Czeisler 2013; Horne 2016).

It is true that plenty of evidence can be found in academic research on bimodal sleep, yet in most of these biological or anthropological studies the circumstances were very different from 18th‐century Antwerp. Let us, for instance, look at the trailblazing experiment of Thomas Wehr, someone you yourself cite frequently. During the night, Wehr locked his volunteers (n = 7) in a pitch‐dark room for 14 hr every day. They were not allowed to listen to music, do any physical exercise or indeed any other activity. Instead they were encouraged to rest or sleep. After some time, they developed a bimodal sleep pattern with 1 to 3 hr of quiet wakefulness in the middle of the night. Their total sleep time increased to 11 (± 0.8) hr a day (Wehr 1992). Biphasic sleep is also reported in a fascinating anthropological study of a small‐scale agricultural community living without electricity in Madagascar undertaken by David Samson and his colleagues. Once again, a bi‐ or even polyphasic sleep pattern goes hand in hand with extensive sleep time, as these Malagasy subjects (n = 21) spent 9.4 hr in bed, albeit being awake for 2.1 hr of them. Napping during the day compensates for the lost hours in the night (Samson 2016). Circumstances were very different in Antwerp, in London and in other highly urbanized regions in 18th‐century Europe, where barely 7 hr of sleep were the norm and almost no napping occurred during the day (Verhoeven 2020; Voth 2012; Ekman 2018). Moreover, in your reference to current anthropological, biological and other research on sleep, you conveniently brush aside the literature that is much more critical about the predominance of biphasic sleep (Yetish 2015; De la Iglesia 2015; Piosczyk 2014). In a sense, you are right to ignore these studies, as the circumstances in such small‐scale, hunter‐gatherer societies living without electricity are a far cry from the highly urbanized reality of northwest Europe in the 18th century. Comparisons are of little use, unless you cling to a highly reductionist image of early modern Europe as a primitive, unsophisticated antipode of our 19th‐century industrialized world. Your claim that pre‐industrial sleep was eventually eroded by the harbingers of modernity – high‐wattage gas and electric light, a new consciousness of time and the frenzy of an urban lifestyle – indeed hints at such a teleological lens (Ekirch 2015, 2005, 2001), but I will come back to this concern in a moment.

Let me first take a look at the more qualitative evidence. Firstly, it is striking that none of the eyewitnesses in the entire Antwerp sample (n = 378) used the terms of ‘‘first’’ and ‘‘second’’ sleep or any such equivalent, whereas they frequently referred to other temporal beacons during the night or day, including a series of natural (at dawn, around noon, after dusk, in the dead of night) and social phenomena (at lunch time, when the city gates opened) (Blondé & Verhoeven 2013). Moreover, in the entire sample (n = 2061), the number of eyewitnesses who claimed that they had woken up during the night is relatively low (n = 86) (Verhoeven 2020). It could be suggested that these nocturnal awakenings were under‐reported, but this seems highly unlikely. Antwerp witnesses provided ample detail about the times at which they would have sex, go to the barber, retired to the privy, read the newspaper, and other mundane activities. Why would they keep silent about their nocturnal activities if a biphasic pattern was as common and widespread as you claim? Moreover, even in the small subsample of 86 eyewitnesses who reported that they had woken up at night, references to praying, sex, smoking, or any other calm nocturnal activity, let alone to brewing, chopping wood and other household work you mention, are missing. Typically, eyewitnesses reported that, if they had been woken up abruptly by street noise, a knock on the door or other interruptions – either mundane or more troublesome – they had gone back to bed as soon as possible afterwards to get a few extra hours of sleep (Verhoeven 2020). Even so, they were in the minority. Most victims of burglary maintained that they had meticulously checked their door and shutters before going to bed and had slept peacefully through the night. Only in the morning did it transpire that belongings had been stolen.

Monophasic sleep thus seems to have been the norm in 18th‐century Antwerp, as well as in other parts of the highly urbanized core of northwest Europe. As I explained, this is not really a surprise as these urban hubs were a far cry from the small‐scale, hunter‐gatherer societies without electricity where biphasic sleep is still observed today. That brings us to causation. Although primitive in our eyes, candles, oil lamps and roaring fires enabled city dwellers to live a life whose rhythms were no longer defined by nature. Even if this technology may not have had the same devastating effects on sleep as the high‐wattage gas and electric light of the 19th century that was to create a new wave of insomnia, it enabled people to stay active long after sunset and to start their day well before sunrise. Coffee, tea and other stimulants helped people to cut their sleep back to the bare minimum in order to work long hours and enjoy some leisure afterwards. Watches, clocks and other technology to measure time, were a constant reminder that time was short and should not be squandered (Verhoeven 2020b; Blondé & Verhoeven 2013). The ‘‘modernization’’ of sleep, as you like to call it, whereby a monophasic pattern eclipsed the biphasic mode, did not set in during the 19th century: it had already started much earlier and was almost entirely embedded as a mode of sleeping in 18th century.

Much more evidence is available that suggests that monophasic (rather than biphasic) sleep was the default mode in 18th‐century cities in northwest Europe. That is not to say that a bimodal pattern could not have been dominant in other regions and periods. It is possible that the situation was different in more rural areas or in other parts of Europe. It is also possible that biphasic sleep had been more common in Medieval Europe and that it had slowly but surely petered out. Finally, it can also be hypothesized that even in the 18th century a bimodal pattern survived in the lifestyle of the elites, the elderly, writers and artists, and other specific social groups, although monophasic sleep was the default mode for the larger part of the population. I gladly follow Matthew Wolf‐Meyers’ suggestion that even if one particular type of sleep may be dominant in certain periods and places, it would be short sighted to close our eyes to other possible modes (Wolf‐Meyer 2016). Yet, without further research, based on ‘‘fresh’’ historical sources, this all remains a matter of speculation. Let us therefore look forward eagerly to a new range of studies on sleep patterns in the past. In the meantime, as an esteemed colleague, I hope that we can continue our lively discussion through our articles, books and talks or, who knows, during a late‐night conversation with a good glass of whisky. Thereafter, we can get some sleep. Monophasic, biphasic or polyphasic.

Has anyone like…gone back over that “first and second sleep” historian’s research to make sure it really implies what he says it implies? 

I mean he’s a Real Historian™ and I’m not, but the whole idea just seems very “try this one weird old trick for better sleep!!!” At least in the way it’s being presented 

I believe there ARE historical references to segmented sleep. I’m just not convinced that means that sleeping in two distinct phases was a universal norm, or that it’s how humans are meant to function forever and ever amen 

(Also I can’t help being reminded of how everyone got onboard with the whole “orgasms were hysteria treatment!” thing based on one 1990s book and then it came out that none of the author’s sources actually supported her conclusion)

[healthforcetrainingcenter]

Paediatric basic and advanced life support guidelines

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528767/ 

Author Info:Correspondence: Canadian Paediatric Society, 2305 St Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4J8. Telephone 613-526-9397, fax 613-526-3332, Web sites www.cps.ca, www.caringforkids.cps.ca

In late 2005, the Paediatric Task Force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation reviewed topics related to paediatric resuscitation as well as addressed new issues and emerging science. The full paediatric basic life support (PBLS) and paediatric advanced life support (PALS) guidelines can be accessed from the American Heart Association Web site at <www.circulationaha.org>. The present review by the Canadian Paediatric Society –Paediatric Emergency Medicine Section – highlights significant changes made to the recommendations for both PBLS and PALS guidelines for lay rescuers and health care providers. The new guidelines define infants as those younger than one year of age and define children as those one year of age until the onset of puberty. Neonatal resuscitation will not be discussed.

PBLS GUIDELINES: MAJOR CHANGES 

Activating emergency medical services and retrieving the automated external defibrillatorA major change in the updated guidelines for the activation of emergency medical services (EMS) and the retrieval of an automated external defibrillator (AED) relate to their order relative to initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In an unwitnessed or a nonsudden collapse, first responders are advised to initiate CPR immediately for five cycles (lasting approximately 2 min) before leaving to activate EMS and retrieve an AED (if lone care provider). In a witnessed sudden collapse, which evidence reveals is more likely to be related to a sudden pulseless arrhythmia, the lone responder is advised to activate EMS and retrieve an AED, before initiating CPR and attempting defibrillation.Many AEDs are able to recognize shockable paediatric arrhythmias (wide complex tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation) and are equipped to deliver biphasic attenuated shocks that can be safely and effectively used in children older than one year of age. Therefore, the new recommendations for use of an AED apply to all children older than one year of age.

Breathing check

First responders are advised to open the airway using a head tilt or chin lift manoeuvre for all children and infants. Breathing effort is then assessed by sight, sound and touch for no more than 10 s. If the child or infant is not breathing, rescuers are advised to give two breaths, ensuring effective chest rise, before a pulse check.

Pulse check

Studies of both lay rescuers and health care providers reveal that both types of rescuers are often unable to accurately determine the presence of pulses within a 10 s period. Based on these studies, new recommendations state that lay rescuers should begin chest compressions on unresponsive infants and children who are not breathing after the initial two rescue breaths. By contrast, health care providers should attempt to find a pulse first and proceed to CPR if they cannot feel a pulse after 10 s of trying.

CPR (chest compressions and ventilation)

The most significant change in the 2005 resuscitation guidelines is the new emphasis placed on effective and adequate chest compressions. Several studies have shown that multiple chest compressions in sequence are needed to generate adequate coronary perfusion pressure, with any interruption in chest compressions resulting in inadequate coronary perfusion. In light of this, significant emphasis is placed on minimizing the interruption of chest compressions. The biggest change for children and infants is the compression-to-ventilation ratio. To simplify universal CPR skills retention, a universal compression-to-ventilation ratio of 30:2 is recommended for the lone rescuer. Rescuers should pause compressions when rescue breaths are given until there is an advanced airway in place. For two-rescuer CPR by health care providers, a compression-to-ventilation ratio of 15:2 is recommended. Once an advanced airway is established, chest compressions are no longer interrupted for ventilation and should be performed at a rate of at least 100 compressions/min. Hyperventilation has been shown to decrease venous return to the heart as well as decrease cerebral blood flow and coronary perfusion. In a pulseless patient, 8 breaths/min to 10 breaths/min should be given. In a patient with a pulse but no breath, 12 breaths/min to 20 breaths/min should be given. To ensure adequacy of compressions and avoid fatigue, the role of the chest compressor should be changed every 2 min.Recent studies of chest compression technique indicate that for infants, the two-thumb encircling hands technique results in more consistent depth and force of compression, and may generate higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as higher coronary perfusion pressure. Therefore, it is the recommended technique of chest compressions in two-rescuer CPR for infants. For the lone rescuer, the two-finger technique is still recommended so that ventilation may be performed with minimal interruption of chest compressions. For children, both one- and two-hand techniques are appropriate, as long as the depth of compression is one-third to one-half of the anterior-posterior chest diameter. For ease of retention, rescuers can be taught effective two-hand techniques for both children and adults. Rescuers are also advised to allow the chest to recoil fully between compressions, because there is evidence that complete chest re-expansion improves venous return and cardiac output.Many first responders are reluctant to give rescue breaths by mouth-to-mouth technique when administering CPR. Although ventilation is preferable during CPR in paediatric patients because of the high proportion of respiratory arrests, numerous studies have shown comparable success for chest compressions with ventilation added and chest compressions alone when compared with no CPR administration. In circumstances in which a rescuer is reluctant to perform rescue breathing, CPR using only uninterrupted chest compressions is preferable to not performing CPR at all.As with adults, the need for effective CPR applies to the PALS provider. Good PALS begins with high-quality PBLS. Rescuers must provide chest compressions of sufficient depth and rate allowing adequate chest wall recoil with minimal interruptions in chest compressions.

PBLS key message: Provide high-quality CPR

‘Push hard’ (one-third to one-half of the anterior-posterior chest diameter).‘Push fast’ (rate of approximately 100 compressions/min).Minimize interruptions in chest compressions.Allow full chest recoil.Do not hyperventilate (8 breaths/min to 10 breaths/min in a pulseless patient).

Ongoing evaluation

The recommendations state that cardiac rhythm should be rechecked every five cycles (compressions and breaths). If the rhythm is shockable, then only one shock should be administered followed by immediate continuation of chest compressions instead of the previous practice of using stacked shocks. If the rhythm is not shockable, chest compression or ventilation cycles should be continued until ALS providers arrive or the patient improves.

PALS GUIDELINES: MAJOR CHANGES

Advanced airways

Cuffed endotracheal tubes are as safe as uncuffed tubes in the in-hospital setting for infants and children, except for neonates. In specific circumstances, such as a large glottic air leak, high airway resistance or poor lung compliance, a cuffed tube may be beneficial. Particular attention should be paid to endotracheal tube size, position and cuff inflation pressure. A safe cuff inflation pressure is less than 20 cm H2O.Regarding the use of advanced airways, there is insufficient evidence to recommend (for or against) the routine use of a laryngeal mask airway during cardiac arrest. When endotracheal intubation is not possible, the laryngeal mask airway is an acceptable adjunct for experienced providers, but it is associated with a higher incidence of complications in young children than adults.

Exhaled or end-tidal CO2 monitoring

Due to the concern about the possibility of incorrect tube location or displacement, the 2005 guidelines now call for clinical evaluation and assessment of exhaled CO2 to confirm tube placement. Correct placement must be verified when the tube is inserted, during transport and whenever the patient is moved. During inter- or intrahospital transport, a colorimetric detector or capnography should be used to detect exhaled CO2. All CO2 detection devices require the presence of a perfusing cardiac rhythm to function correctly.

CPR (chest compressions and ventilation)

During CPR, with an advanced airway in place, rescuers will no longer perform ‘cycles’ of CPR. Although the method of chest compressions is the same as for PBLS, the rescuer performing chest compressions will perform them continuously at a rate of 100/min without pauses for ventilation. The rescuer providing ventilation will deliver 8 breaths/min to 10 breaths/min (one breath every 6 s to 8 s).

Single shock and energy dose

The recommendations state that cardiac rhythm should be rechecked after every five cycles (compressions and breaths). If the rhythm is shockable, then only one shock should be administered (instead of the previous practice of using three stacked shocks) followed by immediate continuation of chest compressions. The postshock pulse check is not performed until five cycles or 2 min of CPR have been delivered after the shock. If the rhythm is not shockable, chest compression or ventilation cycles should be continued.The superiority and greater safety of biphasic shocks over monophasic shocks for defibrillation are emphasized. With a manual biphasic or monophasic defibrillator the initial dose remains at 2 J/kg. Subsequent shock doses are 4 J/kg. The shock dose for cardioversion has not changed and remains 0.5 J/kg to 1.0 J/kg for the first attempt. If unsuccessful, the dose should be increased to 2 J/kg.

Vascular access and drug administration

Another change is that any vascular access, intravenous (IV) or intraosseous, is preferable to endotracheal administration of drugs, such as lidocaine and epinephrine, because it provides more predictable drug delivery and pharmacological effect. However, if vascular access cannot be established, lipid-soluble drugs can be given via the endotracheal tube.There is also significant change regarding the timing of drug administration during pulseless arrest. Drugs may be administered when the rhythm is checked with the understanding that they will not be circulated until CPR is resumed. Rescuers should prepare the next drug dose before it is time for the next rhythm check so that the drug can be administered during the rhythm check. This requires organization and planning and again serves to lessen interruptions in chest compressions during attempted resuscitation.

Epinephrine

Routine use of high-dose epinephrine is no longer recommended because evidence does not show a survival benefit.

Amiodarone versus lidocaine

The only change in treating ventricular arrhythmias is the de-emphasis of lidocaine compared with amiodarone. Amiodarone is now the preferred antiarrhythmic. Both drugs are still listed in the algorithm, because lidocaine can be given if amiodarone is not available.Amiodarone (5 mg/kg IV over 20 min to 60 min) has also been added to the ‘tachycardia with pulses and poor perfusion’ algorithm for cases of refractory supraventricular tachycardia after adenosine and synchronized cardioversion have failed to convert the child’s rhythm.

Postresuscitation care

For paediatric postresuscitation care, the 2005 American Heart Association guidelines emphasize the importance of avoiding hyperthermia. Providers should monitor temperature and treat fever aggressively.The possible benefits of induced hypothermia are also acknowledged. A temperature of 32°C to 34°C for 12 h to 24 h may be beneficial for patients who remain comatose after resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

PALS key messages

May consider cuffed endotracheal tubes for infants and children.Assess endotracheal tube placement with a CO2 detection device.Provide high-quality CPR.Deliver single shocks instead of stacked shocks.IV or intraosseous administration of drugs is preferable to endotracheal tube administration.High-dose epinephrine is not recommended.Amiodarone is preferable to lidocaine for ventricular arrhythmias.Induced hypothermia of 32°C to 34°C may be of benefit to comatose, postarrest patients.

CONCLUSION

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that all paediatricians and allied health professionals caring for children review the 2005 PBLS and PALS guidelines and maintain current PALS certification.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Agnes Bellegris for her assistance in editing and preparing the manuscript.

REFERENCES

1. Guidelines 2000 for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Part 9: Pediatric basic life support. The American Heart Association in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 2000;102:I253–90. [PubMed]

2. International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. 2005 international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care science with treatment recommendations. Part 6: Paediatric basic and advanced life support. Resuscitation. 2005;67:271–91. [PubMed]

3. 2005 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care of paediatric and neonatal patients, Part 11: Paediatric basic life support. Circulation. 2005;112:IV156–66.

4. 2005 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) of paediatric and neonatal patients: Paediatric basic life support. Paediatrics. 2006;117:e989–e1038.

5. Guidelines 2000 for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Part 10: Pediatric advanced life support. The American Heart Association in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Resuscitation. 2000;102:I291–342. [PubMed]

6. 2005 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care of paediatric and neonatal patients, Part 12: Paediatric advanced life support. Circulation. 2005;112:IV167–87. 

[mattressclarity]

What Is Biphasic Sleep?

What exactly is biphasic sleep? You may not be familiar with the specific term, but you’ll probably recognize the concept. It refers to sleep patterns that involve sleeping in two segments each day. Biphasic translates to “two phases” and can also be referred to as segmented, divided, bimodal, or diphasic sleep, too.

This is different from what many of us consider “normal” sleep, which is monophasic—sleeping for one period each night. Another related sleep pattern you may hear about is polyphasic sleep, which generally refers to sleeping in more than two segments.

“Most people are monophasic sleepers by nature,” Healthline explains. “Monophasic sleep patterns involve only one segment of sleep, usually during nighttime hours. It’s thought that the custom of sleeping for one 6- to 8-hour segment per day may have been shaped by the modern industrial workday.”

Someone who has a biphasic sleep pattern might take a daily nap, like the siestas that people take in many parts of the world. This could be a “power siesta” of about 20 minutes, or a longer, 90-minute nap. “Some people are naturally 20 minute nappers, and other are naturally 90 minute nappers, whilst some people are both,” the Polyphasic Society website explains.

nito/Shutterstock

It begs the question: Is one sleep pattern any healthier than the others? Not really. Sleep health truly depends on each individual person’s needs and schedule. What works best for one person might be a nightmare for another.

“No one person’s sleep requirements are exactly the same,” Medical News Daily reports. “Some require eight solid hours of sleep for optimal function. Someone else, however, may lead a productive and healthy life on five hours of sleep per night with a short nap or naps during the day.”

Related: What Exactly Is Sleep Hygiene? 

If you currently don’t nap during the day, but biphasic sleep appeals to you, give it a go (provided you can fit a nap into your schedule, of course). Try your best to nap in a cool, dark, and quiet space if at all possible.

If you find that napping doesn’t do much for your energy levels, or stops you from getting enough sleep at night, shift back to your regular sleep schedule.

  Featured image by l i g h t p o e t/Shutterstock

The post What Is Biphasic Sleep? appeared first on Mattress Clarity.

[bearclarkkent]

Dad Bod and the Belated Update

There has been a bit of a delay between writing one blog post and the next, I blame not only Christmas but also life in general – having never really tried to write anything on a regular basis I’ve never really experienced writers block, and after only 3 posts that feels a bit off putting.

But for New Year’s I decided to make a resolution to get at least one post out a month (I know the first one is already late, not a great start but I’m getting the failures out the way early so that it’s nothing but smooth sailing from here) and to remember that this blog was originally intended to be a bit of self-motivation.

I was going to start with a progress pic, but I took one and felt a bit deflated by it – I don’t think I look any different to when I started, well that’s not entirely true I think that my arms have started to show some progress and I have shoulder muscles if I raise my arms, which is nice. But I just don’t think it’s picture worthy and I don’t want to have too many pics of me in my underwear floating around the internet (I know people have seen more of me but not all of you have been so traumatised yet)

So…no progress pics yet, but I’ve finally settled on what I’m doing on a regular basis at the gym and it is turning out to be quite fun. After weeks/months of struggling to find a workout routine that not only fits around me not wanting to be in the gym for more than 40mins but also actually feels like I’m making progress. It helps that there’s also an app to track what I’m doing and what I should be doing next time I go to the gym.

After being asked to help a friend start this routine at the gym, I hadn’t intended to start doing it myself was a bit of an accident, I started doing 5x5 Stronglifts (more in depth details are here). The idea is to get stronger, rather than just looking to bulk, by doing 2 different sets of exercises 3 times a week increasing the weight each time. It’s good if, like me, you don’t really know what your max weight is.

5 weeks in and I feel different, even if I don’t look any different.

I’m still struggling with my diet, but I love chocolate and sweet yoghurts. I have however fallen in love with my slow cooker over the last few weeks – slow cooked pulled pork/beef/chicken for lunch a few times a week is epic. That thing sat in my cupboard for years without being used more than a handful of times but now it’s found a permanent place next to the hob. I gotta say, if you want to start making healthier lunches but are as lazy as I am then invest in a slow cooker. Just chuck everything in when you’re cooking dinner then turn it off when you get up the next morning. Oh, and the smell when you come downstairs, ugh it’s the best.

I feel like I’m a bit all over the place with this post, hopping from one topic to the next after barely touching upon it – sorry if this reads like the jumbled thoughts of a 15-year-old boy but my mind wanders, can’t help it sometimes.

Anyway…

What else have I started doing since last I wrote…?

Ooh, I’m going to try the whole polyphasic sleeping thing again. It genuinely felt really good the last time I tried, but I think I need to get a bit of planning in place so that I can work it around my activities. Xbox Night will be a particular challenge as that incorporates Gym night. Hmmmm…

For those of you that don’t know what polyphasic sleeping is I’ll give a quick overview, but you should seriously head over here for some more detailed info. The average person in the UK will sleep between 7-9hours in one big chunk at night, this is monophasic sleeping.

Then you have Biphasic sleeping, this is supposedly more natural for humans. So, you sleep at dusk for your first chunk, wake for a few hours in the middle of the night, then sleep again and wake at dawn – average for biphasic sleepers is 6-8hours. An offshoot of this is Siesta Sleeping, still very common in Spain. Sleep at night, then a second sleep up to 90mins in the afternoon. Average for Siesta sleepers is from 5-7hours.

Then you get into Polyphasic, which has your sleep patterns broken up into more than 2 chunks and the overall length of your sleep is reduced – sometimes drastically. There are so many different polyphasic patterns that I’m not going to go into, but if you’re interested you should follow the link above.

I will be doing one of the simpler patterns which is the Everyman pattern. This will reduce my night sleep to 3-3.5hours with 2x 20mins naps during the day. Trying to fit this around seeing the wife, getting to the gym, looking after and playing with Kohen is going to be tricky so I think I may need to get some planning in place.

It sounds crazy trying to get down to 4hours sleep a day but I honestly feel like I’m hungover if I get too much – and 6+ hours is too much for me.

I don’t think there is anything else, so I’ll probably leave it here, grab a yoghurt and decide whether I should put one of my shows on or play on the Xbox

Hmmm…these are the tough decisions that come with living alone during the week.

[chaoticrobotics]

hey moon thank you for all that sleep advice i might try that Biphasic sleep thing thx. (:

Moon: Of course! I'm glad you want to try it! Just remember it really is a schedule thing too. So you might have to do it for a week or maybe a month before you see any real lasting effects!

And if you can't get it immediately, don't worry about it! Habits are hard to break and lots of people have been sleeping with a Monophasic method for almost their whole lives. so switching to a whole new sleeping method can be difficult!

Also check out Polyphasic sleep cycles if you are interested! It's more napping throughout the day than just 2 sleep cycles, so that could work for you too! :D

Oh and I didn't even talk about natural remedies for sleep such as warm milk or teas, then there's some scents and temperatures that help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Oh oh oh! There are even accessories such as weighted blankets and special pillows that help sleeping to. Not to mention your mattress quality and firmness can effect your sleep schedule as well.

There are a lot of things that effect sleep, sometimes it's mental things like anxiety or insomnia, others are physical like chronic pain or pain in general. Then the environment, seasons, time itself, can all effect a person. As long as you can find what works for you, and get the sleep you need, that is what is important! ;D

Sun: "Wow, this is really that exciting to you isn't it?"

Moon: Sleep is important Sun, and it's fun to think about. Like humans don't even know why they dream when they sleep. There are plenty of theories and ideas behind why people dream, but no real concrete evidence yet! Just because you don't see the fascination with sleep and dreams and the minds of humans, doesn't mean you have to put it down for me...

Sun: "I wasn't! I was just saying that this topic excites you! I like hearing you talk about stuff like this at times! You don't need to get defensive! It's just sleep, there's plenty of people who hate it too... It's not that cool..."

Moon: I'm not getting defensive! Whatever, here take control or something. I'm done...

[5millionfriends]

The Fit Girl's Guide to Birth Control

Women are such amazing creatures that it’s downright mind boggling at times. I know what you’re thinking – you and I are both women, so such self-praise sounds a bit excessive.

But really, think about it for a minute. Our physical makeup is dramatically different from that of our male counterparts. We have to train nearly twice as hard to make any substantial gains in the gym, and we’re genetically preprogrammed to store more fat than men, all because of the differences in our hormonal makeup.

Let’s face it, ladies, our bodies are built for child rearing, not heavy lifting or figure competitions. Regardless of whether those babies are a goal of yours or not, your system will always do its best to ensure a soft & comfortable atmosphere for that baby’s development during the first nine months of its existence.

Nature’s plan.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that if you’re actively working on preventing pregnancy, you’ll likely have an increased hormonal imbalance and even more pronounced effects of the estrogen hormone doing its job.

Not sure what I’m talking about? There is a phrase that will conjure up memories of bloat, fat gain, nausea, spotting or breakthrough bleeding, mood swings, and even severe headaches. It’s a short phrase with a lot of power. Ready?

“The Pill.”

Most of those who’ve tried birth control pills are well aware of their possible side effects. These are to be expected; anytime hormone levels are changed in any way, the body is bound to let you know of the changes.

Birth control pills are comprised of synthetic estrogen and progesterone (or in some cases, just one of those two). Since the menstrual cycle and ovulation are regulated by these hormones, this increase results in a variety of changes within the reproductive system, which results in pregnancy prevention.

Now, as any woman in the fitness industry knows, we try our very best to decrease the female hormones in our bodies. We all know that increased levels of testosterone, along with decreased estrogen hormones, are essential to the sense of well-being and overall health.

It’s testosterone that helps us gain lean mass, reduce fat storage, increase sexual desire, ward off that “I’m PMS’ing-leave-me-alone” mood, keep our skin healthy, and our minds sharp. Excessive levels of its opposing hormone, estrogen, produce the exact opposite effect on our bodies.

Clearly, increasing your very own estrogen levels by going on the pill sounds more than just a little crazy. It is, however, seen as an absolute necessity by most women. Many of us just accept the unfortunate side effects and learn to deal with the consequences of a less than perfect hormonal balance.

After all, what else is there?

That’s the question we’ll answer in this article. I’ve done some extensive research on the topic, including interviewing numerous fitness and figure competitors regarding their personal experiences with birth control pills. Each of these girls has discovered what works for her; whether it’s a lower dose estrogen pill or a viable alternative that does the job while keeping those hormone levels at least somewhat conducive to her hardcore fitness lifestyle and ultra-lean body goals.

The Pill Types of Birth Control Pills

There are two basic categories: those containing progestin only, and combination pills containing both progestin and estrogen.

Progestin-only pills contain no estrogen. These are sometimes referred to as the “mini-pill,” and are considered ideal for breastfeeding women since the presence of estrogen reduces milk production.

The mini-pill works by thickening the cervical mucus, thereby preventing sperm from entering the uterus. They must be taken at the same time every day.

While these pills don’t contain any estrogen, they’re not considered figure-friendly by any means. You see, the pill’s progesterone component has been shown to increase appetite – which of course makes it very difficult to diet, resulting in weight gain.

Some of the other side effects of the mini-pill include irregular or heavy bleeding, spotting, and severe headaches. Additionally, progestin-only pills have been shown to be slightly less effective than their combination counterparts – so that the chance of becoming a mommy is actually increased when choosing these over estrogen containing birth control pills.

Combination pills are ones containing both estrogen and progestin. This category can be broken down into three different types, which are as follows:

Monophasic pill. This is the original birth control pill. Each pack of these pills consists of 21 active pills containing the same amount of estrogen and progestin in each pill, and 7 placebos, which contain no hormones.

The second type of the combination pill is called multiphasic.Also referred to as biphasic and triphasic, multiphasic oral contraceptives contain varied amounts of hormones and are designed to be taken at specific times over the pill-taking period.

Each of the pills in this pack contains different levels of estrogen and progestin so that the hormones are varied throughout the month. They were developed for the specific purpose of reducing side effects of oral contraceptives. Women taking multiphasic pills report having fewer episodes of breakthrough bleeding and spotting, but as of now, those are the only sides that have been shown reduced.

The last type of the combination pill is the continuous use pill. This is the brand new one of the bunch, being approved in the spring of ’07. The best known brand of the continuous use pill is Lybrel, which also happens to be a multiphasic pill. It comes in a 28-day pack and is meant to be taken without any breaks in between pill packets, which basically means not having a period at all.

Some of the side effects associated with all combination oral contraceptives include most of the ones you’d normally hear about, including nausea, severe headaches, possible vomiting, irregular bleeding, and weight gain resulting from the changes in the body’s hormonal makeup.

Birthcontrol

Birth Control Options for Fit Girls

Now that we’ve gone over the basic differences among the pills, let’s take some time discussing ones that seem to be popular with women who are in the fitness industry.

Those ladies who are on the pill and training hard almost always opt for low dose pills. Low dose birth control pills are mostly monophasic pills that have an estrogen component of less than 35 micrograms. Some examples of this type of pill include LoOvral, Nordette, and Ortho-Cept.

There are also two newer formulas of low dose pills on the market, both of which have become a quick favorite among many figure competitors. Cyclessa is a brand new low dose oral contraceptive that’s also multiphasic. The low estrogen in its varying-hormone package has actually been shown to result in weight loss for many women who begin taking it… and those who didn’t lose any noticeable weight, didn’t gain any fat, according to the studies.

Yasmin is another newer low dose pill with many fit ladies in its fan club. Because of a more natural progestin in its formula, it’s been associated with improved skin texture for those who are naturally oily or acne-prone, an improved sense of well-being, and even weight control help due to reduced water retention.

Ultra low dose pills exist as well, and these are ones that have the lowest amount of estrogen in a birth control pill, which is 20 micrograms. This dose of estrogen is sufficient for contraception, however these pills oftentimes result in more spotting and breakthrough bleeding than pills containing 30-35 micrograms of estrogen, which is why most women who’ve tried them end up opting for the low dose pills instead.

If you’re interested in trying an ultra-low oral contraceptive, two of the most popular ones are Alesse and Mircette, with the prior being a favorite of three figure competitors I’d interviewed.

One other factor that’s interesting when it comes to all oral contraceptives (even low dose ones) is that they’ve been shown to decrease total and free testosterone by almost half, while increasing total cortisol levels. This, of course, is quite a negative effect for all of us trying to build muscle – it’s just bad news from the anabolic perspective.

Tired of taking pills? Read on!

Pill Alternatives

Now if none of the aforementioned sides scare you, and the only thing you dislike about the oral contraceptives is the oral part, there are a couple of alternatives that work in ways very similar to that of the low dose pills, without having to take the actual pill!

These are the NuvaRing and the Patch. Both work by supplying the same amount of hormones as low dose pills, so side effects along with benefits are very similar. Ladies who dislike taking pills may find it easier to go with either of these two, though each of the two has its own inconveniences.

NuvaRing is a small, flexible ring inserted into the vagina once monthly. It’s left in place for three weeks, and then taken out for a week. Once that week’s passed, a new ring is inserted for the following three-week period.

A few of the fitness ladies I spoke with find the NuvaRing to be very practical. One of them mentioned that it’s helped her get rid of the terrible migraine headaches she used to get with the low dose pill while also helping her lose some water weight she’d been carrying.

The Patch operates by delivering the hormones directly into the bloodstream through the skin via a thin patch. It must be replaced once weekly for three weeks straight, taking a break on the fourth week. The Patch may be applied just about anywhere on the body, and needs to stay in place at all times – regardless of the activity (yes, even training, cardio, or bathing).

As you’d suspect, this wasn’t a favorite of any of the girls’ I’d spoken with. Two of them had experimented with it as it seemed like a convenient, easy birth control method; both were quickly disappointed as the Patch began irritating their skin after just a couple of cardio sessions. My guess is it just wasn’t created with fitness-oriented ladies in mind.

The Patch

There’s just one other thing I’d like to mention about the NuvaRing and the Patch. Both have caused quite a bit of controversy since their FDA approval. Over the past several months, there’ve been a number of lawsuits filed against both companies, claiming that the birth control devices are responsible for blood clots, resulting in stroke, heart attacks, and even death.

Neither of the devices has been taken off the market, and both companies are maintaining innocence, stating that their products have proven to be safe in most cases.

My personal advice? Do your own research and be sure that your decision is an informed one.

Non-Hormonal Alternatives

For those of you hoping to stay away from anything that will alter your natural hormone levels, there are alternatives. The majority of fitness and figure girls I’ve spoken with, have opted for hormone-free birth control methods – everything ranging from male and female condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and lea’s shields (all of which work by creating a physical block), to longer lasting methods, such as the IUD… to permanent ones, like tubal ligation.

Since the IUD seemed to be the most obvious choice for most of the competing ladies, I’d like to discuss that in depth. An IUD is a tiny, T-shaped device that gets inserted directly into the uterus by your OB/GYN. It’s made of soft plastic and contains either copper or hormones.

The non-hormonal ones are the ones I’d like to focus on, as these are the ones most popular in the fitness world. These are known as the ParaGard Copper T 380A IUD, contain copper, and can be worn for up to 12 years. They are effective as soon as they’re inserted and can be removed at any time.

Mirena IUD

Keep in mind that ovulation still occurs when you use an IUD, so you’ll still have your period. Many women complain of more intense cramps and heavier or irregular periods, but most of the fitness-oriented girls find these sides to be a small price to pay for stable hormone levels and the ability to maintain a higher level of testosterone.

Another detail to keep in mind is the IUD installation process itself. It isn’t a pleasant experience by any means – many of the ladies I spoke with said it was one of the most painful experiences they’d endured. But really, just put things into perspective for a second: the insertion lasts for about five minutes, and you’ll most likely be worry-free for a period of over 10 years!

If you don’t already have kids, the IUD may not be suitable for you. The company states that women who have never been pregnant before have an increased risk of expulsion (expelled by the body, usually within the first year) due to a smaller uterus and difficulty with insertion. Check with your doc and follow his or her recommendations when it comes to your particular case.

I’d also like to note that many women are concerned about the safety of copper IUD’s. This concern is mostly grounded in a few events that took place in the 70’s when the very first IUD to hit the market (known as the Dalkon Shield) had to be recalled after 12 of its 2.8 million users died.

The Dalkon Shield was pulled out of doctor’s offices immediately, and although no other IUD since that period has ever been found unsafe, their reputation remains somewhat tarnished. If you begin to seriously consider this device, be sure to do your research just as you would with anything else – plenty of information is available upon an Internet search. Summary

And that, ladies, pretty much sums up your birth control options. My only hope is that this article gave you a starting point for your own research and made you a more informed patient, one who’ll enter the OB/GYN’s office armed with knowledge.

Keep in mind that the effects any birth control pill will have on anyone will depend on not only the combination and the dose you’re taking, but also on your individual hormonal makeup and response. Because of this, the final decision is best left to you and a doc you trust.

Source by Olesya Novik

#Design

[5millionfriends]

The Fit Girl's Guide to Birth Control

Women are such amazing creatures that it's downright mind boggling at times. I know what you're thinking – you and I are both women, so such self-praise sounds a bit excessive.

But really, think about it for a minute. Our physical makeup is dramatically different from that of our male counterparts. We have to train nearly twice as hard to make any substantial gains in the gym, and we're genetically preprogrammed to store more fat than men, all because of the differences in our hormonal makeup.

Let's face it, ladies, our bodies are built for child rearing, not heavy lifting or figure competitions. Regardless of whether those babies are a goal of yours or not, your system will always do its best to ensure a soft & comfortable atmosphere for that baby's development during the first nine months of its existence.

Nature's plan.

What's even more interesting is the fact that if you're actively working on preventing pregnancy, you'll likely have an increased hormonal imbalance and even more pronounced effects of the estrogen hormone doing its job.

Not sure what I'm talking about? There is a phrase that will conjure up memories of bloat, fat gain, nausea, spotting or breakthrough bleeding, mood swings, and even severe headaches. It's a short phrase with a lot of power. Ready?

"The Pill."

Most of those who've tried birth control pills are well aware of their possible side effects. These are to be expected; anytime hormone levels are changed in any way, the body is bound to let you know of the changes.

Birth control pills are comprised of synthetic estrogen and progesterone (or in some cases, just one of those two). Since the menstrual cycle and ovulation are regulated by these hormones, this increase results in a variety of changes within the reproductive system, which results in pregnancy prevention.

Now, as any woman in the fitness industry knows, we try our very best to decrease the female hormones in our bodies. We all know that increased levels of testosterone, along with decreased estrogen hormones, are essential to the sense of well-being and overall health.

It's testosterone that helps us gain lean mass, reduce fat storage, increase sexual desire, ward off that "I'm PMS'ing-leave-me-alone" mood, keep our skin healthy, and our minds sharp. Excessive levels of its opposing hormone, estrogen, produce the exact opposite effect on our bodies.

Clearly, increasing your very own estrogen levels by going on the pill sounds more than just a little crazy. It is, however, seen as an absolute necessity by most women. Many of us just accept the unfortunate side effects and learn to deal with the consequences of a less than perfect hormonal balance.

After all, what else is there?

That's the question we'll answer in this article. I've done some extensive research on the topic, including interviewing numerous fitness and figure competitors regarding their personal experiences with birth control pills. Each of these girls has discovered what works for her; whether it's a lower dose estrogen pill or a viable alternative that does the job while keeping those hormone levels at least somewhat conducive to her hardcore fitness lifestyle and ultra-lean body goals.

The Pill Types of Birth Control Pills

There are two basic categories: those containing progestin only, and combination pills containing both progestin and estrogen.

Progestin-only pills contain no estrogen. These are sometimes referred to as the "mini-pill," and are considered ideal for breastfeeding women since the presence of estrogen reduces milk production.

The mini-pill works by thickening the cervical mucus, thereby preventing sperm from entering the uterus. They must be taken at the same time every day.

While these pills do not contain any estrogen, they're not considered figure-friendly by any means. You see, the pill's progesterone component has been shown to increase appetite – which of course makes it very difficult to diet, resulting in weight gain.

Some of the other side effects of the mini-pill include irregular or heavy bleeding, spotting, and severe headaches. Additionally, progestin-only pills have been shown to be slightly less effective than their combination counterparts – so that the chance of becoming a mommy is actually increased when choosing these over estrogen containing birth control pills.

Combination pills are ones containing both estrogen and progestin. This category can be broken down into three different types, which are as follows:

Monophasic pill. This is the original birth control pill. Each pack of these pills consists of 21 active pills containing the same amount of estrogen and progestin in each pill, and 7 placebos, which contain no hormones.

The second type of the combination pill is called multiphasic.Also referred to as biphasic and triphasic, multiphasic oral contraceptives contain varied amounts of hormones and are designed to be taken at specific times over the pill-taking period.

Each of the pills in this pack contains different levels of estrogen and progestin so that the hormones are varied throughout the month. They were developed for the specific purpose of reducing side effects of oral contraceptives. Women taking multiphasic pills report having fewer episodes of breakthrough bleeding and spotting, but as of now, those are the only sides that have been shown reduced.

The last type of the combination pill is the continuous use pill. This is the brand new one of the bunch, being approved in the spring of '07. The best known brand of the continuous use pill is Lybrel, which also happens to be a multiphasic pill. It comes in a 28-day pack and is meant to be taken without any breaks in between pill packets, which basically means not having a period at all.

Some of the side effects associated with all combination oral contraceptives include most of the ones you'd normally hear about, including nausea, severe headaches, possible vomiting, irregular bleeding, and weight gain resulting from the changes in the body's hormonal makeup.

Birthcontrol

Birth Control Options for Fit Girls

Now that we've gone over the basic differences among the pills, let's take some time discussing ones that seem to be popular with women who are in the fitness industry.

Those ladies who are on the pill and training hard almost always opt for low dose pills. Low dose birth control pills are mostly monophasic pills that have an estrogen component of less than 35 micrograms. Some examples of this type of pill include LoOvral, Nordette, and Ortho-Cept.

There are also two newer formulas of low dose pills on the market, both of which have become a quick favorite among many figure competitors. Cyclessa is a brand new low dose oral contraceptive that's also multiphasic. The low estrogen in its varying-hormone package has actually been shown to result in weight loss for many women who begin taking it … and those who did not lose any noticeable weight, did not gain any fat, according to the studies .

Yasmin is another newer low dose pill with many fit ladies in its fan club. Because of a more natural progestin in its formula, it's been associated with improved skin texture for those who are naturally oily or acne-prone, an improved sense of well-being, and even weight control help due to reduced water retention.

Ultra low dose pills exist as well, and these are ones that have the lowest amount of estrogen in a birth control pill, which is 20 micrograms. This dose of estrogen is sufficient for contraception, however these pills oftentimes result in more spotting and breakthrough bleeding than pills containing 30-35 micrograms of estrogen, which is why most women who've tried them end up opting for the low dose pills instead.

If you're interested in trying an ultra-low oral contraceptive, two of the most popular ones are Alesse and Mircette, with the prior being a favorite of three figure competitors I'd interviewed.

One other factor that's interesting when it comes to all oral contraceptives (even low dose ones) is that they've been shown to decrease total and free testosterone by almost half, while increasing total cortisol levels. This, of course, is quite a negative effect for all of us trying to build muscle – it's just bad news from the anabolic perspective.

Tired of taking pills? Read on!

Pill Alternatives

Now if none of the aforementioned sides scare you, and the only thing you dislike about the oral contraceptives is the oral part, there are a couple of alternatives that work in ways very similar to that of the low dose pills, without having to take the actual pill!

These are the NuvaRing and the Patch. Both work by supplying the same amount of hormones as low dose pills, so side effects along with benefits are very similar. Ladies who dislike taking pills may find it easier to go with either of these two, though each of the two has its own inconveniences.

NuvaRing is a small, flexible ring inserted into the vagina once monthly. It's left in place for three weeks, and then taken out for a week. Once that week's passed, a new ring is inserted for the following three-week period.

A few of the fitness ladies I spoke with find the NuvaRing to be very practical. One of them mentioned that it's helped her get rid of the terrible migraine headaches she used to get with the low dose pill while also helping her lose some water weight she'd been carrying.

The Patch operates by delivering the hormones directly into the bloodstream through the skin via a thin patch. It must be replaced once weekly for three weeks straight, taking a break on the fourth week. The Patch may be applied just about anywhere on the body, and needs to stay in place at all times – regardless of the activity (yes, even training, cardio, or bathing).

As you'd suspect, this was not a favorite of any of the girls' I'd spoken with. Two of them had experimented with it as it seemed like a convenient, easy birth control method; both were quickly disappointed as the Patch began irritating their skin after just a couple of cardio sessions. My guess is it just was not created with fitness-oriented ladies in mind.

The Patch

There's just one other thing I'd like to mention about the NuvaRing and the Patch. Both have caused quite a bit of controversy since their FDA approval. Over the past several months, there've been a number of lawsuits filed against both companies, claiming that the birth control devices are responsible for blood clots, resulting in stroke, heart attacks, and even death.

Neither of the devices has been taken off the market, and both companies are maintaining innocence, stating that their products have proven to be safe in most cases.

My personal advice? Do your own research and be sure that your decision is an informed one.

Non-Hormonal Alternatives

For those of you hoping to stay away from anything that will alter your natural hormone levels, there are alternatives. The majority of fitness and figure girls I've spoken with, have opted for hormone-free birth control methods – everything ranging from male and female condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and lea's shields (all of which work by creating a physical block) , to longer lasting methods, such as the IUD … to permanent ones, like tubal ligation.

Since the IUD seemed to be the most obvious choice for most of the competing ladies, I'd like to discuss that in depth. An IUD is a tiny, T-shaped device that gets inserted directly into the uterus by your OB / GYN. It's made of soft plastic and contains either copper or hormones.

The non-hormonal ones are the ones I'd like to focus on, as these are the ones most popular in the fitness world. These are known as the ParaGard Copper T 380A IUD, contain copper, and can be worn for up to 12 years. They are effective as soon as they're inserted and can be removed at any time.

Mirena IUD

Keep in mind that ovulation still occurs when you use an IUD, so you'll still have your period. Many women complain of more intense cramps and heavier or irregular periods, but most of the fitness-oriented girls find these sides to be a small price to pay for stable hormone levels and the ability to maintain a higher level of testosterone.

Another detail to keep in mind is the IUD installation process itself. It is not a pleasant experience by any means – many of the ladies I spoke with said it was one of the most painful experiences they'd endured. But really, just put things into perspective for a second: the insertion lasts for about five minutes, and you'll most likely be worry-free for a period of over 10 years!

If you do not already have kids, the IUD may not be suitable for you. The company states that women who have never been pregnant before have an increased risk of expulsion (expelled by the body, usually within the first year) due to a smaller uterus and difficulty with insertion. Check with your doc and follow his or her recommendations when it comes to your particular case.

I'd also like to note that many women are concerned about the safety of copper IUD's. This concern is mostly grounded in a few events that took place in the 70's when the very first IUD to hit the market (known as the Dalkon Shield) had to be recalled after 12 of its 2.8 million users died.

The Dalkon Shield was pulled out of doctor's offices immediately, and although no other IUD since that period has ever been found unsafe, their reputation remains somewhat tarnished. If you begin to seriously consider this device, be sure to do your research just as you would with anything else – plenty of information is available upon an Internet search. Summary

And that, ladies, pretty much sums up your birth control options. My only hope is that this article gave you a starting point for your own research and made you a more informed patient, one who'll enter the OB / GYN's office armed with knowledge.

Keep in mind that the effects any birth control pill will have on anyone will depend on not only the combination and the dose you're taking, but also on your individual hormonal makeup and response. Because of this, the final decision is best left to you and a doc you trust.

Source by Olesya Novik

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