10 Tips for Good Night Sleep

10 Tips for Good Night Sleep

Stick to a schedule: Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you’d wake later and feel overly tired.


Sleep only at night: Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.


Exercise: It’s actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.


Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.


Avoid eating just before bed: Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.


Avoid caffeine: It keeps you awake and that’s now what you want for a good nights sleep. We all know that.


Read a fiction book: It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it. And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep. Different for others?


Have the room slightly cooler: I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes. It also saves on the bills as you’re not going to require the heat all night long.


Sleep in silence: I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.


Avoid alcohol before bedtime: It’s a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

Helpful Tips on Eye Care

Helpful Tips on Eye Care

With so many of us spending lots of time in front of the computer every day it comes to no surprise that research is showing a rise in visual problems. What can one do? First, it’s important to find out how you can protect your eyes through eye health exams and by making a few minor changes in your computer viewing habits. Here are some helpful Eye Care Tips:

Positioning is everything

Correct positioning of your computer, keyboard and typing copy is essential. Your screen should be positioned about an arm’s length from your eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Consider foot and wrist rests for added comfort.

Lighting can make all the difference

Room lighting should be diffuse, not direct, to reduce glare and reflections from your screen. Look into an internal or external glare screen and be sure to set your colour, contrast and brightness levels to suit you.

A little extra help for your glasses

Anti-reflective coatings on the lenses of your glasses can be applied by your optometrist to reduce discomfort and to ease reduced vision from bright and/or flickering light sources such as VDTs and fluorescent lights. And don’t forget, your doctor of optometry can talk to you about eyeglasses designed specifically for people who use computers a lot.

Take time out, our 20-20-20 rule

Step I

After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II

Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III

Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body.

It’s all in the blinking

Did you know that on average we blink 12 times per minute? But wait, did you know that when we’re on the computer we only blink 5 times per minute? That can add up to dry eyes. Relieve the discomfort by using artificial tear drops or gels and remember to blink!

Palming

Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

Splash water on your face

During breaks, splash water on your face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

Use tea bags

Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

Eat healthy

Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

Human Body (Some Interesting Facts)

Human Body (Some Interesting Facts)

Approximately 75% of human poop is made of water.

Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing.

It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.

Your brain is more active during the night than the day.

One human hair can support 3kg.

Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.

The tooth is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself.

An average human loses about 200 head hairs per day.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

Your body requires 1000-1500 calories per day just to simply survive (breathing, sleeping, eating).

Every day an adult body produces 300 billion new cells.

Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream.

You use 200 muscles to take one step.

Muscle cells live as long as you do while skin cells live less than 24 hours.

A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.

Your brain operates on the same amount of power that would light a 10-watt light bulb.

There are 5 million hair follicles on an average adult.

The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades.

The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Brittanica.

The white part of your fingernail is called the Lunula.

There is enough iron in a human being to make one small nail.

A shank is the part of the sole between the heel and the ball of the foot.

The talus is the second largest bone in the foot.

The attachment of human muscles to skin is what causes dimples.

A 13 year old child found a tooth growing out of his foot in 1977.

Your thumb is the same length of your nose.

A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s.

Dogs and Humans are the only animals with prostates.

It only takes 7lbs of of pressure to rip off your ears.

We spend our lives waiting for something to happen, but do not realize that life is slipping by. We don't understand how much moments are worth until they become memories.

That is why you should do whatever you want to do, before it turns into something "you should have done."

Let’s Love Ourselves First

By Wael Abdelgawad | IslamicSunrays.com

We can get so caught up in trying to fix other people’s problems, that we forget to fix ourselves. We can spend all our time helping family members, running around, “sacrificing”, while our own souls are weary, discouraged and approaching despair. We can champion important causes, or do vital work in our jobs, while we cover up or ignore wounds from our past, until we cannot even look at ourselves with respect or love.

I suppose we all have our coping mechanisms. For me, it’s martial arts. When I’m troubled or unhappy, I tend to immerse myself in my martial arts practice. It occupies my mind, allows me to forget my problems, and wears out my body so I can sleep.

Others may plunge themselves into their work, or distract themselves with books, music or television, or busy themselves with other people’s problems. But you can only keep this up for so long. If you don’t face what’s going on internally, the darkness will eventually spread and blot everything else out.

We have to come to terms with ourselves, or happiness will elude us forever.

How can we love and cherish others if we do not love ourselves? How can we extend ourselves to create something good in the world, if what we have inside is not sound and peaceful? How can we raise happy children if we are not happy? Children are very perceptive; if you are troubled and hurt inside, they will pick up on that, and it will affect them. If you really want to love your children properly, you need to make peace with your own soul.

Sometimes there are so many distractions in our lives, so much external noise, that we can’t hear our own hearts anymore. We need to quiet our minds and get back in touch with our fitrah, that pure nature given to us by Allah. We need to ask Allah’s forgiveness, then forgive ourselves, so that we can get rid of the baggage of shame. Only then can we then forgive others, and let go of anger or resentment.

We must listen to our intuition, and hear our hearts speaking, and open ourselves to the clear light of Allah’s huda (guidance).

There are times when you're alone, discouraged, and just plain weary. When it seems like there's no one left who matters. That's when faith counts more than ever. That's when faith is tested. In the darkest cave, the deepest canyon, the most barren desert, Allah is still there. Let faith carry you at those times, and let Allah guide you, and you will come through to a better place. It's a promise from Allah. "Whoever is conscious of Allah, Allah makes for him a way out, and provides for him from directions he does not expect."

If It's Worth Having, It Takes Time And Effort

Most of the time people, myself included, want things to be easy. We live in a world where no one wants to wait for anything, a true fast food society. It is my belief however that true success requires time and effort.

I am one of the most impatient people that I know; I often think that my true purpose in this life was to receive a lesson in patience. Over the last two years I have endured many life lessons. I have been blessed to start over; it's a blessing because second chances often give you new perspectives, although starting over is never easy. I have learned time and time again that no matter what I do, I must be willing to pay the price to move beyond where I am and what I am comfortable in doing.

Because I remember a time prior to microwave ovens I know that there is value in waiting. My grandmother does not have a microwave oven and cooks everything the old fashion way - heating it up in the oven or the stove. My grandmother is a woman who believes that love is shown in what you do for someone. Her cooking is always is done in a loving manner and it always takes time to prepare. I love eating her home cooked meals because they are much better than anything I would get from popping a container in the microwave and calling it dinner. But when I go to my grandmother's to eat I am always prepared to wait a little longer as she cooks the meal the old fashioned way.

Much like my grandmother's home cooked meals, success or the desire to have those things that bring value in life requires time, and time is something that many people in today's society view as prehistoric and that no longer exists. Ironically, most of us waste time, disregard it, and lose it everyday and yet time is the one thing that we can't recreate no matter what we do. My aunt once gave me a framed quote that says: "There is only one place where success appears before work and that is in the dictionary," and I, like so many others I know tend to forget that.

I want to get there, wherever there is, and I want to get there today. I want to have my name engraved in gold and hanging on a door to say, "I have arrived," but in that, there are some things that I must do. I must endure the difficult and tedious moments that come prior to experiencing the bliss and excitement just before I receive the reward. No, I don't expect that every moment will be easy, but every moment does not have to be difficult either. As long as I keep my eyes focused on what I desire to accomplish and work toward my goal I know there is nothing that I cannot do. Although, we live in a microwave society where things are packaged together for quick processing we must be mindful that success is not acquired by pressing a button. Success is a process and most of the time it requires time and effort for you to see the fruit of your labor.

     

LAPTOP USERS: BE AWARE!

LAPTOP USERS: BE AWARE!

A couple lost their 25 year old son in a fire at home on June 4th. The son who had graduated with MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison two weeks earlier had come home for a while. He had lunch with his dad at home and decided to go back to clean up his hostel room. His father told him to wait, to meet his mother, before he went back for a few days. He decided to take a nap while waiting for his mom to come back home from work. Some time later their neighbors called 911 when they saw black smoke coming out of the house.

Unfortunately, the 25 years old died in the three year old house. It took several days of investigation to find out the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire was caused by the laptop resting on the bed. When the laptop was on the bed cooling fan did not get the air to cool the computer and that is what caused the fire. He did not even wake up to get out of the bed because he died of breathing in carbon monoxide.

The reason I am writing this to all of you is that I have seen many of us and also our sons & daughters using the laptop while in bed. Let us all decide and make it a practice not to do that. The risk is real. Let us make it a rule not to use the laptop on bed with blankets and pillows around. Please educate as many people as you can.

"Please pass to everyone you know, you might save one's life"

psychology

The importance of having a good friend Every Muslim needs a helpful, loving brother/sister - to turn to, to share joys and hardships with, and to reciprocate affection. (And appoint_for me a helper from my family: Haroon [Aaron], my brother. Increase my strength with him, and let him share my task [of conveying Allah’s Message and Prophet Hood]. That we may glom you much, and remember you much. (Qur 'an 20: 29-34) They are but Awliya [friends, protectors, helpers, etc.] to one another. (Qur'an 5: 51) Verily, Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in rows franks] as if they were a solid structure. (Qur'an 61: 4) And He has united their [Le. believers] hearts. (Qur 'an 8: 63) (The believers are nothing else than brothers [in Islamic religion]. (Qur'an 49: 10) The topic we are now discussing is pertinent to the subject matter of this book because having a good and worthy companion brings joy to the heart. The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) related that Allah, said: "Where are the ones who love each other because of My Exaltedness (i.e. who love each other for the sake of Allah)? Today I will provide shade for them in my shade______a day wherein there is no shade except for my shade." In Islam, security is a must ...for them [only] there is security and they are the guided. (Qur'an 6: 82) [He] Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear: (Qur'an 1O6: 4) Have we not established for them a secure sanctuary [Makkah]...? (Qur'an 28: 57) ...whosoever enters it, he attains security. (Qur'an 3: 97) ...then grant him protection... (Qur'an 9: 6) The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said: "Whoever spends his night safely in his home, with a healthy body and enough provision for his day, it is as if he has gained the world in its entire." Security of the heart is the faith and sureness of knowing the truth. Security of the home is its freedom from shame and deviation and its being replete with tranquility and Divine guidance. Security of our nation is its being united with love, being founded upon justice, and in its application of the Shari`ah. And fear is the enemy of security: So he escaped from there, looking about in a state of' far. (Qur'an 28: 21) ...so fear them not, but fear Me. (Qur'an 5: 3) Based on the abovementioned categories of security, there is no true peace and security for the frightened one or for the disbeliever. By Allah, how pitiable is the life of this world! If you are prosperous in one facet of your life, you are sure to be miserable in another. If wealth comes on one hand, sickness arrives on the other. If your body is healthy, some other form of difficulty will arise. And when everything seems to be going well and you finally feel a sense of stability, you are ready to be put into a coffin. A poet, named A1-A`shaa from Najd, was heading toward the Prophet (bpuh) to laud him in verses of poetry and to accept Islam. Abu Sufyan met him on his way and offered him one hundred camels to desist from continuing on his mission and to go back home. He accepted the offer and set off with the camels. To make the return journey, he mounted one of the camels, but it soon turned wild and threw him off, causing him to land on his head, and upon impact, his neck snapped and he died. He parted from this world without having achieved either religious or worldly gain.

EID MUBARAK !!!!

Happy Eid el Adha ;)

        Eid al-Adha    =‎ ‘ "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious festival  celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of prophet Abraham  to sacrifice his son Isma'il as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep— to sacrifice instead.


Imam Ibn Al Qayyim said:

    "The purpose wasn't for Ibrahim to kill his son rather it was to sacrifice him in his heart so that all love (in his heart) belonged to Allah alone."


It is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the 12th and the last Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar.

 Happy Eid  Everyone!!!!!!!