Blog – Page 3 – Re-Timer

We’re breaking down the confusion and common misconceptions about good sleep practices with these 5 everyday lifestyle habits that can have an effect on your sleep.

1. Caffeine
How many times across the day do you have caffeine and at what times? Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that increases your alertness. The ‘half-life’ of caffeine is about 6 hours in healthy individuals (longer for older people and people with insomnia). Therefore, if you have a cup of coffee at 4 p.m., half of the maximum stimulating effect is still there at 10 p.m. Therefore, it is best to avoid caffeine from the mid-afternoon. That cup of tea or coffee after your evening meal will reduce your ability to fall asleep that night or, if it doesn’t stop you from falling asleep, it may still lighten your sleep later in the night.

It’s easy to underestimate how much caffeine you actually have over a day. Don’t forget that caffeine is also in soft drinks such as colas, “energy” drinks, and certain over-the-counter medications. Chocolate and chocolate-flavoured drinks also have some caffeine.

Reduce your overall caffeine intake, however, be aware that suddenly stopping caffeine can produce withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and lethargy. Gradually cutting back by one drink a day, starting with your last caffeine drink of the day, is the best way to do it.

Herbal infusion teas that specify no caffeine are a great alternative to caffeine drinks.

2. Alcohol
Alcohol has the opposite effect of caffeine – it tends to have a sedative effect. Some people may use alcohol to help them fall asleep. However, after a few hours this effect wears off and withdrawal symptoms occur leading to disturbed sleep in the second half of the night.

Alcohol also tends to suppress REM sleep in the early part of the night that can lead to vivid dreams and sometimes nightmares in the second half of the night. Awakening from these vivid dreams can then be associated with anxiety and make it difficult to get back to sleep and actually contribute to the development of conditioned insomnia.

Alcohol in the evening can also make you snore even if you don’t usually snore and produce some sleep apnoea in those who normally snore. Overall, excessive alcohol (more than two standard drinks) is detrimental to your sleep.

3. Nicotine
Nicotine is also a stimulant and therefore may affect your sleep pattern. Avoid smoking just before bedtime or during a night-time awakening.

4. Food
Avoid a heavy meal within about three hours of your bedtime. If you do suffer from gastric reflux/heartburn at night, also avoid spicy meals. On the other hand, if you have an early evening meal, you may enjoy a light snack before bed rather than going to bed feeling hungry. Best to avoid sugar and chocolate in the snack.

5. Exercise
What time of the day do you normally exercise? Regular aerobic exercise (e.g. walk, jog, bike, swim), particularly in the late afternoon or early evening, can promote better quality and deeper sleep as well as provide many other health benefits. Avoid vigorous exercise just before bedtime. Instead, relaxing exercise such as yoga or stretching before bed would be more beneficial.

There are many things you can do to help improve the quality of your sleep. Try making some of the lifestyle changes recommended above and if you still have trouble sleeping, speak to your health professional.

Take a look at how Re-Timer can help people with insomnia

Written by
Lauren Geertsen, NTP
EMPOWERED SUSTENANCE BLOG

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Empowered Sustenance encompasses the facets of wellness that have impacted my own life. I consider the pillars of wellness to be (in no particular order) nutrition, movement, emotional balance, spirituality, a non-toxic lifestyle, and sleep. In the past year, I’ve delved more deeply into the topic of sleep. As someone who has struggled with insomnia until recently, I’m passionate about sharing holistic resources for deep sleep.

This post is generously sponsored by Re-Timer, a small company through which I’ve learned a ton about holistic insomnia recovery. Like always, it is my strict policy to only share content that reflects my genuine experience and I only recommend products from companies that meet my high standards for integrity.

What’s the problem with melatonin supplements?

You know that melatonin is a hormone associated with sleep. It follows a circadian rhythm, with levels peaking at night and dropping in the morning. Melatonin is commonly thought of as a sleep initiator. While melatonin does create a sense of drowsiness, the body does not produce this hormone to initiate sleep. Instead, it helps regulate the body’s other circadian rhythms.

There are three primary issues with melatonin supplements, as I’ve discussed in my post 3 Reasons to Avoid Melatonin.

First, melatonin is hormone therapy, and taking any hormone into the body should be approached with reservation and an experienced practitioner.
Second, melatonin is not a sleep hormone. While it correlates with sleep cycles, melatonin is a regulator of many aspects of our “body clock” rather than a sleep potion.
Third, melatonin supplementation carries side effects including next-day drowsiness, nausea, and nightmares.

Light therapy for insomnia

Melatonin regulates our circadian rhythms, which in turn affect our sleep cycles. Insomnia often occurs when our circadian rhythms don’t align with our environment. Carefully manipulating melatonin levels during certain times of the day can rebalance those circadian rhythms so that we fall into a normal sleeping pattern.

Melatonin supplementation isn’t the ideal option, but light therapy is the safer and more effective way to manipulate melatonin levels.

How does light affect melatonin production? The pineal gland produces and secretes melatonin, according to a rhythm determined by the ‘circadian clock’ portion of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nuclei. The suprachiasmatic nuclei is controlled by light input from the eyes. Light tells the nuclei to inhibit melatonin production (source).

The most convenient and effective form of light therapy that I’ve found is Re-Timer, which are glasses that have a melatonin-suppressing green-blue light. Interestingly, green-blue light has been shown to have the most melatonin-suppressing effects .

Not only does Re-Timer holistically address insomnia, it is quite the fashion statement

How Re-Timer can fix your sleep

Re-Timer is a multi-use form of light therapy and is not limited to remedying jet lag.

Re-Timer can re-set your body clock to address insomnia, particularly Early Morning Awakening Insomnia (inability to fall back asleep after waking too early) and Sleep Onset Insomnia (laying awake when you want to fall asleep). In the section below, I discuss how to use Re-Timer for this purpose.

The process you’ll use to address insomnia with Re-Timer alters the time your body naturally wakes up. I’ve had great success with this, which I discuss below. I was able to train my body to automatically wake up earlier without feeling drowsy.

Re-Timer can be used for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Light therapy is the most common treatment for SAD. Re-Timer uses green-blue light, which boasts higher efficacy for treating SAD than the more commonly used white light. Using Re-Timer when you wake up can be an easy remedy for SAD.

It can help your body adapt to shift work. Research shows that shift work is correlated to detrimental health effects including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Depending on one’s shift work cycle, Re-Timer can be used during the day to help balance the body’s circadian rhythms.

It’s compact and travel-friendly, perfect for remedying jet lag. Re-Timer comes in a sturdy protective case, ideal for travel. You can reset your body clock when you arrive and leave your travel destination. I’m not a frequently traveler, but I will definitely use Re-Timer for future trips, since it has worked so well for altering my body clock at home.

It beats a light box. Perhaps you’ve heard of “happy lamps” or “happy lights” as treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Light boxes have also been recommended as light therapy to re-set circadian rhythms. I bought a light box years ago and used it probably a total of five times. Why? It was boring and confining sitting in front of it each morning. With Re-Timer, I can wear it while I prepare and eat my breakfast in the morning.

How I Re-Set My Body Clock

I’ve used my Re-Timer for two months, and was astounded by how immediately my body clock shifted. My primary goal for Re-Timer was adjusting my body to wake up earlier. I’m usually a morning person, but dark Seattle winter mornings make it more difficult for me to get out of bed.

The Re-Timer e-book outlines a plan to re-set your body clock to wake earlier, and their website also offers a convenient Sleep Calculator here.

I followed the directions determined by the sleep calculator, which involved using my Re-Timer for 30 minutes earlier each day. For example, 8:30 one day, then 8:00 the next day, etc.

I found that, within 3 days, my body transitioned so quickly that I was awake before my alarm went off. I woke with no sense of drowsiness, despite it being pitch black outside.

For the following week, I chose to continue using my Re-Timer for 30 minutes each day, upon waking. I felt like my body clock was set, but I noticed a significant difference in my alertness each morning after wearing the Re-Timer. Now, a month later, I use my Re-Timer at least a few times a week, in the mornings upon waking. I still use my alarm on mornings when I need the back-up, but with regular Re-Timer use I wake naturally at the same time each morning.

If you struggle with falling asleep at night and feel drowsy in the morning, this is the pattern you want to follow. If, on the contrary, you wake up too early in the morning, you will want to wear your Re-Timer before bed, in a similar gradual process. For more details on the schedule, use the Re-Timer Sleep Calculator or download the Re-Timer sleep e-book.

Start Re-Timing your body clock today!

Add Re-Timer glasses to your shopping cart at Re-Timer.com.
Use coupon Empowered30 at checkout to save $30.
Use your Re-Timers for just 30 minutes a day to balance your body clock.

I wish you happy and healthy sleep!

Find your solution

Improve your sleep with Re-Timer

Re-Timer was developed at Flinders University following 25 years of University research. Worn for 30 minutes a day, the glasses adjust the body clock to help with sleep problems related to sleep-onset insomnia, early-morning awakening insomnia, the winter blues and jet lag. The glasses come with a 60 day money back guarantee.

Buy Re-Timer Now

by Re-Timer on 20 Feb 2014

Is Re-Timer worn during sleep?

Byron asked, how will Re-Timer stay on my face if I have to wear it during sleep?

We’d like to clarify that Re-Timer is not worn whilst sleeping.

Re-Timer is worn either in the morning upon waking or 1-2 hours before bed time, depending on whether you are trying to sleep earlier or later.

To receive the full benefits of light therapy you must be awake with your eyes open.

If you need some help determining the best time to wear Re-Timer, visit our sleep calculator page.

Or contact us at support@re-timer.com and we’ll be happy to assist.

Thank-you for your question Byron, we hope this helps to explain how Re-Timer is worn.

by Re-Timer on 26 Feb 2014

Jet lag west to east

Travelling eastward across multiple time zones generates more severe jet lag compared to westward travel. This is due to our circadian rhythms finding it easier to delay (stay up longer) compared to advance (get up earlier).

Your body clock has a tendency to run slightly longer than 24 hours, says physician Vivek Jain of the Center for Sleep Disorders at the George Washington Hospital. Each morning, your body compensates for this slight discrepancy by contracting your internal clock to synchronize with the 24-hour day light cycle. When you travel west, you gain several hours, so your day is extended and your body gets the extra time it naturally wants. But when you travel east, your day is shortened; and makes it harder to adjust, because your body has to cut its natural cycle even further, Jain says.

Research suggests you can push your body clock back about two hours per day, meaning that you can adjust from Washington time to Colorado time in a single day, but you can move your body clock forward (as when you travel from California to Washington) only by an hour to an hour and a half each 24-hour period, Jain says.

Re-Timer is a natural therapy device used to combat the effects of jet lag.

Read these tips to help reduce jet lag

The information contained on this website is not intended to be used as medical information or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice. As a matter of good practice we recommend you seek the advice of your health professional before selecting a light device.

Sleeping Tips

Light therapy is proven to help shift workers adapt to a rotating day-night roster by re-timing the sleep-wake cycle. But sleep hygiene is just as important as using Re-Timer to re-time your sleep.

Here is, a list of sleeping tips to help you get the most out of your Re-Timer whether you’re a shift worker, a business traveller looking to avoid jet lag or simply suffer inadequate sleep.

Set a regular bedtime.

Go to bed at the same time every night. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments.

Wake up at the same time every day.

If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.

Nap to make up for lost sleep.

If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.

Find more tips here:

www.helpguide.org

We spoke with Dr Michael Gradisar at Flinders University to discuss teenage sleep issues, to help answer some of your questions.

Dr Gradisar’s research interests include the prevalence, consequences, and the psychological assessment and treatment of sleep disorders in children and adolescents.

He also runs treatment studies for child and adolescent sleep problems through the Child and Adolescent Sleep Clinic in Adelaide, Australia

Read the full interview here.

Why do teenagers find it hard to get up in the morning?

There are 2 reasons explaining teenager’s difficulties getting up in the morning. First, their body clock which determines what time they fall asleep and what time they should wake up delays as teenager’s develop through their adolescent years. This means that they fall asleep later and wake later. So on a school night, their body clock determines that they should fall asleep later (e.g.12 midnight) than they desire (e.g. 10:30pm), but although their body clock would wake them later (e.g. 9:30am), they have to wake up and get ready for school (e.g. 7:30am). From this example, it is hopefully clear that the second reason for their difficulty waking is that they don’t achieve the sleep they need. These two biological sleep processes therefore compound to make it awful for teens to wake on school mornings.

Is there a common sleep issue that is suffered by teenagers?

We have asked hundreds of teenagers whether they think they have a sleep problem, and if so, to describe to us why they think they have a sleep problem. In their words, the most common reasons include, “it takes me a long time to fall asleep”, “I fall asleep late”, “I don’t get enough sleep”, and “It’s hard for me to wake up in the morning”.

Why do teenagers suffer from these sleep issues?

The main cause behind these sleep issues is a delayed body clock which makes the timing of their sleep late (i.e. fall asleep late; wake up late). There is some contribution from them worrying when they are taking a long time to fall asleep, and also some impact from the behaviours they perform close to bedtime (for example technology use and socialising)

When can these sleep issues start?

Researchers have frequently identified the onset of these problems to occur around the onset of puberty. In our Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic, we ask teenagers when their sleep problem began. It can be hard for them to identify when it started as it happens slowly, but their responses often suggest during the transition from primary school to high school (which somewhat coincides with the onset of puberty for some teens).

Why is sleep so important to teenagers?

From our perspective in the Child & Adolescent Sleep Clinic, we see what happens to teenagers when they don’t achieve adequate sleep. This ranges from not being able to concentrate in class, worrying that they won’t pass tests, get good grades, or even get a good job one day. Their parents say that their teenagers are moody and irritable in the mornings, and that they are often running late in the mornings. But the worse issues occur when the teens are so chronically sleep-deprived that they start missing school, eventually drop-out, and find it incredibly difficult to go back to school. They’ve missed out on plenty of social things with their friends, and they worry about having to catch up on a lot of school work. Some who have not coped with dropping out of school develop other emotional problems (e.g., social anxiety, depression) and the worst case scenarios have been when they have thought of taking their own life or even tried to do so.

Are there any sleep hygiene tips you can offer for parents to help their sleepy teen?

Most parents can locate sleep hygiene tips if they search several websites on the Internet. This may work for some teenagers, but as a stand-alone treatment, these are not recommended to help people who have significant sleep problems.

Are there any tell-tale signs to look out for that may indicate a sleep issue?

Parents are not usually aware of the severity of their teenager’s difficulty to fall asleep at night as the parents often fall asleep before their teens. So the first indicator they see is their teen’s difficulty getting up out of bed. But the key questions I ask parents are “Does your teen sleep-in on weekends, and if so, when do they sleep-in until?”, “Does your teen think they have a sleep problem, and if so, do they want to do something about it?” Thus, if their teens are waking up more than 2 hours later on weekends than they do on school mornings, and their teens answer “yes” to the second question. Then it’s time to do some research and seek professional help.

Can bright light therapy help teens?

Bright light therapy has been used in multiple research studies around the world for people who fall asleep late and wake up late. Indeed, our research group was the first to perform a controlled study showing that bright light therapy was effective to use for adolescents with this problem, and the benefits lasted for 6 months after treatment stopped. New studies performed in other countries (e.g., Norway) have been published this year and also show bright light therapy works. It works by signalling to the body clock (via the eyes) that it’s time to wake up and start the day. So we gradually provide light earlier and earlier to teenagers so we trick their body clock into believing the day is starting earlier. As a result, teens begin to feel more alert in the morning and because they are waking up earlier, they begin to fall asleep earlier. It does take effort, but our data show improvements can occur over 3 weeks, which is pretty impressive considering the average amount of time these teens have had this problem for is just under 5 years!

For more information
Child and Adolescent Sleep Clinic

Contributing Factors to Adolescent Sleep Disturbance

by Re-Timer on 14 Mar 2014

We caught up with Danielle Scott Aerial Skier to learn more about what makes her tick.

Danielle is an elite athlete with a remarkable story that saw her change from gymnastics to aerial skiing at a young age.

A regular on the world cup circuit, she won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Norway, finished first at the Europa Cup in Finland and second at the 2014 World Cup in Lake Placid in the USA.
And she recently competed at the Sochi Olympics.

She is constantly traveling and has a gruelling training schedule but found some time to talk to us, here’s our chat:

Can you tell us about your day job?

My day job is pretty unique! Whether it is chasing competitions around the world, or spending a summer preparing thousands and thousands of jumps into a pool, I am ultimately working to be the world’s best – and stay one of the world’s best. It revolves around preparing, fuelling, strengthening and fine-tuning my own body in order to perform and be successful.

How did you become an aerial skier?

I became an aerial skier through a transition program where they take elite level gymnasts and teach them to ski. I never reached my full potential with gymnasts and was looking for something more so when I was recruited by five time Olympian, Jacqui Cooper, I was ready to take on the new challenge.

What has been your proudest moment?

My proudest moment would have to have been winning the bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Norway. It was my break through podium and I did it on my birthday, which made it even more memorable!

What’s your favourite jump?

My favourite jump would have to be the double-full, full. This is a triple twisting, double somersault where you perform two full twists in the first flip, and one twist in the second flip. It spins fast and leaves such an incredible feeling when you nail the landing.

Who’s your idol?

My idol is the surfer Bethany Hamilton. She lost her arm to a shark attack, yet got back on the board and is still as competitive as ever. She didn’t let something out of her control, affect her and take away from what she loved. I really admire her as she shows that determination can overrule fear and how it is possible to take something and use it to make you stronger.

How does it feel to be part of the Olympic team?

It feels very exciting and prestigious. It’s something I have dreamt of since I was a little girl, so to be representing my country in such a historic event, I couldn’t be more happy!

Do you travel much?

Yes! I usually only spend about two months out of the year at home. My sport of aerial skiing requires me to travel so much due to training and competition venues not being located in Australia.

How do you feel when you travel?

I generally feel really slowed down after a travel day. The long flights and lay over times can be really draining, especially when you are traveling to different time zones each week. I also usually find it difficult to get sufficient sleep hours in the new time zone.

Has Re-Timer helped?

Re-Timer has really helped me to prepare and adjust to the time zones throughout the competition season. Usually I find myself waking in the middle of night and not being able to fall back asleep. This can be detrimental to training and competition preparation, so Re-Timer has helped me get ahead of the game and be ready to perform at my best.

What’s your favourite travel destination?

My favourite travel destination is Norway. The people are so welcoming, the food is delicious, and the scenery is very picturesque.

Learn more about Danielle:

Website

danielle-scott.wix.com

Images

Aerial training during the Deer Valley World Cup 2013

Wearing Re-Timer to help reduce jet lag and sleep better

by Laura Falls on 2 Feb 2015

Today, I thought I would share with you an email from one of our customers. Here it is, word for word.

“I’m writing to tell you that your device is changing our lives. My wife has had sleep problems since her twenties, and especially during her nursing career when she had to cope with night shifts as well.

We have been retired now for seventeen years, yet she still lies awake till four or five o’clock in the morning, and then sleeps till nearly noon.

She has of course tried a sleep light (SAD light box) but we noticed very little benefit. But when I stumbled across an ad for the Re-Timer and read the letters of support from grateful sufferers, I thought that a $300 gamble was worth taking.

It has now been only ten days with the Re-timer, but what a difference. Jane is sleeping through the night, and breathing much more quietly. She has almost stopped snoring too, which I didn’t expect. It is wonderful and a little miraculous, and I have to admit that we didn’t really expect the effects to be so dramatic.

There is no doubt that this is all due to the Re-Timer, since no other part of her routine has changed.

We can’t say that everything is perfect yet, but so far we’re thrilled with the results.

Dr John Rankin FRCS, FCSVS”

Thank you Dr John Rankin for allowing us to share your story.

Image is for illustration purposes only.

Disclaimer: Please note Re-Timer is not a solution for snoring.

by Laura Falls on 18 Jun 2015

Organised by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep 2015 was one the world’s largest events dedicated to sleep medicine and research. Held in Seattle, the event was attended by thousands of sleep physicians and researchers.

These are the top questions and answers from the event.

Q. When do you wear Re-Timer for and for how long?
A. Re-Timer is worn for 30 minutes per day. The time of day depends on what you would like to change. We have jet lag and sleep and jet lag calculators on our website which provide customized schedules. If someone has delayed sleep, they would benefit wearing Re-Timer in the morning when they wake up (and then earlier each day) for at least 3 days.

Q. How is it charged and how long will it last once charged?
A. Re-Timer is charged using a USB cable and will remain charged for 4 hours (8 days of use per charge).

Q. What is the evidence base?
A. Since 1987, we have been researching the ability of light to re-time the circadian rhythm. We have published 4 peer-reviewed research papers using Re-Timer prototypes. If you would like copies of the full journal articles please contact us and we will email these to you.

Q. Why does Re-Timer use green light?
A. The colour is blue-green and peak wavelength 500nm. This balances the safety concerns of blue light with the efficacy of the shorter blue and green wavelengths. We have completed extensive product testing on both optical safety and efficacy.

Q. How does it compare to a light box and what is the lux?
A. Re-Timer is a portable and convenient solution which increases user compliance to treatment. Re-Timer emits 506 Lux lm/m² and 230 µW/cm² measured at the corneal surface. A standard light box emitting 10,000 lux may only produce 98 lux, Anderson et al. (2009) to 398 lux, Glickman et al. (2009), at the corneal surface.

Q. Why is the light source below the eye?
A. The angle of light has been chosen to ensure the maximum amount of light enters the eyes. Light mounted from above is often obliterated by dropping eye fixation below the horizon (i.e. to read, guiding walking, and many other practical situations). The evidence about retinal distribution of the ipRGCells is that they are widely distributed into upper and lower hemi-retinas.

by Laura Falls on 11 Mar 2015

In 2001, Maarten van der Weijden, a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer, was confronted with cancer and his career was likely to be over.

Fighting against cancer he made his comeback in 2003. In 2006, he intensified his training regime and started using morning bright light therapy. Then in 2008, he won an Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

To him, light therapy made all the difference.

“Light therapy was crucial in winning the golden medal”, said Maarten van der Weijden.

“Within a month my performance in the morning increased spectacularly”, he said.

Maarten van der Weijden used light therapy to shift his circadian rhythm and to achieve a ‘speedier wakefulness’.

“The first thing I do is put my glasses on and light up”.

The below image shows the original article on page 3 of the well respected newspaper de Volkskrant in The Netherlands. A short online version about Maarten van der Weijden and his experience using light therapy is also available (please note it is in Dutch so you may need to click on the translate button).