Sleeping Patterns Around the World
Sleep is an important part of our life. Without it, we will not function properly. In the case of China, children are given time to sleep during their breaks as it can form part of their physical and mental development. Here, some schools also do the same. Countries around the world differ in how they sleep.
Researchers of the University of Michigan conducted a study that aimed at discovering the sleeping patterns of the world. The data that they collected was derived from a sleep-tracking smartphone application that was launched in 2014. More than five thousand people from twenty countries participated in the research.
Gathering data about the sleeping patterns of people has always been a challenge. This is because researchers think that when they personally ask people, they tend to under or over report. If a research should be made, people should actually sleep in the lab but then researchers think that when they sleep at the lab would it be like how they sleep back at their home?
With the coming of smartphones and other wearable devices, gathering sleeping patterns around the world has become more reliable and easier.
Average number of hours slept every night by countries
On average, Singaporeans sleep 7.4 hours, Japanese sleep 7.51 hours, Brazilians sleep 7.57 hours, Germans sleep 7.7 hours, Hong Kong citizens sleep 7.77 hours, Mexicans sleep 7.79 hours, people from Denmark sleep 7.81 hours, Swiss sleeps 7.84 hours, Spaniards sleep 7.84 hours, Chinese sleep 7.86 hours, Americans sleep 7.87 hours, Italians sleep 7.88 hours, British sleep 7.9 hours, people from United Arab Emirates sleep 7.95 hours, Canadians sleep 7.97 hours, people from Belgium sleep 8.02 hours, Australians sleep 8.02 hours, French sleep 8.05 hours, New Zealanders sleep 8.07 hours and Dutch sleep 8.09 hours.
Notice that Singaporeans sleep lesser hours compared to other countries and Dutch people sleep more.
Average number of hours slept every night by gender and age-group
On average, women sleep more than men regardless of the age group. Women 20 to 25 years old sleep 8.25 hours compared to men with only 8 hours. Women between 30 to 35 years old sleep an average of 8.12 hours while men sleep 7.75 hours. Women between 40 to 45 years old sleep 8.10 hours while men sleep 7.60 hours. Women between 50 to 55 years old sleep 8 hours while men sleep 7.25 hours. Women between 60 to 65 years old sleep 8.10 hours while men sleep 7.80 hours.
Notice that as you age, the less sleep you get but in the case of women, they will not go below an average of 8 hours of sleep every night.
How to Improve Your Pre-Workout Meals
When it comes to our workout snacks, we tend to be too concerned with our post-workout meals that we forget about pre-workout snacks. Remember that our pre-workout meal is as important as our post-workout meal, since it is what fuels our body before working out. Without enough fuel, your workouts won’t be as intense or productive as they should be. That said, we’ve listed down some tips on how you can improve your pre-workout snacking – and ultimately, your workout routine.
- Eat Your Meal 30 to 90 Minutes Before Exercising
An easy way to improve your pre-workout snacking is to eat your meal 30 to 90 minutes before your workout session. This meal will serve as your body’s much needed fuel during your workout. If you’re going to have a larger meal, wait the full 90 minutes; a 30-minute gap is already enough if you’ll just be eating a small snack. You can choose to eat farther or closer to your workout time depending on your stomach sensitivity.After all, you wouldn’t want to start your workout session when you’re feeling bloated and full.
- Go for Proper Snack Bars
Consuming nutritious snacks that are high in fibre and protein will keep your full in between meals and control your hunger pre-workout. So make sure that you keep one or two nut or granola bars ready to help you stop over-indulging on a snack or meal that’s too sugary or carb-heavy.
- Keep Your Fibre Intake as Low as Possible
Consuming a good amount of fibre on a daily basis is important, but it is not ideal as a pre-workout snack because it tends to slow down digestion – and a slower digestion can be counterproductive for getting the vital nutrients to your muscles.
- Consume a Good Amount of Protein
Consuming a good amount of protein will provide your system with the essential amino acids necessary for your muscles to repair and rebuild itself. Filling your body with these building blocks before exercising will keep your muscles from breaking down.
- Figure Out What Works for You
An ideal pre-workout snack is something that’s easy to make and is a good source of protein and fibre. Sadly, it isn’t that easy to come by. That said, test out different pre-workout snack options – rich in protein, high in fibre and healthy fats – and see what will work for you and your workout routine.
Planning out your pre-workout snack is as important as effectively preparing for your post-workout meal. So put the aforementioned tips to help you improve both your pre-workout snacks and workout routine as a whole.
Fun Workout Ideas during Your Pregnancy Stage
Working out serves as a powerful tool for keeping you healthy and strong, especially during the nine months of your pregnancy. It aids in relieving body aches, easing labour pain and getting you back in shape faster. Still, it can be quite overwhelming to try workout routines that are doable and safe during pregnancy. While it’s crucial to inform your doctor about your fitness activities first, here are some fun starting exercises that an expectant mom like you can do.
- Walking
Hormones got you feeling down? Then boost your mood and reduce your stress levels by taking a leisurely stroll. Walking will also help in preparing your baby for delivery and in easing contraction pains as you progress into the last phase of your pregnancy.
- Running
You might not want to choose a running routine given your current situation, but if you used to run before getting pregnant, then you should still be able to do this exercise without any problem. Just make sure that you scale back your previous routine and avoid running on trails that may cause you to fall or trip. Also, avoid running during an extremely hot weather as it might overheat your body and affect your baby’s development.
- Swimming
Swimming is a perfect form of exercise to ease the pain and stress of carrying extra weight around your belly area. The water’s buoyancy will help in relieving some pressure off your body, while working it all at once. Although some worry that the chemicals used in pool water could cause some health problems, a study found that women who swam in chlorinated pools experienced lesser pregnancy complications than those who swam in the un-chlorinated water.
- Prenatal Aerobics
Another great and safe way to get your heart pumping while you’re pregnant is to engage in prenatal aerobics. A regular aerobics class is also a great option for some, since it’s easy to lower its intensity and you’ll likely stay upright most of the time. As much as possible, avoid classes that require quick step changes or too much coordination, and just play it safe by doing marching or walking routines instead of jumping.
- Prenatal Yoga
Yoga works by calming the body and mind – perfect for pregnant women with a whole lot going on. Apart from the relaxing feeling it gives, prenatal yoga has also been shown to help in maintaining flexibility and strength in pregnant women. The key is to enrol in a prenatal-specific yoga class, where the instructors will tune in to your specific needs. If you can’t seem to find such yoga class, try practicing pregnancy-safe yoga routines at home using some prenatal yoga instructional videos.
Exercising is a crucial part of staying healthy while you’re pregnant. So start performing any of these workout routines now to ensure that both your and your baby’s health is its best state.
The Benefits of Placentophagy
You heard about mothers eating their own placenta because they believe that it has restorative powers. The eating or consuming of placenta is called placentophagy. Many mothers are considering this not only here in Singapore but around the world. Despite European Union’s bid to ban it, there are still mothers who continuously consume it for therapeutic purposes.
The mentioning of eating placenta to other people is enough to make their stomach churn. There are others that think placentophagy is synonymous to cannibalism. It is important that you respect their perspective about placentophagy but at this point, it would be a good thing if you know why some mothers consider it. So, what are the benefits of placentophagy?
- Balance hormones: Placenta is believed to help balance your hormones.
- Increase milk production: It is said that placenta can ease birth stress. It can also help in the contraction of mammary cells which is helpful in the ejecting of milk.
- Release oxytocin: Believe it or not, placenta contains oxytocin that can make mothers happier. Mothers commonly face post-natal issues. If they do not overcome it, it can affect their relationship to their kids and the whole family. It is therefore important for mothers to stay happy after childbirth.
- Hide traces of childbirth: In the wild, animals use placenta to hide traces of childbirth from other predators. Though humans do not need to face predators, there are others who testified that placenta hid traces of childbirth.
- Increase pain tolerance: Studies show that animals (rats for example) that ingest placenta can increase their pain tolerance. In animals, placenta contains endogenous opioids (such as endorphin) that can increase pain tolerance if ingested.
- Where it is now: Though studies are still conducted to prove the efficacy of placenta, it is a fact that some mothers consume it. You should know that in many cultures, it is okay to consume placenta. While there are others who believe that placenta can alleviate pregnancy complications and postpartum depression, there are some who believe that eating placenta is a taboo. Animals eat their placenta to get nutrition. Humans have plenty of nutrition so there is no point in consuming it.
Of course, here in Singapore there are no approved therapeutic claims for placenta pills. Human placenta is a common ingredient for certain Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM). According to TCM, dried human placenta can treat infertility, wasting diseases, impotence and other disorder.
If you happen to encounter placenta pills, it will be up to you if you ignore it or be open to its potential. Regardless of your choice, the important thing is you feel better.
