Health Tips - Normal Bedtime For Men

Sleep in teenagers - young adults (16-30 yr.) Has a different pattern than any other age. This is caused by hormonal changes that occur at the end of puberty. At this time they experienced a shift in circadian rhythm, so hours of sleep was shifted.

In general, the need to increase to 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep each day. But his sleep time changed, new drowsiness attacked around midnight, where someone else was asleep. When other people getting sleepy at 21:00 or 22:00, a young man eager to work exactly new, either studying or completing a job.

While in the morning had to get up early to prepare for school, college or work. In general, young people actually experience lack of sleep, so many of those who fall asleep in class or nodding off in office. Not to mention because social demands are tempting to "play" to dissolve, even in the morning.

Not surprisingly, if at the end of the week we met many young people that sleep up to much during the day. Sleep debt is allowed to accumulate throughout the week paid in a single day.

What makes a woman's body attractive?

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At least, that's what we like to think, given that our society is made up of people of all shapes, colours and sizes. After all, what's attractive to one person doesn't necessarily appeal to the next.

When it comes to the female form, however, scientists believe they've discovered exactly what most people - men and women - like. The results, however, may not be quite what you'd think.

Researchers, whose study has just been published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, scanned the bodies of 96 women aged between 20 and 49. So that the results would be free from racial or cultural bias, the scans were shown both to Chinese and Australian volunteers, each of whom had to rate each body scan's attractiveness on a scale of one to seven.

The results were pretty consistent between all the volunteers, whether they were male, female, Chinese or Australian.

Unsurprisingly, scans of the younger, taller and lighter women were rated as the most attractive. Women with narrow waists scored more highly too. But if you thought long legs or pert boobs would be right up there on the list of top attractions, you'd be wrong. Instead long arms - particularly on taller women - were given the thumbs up.

It's hardly good news for shorties with stubby arms who are the wrong side of 25. But can you ever define attractiveness on body parts alone? Isn't that oversimplifying matters in the extreme?

Tell us what you find attractive. 

Is low libido caused by the way women's brains work?

Experts have struggled for years to explain why some women have a low sex drive (libido). And now Detroit-based researchers think they've cracked it. Their brains simply behave differently than other women's, claim the experts.

A recent study suggested low sex drive was simply a marketing ploy to sell more drugs. But the research team from Detroit's Wayne State University claims there is such a thing as hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) - in other words, low sex drive - after all. And they have the brain scans to prove it.

The scientists did tests on 26 women, 19 of whom had been previously diagnosed with HSDD. By showing them a series of videos, some of which contained erotic scenes, they were able to measure the women's brain activity using MRI scans.

The women who had been diagnosed with HSDD showed different brain patterns than those who had so-called normal sex drives. For instance, there are certain areas of the brain that become active when you process information about sex. In the women with HSDD, these areas remained inactive while other areas - which aren't normally associated with sexual function - were activated.

The scientists don't yet know exactly what all this means, but what they do know is that when it comes to sex, women's brains don't all work in the say way. And that's particularly relevant for those who have a low libido.

If you're experiencing a lull in your appetite for sex, there are natural remedies that may help. Talking to a counsellor who specialises in relationships could work too.

Back pain puts one in ten women off sex

Forget headaches, back pain has taken over as a bigger passion killer. According to a survey of 8,000 Brits, one in ten women's sex life suffers because of it, with women more likely than men to abstain from sex because of a dodgy back.

The survey, carried out by back support manufacturer Dynaspine, found that 55% of people experienced back pain at least once a month. But back pain isn't the number one reason why we're not having sex, with one in three of us regularly making excuses to our other halves because we're simply too tired.

But sex isn't the only thing that's affected when we get back pain. According to the survey, it makes one in ten of us sleep on the floor, with 16% spending the day in bed because of back pain and 15% staying as still as possible for as long as it takes for the pain to go away.

Just over a quarter of us stop exercising when we get a bad back too, though experts these days reckon keeping moving is the best way to get over a bad back, as inactivity only makes things worse.

So next time you suffer form backache, stay as active as possible. And when your back isn't playing up, try to do some exercises that help strengthen the muscles in your back, which will help prevent the pain coming back (for advice on specific exercises, consult a physiotherapist). Gentle stretching exercises - such as yoga or Pilates - will also help keep your back flexible.

What excuse do you make for not having sex?

One in four rarely uses contraception with a new partner

That first flush of romance can make even the most level-headed among us lose our heads when things get steamy.

At least that's the finding of a survey by the Co-operative Pharmacy, which quizzed 3,000 people about their sexual habits. The survey discovered almost a quarter of people never or only sometimes use contraception when they sleep with a new partner.

It seems all that excitement makes people forget about protecting themselves against sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancies, as the main reason cited for not using contraception was getting carried away in the moment. And a surprisingly frank one in 10 even admitted they just couldn't be bothered about using contraception.

It looks like relationships are going out of fashion for some people too, with 11% of those questioned claiming the majority of their sexual encounters were one-night stands. A further 13% admitted they mostly had quick flings, while 2% said most of the people they slept with were strangers.

And if you thought that young people were leading the way in terms of promiscuity, think again. It's the over-50s who are engaging in the more risky side of relationships, the survey suggests, with one in three claiming to have slept around and had unprotected sex with strangers.

Of the 18-21-year-olds surveyed, 19% said they'd waited until they were 16 to have sex (though that implies an awful lot don't).

Do you think getting carried away in the moment is a poor excuse for not being responsible about sex?

Beetroot juice helps you get more out of your workout

 

It's not the first time this year beetroot juice has been in the news, with an earlier study suggesting it helps athletes exercise for longer. But now the same researchers who brought us the original news about the distinctly unglamorous vegetable claim their latest study shows beetroot could help those of us who are less athletic get more out of our workouts too.

 Scientists from the University of Exeter's Sport and Health Sciences department have discovered that beetroot juice reduces the amount of oxygen you need to perform simple, low-intensity exercise, such as walking.

Writing in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the researchers claim test results show how drinking beetroot juice allowed volunteers to use less oxygen while walking. And what that means, they claim, is that drinking beetroot juice reduces the effort needed to exercise (walking, in this instance) by 12%.

So how does it work? According to the experts, beetroot juice widens your blood vessels and reduces blood pressure, which allows more blood flow. It also affects muscle tissue, they claim, by reducing the amount of oxygen needed by muscles during exercise. So basically you can do more exercise with less effort.

And while that may not be critical while you're young and perfectly capable of working out without any assistance, it could be a great help to people who, for instance, have heart or lung conditions.

The ingredient in beetroot that's thought to have the positive effect on physical performance is a substance called nitrate, the experts add.

Do you have any tips on how to get more out of your workout?

Exercise outdoors to burn more calories

Nobody could blame you for not feeling like getting out of the house and trudging off to the gym in the middle of winter. After all, it's got to be the most difficult time of year to motivate yourself. This year, however, The National Trust, has launched a month-long campaign to get the nation fit after the excesses of Christmas called The Great Outdoor Challenge.

One of the claims of the challenge is that exercising outdoors can help you burn up to a fifth more calories. Just five minutes worth of outdoor exercise every day can immediately boost your mood and self-esteem too. So you won't just shift those post-Christmas pounds but you'll beat the January blues too.

The 31-day plan has been devised by outdoor exercise specialists Eco Fitness, and is designed to help you kick start 2011 feeling energised and invigorated, rather than feeling bloated and with a massive hangover.

Outdoor workouts help you burn up to 20% more calories because your body has to work harder, thanks to all the natural, uneven surfaces you'll encounter (which also helps boost your balance and core strength). Being outdoors might also increase your levels of vitamin D - well, if it's a sunny day you may absorb some sunlight in your skin. And that not only helps improve your mood but keeps your bones strong too.

The plan can be followed in any outdoor space (even your back garden if you're lucky enough to have one big enough) and includes instructions on warming up and cooling down, along with a walking, jogging or running challenge for every day from January 1-31st.

Stay single if you want to get in shape

When it comes to health, most studies suggest that being married is a good thing - particularly if your marriage is a happy one. But the latest report from experts from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm suggests being married isn't so good for your physical fitness.

Having followed almost 9,000 adults over three years, the researchers discovered the couples who married during that time experienced a drop in their fitness levels. On the other hand, men who divorced during the same period shaped up, while women who remained single also saw an increase in their fitness.

It sounds pretty logical when you think about it. At least it does if you buy into the idea that once you get married, you let yourself go a bit. Not being on the dating scene any longer could, after all, make most people less motivated to stay in shape.

There again the difference in fitness levels between married couples and single people wasn't huge - but it's something that anyone getting married should bear in mind, say the researchers, whose report has just been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In other words, tying the knot isn't an excuse to ditch your gym membership.

Another piece of marital advice comes from US psychologists writing in the Journal of Family Psychology. If you don't have sex until your wedding night, you could end up happier and your relationship could be more stable - plus even your sex life could be better, they say.

That's a pretty amazing statement, since fewer people are bothering to even get married these days. What do you think?