“Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.” Eugene Ionesco, Playwright Your dreams are an innate gift. They possess the ability to open the sacred dream doorways to the divine. If you lost someone you care about, the opportunity to see them again in your dreams is comforting. These are called visitation dreams and… Read more »
It is easy to forget a sweet dream, but a frightening nightmare can last a lifetime. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe your nightmares are a gift in disguise? Finding that hidden nugget of gold they are trying to tell us can often stop the nightmare forever. If you have had a nightmare… Read more »
What do dreams, drawings and Dr. Oz have in common? The short answer is health. The longer answer is health, healing, the diagnosis of life-threatening illnesses, research by Drs. Larry Burk and Bernie Siegel, and the Dr. Oz Show: The Sixth Sense — Shocking Premonitions (Jan. 28, 2017) about lifesaving precognitive dreams. After two recent… Read more »
If there were ever an event that could throw us completely off track, it’s a pandemic. A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that we can only hope will soon be over! Thankfully, the COVID vaccine is providing that light at the end of a long and distressing tunnel. We will get through this and enjoy life again. Perhaps… Read more »
Have you had strange dreams during the COVID lock-down? You are not alone. As a dream expert, many have reached out to me during this time with similar descriptions of recurrent nightmares such as this concerned dreamer: “There is a dark shadow chasing me down a dark street, and I keep looking back over my… Read more »
Sleep is important for many reasons. During sleep our brain is hard at work cleaning up and organizing all of the activity from the day. The ideal amount of sleep for longevity, decreased risk of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases like Parkinson’s and dementia is 7 to 9 hours. Many people struggle with sleep issues… Read more »
“I have difficulty falling asleep,” “I wake up frequently and cannot easily go back to sleep” and “I wake up too early in the morning” are by far the most common sleep disturbance complaints we hear in sleep medicine. When accompanied by daytime consequences of fatigue, tiredness, lassitude and foggy thinking, the diagnosis is insomnia. … Read more »
Ayurveda is an ancient healing system from India that remains relevant for modern-day concerns such as stress and insomnia. An Ayurvedic drink known as golden milk, containing cow or plant-based milk along with turmeric and other spices, has gained popularity in the last few years as a remedy to induce restful, quality sleep and boost… Read more »
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is the main calming neurotransmitter released to keep our brain relaxed and balanced when we need it. GABA controls the actions of the excitatory neurotransmitters, so understandably, a person with low GABA may have anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, addictions, or even weight gain. Deficiency of GABA levels can be genetic, but more… Read more »
Sleep is the foundation on which we build and maintain our health and is the best way of guarding against stress and age-related diseases. Is the concept of beauty sleep a myth or reality? Science tells us that a good night of sleep is essential for repairing, regenerating and restructuring the skin. Several studies suggest… Read more »
While we all know we need to get a good night’s sleep, many of us don’t realize what good sleep is, or how well we are actually sleeping, says Harvard Medical School Professor of Sleep Medicine Charles Czeisler, PhD, MD, FRCP. “Eighty-five percent of people with sleep disorders are undiagnosed and untreated which can be… Read more »
The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and composed of two parts. The outer section, the adrenal cortex, produces hormones that are vital to life, such as cortisol (which helps regulate metabolism and helps your body respond to stress) and aldosterone (which helps control blood pressure). The inner region, or the adrenal medulla, controls… Read more »
Healthy sleep habits in children are essential to their physical, mental, and emotional development. Children will show an improved mood, increased IQ, better grades, and seem all around happier with as little as 20 more minutes sleep per night. Establishing a bedtime routine helps parents and children get the extra rest they need. But as… Read more »
Who is the better friend-the person who doesn’t tell you that you have food between your teeth when you are about to give a speech or the one who lets you know and thereby saves you from embarrassment? For me, a good friend lets you know when something is wrong, even if it may be… Read more »
We all get tired, but sometimes “tired” is insufficient to describe a serious condition. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is far more than just being tired. This baffling and little understood affliction is a complicated disorder characterized by extreme fatigue, often associated with muscle and joint pain. It may worsen with physical or mental activity and… Read more »
November marks the beginning of Coachella Valley’s busiest season. The weather is perfect, streets are full of cars, and your calendar is booked solid through March. After months of long days, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits, it is just a matter of time before it takes a serious toll on your body. You… Read more »
The length and quality of your sleep are extremely important to your physical health. During sleep, your body creates hormones and vital nutrients that balance the systems and support homeostasis. Sleep also allows your body to rejuvenate and relax. Most experts note that the average person needs a minimum of 5 sleep cycles per night… Read more »
You’ve probably heard the many reasons why sleep is so important to your health, but as we enter the New Year, these friendly reminders are worth repeating. Sleep is when the body heals and repairs. Throughout your hectic day, your sympathetic nervous system acts as your accelerator allowing you to handle action and stress. While… Read more »
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is defined as a condition with a criteria of symptoms that includes lethargy, poor concentration and/or memory, sore throat, headaches, tender lymph nodes, and muscle pain that persists for 6 months or longer. CFS symptoms may vary among patients — solely as fatigue and lethargy, or as a myriad of seemingly… Read more »
Eye doctors are now on the look out for sleep apnea in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Normal-tension glaucoma is the diagnosis in 1 out of 3 new glaucoma patients. Early diagnostic tests such as ocular coherence tomography and frequency doubling visual fields have helped increase early diagnosis of normal-tension glaucoma. In patients with sleep apnea,… Read more »
