Let’s make growing up fun

Balancing nutritional needs, adequate rest and replacing the word 'exercise' with 'activities' can bring a lot of enjoyment into growing up

You know how important exercising is for kids but are they ready to do it your way? Will they agree to go through your boring gym routine? Most probably not. What do you do then? India's leading holistic health guru Mickey Mehta says, "First of all it is important to switch the word 'exercise' with 'activity' and then make it interesting and fun for kids."

Daily activity: Fast-walking, jogging etc., work very well for kids and can be easily incorporated into their hectic daily lives. "Simple things like asking your child to take the stairs instead of the lift can work wonders," says Sunandita D, mother of a growing child.

Open up: After being confined to classrooms and travelling to and from schools for a major part of the day, children need to go out to open spaces. Games like chain, lock and key, catching the crook, kho-kho, kabbadi, tug-of-war, hide and seek, hoola hoops etc. can probably do more for them than your gym can. Kids should be taken to water bodies for swimming, rowing and water sports. "Their games should create a sense of excitement and non-aggressive competition - boot camp games like crawling on forearms, duck walking, getting into a gunny bag and then hopping a distance works well for kids," he adds.

Rest right: Children grow during sleep and it is important that they sleep for more than seven to eight hours say pediatricians. The 'early to bed' part is especially necessary. With demanding school hours, tuition classes, extra-curricular activity classes, they are drained and should be encouraged to sleep early rather than watch television till late in the night.

Nutrition needs: Along with exercising and activities you should make sure that your child has nutritious, wholesome food, says nutritionist Deepshikha Agarwal. "Kids do not eat the necessary amount of food most of the time, so it is essential to give them calorie-dense food so that they get required nutrition. Give them food while they are on the run - like salted almonds, walnuts and pistachios. Unsalted ones may not tempt kids much."

Deepshikha feels that food should always be within reach for kids. She says, "Always keep fruits on the table or counters, instead of fried and junk food packets. Keep flaxseed around in their bedroom; that will encourage them to snack on it instead of having chocolates or empty calories."

Breakfast well: Making your kids eat a healthy breakfast is important. Mickey says, "If parents think that giving them a bowl of milk and cereal is enough then they are wrong. Wholesome breakfast should include bananas, upma and poha, dates, figs, and stuffed parathas."

Divorce, depression plague Kerala’s youth

Even as God's own country boasts of a cent per cent literate population, the state tops the charts when it comes to suicide and divorce

Looks like God's Own Country is fast metamorphosing into the haven of two ominous Ds - depression and divorce. Statistics spanning over 2010-2011 point to an alarming increase in the number of suicides and divorces in Kerala. What exactly is happening to the state that announced its cent per cent literacy to the world years ago?

Till divorce do us part ...

Funny as it might sound, looks like special funds need to be allotted to set up family courts across the state, with the existing 16 teeming with divorce cases. For, anything from the partner's body odour to infidelity triggers divorce.

About 8 to 10 divorce cases are filed in each of these courts on a daily basis, reports say. From 8,456 divorce cases in 2005-06 to 11,600 in 2009-10, the statistics from recent months indicate only an increase in the number of broken families. Kerala accounts for 1.96 lakh of the nation's 23.43 lakh divorced or separated women. Says Krishnaprasad, a lawyer with the Kerala High Court, "When a woman registers a complaint against her husband, even on the basis of apprehension, he stands a good chance to get arrested. And once the arrest happens, where is the question of working out a compromise formula? It is their egos that will work out more than the compromise. There have been many cases where wives have misused the anti-dowry laws to blackmail their husbands."

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act has many loopholes, lawyers point out. "It is a double-edged sword; 90% of people misuse it. Ironically, the law that has been intended to protect women have more or less boomeranged on them, with the number of sister-in-law and mother-in-law arrests also on the rise with this provision," they say. Interestingly, the capital city takes the lead in the number of divorces. As many as 6,000 divorces took place in the past few months alone in Thiruvananthapuram's family courts. Proposals have been mooted to set up one more family court in Thiruvananthapuram. The 18 family courts in the state had a total of 38,231 cases filed last year.

Most of the divorce cases filed at court are by couples who have lived together for less than five years. "Ours is a society where physical abuse of women is much less in comparison to other states; here, the reasons for marital discord are different - ego clash, economic independence, low tolerance levels, debt, drinking, infidelity and impotency - among others," says psychiatrist C J John.

Calling it a day...

Statistics show that more than 80% of suicides are committed by people between the ages of 15 and 59. It cannot be refuted that divorce brings with it a fair share of depression too, notwithstanding the fact that the social stigma attached to separated couples has reduced considerably over the years. "It is a fact that nearly 78% of suicides are committed by married individuals," says psychologist Balakrishnan, adding, "In many cases, couples can be talked into settling their differences amicably. Unfortunately, we do not have an effective counselling system in place."

Materialism makes people depressed

People who place a high value on wealth, status, and stuff are more depressed and anxious and less sociable than those who do not, say researchers.

They also indicated that materialism is not just a personal problem. It's also environmental.

"We found that irrespective of personality, in situations that activate a consumer mindset, people show the same sorts of problematic patterns in wellbeing, including negative affect and social disengagement," said Northwestern University psychologist Galen V. Bodenhausen.

Bodenhausen conducted the study with colleagues Monika A. Bauer, James E. B. Wilkie, and Jung K. Kim.

In two of four experiments, university students were put in a materialistic frame of mind by tasks that exposed them to images of luxury goods or words mobilizing consumerist values (versus neutral scenes devoid of consumer products or words without such connotations).

Completing questionnaires afterwards, those who looked at the pictures of cars, electronics, and jewellery rated themselves higher in depression and anxiety, less interested in social activities like parties, and more in solitary pursuits than the others.

Those primed to materialism by exposure to certain words evinced more competitiveness and less desire to invest their time in pro-social activities like working for a good cause.

In two other experiments, participants completed tasks that were framed as surveys-one of consumer responses, another of citizens.'

The first experiment involved moving words toward or away from the participant's name on a computer screen-positive and negative emotion words and "neutral" ones that actually suggested materialism (wealth, power), self-restraint (humble, discipline), transcendence of self, or self-indulgence.

The people who answered the "consumer response survey" more quickly "approached" the words that reflected materialistic values than those in the "citizen" survey.

The last experiment presented participants with a hypothetical water shortage in a well shared by four people, including themselves. The water users were identified either as consumers or individuals.

Might the collective identity as consumers-as opposed to the individual role-supersede the selfishness ordinarily stimulated by the consumer identity? No: The "consumers" rated themselves as less trusting of others to conserve water, less personally responsible and less in partnership with the others in dealing with the crisis.

The consumer status, the authors concluded "did not unite; it divided."

The findings have both social and personal implications, said Bodenhausen.

"It's become commonplace to use consumer as a generic term for people," in the news or discussions of taxes, politics, or health care. If we use term such as Americans or citizens instead, he says, 'that subtle difference activates different psychological concerns,'" explained Bodenhausen

"We can also take personal initiative to reduce the depressive, isolating effects of a materialist mindset by avoiding its stimulants-most obviously, advertising. One method: 'Watch less TV,'" he added.

The study appeared in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Divorced young, found love again

Getting divorced at a young age is traumatic, but one can still start afresh and find love again

Recently, playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan announced her engagement to music composer Hitesh Sonik after a courtship of about two years. The 28-year-old says, she looks forward to being married and starting a new life with her fiance. This, however, isn't the first time Sunidhi has been down the aisle. Deeply infatuated and dedicated, she married her first love Bobby Khan at the young age of 18. Conflicting personalities and imbalanced expectations soon took their toll and the marriage didn't last for more than a year. It took Sunidhi 10 years of living life on her own terms and continuing to be optimistic about love to find Hitesh.

That hurts

The end of a marriage at any age is a traumatic experience, but it can be exceptionally painful if the couple isn't tempered by relationships and maturity. The heady rush of love that seems all-consuming has the strength to sway youngsters in their late teens and early 20s into making life-long commitments. By the time the implications are realised, it's often too late and the rift is irreversible. At the end of such a relationship, people are too scarred to give their love lives another chance and spend years trying to get over the emotional turmoil of their decision.

Don't rush in

For 28-year-old entrepreneur Tara Kaushal, love-marriage was a fairytale concept she bought into at the age of 19. Marrying young, she braved the concerns of her parents to take a plunge she soon realised she wasn't ready for. "My ex was 11 years older than me. At the time, the choices given to us were to either get married or break up. At 19, choosing to break up was a much harder call to take than to get married. We were in love. And he fit the right parameters - good schooling, right job, the works," she says, "but I knew I didn't want it when I got in. It wasn't the life I wanted." Their differences took a toll on the relationship and the two separated within three years.

According to Clinical psychologist Varkha Chulani, the biggest mistake people make when marrying young is to assume that it will last forever and focus on superficial reasons. She says, "It's not your hobbies that need to match, but your attitudes." For Kaushal, the realisation of the fairytale being flawed was hard to accept. "At that age, one doesn't have the understanding and experience of how relationships work in the real world. Everything was so disappointing. My biggest fear was that I might never be able to feel so 'in-love' again," she says. "Those looking at an early marriage should keep love and lust at bay and come up with a value checklist," says Chulani.

Know yourself better

It's always easier to make it work with someone who is similar. Try and analyse the nature and temperament of your partner and test them in different social situations such as with your parents, friends etc. See how they rise to the occasion instead of just meeting over romantic dinners. Acknowledging that a relationship isn't working is a hard call to take. And when the couple in love is young, it's often a debilitating experience. "Upon my family's insistence, I did try to go back and work things out once or twice, but I knew it wouldn't work out. He wasn't a bad guy, just the wrong one," says Kaushal. Post-separation trauma is often accompanied with the social stigma that people still associate with divorces. Chulani says, this transition period is essential to regroup with oneself. Take the time to understand yourself better and let yourself heal. "The most common mistake people make is to generalise the situation and say all men are jerks or all women are nags. Learn to access your contribution in the failure of the marriage. But be sure to attribute it to your error of judgement and naivety," she says.

A new beginning

For Kaushal, the transition was eased as she moved to Mumbai to start afresh. "While it was initially very traumatic, I never gave up on love. I came to the city very optimistic. Soon, I found a friend in Sahil who over two years became my closest friend. He knew my history and was never intimidated by it. We got married a month ago and I couldn't be happier," says Tara.

According to Chulani, it's essential to test and season your love. Put it through the test of time and see how it pans out. The danger of falling back in love is often as people are in denial of what caused the first relationship to drift apart and tend to make the same mistake, fall for the same personality type again without making amends. She says, "It's critical to selfevaluate and be sure of what one wants in a partner. Being vague about it is often what causes most relationships to unfurl. Learn to handle your baggage smartly instead of drowning every relationship under it."

Cancer has taught me a lot of things

It was a never-ending wait for Yuvraj Singh during his treatment in the United States. He longed to be home and wondered whether he will ever be back. The cricketer on Wednesday admitted the “scar” has not gone but nevertheless is appreciative of the transformation the struggle has brought in his life.

Yuvraj recalled how his days used to revolve around cricket but felt he will be playing with a lighter head when he makes his return.

“Earlier, I would spend my days thinking about my batting or bowling. You wake up and begin to think how to prove everyone wrong. There was a lot of popularity. But after this, I realised that family and friends are important, to be happy is important, money is important too, but what is most important is to be happy and healthy,” Yuvraj said.

“I have got a normal life back, where I am eating, sleeping and spending time with close ones. I know when I return to playing cricket, I will play with less stress and enjoy it more.”

Yuvraj, who has spoken extensively about his inspiration from Lance Armstrong, said he would like to do something for cancer patients in the future. “Cancer is out of my system but the scar remains. In future I will definitely do something for the people. It has taught me a lot of things. During my chemotherapy sessions, there were some elderly patients. They inspired me. I would think, if they can be cured, why can't I. In future I would like to work and make people aware of cancer treatment.”

Dr Nitesh Rohatgi of Max Cancer Centre, who has been part of Yuvraj's medical team, said the cricketer handled his chemotherapy quite well.

“He has managed to handle it remarkably well because of his positive attitude. He would be starting with a few exercises shortly.”

“He did suffer from a few side-effects of the chemotherapy but they are reversible like the hair loss. He is not on medication. Yuvraj's case will give a lot of people hope that can cancer can be treated if detected at the right time."

Signs of a Codependent Relationship

Learn the hallmarks of a codependent relationship and what to do about it.

You can learn a lot about codependent relationships in the library, even if you aren’t in the self-help section.

In the fiction area, Romeo and Juliet features a couple who felt their relationship was more important than their own lives. Over in the history section, the wives of Henry the Eighth found that marriage to the self-absorbed king could lead to misery (or worse) if they didn’t produce the son he craved, says Tina Tessina, PhD, a marriage and family therapist in Long Beach, Calif.

Most codependent relationships don’t end in tragedy, of course. But they do keep people from living the full, rewarding lives they could be enjoying.

“Codependency, by definition, means making the relationship more important to you than you are to yourself,” she tells. “It’s kind of a weird phrase, and it doesn’t sound like it means a one-sided relationship. But that’s what it is. It means you’re trying to make the relationship work with someone else who’s not,” Tessina says.

The good news is that if you’re a codependent partner, you can start finding a solution to the problem under your own power, too.

A Closer Look at Codependency

The concept of codependency was first applied to couples in which a partner has an alcohol or drug problem, says Scott Wetzler, PhD, author of IsIt You or Is It Me? How We Turn Our Feelings Inside Out and Blame Each Other.

But other issues in a couple’s lives can foster codependence, too. One partner may have trouble controlling other impulses, or simply not show much interest in the partnership.

The other partner - who is the codependent one - then works all-out to try to “fix” the problem.

“For example, if someone is with an alcoholic, that being the most typical case, taking care of that person or kowtowing to them solves something in their own personality. They have a hard time leaving it,” says Daniel Bochner, PhD, a psychologist in Savannah, Ga. and author of The Emotional Toolbox.“They get locked into trying to save their partner or the relationship over and over.”

Codependency can also arise when a partner is self-absorbed or uninterested, Tessina says. This may happen “in a relationship where only one of you is ever asking to get together or making moves toward the other one.”

Still, the codependent partner often finds some type of reward in this setup.

“Probably the most significant theme is a sense of control. The other person plays the out-of-control person, and so they get to be the person who is in control and thus is respected,” says Bochner.

“They can be the better person, the smarter person, the person who’s recognized as having it all together. They’re defining themselves as strong enough to deal with it, when actually they need to realize that maybe they should be taking care of themselves instead of proving their strength,” he says.

Simply being in a relationship - even one that’s not ideal - may also be comforting, Wetzler says. “A lot of times, people have low self-esteem and say, ‘I’m no good, no one would want me, and therefore I have to put up with this.’ These negative thoughts are very common, and they have a big impact on why people stay in relationships that may not be good for them.”

People who are codependent often grew up in a household with the same issues. For example, a girl with an alcoholic father could grow up to be attracted to people who drink too much, Tessina says.

“Their whole definition of love is codependent before they even start. Most people who didn’t grow up in a codependent atmosphere aren’t going to put up with it for too long. The ones who start with the impression that love is sacrificing for my partner and putting up with whatever my partner wants to dish out, they’re the ones who get deeply stuck in it,” she says.

Is Your Relationship Codependent?

Three simple questions can help you identify a codependent relationship, the experts says.

Question 1: Is this relationship more important to me than I am?

Love does have a selfless element, in which you want to make your partner happy. “I’m willing to give a lot for that person because I love them, but I shouldn’t be destroying myself to give it. If I have to do that, something’s wrong,” Tessina says.

Question 2: What price am I paying for being with this person?

Someone with an anxiety disorder may only realize it when she sees its cost. For example, the price of her anxiety may be that she can’t fly somewhere fun for vacation, Wetzler says.

Similarly, it can be helpful to jot down a list of things you’re giving up to be in this relationship. “If you seem to always be putting yourself last, that’s not generally healthy for a person,” Bochner says.   

Question 3: Am I the only one putting energy into this relationship?

If your tennis partner is too distracted or not interested in hitting the ball back to you, the game isn’t going to be much fun. The same is true for a couple when only one person is putting forth any effort, Tessina says.

Back from the Brink

If you find that codependency seems to be a factor in your relationship, can it be saved? Maybe.

Marriage counseling can help you learn more about the problems you need to work on together. Often, though, one partner - for example, someone with a drinking problem - needs individual counseling, Wetzler says. You may also benefit from going to a support group for people affected by someone else’s drinking problem, such as Al-Anon, Bochner says.

The moment that can nudge a relationship toward healthy change is the moment you decide you’ve had enough.

“Often the thing that gets an alcoholic to go to AA, or narcissists to get it that something’s wrong, is losing somebody. It’s ironic that the person who wants to stay there forever and give and give has to say ‘OK, I’m through. I’m done. I’m leaving,’ before the partner will turn around and say ‘Oh, wait a minute, I really do care about you,’ ” Tessina says.

Bochner has seen clients go through the same realization. “The willingness to leave is often what sets things straight. They have to get to a point where they have to save themselves by saying ‘I love you, but I have to take care of me.’ Then, sometimes, the relationship actually changes.”

Preventing Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is a mental health disorder that is distinguished by dramatic changes in a person's mood, from the elated highs of mania to the lows of depression. Bipolar disorder affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities, and usually has its onset in late adolescence or young adulthood. We know that genetics can play a role in the vulnerability to bipolar disorder, as researchers have traced the incidence of bipolar disorder among generations of families.

While bipolar disorder cannot be prevented, it's important to be aware of early warning signs of an impending episode of bipolar depression or bipolar mania. Early recognition of bipolar warning signs and seeing your doctor regularly can allow you to monitor your mood and medications and keep illness from escalating.

In fact, although treating bipolar disorder moods is critical, there is a convincing case supported by scientific studies that the prevention of further mood episodes should be the greatest goal.

What are bipolar disorder symptoms?

Symptoms of bipolar disorder can fall between two extreme mood states:

1.     Bipolar depression, which includes feelings of being sad, hopeless, helpless, and worthless

2.     Bipolar mania, which includes feelings of elation and exuberance.

In addition, people with bipolar disorder can develop mixed episodes, which are the simultaneous occurrence of a full depressive episode plus a full manic episode.

What are symptoms of bipolar depression?

Symptoms of the depressive phase of bipolar disorder may consist of the following:

·         Depressed mood and low self-esteem

·         Excessive crying spells

·         Low energy levels and an apathetic view of life

·         Sadness, loneliness, helplessness, feelings of guilt

·         Slow speech, fatigue, and poor coordination and concentration

·         Insomnia or oversleeping

·         Thoughts of suicide or dying

·         Changes in appetite (overeating/not eating)

·         Unexplainable aching

·         Lack of interest or pleasure in usual activities

What are symptoms of bipolar mania?

·         Euphoria or irritability

·         Excessive talking; racing thoughts

·         Inflated self-esteem

·         Unusual energy; less need for sleep

·         Impulsiveness, a reckless pursuit of gratification -- shopping sprees, impetuous travel, more and sometimes promiscuous sex, high-risk business investments, fast driving

·         Hallucinations and or delusions (psychotic features such as these may be involved in about one out of every two of cases of bipolar mania)

How is bipolar disorder treated?

Bipolar disorder is treated with medications to stabilize mood. If the mood stabilizers do not fully manage the symptoms, other medications may be added to help calm the mania or ease the depression.

Along with mood stabilizers, psychotherapy is recommended to help the patient develop appropriate and workable coping strategies to deal with everyday stressors and to increase medication compliance.

Can behavioral counseling help those with bipolar disorder?

Different types of talk therapy options are available to help those with bipolar disorder prevent or cope with a mood episode:

·         Individual Counseling: This is a one-on-one session with a professional therapist with experience in bipolar disorders in which the patient's problem areas are addressed. The session may include help accepting the diagnosis, education about bipolar moods, ways to identify warning signs, and intervention strategies to manage stress.

·         Family Counseling: Bipolar disorder extends beyond the patient and can affect the entire family. Families are frequently involved in outpatient therapy as they receive education about bipolar disorder and work with the therapist and patient to learn how to recognize early warnings of an impending manic or depressive episode.

·         Group Counseling:Group sessions allow for the sharing of feelings and the development of effective coping strategies. The give-and-take at group sessions can be the most productive way to change the way you think about bipolar disorder and improve coping skills as you face life's challenges.

·         Further Reading:

·An Overview of Bipolar I Disorder

·Understanding Bipolar Disorder

·10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Bipolar Mania

·Tips for Managing Bipolar Disorder at Work

·Medications for Bipolar Disorder

·Bipolar Disorder: Who’s at Risk?

·Bipolar Disorder Health Check - Take the WebMD Bipolar Disorder Assessment

·See All Bipolar I Disorder Topics

Can bipolar disorder be cured?

·         There is no cure for bipolar disorder, but through behavior therapy and the right combination of mood stabilizers and other bipolar medicines, most people with bipolar disorder can live normal, productive lives. That said, bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental illness that has a great risk of recurrent episodes. Being compliant to taking prescribed medications and keeping doctor appointments is crucial to self-managing bipolar disorder and preventing serious episodes.

·         In addition, there are support groups available for patients and their family members to help them talk openly and learn how to support someone with bipolar disorder. Ongoing encouragement and support are needed after a person starts treatment. In fact, there are findings showing that the availability of social support systems increases the chances of employment in patients with bipolar disorder compared with those patients without support.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: 5 Self-Care Strategies

If you're one of the 18 million adult Americans who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it's crucial to see a doctor for treatment. Sleep apnea can interrupt your sleep, especially deep-stage slumber, and increase your risk for other health conditions.

Beyond seeing a doctor for sleep apnea treatment, there are things you can do at home to improve your sleep apnea symptoms. Some strategies have the added benefit of improving your health, reducing the risk of related medical conditions.

Here are the five self-care strategies most often recommended by experts for coping with sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Tip 1: Lose Weight if You Need to

Obesity is considered the most important risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. Research has shown that weight loss – even a modest amount -- can improve sleep apnea. Not all people with sleep apnea are overweight or obese, but many are.

In a Finnish study published in 2010, 71 people with sleep apnea were given lifestyle counseling or participated in a lifestyle modification program that included a 12-week low-calorie diet. On average, those in the weight loss group shed 16 pounds. After two years, their sleep apnea was much less severe than the sleep apnea in the lifestyle counseling group. 

A U.S. study published in 2009 looked at the effect of weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea among obese people with type 2 diabetes. The people in the study were assigned to either a weight loss group or a diabetes management group over a one-year period. On average, those in the weight loss group lost nearly 24 pounds, while those in the second group lost just 1.3 pounds.

The effects of losing weight were even more dramatic in this study. Three times as many people in the weight loss group wound up with no symptoms of sleep apnea at all. And among the people in that group who still had sleep apnea, it was much less severe after losing weight.

Sleep Apnea Tip 2: Limit Alcohol and Stop Smoking

You already know that smoking and drinking too much alcohol are hazardous to your health. Did you know they can also make your sleep apnea symptoms worse? Cigarette smoking makes the swelling in your upper airway worse. That can aggravate symptoms such as snoring and pauses in breathing. 

Alcohol decreases the muscle tone in the back of the throat, which can interfere with breathing -- the last thing you need when you already have breathing problems.

Sleep Apnea Tip 3: Eat Healthy

Like everyone else, people with sleep apnea should eat a healthy diet. But people with sleep apnea may be more likely to eat unhealthy foods, some research suggests. 

Sleep deprivation may lead to increased cravings for carbohydrates. Sleep deprivation and fatigue have also been linked with changes in the appetite regulators leptin and ghrelin, which control feelings of hunger and fullness. When you don’t sleep, you may want to eat more and feel less satisfied when you do. 

You don’t need to be overweight to have an unhealthy diet. In a 2008 study of 320 adults, those with more severe sleep apnea ate more protein, fat, and saturated fatty acids than those with the less severe sleep apnea, regardless of how much they weighed. 

Sleep Apnea Tip 4: Tend to Your Allergies

Not surprisingly, being stuffed up from nasal allergies can complicate sleep apnea and make sleep more difficult.

To understand why, picture your airway as a long, muscular tube running from your nose to your windpipe. If your allergies are not under control, the tissues of the upper throat swell and narrow the airway. And that can make breathing more difficult.

If you have sleep apnea and nasal allergies, be sure your allergies are under control. A saline nasal spray before bed may also help.

Sleep Apnea Tip 5: Develop a Good Sleep Routine

Getting enough sleep is important to staying healthy with obstructive sleep apnea. The catch, of course, is that sleep apnea makes it difficult to get good sleep. A variety of devices designed to improve breathing for people with sleep apnea – including a CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure machine -- can help.

About half of the people with apnea have most of their breathing abnormalities while sleeping on their backs, sleep experts have found. So most doctors encourage people with sleep apnea to try to sleep in other positions.

If you have mild sleep apnea or heavy snoring, lying on your side may help. But how can you get into the habit? Some doctors suggest simply putting two tennis balls into a tube sock and pinning it to your nightshirt in back.