Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Health Tips for December 4

Health Tip: Dressing for Warmth

During the cold winter months, it's important to protect your skin from frostbite, chapping and drying. Dressing warmly and wisely can help keep you warm and spare your skin.

The New York City Office of Emergency Management offers these suggestions before heading outdoors this winter:

* Retain body heat by keeping your head warm. Wear a scarf, hood or hat.
* Dress in layers to insulate yourself, and to make it easier to cool down if you get too warm.
* Use gloves, scarves, hats and earmuffs to keep extremities warm. Be especially sure to cover your ears, nose and fingers.
* Remove any clothing that gets wet, as it will only make you colder.

Health Tip: Keep a Sleep Diary

If you're having trouble sleeping, you may be able to pinpoint the cause of your problem by keeping a sleep diary.

Helpguide.org suggests what to record in a sleep diary:

* The time you woke and went to bed.
* The number of hours you slept.
* How well you slept.
* How often and what time you woke during the night, and what you did to get back to sleep.
* Any caffeine or alcohol that you had during the day; what time you had it and how much you had.
* What foods and drinks you had during the day, and what time you had them.
* Medications that you took that day.
* How you were feeling before you went to sleep -- stressed, sad, happy, anxious, etc.

No comments: