ANCSLEEP BLOG

Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone, that helps your body go to sleep. It is released by the lack of light that hits your retina, signaling that it's probably time to go to bed. This release jumpstarts the process of shutting things down so your body can get some rest.

For one reason, or another, certain individuals cannot produce that much melatonin. Therefore, they may need exogenous, or outside sources. Melatonin tablets are a common exogenous source, but a new supplement form in a patch is becoming more available. Continue reading to find out what they are and if they work.  

Nodding off in front of your TV may not seem like that big of a deal. You may even like the background noise of the television, or have slept with the TV on your entire life. However, despite these "benefits" you may actually be damaging your sleep. Or not. We are going to go over the pros and cons of sleeping with your TV to help you potentially improve your sleep if you've been struggling with it! 

Beauty sleep is not just a term that people use. Sleep actually does help with your skin. No need to buy expensive creams or facials. All you have to do is get good sleep in order to improve the health of your skin. Continue reading to learn more about how to use sleep to improve the health of your skin.    

Maintaining a sleep routine can be extremely difficult when you travel for work. Whether it's traveling between time zones, having to sleep on the go, or getting used to new sleeping environments, getting good sleep while traveling is nearly impossible.

However, there are a few tips that you can try to make sure that your sleep isn't entirely disrupted. After all, if you are traveling for work, you still need a sharp mind in order to do your job, and a tired brain definitely isn't a sharp brain. Continue reading to find out how to get good sleep while traveling for your work! 

Babies go through more growing and learning than any other age, and at a faster rate. Therefore, they need adequate amounts of sleep throughout this stage in order to ensure they are learning and growing as fast as they should. There are many milestones that babies should hit in their first year, and getting good sleep can help ensure they stay on track. 

it can take some time for both parents and kids to get into a good sleep routine and learn how to ensure that babies are getting the adequate amount of sleep they need. Continue reading to find out more about babies' sleep and how to improve your child's sleep. 

As you put your infant to sleep, it is important that you make sure they are sleeping safely! Infant and child sleep is different than adult sleep. But adults may think that their children need various items and different sleep positions because that's what the adult needs. 

It's different for infants and kids. It's important that you recognize these differences to reduce your risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is a condition where your child may die in their sleep from an unknown cause. Most of the time it's suffocation from the items in their bed. Other times, the cause cannot be determined. In order to make sure your child is safe, here are the ABCs of safe sleep, and why they are so important!   

The occasional yawn, or post-lunch slump is completely normal, but do you ever notice feeling overly tired all the time? Even when you feel like you got enough rest the night before? You could be experiencing excessive sleepiness. This can be caused by a majority of things, and it's especially problematic when it interferes with different parts of your life. 

For example, if you find yourself dozing off during a meeting or while driving, your excessive sleepiness is problematic. Most people who experience this level of sleepiness have an underlying cause of which they are not even aware. Pinpointing the cause of one's excessive sleepiness is the first step in overcoming it. Continue reading to find out what may be causing your excess sleepiness.

It's no secret that our entire world is becoming increasingly digital by the moment. Sleep apps are just the latest representation of this new way of life. But how exactly do sleep apps track sleep? 

Well, the sleeptech market is growing. Research and Markets estimates that the sleep-tech-device revenue will increase from $12.9 B - $49.9 B from 2020 to 2030. More and more people are paying attention to their health and turning to wearables, sleep tracker apps and other accessories that can be used to help everyone get a good night's sleep. 

Day sleepers, however, have a different set of needs and challenges. Nontraditional sleepers, like shift workers, create an additional challenge to the way companies collect data and offer sleep recommendations. Continue reading to see how some sleep apps are accounting for day sleeper's routines and what is to come. 

Curious about if you have sleep apnea or not? Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that affects many sleepers. It can be a serious sleep disorder with adverse consequences that can have a severe impact on your life. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms so you can get the help you need promptly. 

There are certain symptoms that are common to sleep apnea. These include snoring and excessive daytime fatigue without knowing why. Most individuals with sleep apnea don't know they have it unless someone else can attest to their snoring. But, if you don't have that person, or if they don't think you're snoring is anything out of the ordinary, then you may want to look out for these other signs!  

On May 16th, 2021, the current administration signed a new law into act called the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021. This law outlines the production and sale of inclined sleepers and crib bumpers which have been associated with approximately 200 infant deaths in recent decades. 

Sleep is one of the hardest thing that parents have to deal with during the newborn period. Parents begin to get almost desperate for anything that can help their babies sleep longer. Inclined sleepers prop babies up at an angle instead of lying flat. Crib bumpers provide cushioning from the hard crib bars. Both have been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. 

This new law only impacts the manufacture and sale of new bumpers and incliners but does not have any impact on the use of these items. This means that populations that may rely on hand-me-down products are still at risk from the issues caused by these products.   

This is problematic as lower socioeconomic and certain racial/ethnic groups like American Indian/Alaska Native and non-hispanic Black infants are more likely to die from sudden unexpected infant death syndrome (SUIDS) than non-Hispanic white infants. SUIDS account from unexpected infant-death cases including SIDS, accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed, as well as unknown causes.