Hotwheels & SFS: Give the gift of SLEEP!

I had an AWESOME idea how I can give back with SLEEPforSURE! When you download the track @$1.99 -- I will buy $2 worth of Toys fot Tots! And, I figured out the best way to give lots of kids a fun toy this Holiday Season:

HOTWHEELS!

So, for every SLEEPforSURE download I get until New Years, I'll but 2 HOTWHEELS cars for Toys for Tots!

I'll put in a few extra, early so they will be there before Christmas! www.SLEEPforSURE.com

New SLEEPforSURE infomercial

I am pleased to announce the arrival of the new SLEEPforSURE infomercial. Filmed and edited by Jake Mymudes it is a behind the scenes look at SLEEPforSURE with me, the creator/ composer of SLEEPforSURE. In typical low budget infomercial style, I riff, off the cuff about what makes SLEEPforSURE so effective.




Thanks Jake!

Sleeping Pill Nation?

It seems like ads for Lunesta are EVERYWHERE. Not just them, but other sleeping pills as well.
My eyes widen when I see the list the side effects.

Straight from Lunesta's site: http://www.lunesta.com/taking-lunesta/FAQs.html?iid=LHC_FAQs#q16
In clinical studies, the most common side effects people taking LUNESTA had were an unpleasant taste in the mouth, dry mouth, morning drowsiness, dizziness, headache, and symptoms of the common cold.(How does giving yourself a cold HELP YOU SLEEP?)
Possible serious side effects of LUNESTA include:

* Getting out of bed while not being fully awake and doing an activity that you do not know you are doing. (See "What is the most important information I should know about LUNESTA?" in the LUNESTA Medication Guide).

( Actually the FDA announced a safety warning for the entire class of anti-insomnia drugs, based on reports of patients sleep-driving, sleep-eating and sleep-sex while under the influence of these drugs - with no memory of the actions afterward. The FDA also warned of allergic reactions and facial swelling.)

* Abnormal thoughts and behavior. Symptoms include more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions.
* Memory loss
* Anxiety
* Severe allergic reactions. Symptoms include swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting. Get emergency medical help if you get these symptoms after taking LUNESTA.

Why risk all these horrible fates and pay for it!

Lunesta also HAS NO IDEA HOW THEIR PRODUCT ACTUALLY WORKS!!!!

On the front page of their site: Start by finding out HOW LUNESTA IS THOUGHT TO WORK.
They don't even know how it actually works. They just think they do.

Here are some more interesting facts:

FDA Requests Label Change for All Sleep Disorder Drug Products

Mar 14, 2007 | www.fda.gov

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested that all manufacturers of sedative-hypnotic drug products, a class of drugs used to induce and/or maintain sleep, strengthen their product labeling to include stronger language concerning potential risks. These risks include severe allergic reactions and complex sleep-related behaviors, which may include sleep-driving. Sleep driving is defined as driving while not fully awake after ingestion of a sedative-hypnotic product, with no memory of the event.

In December 2006, FDA sent letters to manufacturers of products approved for the treatment of sleep disorders requesting that the whole class of drugs revise product labeling to include warnings about the following potential adverse events:

* Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) and angioedema (severe facial swelling), which can occur as early as the first time the product is taken.
* Complex sleep-related behaviors which may include sleep-driving, making phone calls, sexual behavior, and preparing and eating food (while asleep).


Along with the labeling revisions, FDA has requested that each product manufacturer send letters to health care providers to notify them about the new warnings.

Although all sedative-hypnotic products have these risks, there may be differences among products in how often they occur. For this reason, FDA has recommended that the drug manufacturers conduct clinical studies to investigate the frequency with which sleep-driving and other complex behaviors occur in association with individual drug products.

The medications that are the focus of the revised labeling include the following 13 products:

* Ambien/Ambien CR (Sanofi Aventis)
* Butisol Sodium (Medpointe Pharm HLC)
* Carbrital (Parke-Davis)
* Dalmane (Valeant Pharm)
* Doral (Questcor Pharms)
* Halcion (Pharmacia & Upjohn)
* Lunesta (Sepracor)
* Placidyl (Abbott)
* Prosom (Abbott)
* Restoril (Tyco Healthcare)
* Rozerem (Takeda)
* Seconal (Lilly)
* Sonata (King Pharmaceuticals)

Even more than 3 years later, the public is still largely unaware of the harm that these drugs are causing. Why pay to put yourself at risk from all these side effects?

Here's a list of Common Sleeping Pills:

Over the Counter

Available in any pharmacy.

Diphenhydramine

(Sominex, Nytol)

side effects: May cause dry mouth, dizziness and prolonged drowsiness.

Not recommended for nursing mothers. or pregnant women and people who have a history of glaucoma, enlarged prostate or heart problems.

Don't drive or attempt other activities that require alertness while taking this drug.


Doxylamine (Unisom)

side effects: May cause prolonged drowsiness.

May not be suitable for pregnant women, nursing mothers and those with a history of asthma, bronchitis, glaucoma, peptic ulcer or enlarged prostate.



Prescription Medication

Nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic medications

Nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic medications settle the nervous system, helping to induce sleep. Quickly metabolized mostly intended for short-term or infrequent use.



Zolpidem tartrate (Ambien)

side effects: May cause dry mouth, diarrhea, dizziness or prolonged drowsiness. In addition, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving, eating and unconscious sexual behavior.

May not be safe for people who have a history of depression, liver or kidney disease, or respiratory conditions.

Used mainly to help you fall asleep. Overuse is possible for people experiencing anxiety.



Eszopiclone (Lunesta)

side effects: May cause an unpleasant taste in the mouth, rash, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, depression, swelling, reduced interest in sex or chest pain. Also, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving, eating, and unconscious sexual behavior.

Unsuitable for pregnant women and people who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, depression, lung disease or a condition that affects metabolism.

Used mainly to help you stay asleep. May be used for a longer period of time than zolpidem or zaleplon. High-fat meals may slow absorption of the drug and make it less effective. Stopping the drug abruptly may cause withdrawal symptoms.



Zaleplon (Sonata)

side effects: May cause lightheadedness, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache or prolonged drowsiness. In addition, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving, eating, and unconscious sexual behavior.

Not recommended for people who have severe liver impairment. May not be safe for pregnant women and people who have a history of depression, liver or kidney disease, or respiratory conditions.

May be used to help you fall asleep or stay asleep.



Benzodiazepine hypnotic medications


Benzodiazepines are an older class of sleeping pills. They're more likely than newer types to cause drowsiness or headaches the next morning, and they may become habit forming. Benzodiazepines are available by prescription only.



Triazolam (Halcion)



side effects: May cause lightheadedness, dizziness, prolonged drowsiness or euphoria. Episodes of amnesia have been reported. Rarely, may cause liver failure. In addition, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving and eating.

Not recommended for pregnant women. May not be safe for breast-feeding mothers and people who have a history of drug abuse, depression or respiratory conditions.

Used mainly to help you fall asleep. May interact with grapefruit juice, alcohol and many other medications. Drug must be stopped gradually.



Estazolam (Prosom)

side effects: May cause weakness, coordination problems, dizziness or prolonged drowsiness. In addition, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving and eating.

Not recommended for pregnant women. May not be safe for breast-feeding mothers and elderly adults.

Used mainly to help you stay asleep. May interact with many other medications.



Temazepam (Restoril)

side effects: May cause low blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, headache, prolonged drowsiness or blurred vision. In addition, may cause severe allergic reaction, facial swelling and sleep behaviors such as sleep-driving and eating.

Not recommended for pregnant women. May not be safe for breast-feeding mothers, elderly people and people who have a history of lung disease or severe depression.

Used mainly to help you stay asleep. May interact with alcohol and many other medications.

SLEEPforSURE Night Owl Animated Cartoon

Here's a promotional cartoon to explain how SLEEPforSURE works.
It may be a little technical, but bare with us.

MORE SLEEP IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

But Insomnia can lead to serious health problems. Researchers from the University of Montréal, its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal Sleep Disorders Center and the University Laval published findings of a study in the journal Sleep. Their study found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems. The investigation, which measured the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers, ScienceDaily magazine reported on Sep. 6, 2009

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165238.htm

Another study by Alexandros N. Vgontzas, MD, director of the Sleep Research and Treatment Center at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., demonstrates that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401101733.htm

http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=27894

MORE SLEEP IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART

A study published December 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Christopher King and colleagues from the University of Chicago has found a relationship between sleep quantity (hours spent asleep) and calcium build up -- or calcification -- in the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood.

For each additional hour of sleep, the risk of calcification of the coronary arteries decreased by 33 percent -- an outcome equal to reducing blood pressure by 16 point elevations.

Moreover, the sleep relationship did not change even when the researchers controlled for certain traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as cholesterol, weight and diabetes.

The results were part of the ongoing Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA), which is being carried out at four cities nationally.

This report focused on nearly 500 patients at the Chicago CARDIA site.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Sleep/sleeping-good-heart/story?id=6525530

Sleep on it!

Insomnia Types and Definitions

The word Insomnia comes from Latin, the Roman God of Sleep, Somnus. (Hypnos to the Greeks) But what is Insomnia? The National Institute of Health defines insomnia as "a common condition in which you have trouble falling or staying asleep. This condition can range from mild to severe, depending on how often it occurs and for how long."
NIH (National Institute of Health) categorizes Insomnia into chronic (ongoing) or acute (short-term). With chronic insomnia symptoms persist at least 3 nights a week for more than a month. Acute insomnia lasts for less time.

NIH also points out that some insomnia sufferers have trouble falling asleep while others have a hard time staying asleep. In either case the quality of sleep is diminished, which leads to drowsiness and fatigue.

Although NIH categorized chronic and acute insomnia, they identify two types of insomnia.
The most common type is called secondary or comorbid insomnia. More than 8 out of 10 people who have insomnia are believed to have secondary insomnia. This type of insomnia is a symptom or side effect of some other problem. Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances can cause secondary insomnia.

In contrast, NIH says, primary insomnia isn't due to a medical problem, medicines, or other substances. It is its own disorder. A number of life changes can trigger primary insomnia, including long-lasting stress and emotional upset.

NIH seems to be saying that all Insomnia is caused by something else.

Insomnia can lead to excessive drowsiness, depression, increased blood pressure and could cause accidents.

NIH advises that secondary insomnia often resolves or improves without treatment if you can stop its cause—especially if you can correct the problem soon after it starts. Causes include caffeine, limiting your intake may cause your insomnia to go away.

Lifestyle changes, including better sleep habits, often help relieve acute insomnia.

NIH also recommends for chronic insomnia, your doctor may recommend a type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy or medicines.

SLEEPforSURE's Mission

SLEEPforSURE's Mission is to be the best SLEEP-AID in the world. Why not think BIG?

Our goal is to provide the safest, MOST effective, flexible , easy to use, affordable, high quality product possible.

SLEEPforSURE was envisioned, designed, tested, redesigned, and tested again, and again.
We have experimented with many different brainwave entrainment techniques like noise, monaural beats, binaural beats, isochronic beats, explored music and sound therapy theory, psycho-acoustics, traditional instrumentation, shamanic drumming, didgeridoo, ambient and live natural sound recording.

Some brain entrainment sleep-aids use binaural beats. Binaural beats are very effective, but require the use of headphones. SLEEPforSURE uses a proprietary Isochronic Noise and Psychoacoustic techniques that don't require the use of headphones, although some users may find headphones enhance listening, drown out external noise, or are just plain cozy. We wanted to leave that up to you!

We also decided to go Instant Mp3 downloads only. They're fast, cheap, and you get it NOW! Isn't now better than... later?

We wanted to give you the ability to download and listen tonight, now. But you also have the 10 minute sample track (fully downloadable for free) so you can hear the quality of the track. Yes, this is the first 10 minutes of SLEEPforSURE, on the LISTEN NOW tab. The first 10 minutes will give you access to the Alpha Brain state. The full 79 minute mp3 goes all the way from Alpha to Theta and Deep Delta.

It has been my pleasure to be part of SLEEPforSURE over the last few years. I want to thank all those who's help and encouragement have made SLEEPforSURE the success it is today.

I also want to thank all of the customers who's interest and support inspire me to do my best, because after all, SLEEPforSURE is for you. Please feel free to contact me with your comments or questions.

Sincerely,

Scott Hale
Composer, Sound Engineer
www.SLEEPforSURE.com