Acrophobia – Fear Of Heights.

Acrophobes becomes anxious going to high places for the first time. Some may even experience panic attacks and lose control of themselves. Causes usually stem from trauma during childhood like falling from a high place.

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Getting over it takes work. One example is to move up level by level in a high rise building (eg:apartment block) until you feel comfortable. Like maybe today, go to level 1 and look down below. Tomorrow, level 2. The next day, level 3 and so on and so forth until you get to level 40 or something. You can also do it with any swimming pool’s high dive plank. Slowly walk towards the edge. Stop if you feel any fear but stay put. After admitting that the fear exists, move forward or come down. Return to the same spot where you left off and continue with the next step until the day you are right at the edge of the plank and jump. The moment you hit the pool and realize that you are okay is the moment you’ve conquered your fear of heights.

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Astraphobia – Fear of Thunder and Lightning.

Happens especially when you are alone. As soon as you see dark clouds you try to go home as soon as possible. Brush your teeth as soon as possible. Go to bed and cover yourself with blanket. Close your eyes and cover your your ears as hard as possible. Start sweating profusely and your heart beats abnormally fast.

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Knowledge is power as the more you know, the less afraid your are of it. First step of getting over astraphobia is to understand what and how lightning and thunder works. Thunder is just a sound. A loud sound. Lightning on the other hand is dangerous. Avoid open fields, beaches, lakes and swimming pools when it rains. Also, chances of you being struck by lightning in a given year is as low as 0.000001%.

Secondly, be around people when it happens, be it family or friends, or at a local coffee house, mall, etc. Makes things less daunting. Adopt a pet. Keep each other company and weather through the storm. The idea is to keep yourself occupied.

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Blattodephobia – Fear of Cockroaches.

Totally normal. Cockroaches are fast and sneaky. The American cockroach is one of the fastest insect in the world. Where it is warm and wet, there the roaches will be. Imagine bacteria from sewers and drains being carried all over the kitchen. As a result, they stink and they produce hundreds of other younglings from a single female.

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Understand for a fact that they are here to stay. And the solution is simple. The only way to fix this phobia is to control the nearby population with poison cockroach baits. They are cheap and easily found in supermarkets. Place them all over the kitchen, near rubbish bins, under the refrigerator, near drains, etc. Regularly changing baits every 3 months should keep your house cockroach free.

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Claustrophobia – Fear of Being Shut In Place.

Defined as fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms. Common situations include elevators crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and even tight-necked clothing. An average of 6% of the world suffers from this very anxiety disorder.

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The first step in getting over claustrophobia is to understand that your mind is fooling you into thinking that you are indeed in grave danger when you are in fact not. Panicking is a self perpetuating thing. The key is to address your feelings and be reasonably comfortable enough. If you are uncomfortable being seated in a restaurant corner table with friends and you have no wiggle room, then don’t put yourself there. Seat by the aisle. Same goes to airplanes, subway, buses, etc. Get the aisle seat.

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Then as you progress, make small concessions to your claustrophobia. Gradually expose yourself to it. Just try it for a couple of minutes everyday. Try a larger room, walk into it, check out your surroundings, mentally say “This room is safe. It has a well planned fire escape route (the room has windows and doors) and I’ll definitely make it out alive if a fire were to happen. There’s only furniture (and whatever else)”. Once you are comfortable, remember the good times you had in that room, or a nice story about something in that room. Close the door once you are comfortably aware that the room is as safe as it gets.

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Coulrophobia – Fear of Clowns.

Johnny Depp has this extremely common phobia too. Although a clown is an entertainment figure that is suppose to make us laugh with their antics and funniness, many children and adults are just plain freaked out about clowns. Mainly thanks to movies like Stephen King’s It, Saw and Chucky of Child’s Play.

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First thing coulrophobes have to understand is that movies and real life are two different things. It’s just your imagination playing tricks on you. Understand that it’s just a normal human being wearing make up in a colourful costume. Watching how clowns put on their make up and transform, step by step, reinforces the aforementioned notion that they are totally harmless.

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Watch videos of clowns entertaining crowds like what they normally do, not as villains in films. Knowing that clowns have a long history of skillfully entertaining others helps. Lastly, avoid any horror or crime movies that do not portray clowns in a good way and your perception of clowns will definitely be more positive.

Whatever the statistics say, doesn’t matter. What matters is that we stop digging immediately the second we realize that we’re in a hole. And focus on what we’ve gotta do to move towards the light. Below are 8 simple habits that can be easily formed by anyone from any part of the world, whether you are from Bangkok or Washington DC.

Exercise.



This is by far the most effective natural way of improving your mood naturally. Nope, neither typing nor mouse clicking counts as exercising involves sweat. A workout at the gym or a brisk walk around the park nearest to your housing area helps you calm down. It stimulates various brain chemicals, which leaves you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you broke sweat. Other related mood improving benefits of exercise include managing your weight (as it boosts HDL cholesterol, lowers LDL-cholesterol, burns calories) and strengthening your entire cardiovascular system. The ‘happiest’ type of exercise is team participation sports like rugby, soccer, tennis doubles, basketball, hockey, etc. Personally, I enjoy regular badminton with friends every week.

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Listen To Music.



Ever heard of music therapy? It’s a type of health care that helps you maintain your physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic and spiritual health. Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state. It keeps your mind positive and creative which will both lead to many other positively creative benefits. You know, you may also stumble upon an inspirational lyric that may be about what you are going through =)

Here’s a whole list of happy, groovy songs to fill your iPod with.

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Socialize.



Sharing multiplies the joys and divides the sorrows. As we age, friends and family truly can be lifesavers. The friend who brings the chicken soup makes as much difference in feeling better faster as the soup itself. With technology like video conferencing and social networks, people between thousands of miles of each other can continue staying in touch and even make new friends. Good friends can help each other feel good by providing support, involvement and encouragement. Sorting things out together take bits of strain off from you. Human beings are social beings. Satisfying the need to feel ‘connected’ feels good.

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Sleep Right.



Sleep is a natural restorative cycle that allows the body to rest and properly rejuvenate, restore and regenerate itself, so that it can continue to function appropriately. It is so important that if a human being is totally deprived of sleep for an extended period of time, he/she will actually die. A good night’s sleep lowers blood pressure and the elevated levels of stress hormones, both of which are natural results of today’s fast paced lifestyle. Too much stress causes excess ‘wear and tear’ on the body, and increases the aging and degeneration of organs, cells and other body parts. So get your sleep right, reverse the negative effects and encourage a mental state of relaxation.

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Eat Right.



Throw away that Prozac. Eating right, besides exercising, is one of the 2 keys to a long disease free life. It is important to eat a healthy diet that has lots of fruits, leafy greens and fatty fish(tuna, salmon, etc) in it. Leafy greens especially, are abundant in folic acid, a type of vitamin that low mood people seem to lack. If possible, eat home cooked. It’s better than eating out. It usually contains more fruits, vegetables, and dairy products along with additional nutrients such as fiber, calcium, vitamins A, vitamin C and folate. Home cooked meals are usually not highly salted, plus soda and sweetened beverage consumption is lower at the dinner table. Saves money too.

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Have Sex.



It certainly does improve your mood but the length of the improvement depends on the depth of the connection and intimacy you have with your partner. Oxytocin, a neurotransmitter for the brain secreted from the pituitary gland, affects social recognition, bonding, anxiety and trust behaviours. Oxytocin and endorphins are two major hormones released through orgasm and their effects normally last minutes or hours. If there is a connection and love with the partner, the afterglow of the sexual connection and mood lift can last a long time. Along the way, you will reap the benefit of having your blood oxygenated and body relaxed by the deep breathing.

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Shopping (Mindfully).



It’s actually good for your mental and physical health. It releases mood-lifting endorphins, boosts your immune system, keeps your brain nimble, and even fulfills basic social needs. The experience is linked to a heightened sense of happiness. It may not be as tiring as exercising or as provocative and interesting as sex, but as long as you love it, it gives you the same kind of high by releasing a flood of endorphins. Dopamine, increased during pleasurable moments during sex, rises sharply even when you’re merely window shopping. Shopping makes you become more mentally engaged, psychically active and socially involved, all of which keeps your brain sharp into your olden days. Whatever the case, be mindful so as to keep your bank account healthy at the same time.

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Participate In Arty, Crafty, Endeavors.



Activities of the creative nature has a substantial value in improving moods, relaxing oneself and raising energy levels as well. Whether it is photography, knitting, blogging, playing music or dancing, the effect is definitely positive. Some even have a social aspect to it. For some creative ones, going too long without blogging or taking/editing photographs has a negative impact on their habitual lives.

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If you can finish it today, you don’t have to worry about it tomorrow. ~ Chinese proverb.

Massaging is the art of applying structured or unstructured pressure, tension and motion to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints, lymphatic vessels and organs of the gastrointestinal system to achieve a response. A beneficial response. It is usually done by massage therapists and health care practitioners.

According to the AMTA, Americans spend from $2 billion to $4 billion per year on massage therapy. The surest benefit is the relaxation of both body, mind and soul. Below are the 26 benefits of a massage but take it with a grain of salt.

For The Body

• Relieve stress and aid relaxation
• Relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
• Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
• Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work
• Promotes deeper and easier breathing
• Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
• Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
• Improves posture
• Strengthens the immune system
• Treats musculoskeletal problems
• Rehabilitation post operative
• Rehabilitation after injury

For The Mind

• Peace of mind
• A more relaxed state of mental alertness
• Helps relieve mental stress
• Increases alertness towards stress signals and the ability to respond accordingly
• Promotes calm thinking and creativity

For The Soul

• Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
• Fosters a feeling of well-being
• Reduces anxiety levels
• Increases the state of awareness between the mind and the body

Did you know that I have 2 other blogs by the name of ‘Value your mind’ and ‘Value your soul’?

=)

America’s leading drugstore in sales, earnings, growth, same-store sales increases, prescription drug market share and prescription sales per store. Not only that, Walgreens has been kind and caring towards ‘special’ people. It’s really admirable of Walgreens. Watch the video.

Fortune : Global Most Admired Companies 2006
No.1 most admired food and drugstore company

However, if you have issues keeping to your recommended maximum intake of, here are 16 ways to reduce your alcohol.

1. Caffeine is a stimulant that temporarily wards off drowsiness and restore alertness. It is found commonly in the leaves and beans of :
• Coffee Plants

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• Tea

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• Yerba Mate (popular South American beverage)

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• Guarana Berries (soft drink & energy shot ingredient)

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• Kola Nut (cola ingredient)

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• Cocoa (smaller quantities)

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2. Over 60 plants use caffeine as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kill insects.

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3. Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed legal, unregulated drug (psychoactive substance) estimated at 120,000 tons per year. 90% of North American adults consume caffeine daily.

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4. Dark-roast coffee has less caffeine than lighter roasts because the roasting process reduces the bean’s caffeine content.

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5. The color of tea cannot be used to indicate caffeine content.

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6. Arabica coffee normally contains less caffeine than coffee originating from Western Africa. Arabica coffee plants are less bitter but more susceptible to disease.

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7. Caffeine is COMPLETELY absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion.

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8. A cup of tea contains half the amount of caffeine of an average cup of coffee.

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9. Caffeine in chocolate is insignificant to the point where a 28-gram serving of milk chocolate bar has as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

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10. A study found out that 5.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass resulted in subjects cycling 29% longer during high intensity circuits.

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11. Animals like dogs, horses and parrots are unable to metabolize the compound thus caffeine is toxic to them.

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12. 80% to 90% of American adults consume caffeine daily, and their mean daily caffeine intake exceeds 200 mg/day which means that a large fraction of the U.S. adult population is completely tolerant to most of the effects of caffeine.

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13. A reduction in serotonin levels when caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate, diminished motivation to complete daily tasks and even mild depression.

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14. Other side effects include dizziness, tachycardia, blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, diuresis, loss of appetite, nausea and stomachaches.

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15. Caffeine intoxication happens at 3-4 cups of brewed coffee.

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16. Caffeine intensifies and prolongs the effects of epinephrine-like drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, or methylphenidate.

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17. A small dose of caffeine taken with pain killers increase the effectiveness of relieving headaches and body absorption levels by 40%.

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18. Drinking 100 cups of coffee in a streak is another method of committing suicide.

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19. Extreme overdose starts at 2 grams of caffeine.

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20. According to British Journal of Addiction, caffeine addiction troubles 1 in every 10 of the population.

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21. Caffeine reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in men.

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22. Caffeine improves short term memory only when the information to be recalled is related to the current line of thought.

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23. Caffeine prevents dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from damaging hair follicles.

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24. Caffeine increases sperm movement.

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25. Caffeine significantly reduces the risk of heart diseases of non-high blood pressure patients.

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26. Caffeine causes excess release of stomach acids during ingestion. Valuable during buffets.

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27. Smoking can shorten caffeine’s half-life (time required to decay to half its initial value).

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28. Give a spider caffeine and and you will notice the speed of it’s web construction.

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Substance abuse is prevalent in today’s society. This is an alarming problem because of increased abuse over the years, supported by the ready availability of drug related products. The issue is widespread throughout society, especially among students beginning from as early as 8th grade. Below are 13 of the most commonly abused substance in today’s society.

Ecstacy



Also Known As : MDMA, E, pills, brownies, XTC.

Ecstacy is a synthetic, psychoactive drug chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. In 2005, 11.5 million Americans aged 12 or older tried MDMA at least once in their lifetimes, representing 4.7% of the U.S. population in that age group.

Rohypnol



Also Known As : rophy, rufflels, roofies, ruffies, ruff up, rib, roach 2, R2, R2-Do-U, roche, rope, ropies, circles, circes, forget it, forget-me-pill, Baptist Communion, and Mexican Valium.

Rohypnol is a type of sedative that is tasteless and odorless. Used a lot in sexual attacks due to its sedating and intoxicating effect. Although it is usually taken orally, recent reports have shown Rohypnol being grinded to powder form to snort.

GHB



Also Known As : Gina, Georgia Home Boy, Soap, G, GB, GBH, Juice, Fantasy, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid X, Gamma-OH, cherry meth and Jungle Juice.

Like Rohypnol, GHB is odorless and looks a lot like water when in liquid form. It is white when in powder form, and is often mixed into alcohol. Other than being used as a sexual attacking weapon, bodybuilders also take it for the anabolic effects.

Ketamine



Also Known As : special K, ket, K, green, super C, vitamin K, super acid, special la coke, baby food, God, jet, honey oil, gas

Actually, it started out as a tranquilizer for animals. Ketamine only became popular in the 1980s when it was found out that large doses induce dream like states and hallucinations. The liquid and powdered form of ketamine can be drunk, smoked or dissolved for injections.

Cocaine



Also Known As : coke, flake, snow, dust, happy dust, gold dust, heaven dust, girl, cecil, lorine, C, toot, blow

Cocaine was pretty useful back in the 1880s. It was used as an anesthetic to constrict blood vessels and limit bleeding. Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin that can be snorted, smoked or injected.

Crack Cocaine



Also Known As : charlie, freebase, rock

Crack is actually cocaine that has not been neutralized by acid to make hydrochlorida salt. Crack has an immediate high effect and is cheap to produce. The name crack comes from the crackling sound when it is heated.

LSD



Also Known As : acid, trips, alice dee, blotter, doses, liquid A, lucy, microdots, sunshine, twenty-five, windowpane

LSD is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class of drugs. It was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

PCP



Also Known As : angel dust, dust, sherm, super weed, killer weed, PCP, elephant, embalming fluid, hog, PCE, rocket fuel, TCP.

Taking PCP makes you agitated, delusional and irrational. It was developed in the 1950s as an anesthetic but discontinued in 1965. In powdered form, it is crystal white in colour and is soluble. Because of it’s bitter chemical taste, PCP is usually applied to leafy materials like mint, parsley, oregano or marijuana.

Heroin



Also Known As : gear, diesel, smack, B, skag, Bobby, black tar, horse, junk, jack, jenny, brown, brown sugar, dark, dope, dragon, bitch, gak, boy, hammer, girl, ron, ice cube, and H.

A very addictive drug made from substance extracted from the seed pod of several types of poppy plants. Pure heroin is white, though there are other colours which displays the impurities left from manufacturing or other additives.

Inhalant



Also Known As : poppers, snappers, bolt, bullet, climax, locker room, rush, buzz bombs, whippets

Inhalants are known for their psychoactive, mind altering effect. Some examples of inhalants include

• thinners
• paint removers
• dry cleaning fluids
• gasoline
• felt tip marker fluids
• spray paint
• deodorant
• hair spray
• butane lighters
• propane thanks
• whipped cream dispensers
• refrigerants

Marijuana



Also Known As : weed, pot, reefer, grass, dope, ganja, Mary Jane, sinsemilla, hash, herb, Aunt Mary, skunk, boom, kif, gangster, chronic, blunt.

Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. Other forms of cannabis include sinsemilla, hashish, and hash oil. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or bong. Marijuana has also appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with another drug, such as crack. It can also be mixed into foods or used to brew a tea.

Methamphetamine



Also Known As : meth, crank, crystal, crystal meth, ice, speed, c.r., go, go fast, geek, gack, geet, glass, red rock, tweak, amp, prope dope, p2p, poor maniac’s coke, pink glass, chalk, zip

Know that methamphetamine has some medical uses for the treatment of nacrolepsy, ADD and obesity due to it’s effects of increased activity and decreased appetite.

Steroids



Also Known As : juice, roids, gym candy, pumpers, stackers, balls or bulls, weight trainers, arnies, or anabolics

Anabolic steroids were once developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat a condition where the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning. The primary medical uses of these compounds are to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. During the 1930s, scientists discovered that anabolic steroids could facilitate the growth of skeletal muscle in laboratory animals. This led to abuse of these compounds by bodybuilders and weightlifters and then by athletes in other sports.

‘Pyramid-ing’ is a common method of steroid use. Users slowly escalate steroid use, increasing the number of drugs used at one time and/or the dose and frequency of one or more steroids, reaching a peak amount at mid-cycle and gradually lessening the dose toward the end of the cycle.

No. Only sleeping too much or too little affects the health. People who enjoy lingering between the sheets will feel overly tired. People who admitted to spending 12 hours or more in bed were one-and-a-half times more likely to die slightly younger than those people who limited themselves to nine hours shut eye. Actually the main idea is to sleep whenever you like and wake up whenever you like. People usually sleep early because of commitments during the day. For example, school and work.

However, I do feel that skipping breakfast is bad. Know that it is the most important meal of the day because it kick starts the body’s metabolism which helps to burn the calories from food that is taken later on. The ability to concentrate may also be affected. Carbohydrate from cereals and bread are a good source of slow release carbs that helps cognitively. Even my fitness instructor told me to prioritize breakfast, regardless of the amount.

If you live in hotter countries like South America, Africa or South Asia, you will need the afternoon sleep. I usually take a 30 minute power nap before 3pm that keeps me going throughout the day. Sometimes when I sleep late, I’ll wake up at around 12pm. The feeling of sleepiness only comes when it hits 6pm, which is a bad time to sleep. I’ll usually be at the gym or swimming pool at that time, and to feel sleepy isn’t gonna help. Although I can make myself a cup of coffee, I won’t be able to sleep before midnight.

Conclusion is, get enough sleep. Adults need 8 hours, adolescents need 10 hours and my grandma needs only 6.