The 8 Sleeping Positions and Their Effects on Health

Getting enough sleep is the most important thing – but did you know that how you sleep can also impact your health? Let’s take a look at eight common sleeping positions and what they do to your body.

1. On Your Back, Arms at Sides

Sleeping on your back with your arms at your side is generally considered to be the best sleeping position for spine health and it’s good for your neck, too, as long as you don’t use too many pillows. That said, back sleepers tend to snore more than those in any other position and sleep apnea is strongly associated with sleeping on the back.

2. On Your Back, Arms Up

This so-called “starfish” position is also good for the back. Whether you have your arms up around your pillow or not, sleeping on your back may also help to prevent facial wrinkles and skin breakouts. However, like the arms-down back sleeping position, this one can also result in snoring and problems with acid reflux. Plus, having your arms up can put pressure on nerves in your shoulders, leading to pain.

3. Face Down

Sleeping on your stomach can improve digestion but unless you’ve developed a way to breathe through your pillow, it most likely leads to you tilting your face in one direction or the other. This can put a lot of strain on the neck. Sleeping face down can also cause back pain, as the curve of the spine is not supported.

4. Fetal Position

Sleeping all curled up into a ball with your knees drawn up and your chin tilted down might be comfortable but it’s probably one of the worst sleeping positions to consider as it can do a number on your back and neck.

The extreme curl of the fetal position can also restrict deep breathing. That considered, sleeping like a fetus can have you sleeping like a baby if you typically have problems with snoring or if you’re pregnant.

5. On Side, Arms at Sides

When you’re sleeping on your side with both arms down, the spine is best supported in its natural curve. This can definitely help reduce back and neck pain while also reducing sleep apnea. The downside? Sleeping on the side can contribute to skin aging due to gravity, meaning facial wrinkles and sagging breasts.

6. On Side, Arms Out

This position has many of the same benefits of sleeping on your side with your arms straight down. However, any side sleeping can cause shoulder and arm pain due to restricted blood flow and pressure on the nerves, which may be exacerbated by having your arms out in front of you.

7. On the Right Side

If you’re a side-sleeper, which side you sleep on also makes a difference. Sleeping on the right side can worsen heartburn while sleeping on the left side can put strain on internal organs like the liver, lungs, and stomach (while minimizing acid reflux). For pregnant sleepers, doctors typically advise sleeping on the left side, since this can improve circulation to the fetus.

8. Pillow-Supplemented

Choosing a proper sleeping position is important but regardless of which sleeping position you prefer, it’s highly likely that you can get a better night’s rest with less pain in the morning by supplementing your body with a pillow.

Back sleepers can put a small pillow under the arch of their spine, side sleepers can place a pillow between their knees, and stomach sleepers can place a pillow under their hips to support the joints and allow for full, pain-free relaxation.

Of all the Sleeping positions mentioned, which one gives you the best night’s rest without pain?

Source: dailyhealthpost.com

The 7 Meaningful Touches Every Husband Should Use When Reaching for His Wife

I recently called to check on my father, who wasn’t feeling well. After talking for a few minutes, I asked about his wife (not my mother). They’ve enjoyed a wonderful relationship for 45 years of marriage. He said, “She is doing well, sitting here holding my hand.”

I must admit, I thought of that as a Hallmark moment—a seasoned couple sitting in their cabin on a mountain in Arkansas, still in love and holding hands.

The human touch has amazingly powerful benefits to both parties—physically, emotionally, physiologically and even spiritually. Studies have revealed innumerable benefits. Unfortunately, some men have allowed their hands to withdraw from reaching for their wives.

Here are seven meaningful touches every husband should when reaching for his wife:

1. Reach for your wife first thing in the morning. It may be a gentle pat as you’re getting out of bed or a hug when you first see each other, but reach for her before you get busy about the day.

2. Throughout the day, a text or quick phone call is a great touch of affection. A simple “I love you” or “Just thinking about you and looking forward to the evening” will go a long way in letting her know she is on your mind.

3. Write a note the old-fashioned way. We’re so tech-savvy these days that sometimes an old-fashioned approach is more meaningful.

4. Whether your wife loves flowers, chocolate or shoes, sending these on “regular” days rather than typical celebration days will be a huge touch.

5. Save some energy so you can give your wife special attention when you return home. Embrace her warmly and greet her when you first enter the home.

6. Hold her hand at random times —while charting, walking or just sitting at home.

7. Give her a back rub.

Bonus Touch

I want to add one more to the list that is a real standout and will take your relationship to another dimension: Lay your hand upon her and speak a blessing over her and her dreams while praying in agreement with her. This may take you out of your comfort zone, but I promise you this will be a game-changer in your spiritual walk and leadership with your wife and family.

Reach out and touch your wife. The benefits are immeasurable.

by Neil Kennedy.

MORE THAN YOU CAN THINK

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20

God is unlimited in power. He can and is willing to do great things for us if we can trust Him in faith. To access His power:

• Know His power. To experience the power of God, we have to know the kind of power He has and how that power functions.

God's power does not override human will. His power works when we willingly invite Him to intervene in our situations.

• Think and ask. God works with our desires and our thoughts. We must know what we want from Him and be specific about our needs. When we ask without being definite, we receive indefinite answers.

• Know that He can exceed your request. God takes pleasure in giving His children bonuses they did not ask for.

In addition to answering our specific requests, He is able to go beyond us and load us with unusual benefits.

• Know His power works in us. Our requests to God do not travel from earth to somewhere in outer space in order for them to reach God. His power is not far away somewhere 'beyond the blue'.

The truth is that, His power is so very near. He is at work within us and all around us. When we call, He hears because He is close to us. You have no idea what God wants to do with your

life.

The thoughts and the plans He has for you are far higher than you can imagine. All you need to do is believe and be obedient.

Prayer: Lord, I open my heart not only to receive answers to the requests I have made to you but also the bonuses of your blessing.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 3:14-20

Prayer for Your Marriage

Father, it is written in Your Word that we are to esteem our marriage as precious, worthy of great price and especially dear. We agree with Your Word and act accordingly.

By a conscious act of our will, we put away strife by becoming swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. We confess and believe that we neither offend nor take offense with one another.

Your Word says You have knit us together in purpose and in power, therefore we commit ourselves and our marriage to be the mighty instrument upon earth that You designed us to be. Our desire is to be an example of Your love to our family and friends.

So Father, right now, we make a quality decision to live in harmony. We agree not to give ourselves over to selfish desire that will cause division and distrust. We declare that we honor and value our marriage by keeping our marriage bed undefiled. We declare that our marriage grows stronger every day and is an encouragement to those around us. We will conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly—being kind, tenderhearted, compassionate, understanding and loving toward one another. We are always ready to believe the best, and we freely forgive one another.

Father, we declare and therefore it is established that we live in a peaceable habitation and quiet resting place. Thank you, Father, for making us heirs together of the grace of life! We begin this commitment before Your throne in the Name of Jesus and by the authority of Your Word. Amen. Source: kcm.org

Scripture References from The Amplified Bible:

Hebrews 13:4; II Timothy 2:24-26; Colossians 1:10; Philippians 2:2, 4:7

God is not a bad God, Remember You are not alone!

God is not a bad God, but why does He permit us to walk into scary situations, at times. 

Why does He not just cover and protect us so that we will never have anything to worry about.
The spirit of God in us was meant to lead us into all truths, how come the same spirit took someone from the comfort of a home and transport him into a cave full of dead, dry bone?

Ezekiel 37:1-10 NKJV
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord , and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God , You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and sa the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord .” ’ ” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God : “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Is that God at work?

Oh yes!

It was God at work! If you don't believe me, read the first verse of that scripture again.

He set me out and brought me down!!! That sounds like deliberate transportation and relocation

The Lord then asked him a question, can the bones live?

Why does God do this to us? Christianity was meant to be a deliverance from the struggles of life ! So we were told then. Accept Jesus and you will have no worries .... But now the worry was being given by the person who was meant to take it away?

Do you ever feel like you life options would have been easier if you were not a Christian ?

Do you feel like you would have found it easier to prosper if only you didn't need to be righteous?

Do you feel like your Christian walk has hindered you from comfort , the way your friends have it?

Wait !

God brought Isiah to the dry bones, but didn't leave him there to start struggling to make things happen

The same God who set the exam told him the formula for working the results. He didn't abandon him in it.

He helped Isaiah by giving him insights .

Once Isaiah obeyed , what looked like numerous bones turned not just into an army, but an exceedingly great army!!!!

A formidable army

Those bones didn't look like anything could come out of them !!!!

Sisters , God knew that you had in you what it takes to turn your dry bones into a great army.
He allows you to have a glimpse of the life that you would be saved from and when you walk in His instruction, He gives you divinely outstanding results.

Which one of you is in a valley?

Worse still , is your valley filled with dry bones?

Don't worry, He who knew you from before you were conceived knows what He has deposited in you....

He knows that you only need to speak and life comes!

As you go out today, don't cry about your valleys or the dry bones in them.
As long as you were led of The Lord, He is there with the instructions needed to raise your great army.

He won't take you where He won't cover you!
You are not alone!!!!!!

By sis Bola

Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane 'Ended in the Southern Indian Ocean'

New satellite data reveals that missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 "ended" its journey in a "remote location" of the southern Indian Ocean, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said today.

"This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean," a somber Razak said during a media briefing.

The jet vanished March 8 with 289 people on board after it took off from Kuala Lampur bound for Beijing.

The announcement follows weeks of searches that spanned the South China Sea, Strait of Malacca and finally the south Indian Ocean off of Australia as authorities tried to figure out what happened to the plane.

The new information came from British satellite maker Inmarsat, which used a new type of analysis never before used to try and pinpoint the plane's last known location, Razak said.

"[Inmarsat] has been performing calculations on the data using type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort and they have been able to shed more light on MH370. Based on the new analysis, Inmarsat and the (British) Accidents Investigation Branch have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that it's last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth," Razak said.

He noted that Malaysia Airlines had already been in touch with the families of the 289 people on board, saying that he knew the past few weeks had been "heartbreaking" for them and that this latest development must be harder still.

Earlier today, an Australian plane spotted two objects described as gray or green and "circular" as well as orange and "rectangular" in the search area off Australia's coast.

Other search crews had spotted "suspicious objects" in the Indian Ocean over the weekend -- including items believed to be wooden pallets. The Malaysian government said that the missing Boeing 777-200 had been carrying wooden pallets, were not yet sure whether the pallets matched.

No wreckage has yet to be recovered.

Investigators are still trying to determine what happened to the plane after it took off around midnight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, headed for Beijing, China. It disappeared off the radar shortly after 1 a.m. but continued to fly, according to satellite data, for up to seven hours.

Malaysian authorities are considering the possibilities of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots.

Our prayers and thought from Adenike Salako Blog's World, goes to the Families and Friends, may Lord Comfort you all. RIP to the lost souls.

Culled from abcnews.go.com

YOU ARE PROTECTED

A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Psalm 91:7

These days, reading the newspapers and listening to the news can be very frightening.

Almost every news item seems designed to strike fear and terror into our hearts. This kind of fear creates panic.

Pretty soon, that kind of panic makes even reasonable people go crazy. We behave like Chicken Licken in the fairy tale: an acorn fell on his head.

He went round screaming to all who would listen, 'the sky is falling; some of it fell on my head'.

God promises us protection. His promise of protection does not keep us from hearing and seeing trouble around us.

His promise of protection keeps us even through the troubles and turbulence round about us.

God's presence goes with us along the paths of danger and uncertainty. He is our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal hope.

To live a happy life in this turbulent world, we must:

• Be constantly aware of God's presence. He is with us everywhere and never leaves us alone.

• Boldly claim God's protection. Know the promises of God concerning His protection and by faith, pray them into reality in your life.

• Bypass your fears. When fear knocks on your door, let faith answer. Even when you are terrified, make the effort to bypass the fear and allow the promises of God to rule your heart.

Prayer: In the name of Jesus, I claim God's promises of safety and protection for myself and family.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 91:1-16