Most OTC supplements are a mixture of herbs

A browse along your pharmacy shelf will reveal a plethora of sleep supplements available to buy without a prescription. The labels boast a variety of specific benefits including “beauty sleep” “deep sleep” “fall asleep” “sleep recovery”. However if you read the ingredients labels, most of these preparations contain a mixture of similar herbs.

Common herbal preparations in sleep supplements include: valerian, kava, wuling, hops, chamomile, passionflower and St. John’s wort.

Most claims are not backed up by science

Very few scientific studies have examined the effectiveness of these herbal ingredients. The studies that have been done focus on a specific herb rather than the combination you will find in a supplement. Overall, the evidence that herbal supplements will actually help you sleep is “low” (stronger ratings would be “moderate” or “high”). There is, however, some promising research that three herbs may help reduce anxiety: kava, passionflower and chamomile. Anxiety often contributes to poor sleep so these may be of some benefit.

Magnesium supplements

In the last year, there has been an explosion in the availability of supplements containing magnesium for sleep. Although magnesium is crucial for muscle and nerve function, the studies report only a minimal impact, if any, on sleep. A healthy balanced diet will provide you with the recommended amount of magnesium and adding more is unlikely to be helpful. If your diet is lacking vegetables and wholegrains then perhaps a magnesium supplement would be beneficial. Remember it is always better to obtain vitamins and minerals from food rather than a tablet.

Melatonin

Melatonin is not a herbal preparation. It is a natural hormone produced by the brain that signals it is time to go to sleep. Levels of melatonin increase at night, hence it is often referred to as the hormone of darkness. Melatonin is useful for treating jet lag and specific sleep syndromes.

Depending on your country, melatonin may be able to be purchased over the counter as a supplement rather than as a pharmaceutical drug. These supplements are available without a prescription, but they contain such a small amount of melatonin they are very unlikely to help you sleep. It is important to understand that the over the counter preparations are not considered “drugs” and are therefore not subject to the same rigorous testing for quality and effectiveness that prescription medications undergo.

In some countries, melatonin tablets are available by prescriptions to treat certain sleep disorders and depending on your location, may be available for people aged over 55 without a prescription. You should discuss with your pharmacist and doctor if melatonin is likely to help you as for many individuals it will not be effective. Focusing on lifestyle changes can often have a more significant impact on your sleep.

Can sleep supplements be harmful?

Herbal supplements are not tested for safety. There have been reports of serious liver disease from the use of kava while hops are known to cause skin rashes and changes to the menstrual cycle. High doses of magnesium are likely to cause gut side effects and may be dangerous. You should always be cautious with any over the counter product – we often mistakenly think they are safer because they are natural or herbal. They can also interfere with any other medications you may be taking, so be sure to ask your GP before starting to take a supplement.

Understand the real reason you cannot sleep

The first step to improving your sleep is to complete a sleep diary. These are freely available on the internet. Complete the diary for one week. You will observe connections between things you do during the day and the quality of your sleep. For example, it took you a long time to fall asleep when you spent several hours scrolling on your phone in bed; or you had a good sleep on the night you did yoga after work. Noticing will allow you to make specific changes to your daily routine.

Fish is an excellent source of healthy fat and protein and is considered an essential part of a healthy diet. However most adults are not eating the recommended amount. Tinned fish is extremely nutritious, has a long shelf life and is much cheaper than buying fresh fish. A great addition to your weekly shop!

We can obtain many types of fat from food, but most adults consume too much red meat which contains unhealthy saturated fat and not enough fish which contains healthy unsaturated fat. A specific type of unsaturated fat that we must obtain from our diet is called Omega 3 fat. Omega 3 fats are needed to build the cell membranes, produce hormones and are very important for their anti-inflammatory properties – reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Oily fish are the best source of Omega 3. Tinned salmon, mackerel and sardines (and to a lesser extent tuna) are rich sources of this essential fat.

A recommended serve of fish is 100g -  which is the size of most small cans on the supermarket shelves. This makes a serving of fish a very budget friendly option.

The healthiest tinned fish are those with the fewest ingredients on the label.

Traditionally obesity has been defined as a BMI of more than 30. However, this does not take into account whether an individual has fat distribution around their belly (high risk of heart disease) or around their hips (lower risk). Nor does it assess the impact that weight is having on an individual – do they have joint pain? Are they breathless? Do they have heart failure?

In most places, you have specific rights and protections when it comes to workplace bullying under local work health and safety laws. These will usually include such rights as:

• The right to a safe work environment

This does not just mean physical safety, it also means you have a right to a workplace free of bullying.

• The right to make a complaint

If you are being bullied, you can report it to your manager, human resources or a health and safety representative.

• The right to confidentiality

Your privacy should be respected, and no one should be told that you have made a complaint

• Protection from retaliation

Your complaint must be handled fairly, and you cannot be targeted unjustly for speaking up.

• The right to seek outside help

You can seek help from a union representative, lawyer or workplace advocate. The work health and safety regulator in your area will also be a good source of information and support.

• Compensation and legal support

You may be able to seek compensation if the bullying causes psychological or physical injury through a workers’ compensation scheme.

It can feel scary to speak up, but it is important to get help so you can feel safe and comfortable at work.

If you feel you are the target of a workplace bully, there are some steps you can take:

1. Gather evidence.

2. Speak up. Lodge a formal complaint.

3. Seek external support: If the issue is not resolved, go to the relevant work health and safety regulator.

Some people burp 10-20 times a day and usually there is nothing to worry about provided your burps are just burps – no discomfort, no reflux, no bloating or other symptoms (and you are not embarrassed by your burps).

Every day our body produces 25 litres of gas in the intestine. Thankfully most of this is re-absorbed and only about one to two litres is expelled from the body by either burping or flatulence. Burping is how our body gets rid of excessive gas from the stomach. Gas further down the intestine will be released as flatulence.

Most of the time our burps are caused by simply swallowing too much air while we are eating or drinking. Certain foods or food intolerances may result in burping and occasionally a medical condition requiring investigation and treatment is the cause of burping.

Swallowing too much air

It is normal to swallow some air when we eat and drink, however when we eat quickly and drink large volumes of liquid, this increases the amount of air that we swallow. Excessive air in the stomach causes it to stretch and burping is the easiest way to get rid of the excess air. Other causes of excessive air in the stomach include chewing gum, sucking on hard lollies, talking while eating and smoking.

Foods that cause too much gas

Certain foods are known to cause excessive gas in the stomach because they produce gas during the digestive process. Cabbage, onions, broccoli, cauliflower and lentils are often the culprits.

Food intolerances are another reason for excessive burping. If your body has trouble digesting foods, you may get an increase in gas. Common examples are lactose intolerance or gluten intolerance. If you suspect your burping is linked to certain foods, keep a food diary and then discuss your symptoms with your doctor or a dietitian before eliminating foods.

Medical conditions that cause burping

While most of the time our burping is harmless, there are several medical conditions to look out for. Refluxing food from the stomach back up into the oesophagus is a common cause of burping. Other conditions include a hiatus hernia – when part of the stomach has moved up into the chest cavity. Stomach ulcers and bacterial infections of gut can also be the underlying cause of your burping.

When to see your doctor

If you are worried or embarrassed by your burping, have a talk with your GP. Symptoms that should be investigated include: abdominal or chest discomfort, nausea, bloating, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, difficulty swallowing or feeling overly full after eating.

Is 75 Hard healthy?

On paper it may seem like a positive lifestyle change, but some experts think it could go too far. Lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, Mark Travers, says that “the rigid nature of 75 Hard makes it unsustainable for many.” Travers believes that the inflexibility of the challenge makes it harder for people with demanding jobs, caregiving responsibilities or health conditions to follow such an extreme regimen.

Although it is well accepted that rest days are a necessary part of physical health, the inflexible nature of the challenge makes these rest days obsolete. Even when you fall sick or have more important commitments, the challenge insists you complete all tasks or you start again. According to Travers, this can “heighten feelings of guilt or inadequacy when participants slip up, potentially reinforcing negative cycles”.

Are there any risks?

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of this challenge is the requirement to drink 3.8 litres of water each day. For many people this amount of water is dangerous and could lead to very low sodium levels causing nausea, drowsiness and seizures.

In addition, it is important to note that the challenge creator has no medical, nutrition of fitness credentials. He is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and coach who emphasises that 75 Hard program is actually about mental toughness, not fitness. Programs like 75 Hard should not be treated as expert advice. Rather, it is best to use them as motivation, and treat any hard “rules” with caution.

A more realistic challenge: 75 Soft

75 Soft, also a challenge made on TikTok, is an adapted version of the 75 Hard challenge, aimed at ensuring sustainability and a realistic set of goals. In this challenge, you have to eat well, only drink on social occasions, exercise for 45 minutes a day (with one day a week for recovery), drink three litres of water a day and read ten pages of any book a day.

Although it probably would not push you as hard as its original challenge, 75 Soft can be great for those who cannot fit the rigorous exercise and constant dieting into their routine.

Tommy Hattoo, a wellbeing campaigner who has completed both of the challenges, said that both were great but that “if he wants something more sustainable and realistic” he would choose the 75 Soft challenge.

How can I train my peripheral vision?

You may feel that the increased screen time of the 21^st century has made you lose touch with your peripheral vision. But there are exercises which help enhance visual acuity, broaden our peripheral vision field and reduce the risk of tunnel vision:

Tracking practice: This is an easy and accessible eye exercise which involves focusing on a central point, such as a stationary object. Then, while maintaining eye contact with this object and – keeping your head still, try to identify all the different objects in your peripheral vision.

Ball and wall drill: Stand about a metre away from a wall and focus your vision on a fixed point just above eye level. Now, throw a tennis ball with one hand against the wall, using your other hand to catch it. Make sure your eyes stay fixed on one point.

Just as we train our other muscles, you may find that consistently training the muscles around your eyes with these exercises will help you enhance your awareness and peripheral vision.

“This does not interfere with the body’s ability to absorb water and stay hydrated,” said Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Actually, sparkling water may have an advantage. If you prefer it over plain, then you are more likely to drink more and be better hydrated than if you drink less. But choose ones without added sugar, advises Derocha.