Plenty of folks suffer from lack of rest, and the numbers seem to be rising in these challenging economic times. Insufficient sleep can impact every facet of your work and home life, not to mention the health problems it can create.

Forbes looked into ways you can eliminate some of the sideshows and get the kind of sleep you need to be at your best.

Here’s their list

Tune out anxiety

Stick to a schedule

Develop a ritual

Create the right environment

Get out of bed

Don’t tax the brain before bedtime

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Consider a sleeping disorder

Treat chronic diseases

To read about these potential insomnia-busters, head on over to Forbes.

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AARP The Magazine debuted a new interactive map listing the top-ranked hospitals in the U.S. by geographic area. This list was compiled by Consumers’ Checkbook, a nonprofit organization, and coincides with the release of the May/June issue of AARP The Magazine, which features new information and advice for consumers deciding whether or not to travel away from home for medical care.

Consumers’ Checkbook surveyed doctors from across the country and collected 140,000 ratings of hospitals in their own communities and also asked the doctors whether, and where, they would recommend patients seek care in other communities for extremely difficult cases of heart conditions, cancer, and other ailments. When asked where they were most likely to send patients with extremely difficult cases, doctors surveyed by Consumers’ Checkbook named the following hospitals:

Heart, General

• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, MA
• New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, New York, NY
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA
• Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, TX

Cancer, General

• The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• City of Hope, Duarte, CA
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC
• Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY

Mystery Diagnoses

• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Neurosurgery

• Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Eyes

• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL
• Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA
• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD

To see the interactive map of Consumers’ Checkbook’s top 125 hospitals, visit the AARP web site.

Taking care of your teeth now can prevent expensive dental procedures in the future. And while regular dental visits do play an important role in overall care, here are some at-home remedies from the Chicago Dental Society that will help your smile:

1. Drink plenty of water. Rinse with water in between meals, especially after drinking beverages such as soda, wine and coffee that stain teeth. Water also helps stabilize breath odors. Whenever possible, drink tap water, which has minerals that are stripped out of almost all bottled waters.

2. Eat a piece of cheese. At the end of the meal, a piece of cheese can help neutralize acids.

3. Chew sugar-free gum. Occasionally chewing gum increases saliva production, that can neutralize and wash away plaque acid, while also bathing the teeth in minerals such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride, which are known to strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent cavities.

4. Wait to brush after acidic drinks. If you consume a lot of acidic beverages, like orange juice and soda pop, wait to brush for at least 20 minutes to reduce the chance of enamel wear. Instead, swish your mouth with water or chew sugar-free gum to activate your saliva and rid your mouth of the acids that can damage your enamel.

5. Rinse with hydrogen peroxide. A small amount of hydrogen peroxide mixed with water makes an excellent anti-bacterial and whitening rinse after brushing. Don’t swallow!

6. Brush with baking soda. Plain baking soda is a gentle abrasive that can clean like toothpaste. Apply a small amount to your damp toothbrush, brush and rinse.

7. Use a straw. Drinking soda, coffee, and red wine through a straw can help minimize direct contact between your teeth and these staining liquids.

8. Soften your toothbrush. Sensitive teeth may find relief after softening toothbrushes bristles by rinsing them with hot water before you brush.

9. Avoid sugar and starches. Both sugar and carbohydrates feed the bacteria in your mouth that cause tooth decay. And sweet treats are not just the issue: a handful of crackers can have the same effect as a candy bar at feeding bacteria.

10. Brush and floss! Perhaps obvious, but dental disease starts with the residue from foods and beverages that you eat. Be sure to floss at least once a day, preferably before you brush your teeth. Brush at least twice a day and preferably after every meal.

Source: Chicago Dental Society

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Oprah’s favorite doc, Dr. Mehmet Oz, named these as the five things that age people most. Read full details of each at the ABC News site:

• High Blood Pressure
• Belly Fat
• Stress
• Smoking
• Eating Bad Food

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The second annual HealthSaver Caffeinated Cities Survey, commissioned by HealthSaver, a national emerging health care discount service, found that the most caffeinated city in the country is Tampa, followed by Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

The HealthSaver 2008 Caffeinated Cities Survey was conducted to determine the caffeine consumption habits and attitudes of consumers across the U.S., and to learn more about cultural views and health benefits of this morning pick-me-up, afternoon alert booster and late-night indulgence.

Most Caffeinated Cities

1. Tampa
2. Seattle
3. Chicago
4. New York
5. Los Angeles

Least Caffeinated Cities

1. Riverside/San Bernardino
2. Atlanta
3. San Diego
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
5. Dallas

Source: HealthSaver

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The site put together a group of 10 indulgences that actually have healthy qualities. Honest. For the complete stories on what makes these sometimes dubious, uh, treats, kind of okay, by all means go to listverse.com.

  1. Pornography
  2. Smoking
  3. Beer
  4. Cannabis
  5. Chocolate
  6. Red Wine
  7. Caffeine
  8. Stress
  9. Dirt
10. Ice Cream

How can these traditional no-nos be good for you? Check out Top 10 Things That Are Surprisingly Good for You.

Members of AAAS’ The Science Inside Alcohol Project are writing a book for middle school parents and developing an interactive Web-based science and health curriculum explaining how alcohol affects adolescents’ brains and bodies. Based on extensive research, the AAAS team suggests five steps parents can take to talk with their kids about alcohol.

1. Find Teachable Moments – We live in a culture of celebrity. If a celebrity your child admires admits to a drinking problem, or an instance of alcohol abuse occurs in your community, talk about it. Ask your middle school student if she knows anyone who drinks alcohol and whether it is at
parties or has been brought into her school. Answer questions. Have this conversation often.

2. Talk to Your Kids When Everything is Fine – Middle school students are volatile, hormonal beings. They are sweet and wonderful one moment, and blow up the next. Pick a time when things are quiet and they’re a captive audience such as in the backseat of your car. Don’t take no for an answer.

3. Engage Your Kids in the Science of Alcohol – Adolescents are incredibly self-involved. Alcohol can cause memory loss, impair sports performance, incite embarrassing behavior and affect how they feel and look. Make them aware of these facts. If there is a history of alcoholism in your family explain about genetic predispositions towards alcohol abuse.

4. Be Vigilant - There’s no alternative to monitoring your kids. Have an early curfew. Know where they are at all times. Even if you are not home on a weeknight, make sure you can reach your kids by phone. Get to know their new friends and their parents. Find out what their rules and level of engagement are.

5. Learn to Trust Your Child – Now’s the time when all the work you’ve put into creating a value system for your child begins to pay off. Set limits and enforce rules, but remember to give your child room to make his or her decisions, within your comfort zone. Praise them when they do well. It’s worth a thousand words.

The Science Inside Alcohol Project of AAAS is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Source: AAAS

If your children are playing sports, pay attention to these tips that could protect them from serious ankle injuries:

• Have old sprains checked by a doctor before the season starts. A medical check-up can reveal whether your child’s previously injured ankle might be vulnerable to sprains, and could possibly benefit from wearing a supportive ankle brace during competition.
• Buy the right shoe for the sport. Different sports require different shoe gear. Players shouldn’t mix baseball cleats with football shoes.
• Children should start the season with new shoes. Old shoes can wear down like a car tire and become uneven on the bottom, causing the ankle to tilt because the foot can’t lie flat.
• Check playing fields for dips, divots and holes. Most sports-related ankle sprains are caused by jumping and running on uneven surfaces. That’s why some surgeons recommend parents walk the field, especially when children compete in non-professional settings like public parks, for spots
  that could catch a player’s foot and throw them to the ground. Alert coaching officials to any irregularities.
• Encourage stretching and warm-up exercises. Calf stretches and light jogging before competition helps warm up ligaments and blood vessels, reducing the risk for ankle injuries.

For more information, visit the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ patient information web site.

Source: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Thomson Reuters released its annual study identifying hospitals that demonstrated the fastest, most consistent improvement in the nation over five consecutive years. Nine of the 100 leading hospitals are in Texas. Florida and New York are each home to eight, and Pennsylvania boasts seven. Kentucky and Tennessee each have six winning hospitals, and California and Michigan have five apiece.

The study rated hospitals on eight factors — patient mortality, medical complications, patient safety, length of stay, expenses, profitability, cash-to-debt ratio, and use of evidence-based medicine. Researchers evaluated 2,867 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals grouped into five categories: major teaching hospitals, other teaching hospitals, large community hospitals, medium-sized community hospitals, and small community hospitals.

Here are the winning hospitals, by category:

Major Teaching Hospitals

• University Medical Center – Tucson, AZ
• Christiana Care Health System – Wilmington, DE
• Shands at the University of Florida – Gainesville, FL
• University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics – Iowa City, IA
• Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center – Boston, MA
• Baystate Medical Center – Springfield, MA
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Boston, MA
• Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit, MI
• The Mount Sinai Medical Center – New York, NY
• New York Hospital Queens – Flushing, NY
• Westchester Medical Center – Valhalla, NY
• Duke University Hospital – Durham, NC
• Allegheny General Hospital – Pittsburgh, PA
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Nashville, TN
• Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center – Houston, TX

Teaching Hospitals

• St. Bernards Medical Center – Jonesboro, AR
• St. Anthony Central Hospital – Denver, CO
• Florida Hospital – Orlando, FL
• Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare – Tallahassee, FL
• OSF Saint Francis Medical Center – Peoria, IL
• Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center-South Bend – South Bend, IN
• Via Christi Regional Medical Center – Wichita, KS
• Bronson Methodist Hospital – Kalamazoo, MI
• St. Joseph Mercy Oakland – Pontiac, MI
• McLaren Regional Medical Center – Flint, MI
• St. Cloud Hospital – St. Cloud, MN
• Valley Hospital Medical Center – Las Vegas, NV
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center – Livingston, NJ
• Altru Hospital – Grand Forks, ND
• Providence St. Vincent Medical Center – Portland, OR
• Saint Vincent Health Center – Erie, PA
• Heritage Valley Beaver – Beaver, PA
• PinnacleHealth – Harrisburg, PA
• Robert Packer Hospital – Sayre, PA
• Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis – Memphis, TN
• CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – Corpus Christi, TX
• Methodist Dallas Medical Center – Dallas, TX
• Medical Center Hospital – Odessa, TX
• Corpus Christi Medical Center – Corpus Christi, TX
• Meriter Hospital – Madison, WI

Large Community Hospitals

• Jackson Hospital – Montgomery, AL
• Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Oakland, CA
• St. Bernardine Medical Center – San Bernardino, CA
• Saddleback Memorial Medical Center – Laguna Hills, CA
• NCH Downtown Naples Hospital – Naples, FL
• Flagler Hospital – St. Augustine, FL
• Boca Raton Community Hospital – Boca Raton, FL
• Rockford Memorial Hospital – Rockford, IL
• Hardin Memorial Hospital – Elizabethtown, KY
• Western Baptist Hospital – Paducah, KY
• Shady Grove Adventist Hospital – Rockville, MD
• Allegiance Health – Jackson, MI
• Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare – New Hartford, NY
• Orange Regional Medical Center – Goshen, NY
• Rex Healthcare – Raleigh, NC
• Genesis HealthCare System – Zanesville, OH
• Saint Thomas Hospital – Nashville, TN
• Citizens Medical Center – Victoria, TX
• CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System – Texarkana, TX
• Providence Everett Medical Center – Everett, WA

Medium Community Hospitals

• Brooksville Regional Hospital – Brooksville, FL
• Oconee Regional Medical Center – Milledgeville, GA
• Adventist GlenOaks Hospital – Glendale Heights, IL
• Mary Greeley Medical Center – Ames, IA
• Murray-Calloway County Hospital – Murray, KY
• Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center – Danville, KY
• Saint Joseph East – Lexington, KY
• Grenada Lake Medical Center – Grenada, MS
• Bolivar Medical Center – Cleveland, MS
• San Juan Regional Medical Center – Farmington, NM
• Olean General Hospital – Olean, NY
• St. James Mercy Hospital – Hornell, NY
• Rutherford Hospital, Inc. – Rutherfordton, NC
• Medcenter One Hospital – Bismarck, ND
• Pocono Medical Center – East Stroudsburg, PA
• Cookeville Regional Medical Center – Cookeville, TN
• Paris Regional Medical Center – Paris, TX
• Carilion New River Valley Medical Center – Christiansburg, VA
• Aurora West Allis Medical Center – West Allis, WI
• Aurora BayCare Medical Center – Green Bay, WI

Small Community Hospitals

• St. Elizabeth Community Hospital – Red Bluff, CA
• Doctors Hospital of Manteca – Manteca, CA
• Jackson County Hospital District – Marianna, FL
• The King’s Daughters’ Hospital & Health Services – Madison, IN
• St. Joseph Regional Medical Center-Plymouth – Plymouth, IN
• Newton Medical Center – Newton, KS
• Mercy Regional Health Center – Manhattan, KS
• Baptist Hospital Northeast – LaGrange, KY
• Falmouth Hospital – Falmouth, MA
• Trace Regional Hospital – Houston, MS
• Hannibal Regional Hospital – Hannibal, MO
• Northern Montana Hospital – Havre, MT
• Corning Hospital – Corning, NY
• INTEGRIS Baptist Regional Health Center – Miami, OK
• Gettysburg Hospital – Gettysburg, PA
• St. Mary’s Healthcare Center – Pierre, SD
• St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County – LaFollette, TN
• Baptist Hospital of Cocke County – Newport, TN
• Ennis Regional Medical Center – Ennis, TX
• Aurora Medical Center – Two Rivers, WI

For more information, go to Thomson Reuters.

Source: Thomson Reuters

• Changes in urination
• Swelling of face, hands, and/or feet
• Feeling more tired than usual
• Nausea/vomiting
• Headache, feeling dizzy
• Having trouble thinking clearly
• Severe itching not related to a bite or rash
• Shortness of breath, or feeling that you can’t catch your breath
• Loss of appetite, or change in the way foods taste
• High blood pressure

Kidney Disease Awareness and Education Week is sponsored annually by the American Nephrology Nurses’ Association (ANNA) as a way to educate policy makers about the needs of patients suffering from, or at risk for, end stage renal disease.

Learn more about general kidney health or find a TOP session near you here.

More information about Kidney Disease and Awareness Education Week is available on ANNA’s Web site.

Source: Business Wire