Trends in health

Mega-trends

Stressful lifestyle

With the arrival of new technologies, we are capable of many more things as a society. But it is a reality that they have added a great stress factor in our lifestyle.

Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body.

The positive part is that we now understand much more about effective strategies for reducing stress responses. Such beneficial strategies include getting and adequate amount of sleep each night.

Strees can also lead to postural problems. When you get stressed, the body tenses. The tighter and more inflexible the body becomes, the more difficult it is to regain a relaxed posture. 

Read more

https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress/

Mobile phone bad posture

Lasts researches show that in 2020 70% of world population, around 5.500 million people, are smartphones users.

With the growing use of smartphones, concerns have also increased about musculoskeletal problems associated with the prolonged use of smartphones. Prolonged smart phone usage causes faulty posture such as forward neck posture, slouched posture, or rounded shoulders.

BBC researches show that 70% of population confirm that at some moment they have suffered neck pain.

When all these problems get to a chronic state, they start affecting people daily life in basic actions like walking or sleeping.

Read more

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4756000/
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-50518706

Macro-trends

Technology at bedtime

Smartphones, tablets, computers and other electronic gadgets have become such a huge part of our daily lives that it’s often hard to put them down, even at bedtime. Keeping your phone on your nightstand may not seem like a big deal, but technology affects your sleep in many ways.

The blue light emitted by screens on cell phones, computers, tablets, and televisions restrain the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep/wake cycle or circadian rhythm. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall and stay asleep.

Furthermore, sending emails or watching a movie before bed keeps the mind engaged, technology can trick your brain into thinking that it needs to stay awake.

Read more

https://www.sleep.org/articles/ways-technology-affects-sleep/

Micro-trends

Extra cushion between legs

People is starting to realize the importance of getting a good sleep and correcting their sleeping posture. From this need appears the usage of an extra cushion between the legs.

This new trend consists in adopting a side position while sleeping, bringing the legs together causing the lower back to twist and not letting the spine get total rectitude. To solve this problem, using a third cushion between the legs at knee height readjusts the hips avoiding the rotation.

At first glance it is a simple gesture that has no apparent importance, but it really is one of the best ways to eliminate tensions of the lower back while sleeping.

Read more

https://www.vitonica.com/lesiones/colocar-un-cojin-entre-las-piernas-al-dormir-para-proteger-la-espalda

Left-side sleeping

New studies show that left-side sleeping has greater health benefits than other postures.

Our body is asymmetrical internally. Because of that, how we rest influence waste process.

Some of the benits are: left-side sleeping, help digestion, reduce heartburn, boost brain health, reduce apnea, among others.

Read more

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/sleep-effects-digestion#side-sleeping
https://food.ndtv.com/health/this-is-why-sleeping-on-your-left-side-is-important-for-your-health-1664970