Heat Safety

The warm weather times can make for a number of different issues. For many people, these are times of wearing shorts and sandals, cooling off in pools, and things like that. This blog post pertains to various warm weather considerations to take into account. I am hopeful this blog post is as useful to you as any of my others here on "John's Life Space."

NOTE: This is not a professional post regarding hot weather safety. Instead, it is more a general digest. Consult more proper organizations for more professional tips regarding heat safety.

About the Label: "Health and Fitness"

This blog post features insight on general health and fitness. These are posts more concerned with either general health, or they may include certain insights on exercise and fitness.

---

Heat Safety

---

I am only featuring this image to help identify this blog post. Still, let's go to work...


^ from: (Protective Insurance) - This blog post is all about staying safe in times of warm/hot weather.

As a native of Houston, Texas, USA; times can be unbearably hot here in Texas. Most places in the American south and southeast are usually quite hot during late Spring to even late Summer. It is therefore imperative to understand the dangers of dealing with heat.

There are resources for heat safety later in this blog post. For now, take a look at the following talking points in regards to heat safety.

Heat Safety: Clothing.

Some of the most basic things to consider when dealing with heat is to dress appropriately. During warm weather times or hot days, the standard is to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Short bottoms or short one-piece outfits are the norm. Footwear such as sandals can provide open-air comfort as you go about your life.

It helps to wear either a cap or a hat to keep your head cool. If you are going to be outdoors where you will be in the sun a lot (such as at the beach or in certain sports stadiums that do not have any kind of covering), you may want to get a big straw hat to shield your head and the back of your neck.

To protect your eyes from the brightness of the sun, be sure to wear some sunglasses or have sunglass clips if you wear regular glasses. Not all sunglasses are created equal. Be sure to look for proper sunglasses that offer optimal protection for your eyes.

It also helps to cover yourself with sunscreen lotion to protect your skin from damaging sun rays. Look for sunscreen that offers the most protection with SPF. One case you want to avoid is getting sunburn. At the most extreme cases, you could develop skin cancer due to excessive heat leaving your skin unprotected from harmful UV rays.

Heat Safety: Hydration.

It is important you stay hydrated on very warm or hot days. You could suffer from dehydration if you don't drink enough fluids. It is recommended you drink water or even sports drinks. The rate of dehydration may be accelerated if you drink things such as soft drinks or any sort of alcoholic beverages. So while caffeinated drinks and alcohol can be a good way to prevent thirst, they may do more harm than good when dealing with warm or hot weather.

NOTE: In regards to alcohol, PLEASE do not consume alcohol if you are not of legal age to drink alcoholic beverages.

Heat Safety: Vehicles.

One of the most dangerous things in regards to heat is dealing with the heat in vehicles. Commonly, you hear of hot car deaths involving babies and children left in vehicles dying of heat exhaustion. The temperature inside of a vehicle can be much greater than the ambient air temperature outside. Hot car deaths can be easily prevented. If you feel you are in a place where you are in for a while, be sure to head back to your vehicle and check on your child(ren). Or if you are in a place where it is okay for you to have your child(ren) come along, then bring your child(ren) with you to get out of the heat. Make sure children are properly hydrated and well equipped to take on hot days.

Heat Safety: Activities.

People who must work out in the heat need to take special precautions to stay safe. I especially think of firefighters and even construction workers as an example of those who have to be out in the heat working. If you involved in an occupation that involves exposing yourself to outdoor heat, you will need to take breaks often and rehydrate yourself to avoid dehydration.

Those who play sports or exercise out in the heat also have to take measures to avoid heat exhaustion. Another issue in warm weather can involve players getting cramps from the heat. Make sure to have water or sports drinks at the ready while playing. Be sure to take breaks to keep your body refreshed. I remember hearing about one game in Major League Soccer where it was so hot that the game had scheduled breaks to keep the soccer players hydrated. If you are a parent or relative of youth athletes, be sure to take measures to ensure your child or children are okay when playing sports out in hot weather.

Heat Safety: Pets.

Look after your pets during hot days. They can suffer as much as humans do under hot conditions. Some animals do have their own routines to deal with hot weather, but you should do your part to help keep your pets healthy and hydrated in hot weather.


Final thoughts coming up.

---

Heat Safety: Final Thoughts

---

Dealing with heat can be dangerous. So make sure you take care of yourself and others when dealing with intense heat. Please do your part to try to take care of yourself and others. The best things you can do are to stay hydrated and also take breaks if needed. I find it most important to stay hydrated. Do not forget to also take care of your children and pets in warm/hot weather. They suffer as much in these times as you do. We can not change the weather, but we can surely adapt to remain safe and healthy.

Heat Safety Resources.

I love that people are using my "Helpful Resources" page for online resources regarding various life and health issues. I may add these to my "Helpful Resources" also. Take a look at these for online resources regarding heat safety:

• Extreme Heat | Ready.gov
• Heat Safety Tips and Resources
• Heat Wave Safety | Heat Exhaustion Safety | Red Cross
• Safety and Health Topics | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Extreme Heat | Natural Disasters and Severe Weather | CDC
• Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun | FDA
• Sunscreen FAQs | American Academy of Dermatology

I might add this section (or something similar) to my "Helpful Resources." Use these for now in regards to heat safety.





"John's Live Space" is all about life issues as well as health concerns. I hope you are able to find this blog post to be useful, as well as for my life issues blog in general. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns	Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp	Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube	Instagram	Google+	LinkedIn (professionals only)

Questions or Comments? Contact Me (serious inquiries only)...
Contact Me via E-Mail

read more...

Sleep

Continually working hard is great, but we all need to rest at some point. How much sleep from naps and proper sleep is also important. Getting rest will help us to stay strong and return refreshed. So this post is on sleep. My only request... don't fall asleep on me trying to gain advice!

---

Sleep

---

Before discussing sleep, here is a picture to set the mood:


^ from: www.helpguide.org (best I could find) - Work hard every day, but you still need sleep and rest.

As important as being active is, we all need to rest to reserve our energy and be ready to take on challenges again with refreshed energy. Sleep make this happen. Anything from a simple nap to getting quality sleep will help make our bodies and our minds become refreshed to take on any number of tasks again. We need these moments to regain our energy so that we do not suffer any real health issues later. The last thing you would want is to keep overworking yourself to unhealthy levels.

In addition to trying to regain energy, sleep can also help you if you are sick or hurt. We sometimes need sleep just to recover from sickness or any sort of injury. Let us talk a bit about the finer points of sleep:

Naps.

A simple nap offers up gaining rest for a mostly short amount of time before getting back into the thick of things. Most naps usually are between about 30 minutes to maybe an hour. Be careful if a regular nap ends up feeling like a proper time of sleep! You don't want any unexpected power nap. Speaking of which...

Proper Sleep.

I am labeling "proper sleep" as when you go to bed for hours on end for when you take on the day/night again. In other words, an example of proper sleep is going to bed at night so you can get ready for work or school the next morning. It is usually recommended getting at least five or more hours of sleep.


These are just a few things to consider in regards to sleep. Now for some more things to consider...

---

Sleep Barriers

---

There is nothing wrong with getting sleep. However, there are some who may misconstrue getting sleep with being lazy. There is a huge difference between the two. Being lazy simply implies getting more rest and doing next to nothing rather than make something happen. Getting some kind of sleep is needed to stay active and be refreshed afterwards. Getting that sleep can come at a few costs, and that is where this section on sleep comes in.

Distractions.

Getting the rest you need can come at the price of distractions, which can be quite common. Anything from phone calls, loud noise, bad weather, and things of that nature can hinder getting sufficient sleep. Children and others you may live with can also be distractions in trying to get the needed sleep. So if you can, try to limit distractions as much as you can.

Sleep Posture.

Some people don't get the needed sleep because of some poor posture while sleeping. Some sleep on their back, some on their sides, and some others even sleep on their front. A proper way to sleep can depend on your posture, and knowing what works best for you can help in getting the adequate amount of sleep necessary. If you have certain health problems, you are going to change your sleep posture to suit whatever issue(s) you are facing. For example, a pregnant woman may have to consider sleeping in certain positions to stay healthy while also making sure not to suffer having some sort of failed pregnancy.

Having the Right Sleeping Conditions.

Perhaps what hinders you from getting the needed sleep can be with having the proper conditions or items for sleep. Some people may need certain things like having a room at the certain temperature to sleep better. Some people may even need to have a decent mattress set for which to sleep better. These things affect getting real sleep more than most casual naps, but it is important to get sleep any way you can wherever you may be.

Certain Health Conditions.

Some sleep conditions, such as sleep apnea, can limit getting proper sleep. You may want to consult with a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping due to certain health ailments. As unpleasant as it sounds, snoring can be a hindering element of trying to get the most sleep possible. Such loud noises trying to sleep can be rather hurtful. Snoring can be unhealthy. Mental health matters like depression can also deter your ability to sleep properly. Any sort of health issues you may have regarding trying to get proper sleep will need to be addressed properly so you can get the proper sleep you need.


And one last sleep barrier...

Knowing When to Sleep.

You don't want to fall asleep when you are trying to accomplish something. Some people often feign sleep because they want to keep trying at something or still have something fresh in their minds. If there is a task that needs to be complete, you want to stay awake for as long as you can. Certain things may or may not be too important to want to stay awake. Like for example, playing certain video/computer games or watching certain media. You also want to avoid falling asleep from being overly weak while working or operating a vehicle. Just make sure to know what is worth staying awake for so you don't end up mentally and physically paying the price later on.


Consider these and other factors in regards to sleep.

---

Sleep: Final Thoughts

---

Get some sleep. Get the right amount of sleep. Know when to get rest. Sleep is as important as trying to go through life as best as you can. Get the needed rest for when you truly have to get yourself rest. Don't overlook this by any stretch.


Depending on interest from others, I may add sleeping resources that might help you in any future edits. For now, though, I hope you found this post useful.





I hope you have yourself a great day/night. Thanks for visiting! "John's Life Space" is all about various life issues and some insight on health. I am doing all I can to enhance this blog and its material. Please appreciate my efforts. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

Subscribe to My Blog(s), and/or Follow on Bloglovin!
Subscribe to John's Blog Space (JBS)	Subscribe to John's Creative Space (JCS)	Subscribe to John's Race Space (JRS)	Subscribe to StyleSpace (SS)	Subscribe to John's Life Space (JLS)

Support My Creative Works!
JMDesigns	Patreon	Soundcloud	Bandcamp	Twitch	OpenGameArt	TurboSquid

Get Social With Me!
Facebook (Friends)	Facebook (Fans)	Twitter	YouTube	Instagram	Google+	LinkedIn (professionals only)

Questions or Comments? Contact Me (serious inquiries only)...
Contact Me via E-Mail

read more...