January 2nd, 2013Top Story How to Need Less Sleep by Getting Better Sleep Every Night By Alan Henry Many of us struggle to get enough sleep every night, but is the sleep we get any good? While it's important to get enough sleep, better sleep is a greater ally than more hours of sleep. We sat down with a sleep expert and a stack of studies to help you get a better night's sleep and need less in the process. Here's how. Most of Us Have a Hard Time Getting Enough Sleep in the First Place Let's make sure we're on the same page from the start: You need sleep, and odds are, you may not be getting enough as it is. This guide will help you improve the quality of your sleep, so you can survive on less, but it'll be useless if you don't know how much sleep is right for you to begin with. The truth is, each of us needs a different amount of sleep to be productive, and the whole "8 hours" thing is more of a guideline than a rule. In fact, some research suggests that sleeping too much can actually be harmful to your health. Photo by Toshiyuki IMAI. We've discussed how to get on a good sleep schedule and ditch a dysfunctional relationship with sleeping, so if you're having trouble sleeping, make sure to follow that guide first. Our goal in this post is to walk you through improving the sleep that you get to the point where you can fine tune and dial back the amount that you get to match what you really need. You'll spend less time tossing and turning, and more time getting truly restful sleep. Why Better Sleep is More Important than More Sleep We frequently hear about the dangers of too little sleep, but there's also research to suggest too much sleep is a problem too. One study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research concluded that quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleep when it comes to feeling rested and rejuvenated. So where does that leave us? First, start tracking your sleep, and find your perfect bedtime. There are great apps that can help. Eight hours of sleep is worthless if you spend all of it tossing and turning, or you only sleep for about 3-4 hours of it. Trying to fix poor sleep habits by going to bed earlier is like trying to lose weight by spending more time at the gym without actually changing the duration of your workout. Once you've learned to optimize your time, you'll see better results. The Keys to Better, Quality Sleep Optimizing your sleep depends heavily on three things: preparation (building good sleep habits), environment (tweaking your surroundings for optimal sleep), and timing (getting the sleep you need when you need it). We sat down with Dr. Nitun Verma, MD, a Stanford University trained specialist in sleep medicine and Medical Director of the Washington Township Center for Sleep Disorders in Freemont, to come up with some tips to help you improve the quality of your sleep so you'll need less in the long-term. Photo by Joi Ito. Preparation The first step is to build the habits that will help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and be more comfortable while you rest. For example: Exercise regularly. The goal here isn't to wear yourself out, but The National Sleep Foundation has said exercise in the afternoon can improve sleep in the evening. Specifically, morning or afternoon exercise helps you fall asleep faster with less trouble. Just be sure not to exercise right before bed, as that had the opposite effect. Set a kinder, gentler alarm. Ditch your incredibly loud, annoying alarm clock and try something new that will make waking up easier and more natural. Grab an alarm clock app that will wake you to music or soothing sounds, or try a wake-up light that slowly rises the light level in the room as you approach your wake-up time. Ditch the alcohol, cut out the caffeine, and watch the cigarettes. This one study, published in 1994, approached all three topics, and concluded that alcohol can be relaxing and help you get to sleep, but it's damaging to the sleep cycle once you're out. The end result is a choppy, restless night where you wake more frequently than you would. Caffeine has a different effect. It lengthens the 2nd phase of your sleep cycle (where your brain starts reorganizing itself and processing the day)—which is great for naps, but not for a night of deep sleep. Caffeine shortens phases three and four, where REM sleep and dreaming occur. Cigarettes on the other hand, or specifically nicotine, can be relaxing in small doses, but too much keeps you awake and prevents the onset of sleep entirely. Cut back on screen time. We've mentioned it before, but study after study all point to the notion that electronic devices harm our sleep cycles. Dr. Verma suggested turning off your gadgets at least 1-2 hours before bedtime, even those e-ink devices. Two hours is best, but admittedly impractical for many people. "The screens on tablets/phones/tv's are so bright, that they can confuse the brain's suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN," he explains. "Bright light too late at night can confuse the brain into thinking it is 2pm when it is 2am. Even if sleep occurs, it will not be as deep, and therefore less restorative." Photo by Dreaming Poet (Shutterstock). Meditate before bed. We've shared one sleep-oriented meditation method designed to help you fall asleep, but there are many others. Try visualizing a dream you'd like to have, or if you've woken up in the middle of the night, relax, focus on sleeping, and try to visualize where your dream left off. Improve your evening ritual. Your evening ritual is important, and if you're not working in everything from a snack (you don't want to go to bed hungry, you'll wake up or sleep restlessly) to going to the bathroom (waking frequently to go to the bathroom can lead to shallow sleep all night and throw off your sleep cycle), you may suffer for it. Start a healthy "sleep routine" of winding down that starts long before your head hits the pillow. Environment Before you lay down to sleep, you should also make sure your environment is conducive to a good night's rest: Make sure your bed is actually comfortable. We've said this several times before, but put your money where your time goes. Since most of us will spend an average of 24 years of our lives asleep, your bed deserves serious investment. Buy the right mattress, pick some good pillows, and pick up some good sheets. Don't underestimate the power of a more comfortable comforter, a pillowtop over your old mattress, or even a cooling pillow. Your bed is important, and you should make sure it improves your sleep, not hinder it. Photo by Alliance. Adjust the temperature. Some studies have shown that optimal sleeping temperature for most adults is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Too much warmer than that and you start having difficulty with insomnia. Again, studies say one thing, but find your sweet spot—sometimes a cool room and a hot water bottle in bed, or maybe a fan going over your body is all you need to feel just right. Filter out the light. LEDs and standby lights from electronics can cause just as much havoc with your sleep cycle as a glowing phone or tablet screen. We've already banished your electronic devices—or at least turned them off, but make sure to cover up that pulsating light on your laptop while it's charging too. Cover up those lights on your cable box, TV, or any other devices in standby near your bed while you're at it. There are products for this, but even some tape will do. If you live somewhere lit at all hours like I do, invest in a sleeping mask. Whether you shell out for the expensive adjustable kind that mold to your face and have cushions or just grab a dollar-store mask that's essentially cloth with an elastic band, it'll work wonders for your sleep. Plus, if you work off-hours and have to sleep through sunrise or during the day, it'll help you get better rest. Cut out the distractions. Kids waking you up? You may not be able to do much about that, but if your phone is waking you up, buzzing with notifications or new emails, it's time to turn it off, set some quiet hours, improve your notifications so they help you sleep, or just set it to silent when you go to bed. If your neighborhood is noisy and that keeps you from sleeping, try a white noise generator or some soothing music to drown it out and help you rest. Photo by maxriesgo (Shutterstock). Timing You already know that how long you sleep is important, but for the best possible sleep, you really should go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. The debate rages over the concept of "sleep debt" and whether it can be "paid off" by sleeping in, and different experts say different things about it. Dr. Verma suggests an alternative: "An often overlooked way for people to optimize their sleep is to wake at the same time every day, or at least within the same hour. So rather than oversleep on off days, waking at the same time and then taking a nap allows the extra sleep without disrupting the normal wake/sleep schedule." He continues, "Many of my patients have such a different weekday/weekend wake schedule that they are experiencing the same sleepiness that people who are jet-lagged. Even two hours difference hurts, especially if they are already sleep deprived." If that's the case, and you still don't want to adjust your sleep schedule, maybe our tips on beating jet lag can help. Get Help From the Experts Finally, if you're having trouble getting quality sleep, or even if you sleep for long periods and don't feel rested, it may be time to talk to your doctor. There could be any number of medical issues causing your sleep problems, all of them treatable. You may be suffering from chronic insomnia, which is treatable with mild sedatives. You could also be suffering from sleep apnea, or some other undiagnosed condition that, once treated, can turn the hours you get into the most restful you've ever had. Ultimately, the only way to know for sure is to check with your doctor, and possibly submit to a sleep test that'll settle the issue once and for all. Photo by Eric Schmuttenmaer. Once you have your sleep issues sorted out, whether by the professionals or through our tips above, you can start to fine tune the amount of sleep you actually get to make sure you only take away as much as you actually need. If you've been sleeping nine or ten hours because it's the only way to feel rested, but once you start wearing a mask and ditching the gadgets before bed, you find that you feel just as rested after eight, you can start to edge back to see what happens. Bonus: you'll get two extra hours in your day to do the things you want to do, and your mind and body won't be worse for the wear as a result. Dr. Nitun Verma, MD is a specialist in sleep medicine and the Medical Director of the Washington Township Center for Sleep Disorders in Freemont. He has offered his tips for better sleep here before, and he graciously volunteered his expertise for this piece as well. We thank him.

I'm Guy Kawasaki, and This Is How I Work What Should I Do With All My Old, Outdated Computer Parts? How to Need Less Sleep by Getting Better Sleep Every Night Create a Lasting Morning Routine by Making Two Key Changes Waterproof Any Canvas Bag with Wax Gympact for Android Puts Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, Makes Sure You Stick to Your Fitness Resolutions This Is the Best of Lifehacker 2012 More Stories on Lifehacker »

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The Final Year of Xbox 360

A look ahead to the games that will give the Xbox 360 one hell of a goodbye in 2013. If you're having trouble viewing this message please click here. The Final Year of Xbox 360 The original Xbox went out with a bang in 2005, delivering some of the console's best games ever like Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, and Psychonauts. It seems history may repeat itself, as the Xbox 360 is also set to get a spectacular sendoff in 2013 in advance of the so-called Xbox 720/Durango next fall. You are receiving this product notice because you are an IGN Games Newsletter Subscriber with an interest in Microsoft games. To unsubscribe or tell us more about yourself please update your preferences. To read about our privacy policy, click here. Copyright 2012 IGN Entertainment, 625 2nd Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. All Rights Reserved. IGN.com | GameSpy | AskMen | IGN Prime

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HIJAB for MEN

HIJAB for MEN

 

People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the women. “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do.” (SURAH AN NUR 24 VERSE 30) The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze. EVIDENCE FROM SUNNAH Jarir said I asked the Apostle of Allaah(p.b.u.h) about an accidental glance (on a woman). He (p.b.u.h) said “Turn your eyes away.” ABU DAWOOD ( Book 11, Hadith 2143) Jarir b. ‘Abdullah reported:I asked Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non-Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes. SAHIH MUSLIM (Book 25, Hadith 5372) AL-NAWAWI SAID What is meant by a “sudden glance” is when a person’s glance unintentionally falls upon a non-mahram woman. There is no sin on him for the first glance, but he must avert his gaze immediately. If he averts his gaze immediately there is no sin on him, but if he continues looking, then he will be a sinner, because of this hadeeth, for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded him to avert his gaze, and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)” (SURAH AN NUR 24 VERSE 30) Men must lower their gaze and refrain from looking at them in all circumstances, unless that is for a valid shar’i reason, such as giving testimony, medical treatment, wanting to propose marriage, buying a slave woman, engaging in financial transactions such as buying and selling, etc. In all these cases it is permissible to look as much as is needed, and no more. And Allaah knows best. (SHARH MUSLIM, 14/139) SOURCE OF SHARH MUSLIM :- http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?idfrom=6532&idto=6533&bk_no=53&ID=1021 *MEANS OF HELPING ONESELF TO LOWER ONE’S GAZE* Sharee’ah came to forbid the ways that lead to immorality, one of which is looking at non-mahram women. There are means which help a person to lower his gaze, and we ask Allaah to help you to do them: BEARING IN MIND THE FACT THAT ALLAH IS WATCHING YOU Bearing in mind the fact that Allaah is watching you, that He sees you and is with you (by His knowledge) wherever you go. It may be a secretive glance of which your neighbour is unaware, but Allaah knows of it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the hearts conceal” (SURAH GHAAFIR 40 VERSE 19) KNOWING THAT THE ZINA OF THE EYE IS LOOKING, AND THAT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PUT YOU OFF Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying. Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect. SAHIH MUSLIM (Book 33, Hadith 6422) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book 33, Hadith 6421) SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 77, Hadith 609) SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 74, Hadith 260) REMEMBERING THE REWARD OF LOWERING GAZE Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d:Allah’s Messenger (p.b.u.h) said, “Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 481) SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 82, Hadith 799) WARDING OFF PASSING THOUGHTS AND WHISPERS FROM THE SHAYTAAN BEFORE THEY TAKE HOLD AND ARE ACTED UPON Warding off passing thoughts and whispers from the Shaytaan before they take hold and are acted upon. Whoever lowers his gaze after the first glance will be saved from innumerable problems, but if he keeps looking he cannot be certain that seeds that will be difficult to remove will not be planted in his heart. Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib:The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: to Ali: Do not give a second look, Ali, (because) while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second. ABU DAWOOD (Book 11, Hadith 2144) SEEKING THE HELP OF ALLAH, BESEECHING HIM AND CALLING UPON HIM (DU’AA’) Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation).” (SURAH GHAAFIR 40 VERSE 60) YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT EVERY BLESSING YOU ENJOY COMES FROM ALLAH Part of the gratitude for the blessing of sight means that you should protect it from looking at that which Allaah has forbidden. Is there any reward for good, other than good? (SURAH AR-RAHMAN 55 VERSE 60) “And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allaah” (SURAH AN –NAHL 16 VERSE 53) STRIVING WITH YOURSELF AND TRAINING YOURSELF TO LOWER YOUR GAZE AND BE PATIENT IN DOING SO, AND NOT GIVING UP Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning) “As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism)” (SURAH AL-ANKABOOT 29 VERSE 69) AVOIDING PLACES WHERE A PERSON FEELS HE WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE TEMPTATION OF LOOKING Avoiding places where a person feels he will be exposed to the temptation of looking if he can manage to avoid them, such as going to marketplaces or malls, and sitting in the street. Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, ‘Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads.” They (the people) said, “O Allah s Apostle! We can’t help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) here we have talks.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, ‘ l f you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right ‘ They said, “What is the right of the road, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, ‘Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining what is good, and forbidding what is evil.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 74, Hadith 248) Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “Beware! Avoid sitting on he oads (ways).” The people said, “There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks.” The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the way.” They asked, “What are the rights of the way?” He said, “They are the lowering of your gazes (on seeing what is illegal to look at), refraining from harming people, returning greetings, advocating good and forbidding evil.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 3, Book 43, Hadith 645) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book 26, Hadith 5376) YOU SHOULD REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE NO CHOICE IN THIS MATTER you should realize that you have no choice in this matter, regardless of what the circumstances are and no matter how great the temptation or motive to do evil, and no matter what emotions and overwhelming desires stir in your heart. You must lower your gaze and refrain from looking at haraam things in all places and at all times. You cannot use excuses such as the environment being corrupt or justify your mistakes by saying that there is a lot of temptation around. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error” (SURAH AL-AHZAAB 33 VERSE 36) REMEMBERING THAT THE EARTH ON WHICH SIN IS COMMITTED WILL BEAR WITNESS Allaah says: “That Day it will declare its information (about all that happened over it of good or evil)” (SURAH AL-ZALZALAH 99 VERSE 4) REMEMBERING THE ANGELS WHO ARE RECORDING YOUR DEEDS Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kiraaman (Honourable) Kaatibeen —writing down (your deeds), They know all that you do” (SURAH AL-INFITAAR 82 VERSE 10-12) MARRIAGE WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE REMEDIES Narrated Abu Hurairah:It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “There are three who are promised the help of Allah: The Mukatab who wants to buy his freedom, the one who gets married seeking to keep himself chaste, and the Mujahid who fights in the cause of Allah.” *Mukatab: the slave who has made a contract of manumission. SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3220) Narrated `Abdullah:We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah’s Apostle said, “O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 4) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book #62, Hadith #4) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book #08, Hadith #3233) SUNAN TIRMIDHI (Vol. 2, Book 6, Hadith 1081) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3210) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3211) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3212) FASTING Narrated `Abdullah:We were with the Prophet while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah’s Apostle said, “O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 4) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book #62, Hadith #4) SAHIH MUSLIM (Book #08, Hadith #3233) SUNAN TIRMIDHI (Vol. 2, Book 6, Hadith 1081) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3210) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3211) SUNAN NASEEI (Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3212) DOING OBLIGATORY ACTS OF WORSHIP AS ALLAH HAS COMMANDED, SUCH AS PRAYER Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, As Salaah (the prayer) prevents from Al Fahshaa’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed)” (SURAH AL-ANKABOOT 29 VERSE 45) REMEMBERING AL-HOOR AL-‘AYN Remembering al-hoor al-‘ayn, which will give you a motive to be patient in avoiding that which Allaah has forbidden, hoping to get al-hoor al-‘ayn. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Companions of Equal Age ” (SURAH AL-NABA 78 VERSE 33) Narrated Anas. Prophet muhammed (p.b.u.h) said if one of the women of Paradise looked at the earth, she would fill the whole space between them (the earth and the heaven) with light, and would fill whatever is in between them, with perfume, and the veil of her face is better than the whole world and whatever is in it.” … SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 572) KEEPING COMPANY WITH GOOD PEOPLE Keeping company with good people, because you are naturally affected by the characteristics of the people you mix with, and a person will follow the way of his close friend, and a friend will pull you to follow his way. Narrated AbuHurayrah:The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: A man follows the religion of his friend; so each one should consider whom he makes his friend. ABU DAWOOD (Book 42, Hadith 4815) SUNAN TIRMIDHI (Vol. 4, Book 10, Hadith 2378) DOING A LOT OF NAAFIL ACTS OF WORSHIP Doing a lot of naafil acts of worship, because doing a lot of them whilst also regularly doing obligatory acts of worship is a means of protecting one’s physical faculties. According to a hadeeth qudsi, Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah’s Messenger (p.b.u.h) said, “Allah said, ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” SAHIH BUKHARI (Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 509)