DON’T LOSE YOUR SNOOZE - CUT BACK ON THE BOOZE

Survey shows over half of drinkers unaware of link between alcohol and sleep problems

Drinkers across England are losing valuable sleep and disrupting vital brain functions without knowing that their boozing is the cause, new research for the Government’s Know Your Limits campaign has today revealed.

More than half (58%) of nearly 2,000 drinkers surveyed by YouGov did not realise that drinking above the recommended daily limits can cause sleep problems, with more men (63%) than women (53%) unaware of the link.

Almost half (45%) of those surveyed admit to experiencing tiredness the day after drinking over the recommended daily limits, but it seems many people don’t realise this could be due to alcohol interfering with their normal, restful sleep.

Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron said:

"Lots of people don't realise that drinking too much can disrupt your sleep, leave you dehydrated and unable to remember parts of your evening.

“On top of this, drinking too much can affect your longer-term health, putting you at an increased risk of liver disease, stroke and cancer.

"Our Know Your Limits campaign arms people with the facts about how many units are in their favourite drinks, to help them keep a check on how much they drink each day."

Did you know?

Alcohol can be a headache in various ways, including its impact on sleep:

· Too many loo breaks… Alcohol stops the brain from releasing an important chemical, called vasopressin, which normally regulates the amount of water in your body. This dehydrates the body and sends you running to the loo all night.

· Dehydration… Booze encourages too much water to be flushed out of your body which will dehydrate you, putting your body under strain and contributing to a headache that can stop you sleeping.

· Your brain can’t hurt... Whilst you may feel like your hangover headache is caused by your brain hurting, your brain actually can’t feel pain because it has no pain receptors. In fact, while the headache may feel as if the brain is banging against the skull, the pain is actually coming from the inner lining of the skull and the blood vessels.

Contrary to popular opinion dozing off after a couple of glasses of wine or passing out after a night of heavier drinking is not the start of a deep sleep. The Know Your Limits campaign reveals that drinking late in the evening before you go to bed is actually far more likely to prevent you getting the quality sleep your body needs. Instead, you could be upsetting your sleep patterns, encouraging dehydration, and altering the blood pressure of the brain, leaving you far from fresh the next day.

Jessica Alexander, spokesperson for the Sleep Council said:

“Although many people may feel alcohol helps them get off to sleep, it is also a major culprit for disrupting your night as it can interfere with the body’s chemical processes needed for sound sleep. Waking up deprived of the vital sleep your body needs will leave you feeling drained and, if experienced night after night, can seriously affect your health and wellbeing.”

The so-called ‘drinker’s false dawn’ is caused by the way alcohol disrupts the crucial ‘REM’ stage, which is essential for a deep, satisfying night’s sleep. Alcohol stops you reaching this stage early in the night, meaning your body has to catch-up later in the night. REM sleep is also believed to be important for the creation of memories, which is one reason why heavy drinkers can sometimes wake up unable to remember parts of their evening.

The NHS recommends women do not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day (a large 250ml glass of 12% wine is 3 units) and men do not regularly drink more than 3-4 units (a pint of 5.2% beer is 3 units). Over ten million adults in England regularly exceed these limits, affecting their general day to day health, but also increasing their risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease and various cancers.

Jessica Alexander added:

“If you find yourself drinking above the recommended daily limits most days of the week, your body may be constantly trying to catch up and then it’s likely you’ll never feel fully alert or equipped to deal with the stresses and strains of daily life.”

The chemical processes of sleep are not the only function of the brain that is disrupted by alcohol, according to neuroscientist Dr Barry Gibb, author of the Rough Guide to the Brain.

Dr Gibb said: “Anyone who enjoys alcohol knows that, after a few drinks, they start to need more frequent trips to the loo. But many don’t realise this is actually a sign that they are starting to dehydrate. This can seem strange when you’re taking on more liquid than normal, but what is actually happening is that alcohol stops the brain from releasing an important chemical, called vasopressin, which normally regulates the amount of water in your body.

“With this chemical turned off, your body starts misbehaving and gets rid of the liquid in your body more quickly than it should. Water makes up about 80% of the brain and is an essential element in keeping it working smoothly, so dehydration doesn’t just cause headaches but can put stress on all of the brain’s normal processes – not helpful at a time when the body is working extra hard to get rid of toxic chemicals.”

While some people in the YouGov survey thought alcohol makes the brain ‘swell’, ‘shrink’ or even ‘pickle’, Dr Gibb explains that this isn’t the case at all.

“People might be surprised that the brain itself cannot feel pain. While the thumping, pulsing hangover headache may feel as if the brain is pressing against the skull, the pain is actually coming from the inner lining of the skull which contains numerous blood vessels with all their associated pain receptors.”

Regular drinkers keen to cut back on their intake and get a better night’s sleep – and a happier brain – should visit www.nhs.uk/units, where an interactive units calculator can help you keep track of how much you’re really drinking.

Poll shows UKIP support on immigration

Today's poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of the think tank Migration Watch confirms that the people of Britain agree with UKIP on the thorny issue of mass immigration.

The poll reveals that 81% of people are worried (45% of which are ‘very worried’) about the prospect of a UK population of 70 million in 2028 – a likely scenario according to Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

A further 76% of those polled want to see net immigration cut from its present level of 237,000 a year to 50,000 or less a year.

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage welcomed the poll saying: “UKIP believes that the people should be listened to on this issue while it is apparent that the other parties do not dare to.

"The poll shows us that even supporters of the other parties share our views.

"It shows that 90% of Conservative voters are worried about a population of 70 million. That 70% of Labour voters are worried and even 76% of Lib Dems felt the same way.

“This shows yet again that UKIP are on the centre ground of public opinion on immigration, just as we are on our relationship with the European Union. Of course for the Lib/Lab/Con coalition that governs us it is impossible to listen to the people, because they are powerless to change things while we retain our membership of the EU.”

NEWLY PUBLISHED YOUGOV POLL PUTS HOLYROOD INDEPENDENCE MAJORITY “IN TOUCHING DISTANCE”

SNP DOUBLES ITS LEAD OVER LABOUR

The newly published Holyrood voting intentions from the Sunday Times’ YouGov poll published at the weekend show that the SNP has doubled its poll lead over Labour in the Scottish Parliament constituency vote since the previous YouGov poll in April – and puts the parties and MSPs who support Scottish independence within touching distance of an absolute majority in the Scottish Parliament: just five seats short. The poll figures are now published on the YouGov website.

The poll puts the SNP on 39% of the constituency vote to 26% for Labour – a 13 point lead, up from 7 points in April. The Weber Shandwick seats projector analysis shows that at least 60 MSPs who support independence would be elected on this poll: comprising 52 SNP MSPs, 7 Greens, and the likelihood that Margo MacDonald would be one of the two ‘Other’ MSPs elected.

The poll projection shows the SNP winning 52 seats (up five) to Labour’s 36 (down 10). The SNP would win 49 of the 73 constituency seats (up 28), and three list seats. The Tories would fall one seat from 2007 to 16, and the Liberals would also win 16 seats (no change).

Commenting on the poll, SNP MSP for Stirling and Minister for Parliamentary Business Mr Bruce Crawford said:

"Having won the European election in Scotland and moved ahead of Labour in Westminster voting intentions, this sensational new poll shows a huge SNP lead for the Scottish Parliament.

“It demonstrates that the people of Scotland trust the SNP’s record in Government – including our action to support economic recovery, as well as freezing the Council Tax, slashing business rates, phasing in free prescriptions, scrapping bridge tolls, and delivering 1,000 additional police officers.

“On the day after the Calman Commission published its report, the significance of these figures is that it would put the pro-independence parties and MSPs within touching distance of achieving an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament – including 52 SNP MSPs and seven Greens.

“The Calman parties – Labour, Tory and Lib Dem – are behind the times, as well as being behind the SNP in elections and polls. The opportunities that we have and challenges we face as a nation require full financial powers, so that we can take the big economic decisions Scotland needs to succeed.

“That is the positive case the SNP wish to take to the people in the referendum we propose for 2010 – so that people have the opportunity to choose independence and equality for Scotland.”

SNP AHEAD FOR WESTMINSTER, HOLYROOD AND EUROPE

YOUGOV POLL SHOWS SNP SUPPORT SOARS

The SNP have hailed the latest opinion poll by YouGov published in the Sunday Times today which shows that support for the SNP has almost doubled from 18% to 31% since 2005. The poll of more than 1,000 Scottish voters also shows that support for Labour has slumped and would see the party lose nearly a third of its 41 Scottish MPs, with Scottish secretary Jim Murphy and Scotland Office minister Ann McKechin struggling to hold their seats.

Coming just a week after the SNP won the popular vote in the European Elections, SNP Westminster leader and party Business Convener Angus Robertson MP seized on the poll which shows the SNP, for the first time, ahead for the Scottish Parliament, Europe and Westminster.

Mr Robertson said:

“This is a fantastic poll result for the SNP. For the first time ever, we are in the lead for Westminster, Holyrood and the European Parliament all at the same time, and on the back of last week's historic election victory.

“It shows that the people have confidence in the Scottish Government and its assured performance in stark contrast to the chaos, infighting and meltdown at the heart of Gordon Brown’s Downing Street.

“Scottish Labour MPs will be looking at these results fearfully, with the party set to lose more than a third of its MPs, while the Tories’ talk of making inroads is looking more like a dead-end. Lib/Dem support has also collapsed, showing all the Calman parties all in trouble.

“Increasingly, it looks as though the SNP may well hold the balance of power at Westminster, and that the Tories and David Cameron will have no mandate in Scotland, regardless of how they perform elsewhere.

“With Labour and the Tories making no secret that they plan to make damaging cuts to Scottish spending, people know that SNP success at the General Election can stop these cuts completely and ensure we are well placed to recover strongly from the recession.

“SNP success is taking Scotland forward, and we will continue to make the case for independence and equality as the best future for our nation.”

Greens in battle for third place

A poll to be published the day before the European elections will suggest the battle for third place will be between the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP.

In the new poll, conducted by ComRes (1), the Greens display their best ever Euro-election poll results.

If the poll proves accurate, the Greens will win a number of extra seats, as well as holding their current seats in London and the South East.

A ComRes poll in today's _Independent_ newspaper puts the Green Party on 8% for a general election - the highest the Greens have ever polled in a survey about Westminster elections.

**Consistent high polling**

While opinion polls during the 2009 election campaign have produced varying results - for example, with UKIP oscillating between 7% and 19% - the Green Party has consistently polled well.

Last Sunday's _Telegraph_/ICM poll showed the Greens on 11%, ahead of UKIP nationally for the first time in the campaign. The _Sunday Telegraph_ suggested that "the resurgent Greens" might win eight seats.

And in an earlier Green Party/YouGov poll, 34% of respondents said they would either definitely vote Green or consider voting Green if they knew more about the party.

Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, said: "It's not all protest vote. I think our manifesto for a million jobs, aimed at tackling the recession and the climate crisis at the same time, has probably struck a chord with a lot of people."

Green politicians are the "most trusted to put Britain before self"

A YouGov poll published today suggests the British public trusts Green politicians far more than those of other parties.

Over 2,000 people were asked - regardless of the party they normally voted for - which party's politicians they thought were most likely to put their own financial interests before the interests of their country. Allowed to choose three parties, only 5% named the Greens as likely to put self-interest before the country's.

The survey also shows:

* Labour appeared to be the least trusted, with 45% of respondents naming Labour politicians as likely to put financial self-interest before their country.
* The Conservatives were almost as bad, with 40% naming them.
* Next were the BNP, the LibDems and UKIP on 20%, 16% and 15% respectively.

The new poll was released in the same week that campaign group Open Europe rated the Green Party's leader Caroline Lucas as the joint best British MEP on accountability, transparency and reform. The bottom nine places in the Open Europe survey were occupied by four Conservatives and five UKIP MEPs - with the tenth-worst British MEP slot being held jointly by UKIP leader Nigel Farage and an MEP each from Labour, the Conservatives and the LibDems.

Voter-intention polls show Greens are up, UKIP and BNP down

The Greens say that while there's much talk of an anti-sleaze protest vote going to the racist BNP, in fact the opinion polls are showing the Green Party to be a far more likely recipient of any protest vote.

* The ComRes poll of 17 May, commissioned by UKIP, put the Greens on 11% and the BNP on just 4%.
* The ComRes poll put the Greens on 13% across Northern England - easily enough for Green candidate Peter Cranie to defeat BNP leader Nick Griffin in the North West contest.
* The ComRes poll showed the Greens in third place in the South East, ready to return party leader Caroline Lucas MEP and scoop up a second seat for Brighton councillor Keith Taylor.
* A YouGov poll commissioned by the Green Party (2) suggested 34% would either definitely vote Green or would consider voting Green in the Euro-elections if they knew more about them.
* And the Guardian/ICM poll of 22 May put the Greens on 9% - just behind UKIP (10%) but way ahead of the BNP (1%).

The Guardian/ICM poll showed a Green increase of 50% compared with the actual 2004 vote (up from 6% to 9%) while UKIP was down more than a third (from 16% to 10%) and the BNP vote was cut by about four-fifths (down from 5% to 1%).

The Greens point out that polls ahead of Euro-elections usually under-estimate the Green Party. In 1989 the Greens were showing in the polls at about 7-8% but their actual vote turned out to be 15%.

The Greens believe their million-jobs manifesto for tackling the recession and the climate crisis at the same time has probably struck a chord with a lot of people.

(DFID) A matter of life and death for Kenya's mums but a mothers' day lie-in for UK

A new YouGov poll reveals that 52% of women in Britain were 'most worried' about receiving pain relief during childbirth, and 50% said they were concerned about getting to the hospital on time.

For pregnant women in Nyanza Province, just getting to the hospital can pose huge problems, with many needing to walk for more than an hour whilst in labour to get medical care at the local hospital.

In Kenya though, with DFID's assistance and the help of the British taxpayer, innovative solutions are being found to local problems, such as paying for a motorbike ambulance which is helping to save lives in a rural area.

A motorbike-ambulance operates in Nyanza Province and is fitted with a sidecar, which is used to transport women to their nearest maternity hospital. This 200cc motorbike-ambulance, which is specially built for negotiating rough rural terrain, has a specially constructed padded sidecar, in which a patient can lie down safely strapped in. The motorbike-ambulance collects women from the lakeside villages, meaning mum and baby have a much better chance of survival.

Here in Britain, 42% of Mums are worried about the financial pressures of raising a child. In Kenya, money worries after the birth are much less of an issue (20%); instead 30 per cent of new mums in Nyanza province worry about not being able to easily access good maternity care.

One penny in every UK tax pound goes towards helping the poorest countries and funds projects such as DFID's Essential Health Services programme, providing pre-natal and postnatal care for mothers and babies in Nyanza Province. A health centre building is currently being refurbished as a maternity wing and is due to open in May.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary said:
"Women's health is critical to a country's future. When a mother dies in childbirth everyone suffers - her child, her family and her community.
"That's why DFID makes improving maternal health in developing countries such a priority - from training for nurse-midwives, as I saw for myself in Kisumu in Kenya, to funding clinics, ambulances, immunisation programmes and health education."

Mary Atieno, 24, from Gwassa in Nyanza Province, is due to have her child on Mother's Day. She is considering naming her baby Doreen - after the senior midwife at Magunga. Mrs Atieno says:

"I'm not worried now about any problems - I'll come to the hospital and anything can be sorted out. The sister knows how to make everything all right."

Judith Awuma, 22, is attending the post-natal clinic with her six week old son, Joseph:

"We came to hospital because we know it's safer - my grandmother wanted me to stay in the village, but I said no. You can be helped in the hospital if there are complications. It was my first pregnancy, and I wanted everything to go right."

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