Many Americans are having difficulties falling asleep at night. Instead of sleeping and dreaming they roll around in their beds trying to fall asleep. The result usually is people not rested enough in the morning and tired all day. This results in stress and less performance on the job or at home. We have developed a list of 6 powerful tips that have helped us to achieve better sleep.
1) Room temperature: Keeping the temperature in your bedroom at 70 degrees Fahrenheit or below is recommended. Too often an overheated bedroom is causing sleep problems. Scientific studies show that the body can better relax with temperatures at 70 degrees or slightly below.
2) Reduce caffeine. A recent study showed that caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and fast enough at night. The effects of caffeine last much longer than most people expect. The result is difficulty falling asleep. Studies have shown better sleeping patterns if no more caffeine is consumed after 6.00 PM.
3) Avoid alcohol. Alcohol will keeps the body from reaching the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing and resting. The result of drinking can be a very light sleep or difficulty falling asleep in general.
4) Beds are for sleeping. If you are used to watch TV in bed or even work while being in bed, you may find it much harder to relax and to fall asleep. Remove the TV and do not work in bed. Sleep requires your brain to slowly shutdown and any distraction will cause sleeping problems.
5) Go to bed at around the same time every day. Don’t change your bedtime back and forth. Having a certain schedule developed it will be easier to fall asleep pretty much at the same time every day. A recurring schedule will help your body to get into a sleep pattern and make it easier to fall asleep.
6) Remove the alarm clock from your view. Starring at the time will only create the feeling that you have to sleep, but you are not. These worries will make things even worse. Losing the feeling for time by not seeing the actual and how long you have been awake has shown to improve healthy sleep.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Sleeping Without The Pill
While scientists are figuring out why people have to sleep, many people are just as puzzled in figuring out why they can’t sleep. Occasional sleepless nights may be due to stress, anxiety, heartburn, or drinking too much caffeine or alcohol. The condition of having difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep is called insomnia. However, when this problem of falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or experiencing non-restorative sleep occurs on a regular or frequent basis and often for no apparent reason, it becomes chronic insomnia.
Though insomnia affects all age group, the condition is more prevalent among women and the incidence increases with age.
Since insomnia is a symptom and not a diagnosis, treatment should be personal and must be focused on the underlying
condition. Treatment and therapy may include the following:
.Improving sleep habits
.Correcting sleep misconceptions
.Controlling your sleep environment
.Behavior management
.Light therapy
.Medications
Very few people seek medical advice and remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia. Most people would easily resort to prescription and over-the-counter sleeping pills. However, better sleep doesn’t have to come in a pill and several studies have been reported to support this view.
According to a report in The Journal of Family Practice, studies show that simple behavioral and psychological treatments work just as well, and sometimes better, than popular medications. Last year, the medical journal Sleep reported on 5 high-quality trials that showed cognitive behavioral therapy helped people suffering from insomnia fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer.
From American Journal of Psychiatry, the analysis of 21 studies showed that behavioral treatment helped people fall asleep nearly nine minutes sooner than sleep drugs.
Overall, sleep therapy worked just as well as drugs, but without any side effects. Most people don’t believe that these behavioral strategies for better sleep can really make a difference because they appear to be so simple to produce results.
One of the most effective methods of cognitive behavioral therapy is stimulus control. It prohibits a person from watching television, eating or reading in bed. Going to bed should be done only when you are sleepy. It encourages you to get up at the same time every day, and not to take catnaps during the day. If after 15 minutes and sleep remains elusive, get out of bed and do something relaxing, but avoid stimulating activity and thoughts.
Sleep therapy also involves sleep hygiene which includes regular exercise, light-proofing your bedroom to keep it dark, and making the bed and room temperatures comfortable. People suffering from chronic insomnia should eat regular meals and must not go to bed hungry. Limit intake of beverages, particularly alcohol and caffeinated drinks, around bedtime. Avoid looking at the clock and do not try too hard to fall asleep. Turn the clock around so you don’t get to see it. Watching time pass is one of the worst things to do when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Simple though these steps may seem, but they really make a significant difference for people with insomnia. According to a report of Family Practice, these interventions are based on the notion that thoughts and behaviors can “hyper-arouse” the central nervous system and deregulate sleep cycles, resulting in chronic insomnia.
Should these steps fail, consult your doctor about a referral to a sleep therapist, who can give you additional relaxation techniques to help bring on sleep. A sleep therapist may help you reset your sleep-wake schedule which involves adjusting your bedtime each night over the course of a few weeks.
Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/76648/sleeping-without-the-pill/
Though insomnia affects all age group, the condition is more prevalent among women and the incidence increases with age.
Since insomnia is a symptom and not a diagnosis, treatment should be personal and must be focused on the underlying
condition. Treatment and therapy may include the following:
.Improving sleep habits
.Correcting sleep misconceptions
.Controlling your sleep environment
.Behavior management
.Light therapy
.Medications
Very few people seek medical advice and remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia. Most people would easily resort to prescription and over-the-counter sleeping pills. However, better sleep doesn’t have to come in a pill and several studies have been reported to support this view.
According to a report in The Journal of Family Practice, studies show that simple behavioral and psychological treatments work just as well, and sometimes better, than popular medications. Last year, the medical journal Sleep reported on 5 high-quality trials that showed cognitive behavioral therapy helped people suffering from insomnia fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer.
From American Journal of Psychiatry, the analysis of 21 studies showed that behavioral treatment helped people fall asleep nearly nine minutes sooner than sleep drugs.
Overall, sleep therapy worked just as well as drugs, but without any side effects. Most people don’t believe that these behavioral strategies for better sleep can really make a difference because they appear to be so simple to produce results.
One of the most effective methods of cognitive behavioral therapy is stimulus control. It prohibits a person from watching television, eating or reading in bed. Going to bed should be done only when you are sleepy. It encourages you to get up at the same time every day, and not to take catnaps during the day. If after 15 minutes and sleep remains elusive, get out of bed and do something relaxing, but avoid stimulating activity and thoughts.
Sleep therapy also involves sleep hygiene which includes regular exercise, light-proofing your bedroom to keep it dark, and making the bed and room temperatures comfortable. People suffering from chronic insomnia should eat regular meals and must not go to bed hungry. Limit intake of beverages, particularly alcohol and caffeinated drinks, around bedtime. Avoid looking at the clock and do not try too hard to fall asleep. Turn the clock around so you don’t get to see it. Watching time pass is one of the worst things to do when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Simple though these steps may seem, but they really make a significant difference for people with insomnia. According to a report of Family Practice, these interventions are based on the notion that thoughts and behaviors can “hyper-arouse” the central nervous system and deregulate sleep cycles, resulting in chronic insomnia.
Should these steps fail, consult your doctor about a referral to a sleep therapist, who can give you additional relaxation techniques to help bring on sleep. A sleep therapist may help you reset your sleep-wake schedule which involves adjusting your bedtime each night over the course of a few weeks.
Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/76648/sleeping-without-the-pill/
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Fantastic Methods To Sleep Like A Baby
There are people who are in drastic need of sleep but just can’t seem to will their bodies to go to dreamland. They toss and turn until the sheets come off their beds, and they get the bitter realization that counting sheep doesn’t actually work.
Insomnia doesn’t just mean not being able to sleep a wink. It also means waking up lots of times during the night, or getting the feeling that you didn’t get a good night’s sleep, or waking up too early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep.
Almost half of America’s population suffers from insomnia, and practically everyone has experienced it at least once in their lifetime. Some suffer this disorder for years. Insomnia is something you have to be concerned about because it greatly affects your life and those around you.
It makes you cranky and moody, makes you lose your concentration, and in effect makes you lose friends. It could also weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to illnesses. So if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation, you’ve got to take steps to cure it ASAP.
You’ve got to diagnose what kind of insomnia you’re suffering from. You don’t need a doctor to do this for you. You can do it yourself.
Insomnia is caused by a lot of factors.
Psychological factors include depression, sadness, or anything that gives you negative feelings. These may arise from traumatic events that you couldn’t get out of your mind (like embarrassing incidents, financial problems, or death of a loved one). Stress, anxiety, excitement, and nervousness may contribute to insomnia.
Physical impediments may also cause insomnia. You have to see your doctor to determine if you’re suffering from any illness. Heart problems or medication may cause sleeplessness.
The food that you intake may also be a factor contributing to insomnia. Don’t take anything that has caffeine in it. This includes coffee, chocolate, and tea. Check the food you eat and trash those that contain caffeine. The same goes with alcohol and nicotine. Like caffeine, these are stimulants that help to keep your mind awake. Alcohol does help induce sleep, but it doesn’t give you a GOOD night’s sleep because of certain compounds it contains that keep some organs (like your stomach) active.
Don’t engage in any exercise too close to bedtime because it increases heart rate, akin to making you excited, and in effect making you unable to fall asleep.
Make sure that everything is nice and quiet by the time you get to bed. Find a bed that you’re comfortable sleeping in. Turn out the lights to help you sleep better.
Stop looking at that clock! You will get stressed out if you do, and it could keep you awake even longer. It would be better if the clock is nowhere near your bed. If you need an alarm clock, turn its face away from you.
Some people actually find some sounds to be helpful in lulling them to sleep. A droning sound that goes on and on, like the whirring of the electric fan or the air conditioner, can help filter out irritating sounds like the noise of horns honking in the night.
Set your room to a temperature that makes you comfortable enough to fall asleep.
Decide on your sleeping schedule and stick with it. Even if you have work and it entails different shifts, stick to a schedule that you could follow most of the time.
Don’t take too many naps because it reduces the likelihood of you falling asleep right away at night.
Don’t keep on complaining about not being able to sleep. It just makes you stressed out. Relax. Have a nice warm bath to relax and soothe your body. Try herbal remedies. You could also attend therapy sessions that help relax your body, like meditation. Sex is another great cure. The main purpose is for you to relax enough to fall asleep.
These are some tips to get rid of insomnia. You shouldn’t ignore the consequences brought about by insomnia because it produces stress and negatively affects your health. Try out these methods, and have pleasant dreams!
Insomnia doesn’t just mean not being able to sleep a wink. It also means waking up lots of times during the night, or getting the feeling that you didn’t get a good night’s sleep, or waking up too early in the morning and not being able to get back to sleep.
Almost half of America’s population suffers from insomnia, and practically everyone has experienced it at least once in their lifetime. Some suffer this disorder for years. Insomnia is something you have to be concerned about because it greatly affects your life and those around you.
It makes you cranky and moody, makes you lose your concentration, and in effect makes you lose friends. It could also weaken your immune system, making you more vulnerable to illnesses. So if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation, you’ve got to take steps to cure it ASAP.
You’ve got to diagnose what kind of insomnia you’re suffering from. You don’t need a doctor to do this for you. You can do it yourself.
Insomnia is caused by a lot of factors.
Psychological factors include depression, sadness, or anything that gives you negative feelings. These may arise from traumatic events that you couldn’t get out of your mind (like embarrassing incidents, financial problems, or death of a loved one). Stress, anxiety, excitement, and nervousness may contribute to insomnia.
Physical impediments may also cause insomnia. You have to see your doctor to determine if you’re suffering from any illness. Heart problems or medication may cause sleeplessness.
The food that you intake may also be a factor contributing to insomnia. Don’t take anything that has caffeine in it. This includes coffee, chocolate, and tea. Check the food you eat and trash those that contain caffeine. The same goes with alcohol and nicotine. Like caffeine, these are stimulants that help to keep your mind awake. Alcohol does help induce sleep, but it doesn’t give you a GOOD night’s sleep because of certain compounds it contains that keep some organs (like your stomach) active.
Don’t engage in any exercise too close to bedtime because it increases heart rate, akin to making you excited, and in effect making you unable to fall asleep.
Make sure that everything is nice and quiet by the time you get to bed. Find a bed that you’re comfortable sleeping in. Turn out the lights to help you sleep better.
Stop looking at that clock! You will get stressed out if you do, and it could keep you awake even longer. It would be better if the clock is nowhere near your bed. If you need an alarm clock, turn its face away from you.
Some people actually find some sounds to be helpful in lulling them to sleep. A droning sound that goes on and on, like the whirring of the electric fan or the air conditioner, can help filter out irritating sounds like the noise of horns honking in the night.
Set your room to a temperature that makes you comfortable enough to fall asleep.
Decide on your sleeping schedule and stick with it. Even if you have work and it entails different shifts, stick to a schedule that you could follow most of the time.
Don’t take too many naps because it reduces the likelihood of you falling asleep right away at night.
Don’t keep on complaining about not being able to sleep. It just makes you stressed out. Relax. Have a nice warm bath to relax and soothe your body. Try herbal remedies. You could also attend therapy sessions that help relax your body, like meditation. Sex is another great cure. The main purpose is for you to relax enough to fall asleep.
These are some tips to get rid of insomnia. You shouldn’t ignore the consequences brought about by insomnia because it produces stress and negatively affects your health. Try out these methods, and have pleasant dreams!
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Baby Sleep Tips Developing Sleep Associations
Everyone who has had the experience of being a parent knows all too well the difficulties of getting your baby to sleep soundly throughout the night. The dark circles around the eyes of new parents are usually familiar to all those that have been around them. In terms of baby sleep tips, one of the most important things you must try and establish as a parent is getting your baby to learn to fall asleep on his own. The process by which your child begins to fall asleep on his own is one that involves a natural transition from falling asleep with the mother to falling asleep in an independent fashion. One of the best ways in which you can speed up this transition is to encourage your child to develop sleep associations that he or she can recreate independently.
Naturally, everyone – and babies in particular – will develop sleep associations. These are the things that you associate with bedtime, and allow you to create an environment in which it is easy to fall asleep. When your baby is at an extremely young age, he will naturally develop sleep associations involving the mother, as he will often fall asleep in her arms. As you attempt to get your baby to sleep in his own, however, it is crucial that you work to change these associations.
If you always put your child to sleep by holding him, or allowing him to use a pacifier, you create a sleep association with these things. Then, when your child wakes up in the middle of then night, he can’t go back to sleep on his own because he is unable to recreate his sleeping environment without you: he needs you to feed him or rock him in order to sleep.
As you begin to try and get your child to sleep on his own, you should introduce items into his sleeping routine that he can sleep with, such as a particular blanket or a stuffed animal. What this will do is create associations for your child with these items for sleep. Then, when he awakes in the middle of the night, he will be able to recreate a sleeping environment without your assistance by grabbing his stuffed animal, etc. It can also be beneficial to introduce “transitional items” into your baby’s bedtime routine: Allow him to have his stuffed animal or blanket with him during a final feeding and before-bedtime activities, and allow him to take these things with him to bed.
No matter what you do, your child is going to be creating his or her own sleep associations. Your job is to try and create associations with items that are under his or her control. By giving your child as much control over his sleeping environment as possible, you allow him to begin to achieve sleep independently. The most difficult transition in early parenting is the one towards independent sleep for your child, and if you introduce new items into your child’s sleeping place, you will hasten this transition, which will soon allow both you and your child to get a good night’s rest.
Copied with permission from Plrplr.com.
Naturally, everyone – and babies in particular – will develop sleep associations. These are the things that you associate with bedtime, and allow you to create an environment in which it is easy to fall asleep. When your baby is at an extremely young age, he will naturally develop sleep associations involving the mother, as he will often fall asleep in her arms. As you attempt to get your baby to sleep in his own, however, it is crucial that you work to change these associations.
If you always put your child to sleep by holding him, or allowing him to use a pacifier, you create a sleep association with these things. Then, when your child wakes up in the middle of then night, he can’t go back to sleep on his own because he is unable to recreate his sleeping environment without you: he needs you to feed him or rock him in order to sleep.
As you begin to try and get your child to sleep on his own, you should introduce items into his sleeping routine that he can sleep with, such as a particular blanket or a stuffed animal. What this will do is create associations for your child with these items for sleep. Then, when he awakes in the middle of the night, he will be able to recreate a sleeping environment without your assistance by grabbing his stuffed animal, etc. It can also be beneficial to introduce “transitional items” into your baby’s bedtime routine: Allow him to have his stuffed animal or blanket with him during a final feeding and before-bedtime activities, and allow him to take these things with him to bed.
No matter what you do, your child is going to be creating his or her own sleep associations. Your job is to try and create associations with items that are under his or her control. By giving your child as much control over his sleeping environment as possible, you allow him to begin to achieve sleep independently. The most difficult transition in early parenting is the one towards independent sleep for your child, and if you introduce new items into your child’s sleeping place, you will hasten this transition, which will soon allow both you and your child to get a good night’s rest.
Copied with permission from Plrplr.com.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
To Sleep Is Divine To Be Deprive Of Sleep Is Disaster Copied
People’s lifestyles now a day are so fast-paced. Most are in the rat race. Busyness has ruled their lives. And because of this more and more people are having a hard time falling asleep or having sleeping deprivation. Lack of sleep can really affect a person’s equilibrium and decreased productivity.
Usually, a person needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night in order for them to be mentally alert during the day. A good quality sleep is essential, proper rest is adds to a person’s vigour. Aside of lost productivity of sleeplessness it can cause motor or vehicle accidents.
Getting enough sleep at night or taking naps in the afternoon can help prevent serious accidents. Consulting a physician is very important when signs of sleep disorder such as insomnia occur.
TYPES OF INSOMNIA
1. WAKING UP TOO EARLY
2. DIFFICULTY FALLING ASLEEP
3. NO PROBLEM FALLING ASLEEP BUT MAINTAINING TO STAY ASLEEP
TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA:
After a proper diagnose if it is a medical or psychological problem and identifying what is the main cause of insomnia, treatment can also include the following:
1. SLEEP RESTRICTION- spending too much time lying in bed in order to get some sleep doesn’t really help. A restriction program allows only a few hours of sleep during the night.
2. RELAXATION THERAPY-soft music and other relaxing sounds can help reduce tensions and anxiety. A good massage can also do wonders for it helps the body or muscles to relax. therefore inducing a restful sleep.
3. THE USE OF BRIGHT LIGHT- If you have troubles falling asleep at night. It helps to get much bright light in the morning as this reset the internal clock to an earlier time at night for sleep.
TIPS ON GETTING YOU TO SLEEP
? Exercise more often
? Limit your coffee, tea, chocolate and soda intake
? Manage stress
? Don’t eat heavy snacks before going to bed
? Don’t nap during the day
? Before getting to bed try to relax and not to worry much. Worrying contributes having insomnia
Sleeping pills can help in some cases, it can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems.
A well known brand such as Rozerem can treat insomnia. Rozerem is sedative, also called a hypnotic. It affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause sleep problems. This medication causes relaxation will make you fall asleep. You can get this medicine at an online reputable Pharmacy such as Drugstoretm.com, which sells other leading brands such as prescription tramadol.
Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/78930/to-sleep-is-divine-to-be-deprive-of-sleep-is-disaster/
Usually, a person needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night in order for them to be mentally alert during the day. A good quality sleep is essential, proper rest is adds to a person’s vigour. Aside of lost productivity of sleeplessness it can cause motor or vehicle accidents.
Getting enough sleep at night or taking naps in the afternoon can help prevent serious accidents. Consulting a physician is very important when signs of sleep disorder such as insomnia occur.
TYPES OF INSOMNIA
1. WAKING UP TOO EARLY
2. DIFFICULTY FALLING ASLEEP
3. NO PROBLEM FALLING ASLEEP BUT MAINTAINING TO STAY ASLEEP
TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA:
After a proper diagnose if it is a medical or psychological problem and identifying what is the main cause of insomnia, treatment can also include the following:
1. SLEEP RESTRICTION- spending too much time lying in bed in order to get some sleep doesn’t really help. A restriction program allows only a few hours of sleep during the night.
2. RELAXATION THERAPY-soft music and other relaxing sounds can help reduce tensions and anxiety. A good massage can also do wonders for it helps the body or muscles to relax. therefore inducing a restful sleep.
3. THE USE OF BRIGHT LIGHT- If you have troubles falling asleep at night. It helps to get much bright light in the morning as this reset the internal clock to an earlier time at night for sleep.
TIPS ON GETTING YOU TO SLEEP
? Exercise more often
? Limit your coffee, tea, chocolate and soda intake
? Manage stress
? Don’t eat heavy snacks before going to bed
? Don’t nap during the day
? Before getting to bed try to relax and not to worry much. Worrying contributes having insomnia
Sleeping pills can help in some cases, it can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems.
A well known brand such as Rozerem can treat insomnia. Rozerem is sedative, also called a hypnotic. It affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause sleep problems. This medication causes relaxation will make you fall asleep. You can get this medicine at an online reputable Pharmacy such as Drugstoretm.com, which sells other leading brands such as prescription tramadol.
Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/78930/to-sleep-is-divine-to-be-deprive-of-sleep-is-disaster/
When Getting A Good Night
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for feeling refreshed and alert during the day. When we sleep, our body rests and restores energy levels. However, sleep is an active state that affects both our physical and mental well-being. A good night’s sleep is often the best way to help a person cope with stress, solve problems and get a full recovery from illness. But, with all the stresses of everyday life, not everyone can now afford to have the needed eight hours sleep. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is what an average adult needs to maintain an optimal mental and physical health.
Sleep is prompted by natural cycles of activity in the brain and consists of two basic states: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which consists of Stages 1 through 4. During sleep, the body cycles between non-REM and REM sleep. Typically, people begin the sleep cycle with a period of non-REM sleep followed by a very short period of REM sleep. Dreams generally occur in the REM stage of sleep.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, over 40 million Americans a year will suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Many of them will go undiagnosed, or turn to over-the-counter sleeping aids for relief. While insomnia is the best-known sleep disorder, over 100 types of sleep disorders actually exist. In order to get a proper diagnosis, it’s important to understand the symptoms and causes of the most common forms of each sleep problems which also include sleep apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy.
Insomnia is itself often a symptom of other problems. Typical patterns of insomnia include the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, waking up earlier than usual, and daytime fatigue. Most people with insomnia even fall asleep in inappropriate situations, like when they are driving. If this does occur, it may signal that a medical disorder (such as sleep apnea) is the cause of insomnia.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is the primary symptom of sleep apnea. Some people will deny sleepiness but still, they feel fatigued throughout the day. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, snorting, and gasping sounds when one sleeps. More often, it is first noticed by a sleeping partner. Restless sleep is also typical, as are headaches in the morning.
The primary warning sign of Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is the irresistible urge to move the legs shortly after getting into bed, in the middle of the night after awakening, or even when wide awake during the day. The sensations of discomfort can be quite varied. Kicking or twitching leg movements during sleep, and sometimes while awake, may be warning signs.
Excessive sleepiness during the day, alleviated by naps, is a symptom of narcolepsy. Dreaming during naps and experiencing dream-like hallucinations while asleep are also warning signs. Loss of muscle control called cataplexy that occurs with emotion, such as laughing or anger, and the inability to move during sleep or when one has already awakened (called sleep paralysis) are also symptoms.
To determine if someone has a sleep disorder, first pay attention to a person’s sleep habits and lifestyle or daily routine. If a person with sleep disorders is planning to visit a doctor, it is helpful to record sleep habits. Sleep history will help the patient and the doctor find the cause of the sleep problems. A person with a sleeping disorder can address most common sleep problems through lifestyle changes and improved sleep hygiene, but it is important to see a doctor or a sleep specialist for a diagnosis if sleep does not improve.
https://goodsleepnostress.blogspot.com/
Sleep is prompted by natural cycles of activity in the brain and consists of two basic states: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which consists of Stages 1 through 4. During sleep, the body cycles between non-REM and REM sleep. Typically, people begin the sleep cycle with a period of non-REM sleep followed by a very short period of REM sleep. Dreams generally occur in the REM stage of sleep.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, over 40 million Americans a year will suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Many of them will go undiagnosed, or turn to over-the-counter sleeping aids for relief. While insomnia is the best-known sleep disorder, over 100 types of sleep disorders actually exist. In order to get a proper diagnosis, it’s important to understand the symptoms and causes of the most common forms of each sleep problems which also include sleep apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy.
Insomnia is itself often a symptom of other problems. Typical patterns of insomnia include the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, waking up earlier than usual, and daytime fatigue. Most people with insomnia even fall asleep in inappropriate situations, like when they are driving. If this does occur, it may signal that a medical disorder (such as sleep apnea) is the cause of insomnia.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is the primary symptom of sleep apnea. Some people will deny sleepiness but still, they feel fatigued throughout the day. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, snorting, and gasping sounds when one sleeps. More often, it is first noticed by a sleeping partner. Restless sleep is also typical, as are headaches in the morning.
The primary warning sign of Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS is the irresistible urge to move the legs shortly after getting into bed, in the middle of the night after awakening, or even when wide awake during the day. The sensations of discomfort can be quite varied. Kicking or twitching leg movements during sleep, and sometimes while awake, may be warning signs.
Excessive sleepiness during the day, alleviated by naps, is a symptom of narcolepsy. Dreaming during naps and experiencing dream-like hallucinations while asleep are also warning signs. Loss of muscle control called cataplexy that occurs with emotion, such as laughing or anger, and the inability to move during sleep or when one has already awakened (called sleep paralysis) are also symptoms.
To determine if someone has a sleep disorder, first pay attention to a person’s sleep habits and lifestyle or daily routine. If a person with sleep disorders is planning to visit a doctor, it is helpful to record sleep habits. Sleep history will help the patient and the doctor find the cause of the sleep problems. A person with a sleeping disorder can address most common sleep problems through lifestyle changes and improved sleep hygiene, but it is important to see a doctor or a sleep specialist for a diagnosis if sleep does not improve.
https://goodsleepnostress.blogspot.com/
Sleep Studies Helping Out Determine Sleep Problems Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/77673/sleep-studies-helping-out-determine-sleep-problems/
All night long, you have been tossing and turning on your bed, but still you can’t fall asleep. No need to fret about your night time struggles. You are not alone in your battle with insomnia. Sleep problems affects millions of Americans and the numbers seem to rise with each new year. While some people suffer from mild sleeping problems, such as having occasional nightmares, others have extremely severe sleep disorders that can negatively affect their health, if left untreated. This astonishing number means that a huge number of people aren’t getting the treatment they need, putting them in danger of permanently damaging their health.
Sleep disorders involve any difficulties related to sleeping, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep. There are more than 100 different disorders of sleeping and waking that have been identified. They can be grouped in four main categories such as:
Problems with falling and staying asleep
Problems with staying awake
Problems with adhering to a regular sleep schedule
Sleep-disruptive behaviors
But there are certain types of diagnostic sleep studies that are given by physicians to determine the causes of sleep problems. Sleep studies are tests that watch what happens to the body during sleep. The most common sleep studies or diagnostic procedures include the Polysomnogram, Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and Multiple Wake Test (MWT).
Doctors may request a patient take polysomnograms to determine what is going on during sleep during the course of the night. The tests are done in a sleep laboratory. Patients are advised to avoid naps, caffeine, and alcohol on the day of their polysomnogram. This test records several body functions during sleep. Once in the sleeping room, monitoring devices are applied to the body of the patient or volunteer as a means to collect information. Sensors monitor the brain waves (EEG activity), heart rate (EKG), eye movements, leg muscle activity, and chest and stomach movement. Air flow from nose and mouth are also recorded. A sensor that clips onto a finger monitors the amount of oxygen in the blood.
If the doctor has specific questions, other monitors might be applied. Information is gathered from all leads and fed into a computer and outputted as a series of wavefront tracings which enable the technician to visualize the various waveforms, assign a score for the test, and assist in the diagnostic process. Usually, a polysomnogram ends around six o’clock in the morning and the patients can return to their usual daytime routine.
An MSLT test is a series of recordings to monitor a person’s sleep patterns. This test measures how long it takes for a person to fall asleep during naps taken over the course of a day. Electrodes are placed on the face and head to record eye movement, muscle tone, and brain waves. The tests usually held from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. A technologist will glue “recording electrodes” on the patient’s scalp and face and a special jelly is applied to each electrode. The patient is taken into a “sleeping” room with lights turned off and the patient is asked to sleep for 15 to 30 minutes. Recordings are taken while the patient is asleep, even if the patient cannot sleep during the test, the information taken will still be useful.
The Multiple Wake Test is also called maintenance of wakefulness test, and is intended to measure the ability to stay awake during a designated wakeful time. This test is given during the daytime. MWT usually follows an all-night sleep study. It consists of a series of 40-minute trials, during which the patient tries ti stay awake. The test is given every two hours throughout the day, with each trial lasting about 40 minutes, During each trial, sensors and electrodes record data on body functions such as heartbeat, breathing, etc. Sleeping problems are very common among us but there are different resources one can get answers for all their sleeping woes, and the tossing and turning can be just a thing of the past.
Sleep disorders involve any difficulties related to sleeping, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep. There are more than 100 different disorders of sleeping and waking that have been identified. They can be grouped in four main categories such as:
Problems with falling and staying asleep
Problems with staying awake
Problems with adhering to a regular sleep schedule
Sleep-disruptive behaviors
But there are certain types of diagnostic sleep studies that are given by physicians to determine the causes of sleep problems. Sleep studies are tests that watch what happens to the body during sleep. The most common sleep studies or diagnostic procedures include the Polysomnogram, Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and Multiple Wake Test (MWT).
Doctors may request a patient take polysomnograms to determine what is going on during sleep during the course of the night. The tests are done in a sleep laboratory. Patients are advised to avoid naps, caffeine, and alcohol on the day of their polysomnogram. This test records several body functions during sleep. Once in the sleeping room, monitoring devices are applied to the body of the patient or volunteer as a means to collect information. Sensors monitor the brain waves (EEG activity), heart rate (EKG), eye movements, leg muscle activity, and chest and stomach movement. Air flow from nose and mouth are also recorded. A sensor that clips onto a finger monitors the amount of oxygen in the blood.
If the doctor has specific questions, other monitors might be applied. Information is gathered from all leads and fed into a computer and outputted as a series of wavefront tracings which enable the technician to visualize the various waveforms, assign a score for the test, and assist in the diagnostic process. Usually, a polysomnogram ends around six o’clock in the morning and the patients can return to their usual daytime routine.
An MSLT test is a series of recordings to monitor a person’s sleep patterns. This test measures how long it takes for a person to fall asleep during naps taken over the course of a day. Electrodes are placed on the face and head to record eye movement, muscle tone, and brain waves. The tests usually held from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. A technologist will glue “recording electrodes” on the patient’s scalp and face and a special jelly is applied to each electrode. The patient is taken into a “sleeping” room with lights turned off and the patient is asked to sleep for 15 to 30 minutes. Recordings are taken while the patient is asleep, even if the patient cannot sleep during the test, the information taken will still be useful.
The Multiple Wake Test is also called maintenance of wakefulness test, and is intended to measure the ability to stay awake during a designated wakeful time. This test is given during the daytime. MWT usually follows an all-night sleep study. It consists of a series of 40-minute trials, during which the patient tries ti stay awake. The test is given every two hours throughout the day, with each trial lasting about 40 minutes, During each trial, sensors and electrodes record data on body functions such as heartbeat, breathing, etc. Sleeping problems are very common among us but there are different resources one can get answers for all their sleeping woes, and the tossing and turning can be just a thing of the past.
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