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Prescription Sleep Medicine
Latex Foam Bed Pillows - Why Picking the Right Latex Foam Bed Pillow is Important
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on August 08th, 2010
Having a good sleep at night is extremely needed to rest your tired body and mind after working for the whole day. A fine set of comfortable pillow is what helps you sleep well and maintain good health. We use pillows for resting our head, neck and back while we sleep. Many pillows used by people are not capable to give the support needed by the tired body. Hence, it results in back pain, pain in neck, shoulders and spinal cords. This can also disturb your sleep at night.
Choosing the right pillow is extremely important to ensure good sleep. They are no less important things than mattresses. One must keep in mind the position one is most comfortable in while sleeping before purchasing the pillow. It is believed that the comfort of the pillow determines the quality of dreams one sees while sleeping. They say that people get bad dreams and disturbed sleep if pillows are not comfortable and hard. Hence the material, quality, shape and size of the pillow must be checked properly while purchasing.
The latex foam bed pillows are perfectly suitable for people who like to sleep with their face up or on the sides. These pillows are extremely comfortable and take up the shape of the head. This gives support to your head all night. Air circulation is maintained through the holes in the latex pillows. Hence, building up of heat and moisture is avoided. The hypo allergenic and anti-microbial nature of the latex foam pillows keeps them bacteria free. The latex foam used in these pillows resists gathering of dust mites three times more efficiently than other brands.
Best Medication For Insomnia And Depression - Why You’re Not Sleeping & What to Do About It | ArticlesBase.com
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on July 14th, 2010
Best Medication For Insomnia And Depression
If you are having crisis sleeping night after night, you are undergoing insomnia, and you really need to can make out on the realities around insomnia if you are to engender it go away. There are some estimates that 70 million people suffer from insomnia, or about two thirds of Americans. On average, sleep problems tend to affect women more than men. Insomnia is very common among people over the age of 60 years old, as well as those folks who have a history of suffering from depression. Best Medication For Insomnia And Depression
In studying the facts about insomnia, we also need to examine some of the other factors that can bring on sleep problems. Students who spend a lot of late nights studying are especially prone to insomnia. So are those who work the overnight shift, those traveling (especially those taking trips to a different time zone), those under an enormous amount of stress, and those who are suffering from a lot of pain. Insomnia takes on a number of forms. Transient insomnia is when you suffer from a lack of sleep for just a few days in a row. Intermittent insomnia occurs when you suffer a lack of sleep periodically.
And chronic insomnia happens for weeks at a time. It is the most serious of the three. If you are suffering from a lack of sleep, you first need to identify certain behaviors that are causing you to have trouble getting rest. Try as many relaxation techniques as possible, both for your body and for your mind. Do your body a favour. Have a good sleep tonight! Download your Best Medication For Insomnia And Depression eBook now!
Why Sleeping is Not a Waste of Precious Time
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on July 10th, 2010
Sleep is one of the most overlooked activity in our daily life, and this is often because many of us do not appreciate the importance of a good sleep. Not to mentioned the notion that lying there for a good 8 hours is a huge waste of time. However, not having a good night sleep can leave us unenergetic and generally unhappy the following day.
If that is not enough reason for you to want to have a good night sleep, this article will talks about the various benefits of getting a good rest at night and how it can affects your physical and mental health in more than one ways.
Firstly when you sleep, your heart rate goes down, this is important especially for those with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as not enough rest and repair to our heart can escalate their illnesses. If you work your heart harder and longer than it is intended, it will eventually break down.
Another important reason why we need sleep is to help our body repair itself, as well as produce hormones that can help aid the immune system. Our immune system is responsible for warding off diseases and infections, therefore loss of sleep or a lack of it will lead to us falling ill more regularly.
Did you also know that your body weight can be affected by a lack of sleep? Studies have shown that a lack of proper sleeping habit can promote weight gain, and most likely overweight. This is because the a drop in the hormones that regulate our appetite and an increase in the hormones that stimulates our hunger, leading us to eat more often.
Long term memories and learning retention also happened when you sleep, think of it as the opportunity for our brain to store information we’ve learned throughout the day. Sleep also promotes easier recalling of information in your brain.
If you’re working out regularly, you’ve probably already came in contact with information pertaining to sleep and muscles. Sleeping will help repair and rebuild muscles that you’ve tore throughout your work out period, if you’re looking to get bigger or toner, you’ll need to the sleeping time to help you recover from the muscle tear as well as build firmer muscles as this is the only way your body can repair itself.
So the next time you’re thinking that sleep is a waste of time, take a look at the benefits it can gives you, or the lack of it if you do not allocate enough time for sleeping. Getting enough sleep every night can also promote a healthier lifestyle and sleeping habits, which is often important in keeping you sane!
Improper Sleeping Habits of Children: How to Deal with them? | ArticlesBase.com
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on May 03rd, 2010
Sleeping habits of children and adolescents have been in the news of late. While parents are concerned about their child’s oversleeping tendency, research shows that adolescents need at least 8-10 hours of sleep. Though sleeping all the time is not good for the health of children, parents should also take their child’s age and health into consideration before panicking.
Hormonal Changes
The onset and end of puberty is marked by radical changes inside the body. Adolescence is often mistaken as an age where children start showing agitation or ‘rebel’ attitude. However, doctors believe that it is due to the production of certain hormones inside the body that result in ‘weird’ behavioral patterns among adolescents. People in the age group 11- 22 tend to sleep more. During the adolescence period, the biological clock of our body slows down a little.
How much sleep exactly
A minimum of eight hours of peaceful sleep is what doctors the world across prescribe. Children, however, require around ten hours of sleep. Adolescents are often found awake till the wee hours of the morning. Chronic sleep deprivation is the medical term for this problem. That is why good sleep hygiene must be followed in the family.
Following a routine is one of the best ways to deal with sleep problems. Children who sleep at a fixed time and get up at a scheduled time perform better than those who have irregular sleep patterns.
Sleep Deprivation
This can have adverse effects on adolescents. It inhibits their creativity, impairs memory and their learning ability, results in mood swings and irritability, and impairs the immune system to a large extent. Adolescents also show lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem due to improper sleep routine.
The Solution
The best solution to this is keeping a watch on the activities of your adolescent child. If your child is getting tired due to involvement in too any activities, you should talk to him about this and ensure that he spends time in only the things that he loves and are important. Parents should not watch TV late night in front of their children. Parents must cultivate good habits so that their children also follow the same.
Many families do not have fixed dinner timing. Dinner should be served at around 8′o clock. Your child’s room should be quiet, well ventilated, away from TV, and pleasant interiors. Keep an eye on your child and ensure that he does not take caffeine or alcohol. These stimulate the nervous system and often cause unrest.
Many children come home from school and go to bed. While a power nap (30-45 minutes) during the day can be great, too much of sleep during the afternoon can also be a cause of restlessness during the night time. Charlotte Bronte says “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”
The kind of food you serve your child is also important for his health. Oily food or recipes that involve a lot of spices sometimes cause uneasiness. If your child does not show any improvement even after following the aforementioned advice, you should consult a doctor.
Sleep is Important in Preventing Sleep Disorders in Pilots and Can Ensure a Safer Flight
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on March 27th, 2010
Piloting a small or large aircraft is a serious job that requires precision and awareness. Over the last few years fatigue has become a very widely known cause of many flight problems and crashes. This is especially so when it comes to major airliner companies but applies to any one in aviation. Fatigue caused by sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders make pilots at high risk for mistakes that could result in disaster. Simple things like taking one more student on a flying lesson at the end of the day can be detrimental if the licensed pilot is lacking the sleep they need.
Americans in general work too long of hours, eat the wrong foods, do not exercise enough, and in turn don’t get the sleep they need. Pilots develop these habits just as anyone else. In order to break the cycle, habits must be changed and good sleep must be attained. Some conditions require medical assistance, but general fatigue and sleep deprivation can often be cured just by getting enough sleep each night. A person’s estimate of the amount of sleep they get each night is often wrong. Many people have trouble falling asleep, wake many times throughout the night, and wake up feeling drained and more tired than when they were at bed time.
If you are a pilot who has trouble sleeping, changing sleeping habits can make a drastic change in how much sleep you get and how well you sleep through the night. You should always try to get eight hours of sleep and have a set bed time and nightly routine. Eliminate as much light and sound as possible and make your bedroom a cool and comfortable sleeping environment. Exercise during the day and not before going to bed. Do not eat or drink caffeine before going to bed.
Keeping track of your sleeping patterns and daily habits can help you determine if certain activities, food, or beverages are affecting the amount of sleep you get. A sleep diary is a great way to monitor these things along with stress and other factors that can prevent a good night’s rest. Often this is one of the first things a doctor will recommend so a pattern can be determined and appropriate treatment and sleeping changes can be made. A diary should be kept for at least two weeks. Write down when you go to sleep and wake up every day, foods eaten, activities done before bed, and any time you wake throughout the night. Any other information you feel is important can be written down as well.
Sleep disorders and pilots are not a good combination. Many people’s lives can be put in danger and the lack of sleep can affect the pilot’s ability to make decisions and react properly during a flight. Make any changes that will help you get more sleep. As a pilot, you have the responsibility of other people’s lives along with yours and your crew. Taking care of yourself appropriately will ensure that everyone gets to their destination safely every time you fly.
Try Self Hypnotised Sleep for a Better Night of Rest | ArticlesBase.com
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on February 06th, 2010
Getting good sleep is essential for a good quality of life. People who suffer from sleep disturbances like difficulty falling asleep or waking up in the night can benefit from being self hypnotised before bed.
The Importance of Good Sleep
Lack of sleep can lead to all sorts of unpleasant effects and interfere with enjoyment of life. People who are regularly deprived of sleep often experience:
• Reduced concentration
• Poor memory
• Reduced motor coordination
• Weakened immune systems
Reasons for Sleeplessness
The cause is most often linked to poor sleep patterns is stress, which can be a result of:
• overworking
• troubling psychological baggage
• financial troubles
• other stressful factors
Loss of sleep due to stress is common. A survey by the Better Sleep Council found that 51 percent of Americans report that stress regularly disturbs their sleep. Sporadic episodes of insomnia can be overcome with simple techniques of hypnosis. Individuals who become self hypnotised before bed are relaxed and enjoy quality, deep sleep.
How to Get Better Sleep
These three steps are a great start to improving your quality of sleep. If your sleeplessness persists, see your doctor for a complete health evaluation and further guidance.
1. Consider your lifestyle. If you work day and night, ignoring signs of stress, schedule in a break for yourself. Clear your calendar for a day and dedicate it to relaxation.
2. Evaluate your sleep environment. Make the bedroom a quiet haven for rest. The hum of a computer, light from a bedside clock or are environmental disturbances that could reduce the quality of your deep sleep. Use a sleep mask and ear plugs if you have no control over environmental factors.
3. Go to bed self hypnotised. Many people go to bed with a “to do” list still running through their minds keeping the brain in an adrenaline-fueled state that will never bring good sleep. Self-hypnosis is a simple, effective way to calm the mind before sleeping.
Steps To Relaxation Through Self-Hynposis:
• Lay on your back and close your eyes and arms naturally at your sides.
• Inhale deeply from the abdomen and count to eight. Exhale slowly as you count to eight again. Repeat for several rounds.
• Flex and release every muscle sequentially. Begin with your toes and work your way up, focusing on each muscle group.
• Remain focused on relaxing. Don’t allow your mind to wander. As thoughts arise, drop them and return your focus to your breath.
• Count down from ten and imagine yourself descending into deeper relaxation as you go through each number. Don’t rush through the numbers; enjoy relaxing into each one.
• By the time you reach “one,” you should feel completely relaxed if not asleep. Increase the count to twenty until you fall asleep. Do this every night before bed and be patient. The results will be worth the effort.
Your Pillow and Your Health
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on December 12th, 2009
Can a common item like a pillow affect your health for good or bad? Sure it can. Many of the items that we use everyday and never think about either improve or hinder our physical, mental and emotional health if you consider their everyday impact. Making basic connections between the stuff we use everyday and their effect on our health is a simple way to improve well-being.
Medical studies and common sense tell you that getting enough sleep is good for your health. In fact, not getting enough sleep can actually harm your health. Notice how much more you snack on foods that are not good for you the next day following a sleepless or fitful night. Well, maybe you won’t notice because lack of good sleep also badly affects your mental ability and focus the next day.
When you can’t sleep, especially away from home during business travel, what is it that you do most while tossing and turning? Probably trying to get your pillow right. So you pound it, turn it to the “cool” side, try a different one, maybe try to put two pillows together or maybe try to sleep on your back or with your arm behind your head - all because the pillow is uncomfortable.
This is why savvy travelers who need to get a good night’s sleep might try to find a way to pack a pillow that helps them sleep soundly. A pillow that is a good fit for them. Good sleep health depends upon a good pillow that is a fit for you.
What about the importance of the right pillow while traveling? Think about the traveler that must cover long distances - an example is flying on business from Dallas to Singapore. By the time this person arrived in Singapore, she most likely flew three hours to Los Angeles, lugged her carry-on gear through the security checkpoint at the international terminal, got on a midnight flight there to Hong-Kong, “lost” a day flying fourteen hours through the night while crossing the international date line, arrived in Hong Kong early the day after she left L.A., hauled her carry-on gear yet again through an international security checkpoint, and then hiked a quarter mile inside the Hong Kong International airport to her gate for the additional four hour flight to Singapore.
What is this traveler doing in between? If she is not lucky enough to be in first or even business class she is trying to be comfortable sitting in a cramped space for what seems like forever. Now imagine that the traveler is older or suffers from neck and back problems and has no choice but to travel for her job? Or what if the poor traveler suffers from hemorrhoids?
This can be a horrible experience with no relief to be found except through use of a good travel pillow. A pillow made to assist with easing the uncomfortable state of sitting unnaturally in limited positions for a long time or an inflatable pillow to ease having to sit for a while with a sore behind. In this case, good travel health depends upon a good pillow that is made for the coach class passenger.
Think of the other connections between good health and a good pillow. A person with orthopedic neck issues needs a neck pillow. A person with back problems needs a proper lumbar or backrest pillow with the proper form to support and provide comfort. Choosing the right size and form for your toddler’s pillow is most important for your child’s safe and healthy sleeping. Know someone that suffers from allergies? A latex pillow is one part of that person’s defense against allergens.
And most important, good health is about feeling good. Even if you have no health problems, a good buckwheat pillow that forms right for your head can help you sleep soundly and well. Even pillows used to decorate a house can be good for our emotions and mental health by making our homes warm and inviting, a place where we can unwind from the day.
Think of the stuff that we use everyday as not just things. These are the pieces of our physical world that enhance or detract from our overall health and well-being. Yes, even the simple, obscure items we never consider - like the pillow.
Natural Sleeping Aides - Simple Steps to Sleep Again | ArticlesBase.com
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on November 08th, 2009
Natural Sleeping Aides If you are having from insomnia, you are possibly quite frustrated - and tired. There are millions of people such a have queries surrounded by sleeping, or rather a lack thereof. When you suffer tried all the cures for insomnia which you can, the solution may be a good deal simpler too you think. Most cures for insomnia fall into the medication area, whether they are alternative treatments, over the counter sleep aids, or prescription medications. Unfortunately, there are too many people that are not having any success from these kinds of treatments. In this article, you will learn some of the simpler things that you can do - without taking any medications. Natural Sleeping Aides One of the first cures for insomnia is to train your brain. You have most likely gradually disturbed your body’s natural sleep cycle, and the common culprit is television. Many people think that it is okay to just grab a few hours of sleep when there is some great late night movie you don’t want to miss. This turns into a habit and then when you are overtired and realize you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body is already trained to this altered sleep cycle. Other cures for insomnia include restricting your caffeine ingestion and exercising. Try not to drink anything that has caffeine in it after three in the afternoon. Exercise is always beneficial, but you should avoid exercising in the evening to allow your body proper time to adjust. Finally, one of the most helpful cures for insomnia is to set a schedule and stick to it. You will need to maintain a consistent time for waking up every morning, whether you are getting up for work or not. You should also be choosing a set bedtime each night. Do your body a favour. Have a good sleep tonight! Download your Natural Sleeping Aides eBook now!
Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on October 23rd, 2009
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder wherein breathing stops and starts quite frequently while sleeping. These episodes of temporary cessation of breathing last for about 10 seconds or even longer. People with this condition may not be aware of having any problems in the night, but may feel extremely sleepy and groggy during the day. In obstructive sleep apnea, throat muscles tend to block and relax the airway.
As a matter of fact, snoring is considered to be one of the most evident indication of sleep apnea. Anyone could have this disorder, but most people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are men, especially the ones who are kind of overweight.
Obstructive sleep apnea treatment would mainly include use of a device for keeping your airway tract open or else undergoing a special procedure for removing the tissue from your mouth, nose or throat.
Causes
“Obstructive sleep apnea” comes about when your muscles and soft tissues of the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, and the tongue in the back of the throat are over-relaxed. Due to this, the passage of air is obstructed by the sagging muscles. This obstruction to the air movement, leads to loud snoring, and when there is a complete obstruction, cessation of breathing occurs.
This could further lead to lowering the level of oxygen in the blood stream, thus making the brain sense the lack of ability to breathe. That is why; sometimes the person is awakened from slumber, so that the airway can be opened up. Mostly, this incidence is so brief, it is not recollected. This corrects the breathing for that short period of time, and this might repeat even as a pattern throughout the sleep, possibly following a kind of sequence of breaths, most likely even up to 30 times in an hour, all through the night.
During sleep, sounds like those of gasping, snorting or choking might be made. This prevents one from having restful good sleep, which leaves the person tired in the day, and it is no surprise that the person wouldn’t even know if she slept badly, in fact she might even think that she slept well!
This type of sleep apnea is the most common one and generally affects middle aged men, who are likely to be overweight.
Symptoms
You might feel excessively sleepy during the daytime (hypersomnia), or might observe the occurrence of breathing cessation during sleep, snore loudly, wake up abruptly and be short of breath, wake up with a sore throat or a dry mouth, have a headache right in the morning, and probably find it difficult staying asleep (insomnia).
Treatments
Those who are overweight should probably attempt to lose weight. Alcohol and sleeping medicines must be avoided, as it interferes with the normal breathing pattern and could aggravate sleep apnea. Antidepressant drugs could help in milder cases. Some patients having a severe condition of sleep apnea benefit by the use of the treatment of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In CPAP, air from a compressor is forced into the airway via a mask over the nose.
Artificial ventilation during nighttime might be needed. In some cases, oral appliances might be employed, as it is much easier to use, although CPAP is more effective as a treatment. This oral appliance is designed to keep the throat open. Some of these appliances are devised to bring the jaw forward, relieving snoring and mild apnea, while others might hold the tongue in a different place.
To Your Health!
20 Secrets to a Good Night Sleep
Posted by admin in Prescription Sleep Medicine on September 13th, 2009
If you are having sleep problems then you are not the only one but there are number of people struggling with falling and staying asleep. If you are not suffering from a serious sleep disorder, you can improve it by improving your lifestyle and by creating a better sleep atmosphere for good sleep. Some techniques are listed below:
1. Regular exercises help us in improving our health as well as make us fall asleep and sleep better. A brisk walk, a bicycle ride, running and yoga can help you. Make your schedule of exercise in the morning or early afternoon.
2. Do not take snacks before bed time, mainly grains and sugars. This will increase blood sugar and slow down sleep.
3. If you want to sleep deeply then switch off the light of the room in which you sleep. Make it a complete dark room because the smallest bit of light in the room can disturb you.
4. Do not watch TV right before bed. It is too thought-provoking to the brain and it will take long time to fall asleep.
5. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day even on the weekends. This will make your routine and also make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
6. If you want some relax then read some religious or holy books. Do not read thought-provoking books as they have the reverse effect.
7. Try to avoid using noisy alarm clocks as such alarm put pressure on the body to wake up suddenly. Give up your usual shrill alarm and use the sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm gives a perfect way to wake up each morning if you can’t wake up. This clock is ideal for everyone who has trouble falling asleep.
8. Write down your thoughts before bed if your mind is racing.
9. Go to bed as early as possible as our body system will get disturbed and cause further disruption of our health.
10. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields. These can disturb the pineal gland, and may have other negative effects as well.
11. Do not keep the temperature of bedroom more than 70 degrees F. Too hot homes mainly the bedrooms are not good for sleep.
12. Always try to eat a high-protein snack more than a few hours before bed.
13. Daily eat a small piece of fruit before bed. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.
14. If you are not having any severe problems then reduce or avoid taking drugs as possible. Many medications may have effects on sleep.
15. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is not metabolized well and therefore people feel the effects long after consuming it. Use of caffeine either in coffee, tea or some other will keep away people from sleep.
16. Keep the alarm clocks and other electrical devices far away from the bed as possible, at least 3 feet away.
17. Avoid consuming alcohol. Alcohol makes the people drowsy but the effects are short lived and people will often wake up for long hours later, unable to fall back asleep.
18. Loose your weight as overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will not give you a restful night’s sleep.
19. Do not drink liquids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will increase the frequency of going to bathroom.
20. Avoid food which is sensitive for you especially wheat and dairy products as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing excess congestion and gastrointestinal upset.