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Ways to Overcome Sleep Problems

February 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by Bill Reyers

Sleep problems are very common worldwide. In fact, millions of people around the globe suffer of sleep problems. Sleep deprivation can affect a person’s overall daily performance, so getting enough sleep each night (i.e., medical experts say 6 to 8 hours is healthy and normal) is not only essential, but it will help our bodies nervous system (to function both physically and mentally) and immune system (to help fight diseases and sicknesses); therefore, sleep is essential, and to learn of ways to overcome sleep problems is of utmost importance.

There are many reasons for why people experience sleep problems (e.g., lack sleep, get too much or too little). As well, there are many ways to overcome sleep problems; but, in order to identify a cure or a solution, it is important to recognize what is the cause or problem of not being able to sleep.

Those that suffer from sleep problems might be seeing a pattern of not being able to sleep (commonly known as a Sleep Disorder), be awaken by breathing abnormalities (better known as Sleep Apnea), or be unable to fall asleep or remain a sleep (also known as Sleep Insomnia). Other common sleep-related problems, include:
(1) excessive sleep (e.g., Narcolepsy)
(2) poor sleeping habits (e.g., Sleep Hygiene)
(3) being restless (e.g., Restless Leg Syndrome)
(4) medical illness (e.g., Chronic Lung Disease, Neurological Disease)
(5) mental illness (e.g., Depression, Anxiety, Stress, etc.)

Ways to Overcome Sleep Problems
Before bedtime…
(1) avoid caffeine (e.g., Coffee, Tea, Colas, etc.). It causes insomnia (lack of sleep)
(2) avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. It too may cause insomnia
(3) avoid taking antidepressants (or similar medications)
(4) avoid high-fat meals
(5) eat a light meal, drink some warm milk, or have a caffeine-free herbal tea (which can help relax a person before sleeping)

If trying some of the mentioned ways to overcome a sleeping problem has not helped him or her get more sleep, it would be best to check-in with his or her doctor (or a medical specialist) who can provide some expertise on the matter. Besides, the sleep problem could be related to a medical condition or an illness (and not something already mentioned), so seeking a doctor’s advice is reassuring, as he or she will likely understand and determine the cause of the sleep problem and can suggest the right treatment or actions to follow to improve, if not cure, the sleep problem.


About the Author

Over one third of people worldwide suffer from sleep problems during their lives. Cannotsleep.net aims to help you cure your sleep problems.

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Dealing with sleep problems effectively

February 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by Edith B. Feldman

There’s nothing strange about experiencing sleep problems from time to time. But when sleep problems become persistent it is a real cause for concern. Unfortunately, most people tend to do nothing about it, because they think that sleep problems are just minor issues that don’t require attention. This erroneous assumption often leads to the development of more serious problems such as anxiety and depression. So it is really important to address sleep disorders professionally at the right time.

In order to get a proper treatment, you should first be diagnosed with a particular sleep disorder affecting the quality of your sleep. The most common symptoms of sleep disorders are daytime drowsiness, concentration issues, irritability, mood swings, trouble staying awake while performing monotonous tasks, and eye discomfort among many others.

Some symptoms of sleep disorders can be really dangerous, such as drowsiness or falling asleep while performing hazardous activities, such as driving or operating machinery. Heavy consumption of caffeine throughout the day in order to stay awake can also be a sign of sleep problems.

People who suffer from sleep disorders usually have problems with getting asleep or staying asleep during the night, as well as a hard time staying awake in the daytime. Some of the commonly prescribed forms of treatment are addressing insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless leg syndrome.

Insomnia is virtually the most common type of sleep disorders, which can be both occasional and chronic. There is a wide range of causes for insomnia starting with stress and irregular sleep schedule to serious health conditions and medication side effects. There are some measures you can take to address insomnia without medications:

* Employ relaxation and special breathing techniques
* Practice yoga
* Be more physically active throughout the day

By avoiding certain food substance you can also improve the quality of your sleep:

* caffeine
* alcohol
* sugar

These measures can help if you experience occasional sleep disturbance. However, if the problem persists you may require serious medication treatment and prescription for drugs such as Ambien. Consult with your doctor concerning your insomnia problems and ask about forms of treatment you can benefit from.

Other types of sleep disorders usually require medication treatment form the start. Sleep apnea, another common sleep disorder is characterized by heavy snoring that causes sleep fragmentation and decrease in the quality of sleep. This is a serious condition that may lead to heart disease or stroke. Sleep apnea is often caused by blocking of the air passage, which makes the person choke literally during sleep.

Narcolepsy (excessive sleep) can also significantly reduce the quality of life of the person. Being an opposite of insomnia, this sleep disorder is characterized by occasional sleep attacks during the daytime. Imagine that happening while you’re driving a car – it’s a very serious health concern that should be addressed as soon as you experience the first symptoms.

Remember that any sleep disorder requires adequate diagnosis and treatment. It’s not bright to buy Ambien and use it just because you suspect having insomnia. Only a doctor can assess your sleep problem and prescribe you with an adequate treatment. So as soon as you observe any signs of sleep disorders, go to your physician and discuss the problem with a professional.


About the Author

To see what Edith Feldman has written on different topics visit http://www.sleepmez.com/ambien-and-good-sleep.html and find him there. Edith Feldman has dedicated his work to helping people understand better the subject he writes about.

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You Have a Sleep Disorder Symptom If You Any of These Apply

February 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by Victoria Carson







Sleep disorder symptoms vary and people with disorders don’t even know they have a problem and walking around with undiagnosed sleep disorders. They may feel sleepy during the day and trouble sleeping at night or staying asleep. They look and feel tired all the time and may experience mood swings, irritable and emotional. They often experience lack of concentration, forgetfulness and difficulty paying attention. All of these could be signs of sleep deprivation or disorder.

When you ask a person with an undiagnosed sleep disorder symptom what they are experiencing, often you will hear one or more of the following answers:

- I have trouble falling asleep
- I have trouble staying asleep
- I have difficulty getting up in the morning
- My family tells me I do strange things in my sleep
- My partner keeps me awake

The specific answer helps specialists to narrow down and diagnose the right sleep disorder symptom.

Sleep latency is a sleep disorder symptom where people who have it have difficulty falling asleep when they go to bed. It can also mean they wake up in the middle of the night and are unable to fall asleep again.
Serious forms of sleep latency include sleep onset insomnia, delayed sleep phase disorder, shift work, restless leg syndrome or paradoxical insomnia.

Sleep fragmentation is another sleep disorder symptom where a person is not able to stay asleep. People with this disorder can fall asleep easily, but wake up many times throughout the night

Still yet another sleep disorder symptom is sleep maintenance insomnia or shift work where one is able to fall asleep alright but will wake up in the middle of the night and unable to fall asleep again. This is usually an advanced sleep phase disorder.

Narcolepsy is another sleep disorder where one cannot stay awake. A person with this disorder can fall asleep at the drop of a hat and often at inappropriate times. This group also includes such disorders as obstructive or central sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, shift work or advanced sleep phase disorder.

With excessive sleep inertia, another sleep disorder symptom, people are unable or have difficulty waking up from sleep. They have difficulty making the transition from sleep state to fully awake and can take an hour or two to become fully awake. Sleep apnea and delayed sleep phase disorders are also included in this group.

Some of the strange things people do in their sleep include sleepwalking, sleep terrors, arousals, REM sleep behavior disorder, nightmares, sleep-related eating disorders and bruxism are all types of sleep disorders known as parasomnias.

People who blame their partner’s snoring for their inability to sleep don’t realize that they may have any one or more of sleep apnea, bruxism, restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder for their problem.

Whichever group you belong, you need professional help. Everyone experiences sleeplessness sometime due to day to day struggles, financial burdens, death of loved ones and so many other situations. These are temporary situations and not disorders.
If you have any of these sleep disorder symptoms help is available.



About the Author

Victoria Carson has a background in the health sciences and interested in helping people with sleep disorder and weight issues. The two issues are connected and many sleep deprivation causes can be solved by watching your diet and nutrition. To find more information about how to sleep better at night, visit: http://www.SleepingInToday.com

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8 Physical Conditions That Can Cause Sleep Disorders

February 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Sleep disorders usually have their roots in a medical problem or a prescription drug taken to treat a disease. The common diseases leading to sleep disorders are cardiovascular, neurological, mental, kidney, and gastroesopheal disorders as well as arthritis.

1. Cardiovascular Disorders

The most common cardiovascular disorders that cause sleep disorders are coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Both these disorders can cause obstructive sleep apnea.

Congestive heart failure is characterized by the inability of the heart to pump sufficient blood to satisfy the requirements of the body. As a result of this, blood accumulates in the veins leading to the kidneys, and the resulting edema inflicts a lot of damange to the organs of the body.

Coronary heart disease is characterized by the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries that carry blood to the heart, leading to a condition known as atherosclerosis.

2. Endocrine Disorders

Sleep disorders are also the result of endocrine malfunction such as thryroid disorder and diabetes. Diabetes affects the way in which the body stores and uses carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. People who do not manage and control their diabetic condition often suffer from restless leg syndrome.

The hormones released by the thyroid gland regulates the energy levels of the body. A person suffering from hyperthyroidism sweats profusely at night and is unable to enjoy a peaceful night’s rest.

3. Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease are also responsible for sleep disorders.

Parkinson’s disease affects the central nervous system. It’s symptoms include difficulties in movement, tremors, unstable posture, slow movements, stiffness in the muscles, and difficulties in walking. Parkinson’s disease causes sleep disorders such as sleep onset insomnia and REM sleep behavior disorder.

Alzhiemer’s disease impairs the intellectual functions of the brain and causes dementia. It also causes a sleep disorder called fragmentation.

Epilepsy affects the normal electrical functions of the brain and leads to short, sudden changes in it that are recurrent. People suffering from epilepsy are more likely to suffer from insomnia.

Usually, stroke is associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

4. Respiratory Disorders

Those suffering from a respiratory disorder such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma usually suffer from an accompanying sleep disorder such as insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

The air passages of those suffering from asthma are inflamed. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, is a group of respiratory disorders that cause untold damage to the lungs and lead to difficulties in breathing.

5. Mental Disorders

People suffering from psychological disorders such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, depression, and schizophrenia also suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep fragmentation.

6. GERD

In gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, the juices in the stomach flow back into the esophagus, and this leads to sleep fragmentation.

7. Kidney Disorders

In most kidney disorders, the kidneys are unable to filter the waste substances from the blood. They are also unable to maintain a proper balance between salt and water. Such a kidney disorder could lead to insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

8. Arthritis

The intense pain suffered by arthritis patients drives away sleep, resulting in insomnia.

If a sleep disorder is due to a medical condition, the medical condition should be treated first, not the sleep disorder. When the primary cause of a sleep disorder is succesfully treated, it disappears, and the patient finds that he or she can enjoy good sleep.

Abhishek is a Natural Sleep expert and he has got some great tips on Overcoming Insomnia Download his FREE 110 Pages Ebook, “How To Win Your War Against Insomnia ” from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/77/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.


Article from articlesbase.com

Common sleep disorders: signs and treatments. Watch this and more health videos at: www.answerstv.com

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Sleeping Disorder

February 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Article by John Dewey







Sleep Disorders

Introduction

The light from the moon casts long shadows across your bedroom wall. Your spouse breathes softly beside you. You are wide awake once again at four a.m. Your frustration grows the longer you lie awake. You wonder how you will be able to function at work tomorrow with so little rest. Use our Medication Checklist to find out how much you already know about your medicine. Then get the answers you need in our Drug Library.

Sleep Disorders What is it?

Sleep disorders can be temporary or long-term problems and can affect the quantity or quality of sleep achieved. There are four recognized types of sleeping disorders:

* Extrinsic sleep disorders, caused by something outside of the body such as drug use or a poor sleep environment
* Intrinsic sleep disorders, caused by something within the body such as a physical or psychological ailment
* Circadian rhythm sleep disorders, which are disruptions in your regular daily biological clock such as jet lag or work shift changes
* Parasomnias, characterized by unusual physical occurrences during sleep such as sleepwalking, grinding teeth or bed-wetting

Insomnia, or difficulty falling asleep, can be caused by any one of the four types of sleep disorders mentioned above. See for yourself how your medication interacts with other drugs – use our Drug interaction Checker.

The National Institutes of Mental Health has identified three broad categories of insomnia. These include:

* Transient – insomnia lasting fewer than three days
* Short-term – lasting three days to three weeks
* Chronic – lasting more than three weeks

Sleep Disorders What causes it?

There are many elements about the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness that scientists do not understand. What is known is that sleep is primarily controlled by two systems in the brain: one that induces sleep, and sleep-related processes, and one that regulates sleep within a 24-hour cycle. This cycle, which corresponds to periods of light and darkness, is known as the circadian rhythm cycle. Researchers are discovering that this cycle a process controlled by genes that are found in living creatures ranging from the lowly fruit fly to human beings. Use our Pill Images to check the color, shape, and size and be sure you got the right medication.

Researchers know that as human beings we go through a variety of stages that can be measured by brain wave patterns. This includes a stage in which our eyes move rapidly, where it is assumed we are dreaming. This stage of sleep is therefore known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Sleep disorders result from either internal abnormalities or external disturbances to these cycles. The feeling of having had enough sleep, or sleep satiety, is related to whether one has gone through all of the cycles of sleep, including both dreamless and REM sleep. We cycle through these stages multiple times per night.

The ongoing study of sleep disorders spans many medical fields, including neuroscience, genetics, physiology and psychology. Some of the mechanisms that play a role in sleep disorders are the subject of study at The National Center for Sleep Disorders Research. This center is situated within the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Research includes the study of the genes that play a role in narcolepsy (a condition characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep), how sleep disturbances affect the immune system, and the role of sleep/wake cycles in triggering heart attacks.

Sleep Disorders Who has it?

Insomnia is the most prevalent sleep complaint among adults in America. Sleep apnea, a disruption of breathing during sleep, affects nearly 12 million people in the U.S. More than one billion dollars are spent each year on sleep medications in the United States. Compare your technique with the methods recommended in our Using Medicine section.

Sleep Disorders What are the risk factors?

Most short-term sleep disorders are caused by one or more of the following factors:

* lifestyle changes, such as marriage or retirement
* stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one or job pressure
* physical disorders
* environment

Chronic sleep disorders have numerous possible causes. These include:

* medical conditions – especially those producing pain
* psychiatric conditions such as depression
* drug use (including alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine)
* environments that are not conducive to sleep

Many conditions that cause sleep disorders are associated with the elderly, which could explain why insomnia is 1.5 times more common in people older than age 65. In addition to physical conditions that disrupt sleep, elderly people tend to experience changes in sleep patterns leading to fewer hours of quality sleep per night.

Women, especially those who are postmenopausal, are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than men. However, laboratory studies show that men are more likely to experience disrupted sleep patterns than women. Visit our Cautionary Drugs section to learn more about medications that may be poor choices for seniors.

Sleep Disorders What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of sleep disorders include:

* difficulty or inability to fall asleep
* awaking early from sleep
* easy disruption of sleep
* fatigue or sleepiness
* anxiety
* lack of concentration
* irritability

Sleep Disorders How is it treated?

Drug therapy in combination with good sleep hygiene (click on the Helping Yourself box) may be helpful for short-term management of insomnia.

Over-the-counter sleep aids that contain diphenhydramine (Benadryl), an antihistamine, may be helpful for short-term bouts of insomnia. Because the body can grow accustomed to antihistamine sleep aids, they often lose their effectiveness the more you take them. If you experience continued bouts of insomnia you should talk to your doctor to see if prescription medications are needed. Benzodiazepines are commonly used for the management of sleep disorders. Short-acting benzodiazepines are less likely than long-acting benzodiazepines to be associated with drowsiness or sluggishness the next morning. Benzodiazepines are only available with a prescription. They are controlled substances and do carry a potential for addiction if used inappropriately.

Other drugs used in the management of insomnia include unique agents called non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics. Examples include Ambien (zolpidem), Sonata (zaleplon), and Lunesta (eszopiclone).

Drug classes also considered sedative hypnotics are barbiturates and sedating antihistamines. The non-benzodiazepines and barbiturates are also controlled substances due to the potential for addiction.

A new class of sedative hypnotics has recently been introduced to the market. Rozerem (ramelteon),is a melatonin receptor agonist which mimics the body?s natural sleep promoting hormone, melatonin. This drug class is unique because it works with the body?s natural circadian rhythm to promote sleep. These melatonin receptor agonists do not carry an addiction potential.

Natural remedies have been used for years to treat sleep disorders. One of the most popular “natural” remedies for insomnia has been melatonin, which can be obtained at most pharmacies and health food stores. Melatonin is a hormone that is known to be involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness. It has been shown that the ingestion of melatonin prior to bedtime will help individuals fall asleep. However, scientific data have failed to confirm that melatonin is useful in maintaining sleep.

Herbal products such as valerian, chamomile, kava kava, and others have also been promoted as natural remedies for insomnia. However, the effectiveness and safety of these products has not been documented in large clinical trials.

Make a personal Emergency Contact and Medication Member Newsletter Subcribe so important information is easy to find in an emergency.

Don’t be afraid to contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions, if a medication doesn’t seem to be working, or if you have problems with a medication or treatment decision. Your doctor and pharmacist are there to help ensure your safety.
Sincerely,
John Dewey
1-305-396-0986
jonhdewey@pharmacyhealthcareexpress.com
To Your Success:
www.pharmacyhealthcareexpress.com
www.pharmacyhealthcareexpress.e-trusted.com



About the Author

John Dewey
johndewey@pharmacyhealthcereexpress.com

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