Sound Sleep Guide

Archive for November, 2006

A sleeping disorder is defined as, “a disruptive pattern of sleep that may include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep.” There are seven signs that indicate you have a sleeping disorder. These seven signs include difficulty waking up in the morning and/or waking up too early in the morning, difficulty concentrating, a problem with falling asleep at work, feelings of depression, anxiety, moodiness or general irritability, a creepy, crawling sensation experienced in the legs at night, snoring on a regular basis and waking up often throughout the night. Let’s take a closer look at each of these signs …

If you have a difficult time hauling yourself out of bed in the morning, even after getting seven to eight hours sleep and you don’t feel as if you slept a wink or if you find yourself waking up too early in the morning (for example waking at 4AM when you don’t have to get up until 7AM) and you cannot fall back to sleep you are suffering from a sleeping disorder. Poor quality of sleep can be as detriment to one’s health as can an inadequate amount of sleep. The sleep cycle consists of four stages and during each of these stages our body secretes a number of hormones that play a role in regulating our metabolic rate along with other health considerations. If our sleep is disrupted on a regular basis the sleep cycles are thrown off resulting in feelings of exhaustion upon waking, lethargy and lack of readiness to embrace a new day. If you experience this problem a visit to the doctor would be well advised in order for the cause of the problem to be uncovered.

If you develop problems with concentrating on small or big tasks (at work or home), coordination, reaction time, attention span and /or a difficulty with problem solving then a sleep disorder could be to blame. Getting a good night’s sleep is often underrated. Sleep is a necessary part of the human condition and sleeping well enables us to function to our optimum best throughout the day. Any sleep disorder left to its own devices can lead to chronic sleep deprivation which can wreck havoc with many aspects of a person’s life including their work, home life, driving abilities, physical and mental health and social activities.

Drifting off to sleep at work or in school can simply be the sign of staying up too late the night before, drinking too much, worrying too much right before bedtime or staying up late watching a movie or visiting with a friend. We all have the occasional sleepless night but when it becomes a constant problem it has developed into a sleep disorder and will very soon begin affecting your life performance- for the worse. Any number of sleep disorders could be to blame including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or restless legs syndrome. Seek the advice of a health professional.

The fourth sign, feelings of moodiness, irritability, depression or anxiety can indicate a sleeping disorder. Life in general is easier to cope with on a day-to-day basis when we are well rested and at our best health wise. Look closely into the cause of your mood swings, depression, etc. In some causes a sleeping disorder, for example short-term insomnia might be the result of situational factors such as a recent death in the family, a move or a job loss, but in other causes it could be something more serious and more long-term.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is experienced by 15 percent of the population and is characterized by a “creepy, crawling feeling” in the legs or some people describe it as “pins and needles.” The feeling can make it difficult to fall asleep or can wake a person up suddenly and make them want to shake out the discomfort in their legs. Although not considered serious or even life threatening, RLS can be a frustrating sleep disorder for an individual and if he/she doesn’t sleep solo, for the other person in the bed as well. If this condition becomes frequent and extremely disruptive, medications can be prescribed to relieve the symptoms.

The sixth sign, snoring in and of itself is not harmful but it can very often be the symptom of a sleeping disorder known as apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing is interrupted or stops all together during sleep. The signs that indicate you may be suffering from sleep apnea included gasping for air, gagging, a choking sensation, interrupted breathing and frequently waking throughout the night. There are three types of sleep apnea- obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA) and mixed sleep apnea.

The seventh sign is waking up frequently during the night. As described above, this could be the symptom of sleep apnea and any number of other problems, be they physical or psychological in nature. Quite often this sleep problem is due to what is known as improper “sleep hygiene” which is basically just lifestyle considerations such as eating habits, exercise habits, smoking, drinking, jet lag, etc. The good thing about these lifestyle factors is that they are under a person’s control.

There are several ways to talk to your kids about sleep. Proper sleep habits should be established early in life so they become habitual instinct early and potential problems can be avoided later on in life. Sleep routines started as a child generally carry over into adolescent and adult life. It is your job as a parent to instill in your children a sense of good sleep habits now, so they will have them for life.

With most children, when they hear it is time for bed, they try to fight it. You ever notice a small child starts crying and getting irritable when she is tired. Her body is telling her it is time for sleep, but she does not want to. She fights it as long as she can. Sometimes children are afraid they will miss out on something if they go to sleep. Sometimes they feel like they are being treated unfair because their older siblings and the adults don’t have to go to sleep, so they fight it. They don’t want to go to bed, even if they are sleepy and tired. If you don’t have to go to bed, why should they. They might miss something or someone important if they go to sleep. The world as they know it might very well end if they go to sleep, and they will not have any of that! Soon enough they will grow out of that stage and then it is time to start teaching them important sleep habits that they will carry with them the rest of their life.

Some kids work best if you are just flat out honest with them. Some need things to be sugar coated and sometimes need a story to help them understand. Either way, the main key is to teach by example. You want to start your kids on a routine, such as: before going to bed, you brush your teeth, brush your hair, go to the bathroom, and then go to bed. The routine may be different for each parent, but sticking to the same routine every night will help your child develop good bedtime habits. You should do these things with your child, so they don’t feel as though they have been given a chore before bed. Brush your teeth with them. Brush your hair or their hair. If you create an interactive routine, your child is more likely to follow suite without complaint.

Most kids do not want to go to sleep. You can try explaining why sleep is necessary. A good way to explain to your child the reason they need to sleep is (http://kidshealth.org): “The average kid has a busy day. There’s school, taking care of your pets, running around with friends, going to sports practice or other activities, and doing your homework. Phew! It’s tiring just listing all the things you do. By the end of the day, your body needs a break. Sleep allows your body to rest for the next day so you can play all over again.

Everything that’s alive needs sleep to survive. Even your dog or cat curls up for naps. Animals sleep for the same reason you do – to give your body a tiny vacation. We all like vacations don’t we. You also get to dream lots of wonderful things that you can’t see in real life.

Not only is sleep necessary for your body, it’s important for your brain, too. Though no one is exactly sure what work the brain does when you’re asleep, some people think that the brain sorts through and stores information, and solves problems while you snooze. Imagine that, your brain makes you smarter when you sleep. You are going to be the smartest kid in your class if you go to bed every night!”

If you just talk to you child and set up a routine that is done every night at the same time. Your child will easily develop the proper sleep habits that will carry on into their adult life. This is a very important time in a child’s life. They are molded into the people they will become. You can help mold that person by teaching them good habits early. Sleep habits are important for the health of your child.

In today’s fast paced world, full of responsibilities, pressures, and worries there seems to always be a demand on our time. Running at this pace for prolonged periods of time eventually catches up and causes emotional, physical, and mental stress. Over scheduling takes place when we have our children in every sports activity, every theatrical production, every art class, etc…Being busy and never slowing down has become the equivalent of being happy, or a good mom, or whatever it is that we achieve to be. We have deadlines to meet, bills to pay, and our daily life responsibilities end up higher on the priority list. We need to take time to sleep and rest. Sleep is a great healer of physical and emotional stress. Naps are okay. Humans need sleep.

Being overly tired makes us irritable, clumsy, and slow. Studies have shown that people who sleep less than six hours a night are at a higher risk of sleep-related motor vehicle crashes. Sleep loss amplifies the effects of chronic illness as well as mood disorders. Insomnia leads to depression and vice versa. Conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes are harder to control when sleep is insufficient.

If you are a workaholic, you are affecting the lives of your friends, family, and possibly the quality of your work.

If you find yourself trying to do too much at once, it is time to reprioritize. Write down what you need to the next day before bedtime. This might help you go to sleep faster. A plan for your day may also rid you of anxiety about the multiple demands on your time. First, prioritize your goals, plan your day, and try to stay focused on the key tasks you need to do for that day.

What is important is making sure that the number of hours of sleep you get is the right amount for you as well as making the most of your waking hours. If you are productive and getting things done during the day, that will help you get the sleep you need and you will sleep better without the guilt and anxiety.

Getting enough sleep is important not only for your physical and mental well-being, but also is helpful to keep your creative juices flowing. Not enough sleep can make you stressed, sad, angry and tired during the day. Health experts agree that sleep is as essential to your health as food and water. The lack of sleep makes it harder to remember, learn, concentrate, and make good decisions. It also lowers your productivity and your ability to deal with stress. Safety issues are also of concern when drivers are not operating at maximum potential. Drowsy drivers significantly contribute to car accident statistics and need to take breaks at least every two hours.

Here are some tips on reducing your sleep debt:

” Lower your bedroom temperature. A cooler environment means better sleep. Darken your bedroom with shades and curtains. Avoid caffeine less than five hours before bedtime. Don’t activate your brain by doing stressful activities like watching a scary movie, reading a thriller, or balancing your checkbook.

” Make time for sleep. Get an adequate amount of sleep each night. Identify the amount of sleep needed to be fully alert all day, and get that amount every night. Establish a regular sleep schedule. This involves going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time every morning, including weekends, without an alarm clock. Get continuous sleep. For sleep to be rejuvenating, it needs to be the required amount in one continuous block of time. Make up for lost sleep. One should pay back their sleep debt in a timely fashion by making up for any lost sleep as soon as possible.

” To restore a regular sleep-wake schedule and increase the likelihood of falling asleep soon after going to bed, do the following:

” Set a consistent wake up time that does not change, not even on weekends or holidays. Resist the urge to stay in bed longer to catch up on sleep. A consistent wake-up time will eventually reset your internal sleep-wake cycle and improve your sleep.

” Do not nap. Napping during the day increases the chances that you will have difficulty falling asleep.

Restrict your time spent in bed to the amount of time that you actually sleep. This is the most difficult advice for people with insomnia to follow, but delaying your time to bed until you are experiencing mild sleep deprivation promotes falling asleep faster. You are getting the same amount of sleep as before, just consolidated into one period of sleep. For example, if you find that you generally get only about 6 hours of sleep a night, then don’t go to bed until 6 hours before your wake up time (always give yourself at least 5 hours in bed each night). After a few nights of sleeping well on this schedule, gradually make your time to bed earlier until you are getting a full nights sleep.