Archive for March, 2008
Insomnia, by itself, is not a disease. It may be a symptom of a physical and emotional imbalance or just manifestation of fatigue caused by lack of sleep. This condition is manifested by any of the following: a) light, interrupted sleep that one is still tired upon waking up, b) not being able to sleep, even if fatigued, c) lack of sleeping hours. Although this condition is usually temporary, insomnia may be classified based on the length of time it has affected the patient.
* Transient Insomnia – This circumstance remains just for a couple of days. Transient insomnia is typically caused by tension or as a direct reaction to change. It is occasionally called adjustment sleep disorder. The disorder might spring up after a traumatic issue or even during minor changes such as travelling or atmospheric condition changes.
Caffeine and nicotine are likewise maintained to affect sleeping patterns. Caffeine, which is present in coffee, and nicotine, existing in cigarettes, can induce transient insomnia. In most cases, treatment for transient insomnia is not needed. It usually concludes after a few days once the individual was capable to adapt to the brand-new situations or environment.
* Short-term Insomnia – This endures for 3 weeks or less. Short-term insomnia and transient insomnia are just about similar in their causes.
Female hormonal changes can bear on sleep practices. Among the female hormones, progesterone, promotes sleep. During menstruation, once its levels are low, women may experience insomnia. On the other hand, during ovulation, the gain in progesterone levels step-ups sleepiness. Variances in the level of progesterone during pregnancy and menopause cause altered sleeping patterns leading to transient insomnia. While women after 50 likewise experience chronic insomnia, this is usually caused by psychological or overemotional factors.
Varieties in working circumstances, such as switching schedules, also cause short-term insomnia. Likewise, people who incline to overwork get less rest than the average. In one case, insomnia was also discovered in people doing a great deal of computer work.
Light can also touch on one’s sleep. A bit much light at nighttime can interrupt sleep or even prevent sleepiness. Also, little light during the day, as in disabled or senior patients who seldom go out can also cause short-term insomnia. This is since the degrees of melatonin reacting to darkness. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, a pea-sized gland at the centre of the brain, that assists and regulates the cycles of sleeping and awaking.
* Chronic insomnia – when a person couldn’t sleep, has interrupted sleep, or is still tired after sleeping; and the condition recurs for more than two nights every week for more than one month. Also, it is characterized when the patient is fatigued and believes that his daily activities are affected by this sleeping condition.
Based on the causes, chronic insomnia may be further characterized into primary or secondary: * Primary chronic insomnia – when the insomnia is not caused by any physical or mental imbalance. * Secondary chronic insomnia – may be caused by physical and mental conditions, such as depression, or emotional and psychiatric disorders.
In one survey, in industrial nations, chronic insomnia affects almost ten percent of adults. Insomnia can impact a patient during daytime when patient may experience drowsiness in the mornings or in the afternoon. A few, in spite of their drowsiness account failure to sleep. Even worse, a different group accounted excessive energy throughout the day. These people are more troubled and even more cranky.
Due to failure to acquire adequate rest, these people have subdued concentration. If someone has pre-existing medical condition, such as orthopaedic pain or arthritis, this may be aggravated by insomnia. When one suspects that he or she has insomnia, consulting a doctor would be the safest advise. One of these therapies may also be attempted.
* Minimizing consumption of caffeine containing beverages. This includes coffee, colas and chocolate. It is advised to restrict consumption after 3pm. For most people, these substances are eliminated from the body in a few hours. But some people have slow biologic elimination process, which caffeine can stay in the body longer than the average.
* People can also limit stay in bed during the sleeping hours. This is effective to increase the tendency to sleep when in bed.
Posted in Sleep Disorders
The sound of snoring is caused by air struggling to pass through your nose and throat. If they are blocked or obstructed in some way, it can lead to snoring.
One of the more common reasons for snoring is when the muscles in the neck and throat are not well toned. With some simple daily exercises, you can firm up those muscles which will often help with your snoring.
Ask any professional singer and they’ll tell you how important it is to do exercise daily that will help keep their air passages clear. Singers do exercises that help to tone their jaws, their tongues and their throats. Strong muscles in these areas will help them perform better.
These same type of exercises can help with a snoring problem in many cases, by helping to keep the airways clear and breathing easier.
Besides, you never know – these exercise might just help you win American Idol some day!
Here are 7 easy exercises that you can do anywhere to help tone your muscles:
1. Slowly open and close your mouth, to its fullest. Do it in a controlled way and ensure that your lips meet when your mouth is closed.
2. Pucker up as if you’re going to blow someone a kiss, then hold it for 5 seconds before relaxing.
3. Practice your smile – make it big and exaggerated. Hold it for 5 second before relaxing.
4. Press your lips together and hold them tightly for 5 seconds, then relax.
5. Press your lips together and then make a sipping noise, as if you were sipping a drink.
6. Stick your tongue out as far as you can. Keep it straight and horizontal – don’t let it droop.
7. Stick your tongue out to it’s maximum and then move it side to side – touching the corner of your lips on both sides.
Practice these exercises for a few minutes every day and you may find your snoring problem will disappear before you know it.
Posted in Snoring
The answer, my friends, is not pleasant. In fact, it’s downright scary.
Good Heavens! What a weird word. One authority says it means “to breath”. Another guru claims it means “without breath”. Well, that is exactly what happens with sleep apnea, you stop breathing.
The Causes Of Sleep Apnea
The two major types of sleep apnea are: * Obstructive sleep apnea * Central sleep apnea In most cases, people with obstructive sleep apnea are not aware that they suffer from the condition. It occurs when the muscles in the throat relax during sleep. This causes the airway to close and breathing is stopped. If you are lucky, your brain will recognize this stoppage and send a signal to wake you up.
In some cases the brain doesn’t send a signal to wake you up when the muscles in your throat tighten up and prevent air from reaching your luings. This is called Central Sleep Apnea. Your may wake up and remember later that you woke up. In obstructive sleep apnea, most people are never aware that they woke up and do not know that they have sleep apnea. In some cases, individuals can have a combination of the two conditions called mixed sleep apnea.
The cardiovascular system can bet involved with sleep apnea because every time an individual stops breathing, the oxygen in the body and brain is diminished. This is just one of the many side effects of sleep apnea.
When discovering what is sleep apnea it is interesting to point out, that this occurs in more men than women and is often a problem as you age.
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
When learning what is sleep apnea, it is important to find out just what the symptoms of this disorder are. People with sleep apnea are not getting good nights sleep and will often find themselves very tired during the day. Some people with sleep apnea also complain of headaches, sore throats in the morning and one of the most common complaints is loud snoring, although this doesn’t always indicate sleep apnea.
When any of these symptoms occur, it is time to consult your favorite doctor and explain what is happening to you sleep. Do it now. A doctor may refer you to a sleep clinic for further testing to pinpoint exactly what is happening during your sleep. Next, the doctor will make a judgment or diagnosis with suggestions on the proper way to treat the condition.
I’m hope I have made you realize that sleep apnea cannot be ignored. It is a very dangerous condition that causes unecessary deaths every year. Millions of them around the world. So please, if you think you have a sleeping problem, it you think you have any of the symptoms of sleep apnea, then it is time to see a doctor about it and get some help. Treatment can often cure or at least alleviate some of the symptoms so you don’t die.
It is effective.
Posted in Sleep Apnea