Archive for April, 2008
Natural treatments for insomnia are great alternatives for expensive conventional treatments for sleep disturbance. The ingredients of these natural treatments are so ordinary that you didn’t even know they were used for treating insomnia. Some of your de-stressing techniques can even be used to help you with insomnia.
One of the most popular choices when it comes to natural treatments for insomnia is the use of herbal supplements. The most popular herb known to induce sleep is Valerian. Valerian works by affecting your calming neurotransmitter, GABA. This has been studied and was reported to be safe for general use and doesn’t contain any addictive properties.
Your melatonin levels can also be altered and is considered one of the many natural treatments for insomnia. Your pineal body produces serotonin everyday and when your body is less exposed to light during night time, serotonin is converted to melatonin and helps in putting you to sleep. Melatonin supplements can be taken before bedtime, for approximately thirty minutes beforehand.
Kava, an anti-anxiety herb was also proclaimed to treat insomnia. However, there are an increased number of reports regarding the herb’s adverse effects on the body. Kava is more effective when it is used to treat insomnia caused by too much anxiety or stress.
Another one of the numerous natural treatments for insomnia that most people take for granted are relaxation techniques. There are many relaxation techniques that can give you back your normal and healthy sleeping pattern. These techniques would include progressive muscle relaxation, Yoga, visualization, mindfulness and relaxation response.
The natural treatments mentioned can be further enhanced to increase its effectiveness in improving your sleeping pattern. These enhancements call for a change of lifestyle and change of diet. Just before going to bed, try avoiding food and drinks that contain caffeine which are known to be stimulators and will keep you wide awake. The advisable foods that enhance sleep are those containing Tryptophan such as milk and those rich in magnesium such as legumes and vegetables.
You might also consider some more natural treatments for insomnia such as light therapy, music therapy, and aromatherapy. These are mood and sense-altering therapies that can help in lulling you to sleep. Chinese traditional medicines and acupuncture have also been known to treat insomnia.
My health blog will give you insights on the natural treatments for insomnia. So if you still haven’t found the right natural treatment, visiting my health blog could be one of the answers.
Posted in Sleep
People suffering from sleep apnea have a hard time to breathe while sleeping. Apnea is Greek for “without breath”. There could be many causes for your sleep apnea so it’s important to discuss it with your doctor to get it diagnosed. With sleep apnea, you can actually stop breathing for as long as ten seconds and it usually happens because brain signals that control breathing are interrupted or because the throat muscles relax enough that the airway narrows.
Many patients don’t even realize what is causing their symptoms and that makes it hard to diagnose. Daytime drowsiness, snoring, headaches and even a sore throat are included in the symptoms. Many people don’t even notice them and they may be just temporary.
If you are considering having any type of surgery, you should find out if sleep apnea puts you at any other risk. Anesthesiologists need to be aware if there is an added problem of sleep apnea as it could be a major concern.
Finding Out If A Patient Is At Risk For Perioperative Sleep Apnea
A questionnaire needs to be completed by patients in order to evaluate their risk for perioperative sleep apnea. An anesthesiologist will conduct an interview with the patient to see if there are any possible risk factors for perioperative sleep apnea.
Perioperative sleep apnea can be a huge problem during surgery as the patient is put to sleep and the muscles in the throat are relaxed causing this condition to occur. If there is some concern in regards to sleep apnea this can be closely monitored to avoid complications from this disorder.
As well as during surgery, the patient will need to be closely monitored after surgery to make sure the throat doesn’t swell and cause the breathing to stop. A Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine is designed to keep the airway open. A mask is placed over the person’s nose and oxygen is pumped directly into the airway. Due to the consistent pressure, the airway stays open and oxygen flows correctly.
If there is the slightest chance that there may be some problems with perioperative sleep apnea during surgery, the medical team will be ready to go into action. You need to be totally honest with them in your interview so that they will know what to expect if anything.
In actual fact, there aren’t really a great many easy obstructive sleep apnea remedies and it can be a very dangerous and difficult condition to treat. However, there are certain steps that you can take to try and remedy if not correct it.
The most obvious solution to obstructive sleep apnea could be losing weight. If you are overweight and suffer from sleep apnea, then you probably have other problems caused by your weight which you may not want to acknowledge. Being overweight can cause diabetes, acid reflux disease, heart disease, arthritis and permanent joint damage. It is also linked to certain forms of cancer, and messes up your blood sugar and circulatory health. Of all the obstructive sleep apnea remedies, weight loss might be the one that is most beneficial to your overall health! So while it may not be much fun, it could really benefit not just your sleep apnea but your whole system.
Other kinds of obstructive sleep apnea remedies involve making sure your mouth and throat don’t get too dry during the night so that you are better able to breathe. This probably will not stop your sleep apnea completely as you may still find that your airways are blocked by excess tissue. However keeping your mouth and throat moist will help air to pass more easily through these areas. In your bedroom try using a humidifier or warm mist vaporizer. This can be particularly useful if you put some menthol or eucalyptus oil in the vaporizer which will help to keep your air passages clear and unblock your sinuses so that you can breathe easily through your nose or mouth. These obstructive sleep apnea remedies might also cause your snoring problem if you have one.
Other simple obstructive sleep apnea remedies include keeping yourself a bit propped up when you’re in bed, so try some books or blocks under your bed’s headboard. Prop yourself up with some firm foam pillows. Avoid drinking alcohol before bedtime as alcohol relaxes your muscles and this will make them collapse all the more.
And it’s always a good idea to ask your doctor about what obstructive sleep apnea remedies he or she might recommend so that you can be sure that you’re addressing your condition properly.
Posted in Sleep Apnea