Sound Sleep Guide

Archive for September, 2008

It has been believed for some time now that too little or poor quality sleep in teenagers leads to a drop in performance at school, but it was not until fairly recently that a formal research study confirmed that teens with poor sleeping habits do in fact suffer from lower grades.

Below are 10 simple tips to ensure that an otherwise healthy child does not suffer from sleeping problems and gets the quality of sleep needed to perform well in school.

1. Decide upon a regular time to go to bed and try not to vary this time by more than a matter of a few minutes from day to day.

2. Ensure that you get up at the same time in the morning, whether or not it is a school day. Teenagers commonly have a lie-in on weekends and during the school holidays and, rather than helping to make you feel better, this merely disrupts your pattern of sleep.

3. If you find that you cannot fall asleep within approximately 15 minutes of climbing into bed then do not simply lie in bed trying to get to sleep, because the more you try the more difficult it will get. Instead, climb back out of bed and do something like reading a book or listening to some relaxing music. Once you begin to feel tired, climb back into bed and you will be asleep in next to no time.

4. Do not be tempted to stay up late doing your homework or studying for a test. Although this could appear to be the answer to a specific problem in the short term, and may well keep you out of trouble for handing your homework in late or see you through a test, in the longer run your performance will drop and any shorter term gain will soon be lost.

5. Avoid the temptation to take a nap in the afternoon school. Should you find that you are so tired that you cannot keep your eyes open then take a nap but for no more than an hour.

6. Do not consume any form of drink which contains caffeine after about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. This of course applies to tea and coffee, but also includes colas and chocolate drinks.

7. Do not eat a heavy meal too close to bedtime. You certainly should not go to bed hungry and having a light snack prior to bedtime is fine, however climbing into bed on a full stomach will make it difficult for you to fall asleep and affect the quality of your sleep.

8. Although teenagers will sometimes spend a lot of time in their bedroom and turn it into more of a ‘living’ than a ’sleeping’ room, avoid the temptation to use the bed for anything other than sleeping. Do not sit in bed reading, writing, playing games, watching TV or anything else but keep it only for sleeping so that your body associates climbing into bed with going to sleep.

9. Avoid strenuous exercise within several hours of bedtime. If you wish to play baseball or engage in other sporting or vigorous activities then do these shortly after school and not an two or three hours before you go to bed.

10. When it comes to bedtime ensure that your bedroom is quiet, dark and cool. Do not shut your bedroom up, turn up the heat and get into bed to watch TV. Instead, lower the heat, open the window a bit if you can to allow in some fresh air and make the room as dark as possible.

If you follow these 10 tips you will find that within no time at all the quality of your sleep will improve, you will feel much more awake and active throughout the day and your grades will improve.

Insomnia is an extremely common sleep disorder which is characterized by interruptions to sleep, shortened sleeping time, restlessness and on occasions by complete wakefulness.

Apart from being extremely annoying, insomnia can cause sufferers to lose their energy and enthusiasm, develop memory and concentration problems and to feel lethargic and frustrated. This in turn can lead to a drop in work productivity and also to accidents which can have serious consequences.

There are lots of different causes of insomnia but here are just 6 which are commonly seen:

1. Environmental Factors. Our environment is very important when it comes to sleep and things like noise, light or extremes of temperature can lead to insomnia.

2. Substance Abuse. The most obvious form of substance abuse when talking about insomnia is coffee, together with other drinks which are high in caffeine. Smoking too might fall into this category as heavy or chain smokers consume more than sufficient quantities of nicotine to cause problems sleeping. However, what is perhaps less well known is that this list of substances is fairly long and even includes many herbal remedies which are taken for a range of different problems and which can cause insomnia as a side effect. Finally, we must not forget alcohol. Although alcohol can often induce tiredness initially once it is metabolized it too can keep you wide awake.

3. Disturbance To The Biological Clock. Each of us has our own body clock or circadian rhythm which is controlled in part by light and darkness and which regulates the body’s sleep/wake cycle. If this clock is thrown out of balance by things like staying up all night studying in college, partying into the small hours or jetting off around the world on business or for pleasure, then you will suffer from sleeping difficulties while the clock slowly tries to re-adjust itself.

4. Activities Prior To Going To Bed. There is a list of things that can produce insomnia if they take place close to bedtime and two items at the top of this list are taking exercise shortly before going to bed or eating a big meal shortly before retiring. These particular activities stimulate the body’s metabolism and keep you awake.

5. Health Problems. There are many different health problems which are known to induce insomnia such as diabetes, heart failure, hyperthyroidism, ulcers, and Parkinson’s disease. Asthma is also increasingly being recognized as a cause of insomnia, as is heartburn, the need for frequent urination and chronic pain resulting from such things as arthritis and leg cramps. The list here is very long indeed and also includes other forms of sleep disorder such as sleep apnea and a range of psychiatric conditions.

6. Emotional Problems. Almost all of us suffer from emotional distress occasionally and this can frequently lead to such things as anxiety or anger. But, if we keep our feelings to ourselves instead of talking about them and seeking a solution to them then this commonly results in insomnia.

For many, snoring is a health concern that extends much farther than a simple loss of sleep. However, every possible alternative should be researched and attempted prior to the consideration of such surgeries. It is important to note that surgery for snoring should only be considered as a last resort and only if you have serious health risks involved in not having the surgery done.

When Snoring Surgery Is The Only Option

For many, the nightly snoring is a result of an increased uvula, palate or excessive throat tissue. If you are someone that must have the snoring surgery done to save your life, insure that you have exhausted all other possibilities first before making your final decision. There are many different types of snoring surgery available to assist in the effort to resolve your health concerns. However, it is best to research every possible option available as these surgeries are not always as effective as promised and often the results can be very disappointing.

Somnoplasty is a snoring surgery that uses radio frequency energy to reduce and scar the tissue on the inner palate and upper airway. It often requires repeat visits to achieve the optimum results. It is an expensive method of surgery and is relatively new so the long term results have not been fully determines. It is also called Radio Frequency Tissue Ablation (RFTA), is considered minimally invasive, and is performed as an outpatient surgery with local anesthesia.

Palatopharyngoplasty or Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a snoring surgery used when it is necessary to remove the tonsils, parts of the uvula and soft palate. This specific snoring surgery is done in an attempt to open up the throat and widen the airway. This is a very serious snoring surgery, done on an inpatient basis with a recovery time of up to three weeks. It has proven to have an effective rate of decreasing snoring and cures 46-73% of its patients. However, this is not a snoring surgery that is suggested for a light snorer or for apnea patients. This often requires two-five outpatient visits after the initial surgery to support the previous work.

Research Is The Key To Success When Considering Snoring Surgery

These two examples of snoring surgery provide only a glimpse into the medical options that exist for individuals that suffer serious health issues due to their lack of sleep and the problems that they have with snoring. It is important to try as many at home remedies and get the assistance of a medical professional at the onset of your desire to quit snoring. It is important to insure that the basis for snoring is not a small issue that can be conquered with a few lifestyle changes rather that to expose yourself to the problems that could occur with snoring surgery.