Sound Sleep Guide

Posts Tagged ‘Sleep’

Sleep apnea is possibly the most commonly seen sleep disorder and affects in the region of 18,000,000 Americans. A sleeping disorder which is characterized by interrupted breathing while sleeping, it is also without doubt the most dangerous of all sleeping disorders because it starves the brain of critical oxygen and occasionally proves fatal.

There are two very different types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is essentially a neurological condition in which breathing is broken because of signals sent out by the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea is essentially a mechanical problem where the windpipe is obstructed either by too much tissue or as a result of the unusual collapse or relaxation of the muscles around the windpipe. In both cases however the results are effectively the same with repeated interruptions to the breathing that starve the brain of oxygen and place sufferers at greater risk from such things as high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.

Regrettably, diagnosing sleep apnea can be difficult because snoring, which is one of its commonest symptoms and frequently leads to sleep apnea being called the snoring disease, is also often seen as a symptom of various medical conditions. Snoring is certainly normally present with sleep apnea as the brain counters a lack of oxygen by awakening the sufferer sufficiently to restart breathing and this usually produces snoring.

This frequent awakening throughout the night also results in a poor quality of sleep and it is quite common for sleep apnea sufferers to get up in the morning feeling even more tired than they were when they went to bed. This also results in a feeling of sheer exhaustion during the course of the day and an overwhelming wish to sleep.

However, tiredness resulting from a poor quality of sleep is just part of the problem and a variety of other symptoms will also generally be seen including headaches in the morning, a lack of memory and a problem in maintaining concentration.

Left untreated the increasing exhaustion from sleep apnea can lead to major psychological difficulties starting with simple tetchiness and moving on to depression with clear changes in both mood and behavior.

Both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea can be treated and, provided the problem is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment can often be fairly simple. For instance, mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea caused by nasal congestion can generally be treated with nothing more than a course of decongestants. Likewise, many cases of sleep apnea which are not too serious may be treated with the use of a mask that is worn during sleep and that delivers air at a constant pressure in order to keep the airway open. Lastly, in the most severe cases surgery might be necessary and can be very effective, although it may also lead to numerous complications and must be considered with care.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about sleep apnea is that because it carries the potential risk of respiratory failure sufferers ought not to be tempted to use sleeping pills or to take other types of artificial sleep enhancers without first seeking the approval of a doctor.

Natural sleep remedies can without doubt provide an effective complement to prescribed treatments and herbal remedies which are designed to improve both the duration and quality of sleep can be helpful in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness often brought on by sleep apnea. Also, such things as chromatherapy, aromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help in reducing the anxiety and insomnia that come with sleep apnea.

If you’re experiencing insomnia on a regular basis, you’re probably ready to give anything a try that might let you get to sleep. However, it’s important that you do your research so you understand how various products work.

The number one thing a lot of people do if several nights of insomnia is causing daytime sleepiness is visit the drugstore for an nonprescription solution. Sleep aids might help at the start, but they don’t address the underlying reason for the condition.

A sleep aid should not be utilized as a fix for insomnia. It could assist you at first, yet you need to ascertain the reason why you’re experiencing sleep problems. For your long term health, you don’t want to have to rely on medication to help you sleep at night.

Lots of people get hooked on medications and aren’t able to fall asleep if they give them up. Other people experience unpleasant side effects, or they end up with complications because of the way it interacts with their prescriptions.

Antihistamines, a familiar remedy for allergies, is a common ingredient in over the counter sleeping aids. They make you sleepy and help to make sure you remain asleep.Some people experience drowsiness the next day, which might interrupt your natural sleep cycle. Side effects could include constipation, dizziness, memory loss, blurred vision, and dry mouth. If you become dependent on them, you will require increasingly larger doses to get the benefits.

The doctor might give you something more potent such as a non-benzodiazephine. This helps you feel sleepy by stepping up the natural chemical process of your brain. Using a sleeping aid for ongoing insomnia relief is generally safer than using over the counter remedies; but it can lead to dependencies.

It’s uncommon these days, but your doctor could prescribe a tranquilizer if your insomnia is serious enough. This causes drowsiness by slowing your nervous system. This is a short term solution that could lead to feelings of grogginess the day after.

Your physician might think that the best treatment for you is a prescription for anti-anxiety or antidepressant meds that will act as a sedative. These are common, but don’t have the same possibilities for addictivion as other prescription drugs.

If you want to avoid the medical choices and select something more natural, you could look at an herbal remedy for your insomnia. There are herbs that have been shown to encourage a good night’s sleep, such as chamomile, which is often served up as tea.

Melatonin, valerian root and SAMe are also considered to be effective herbal insomnia treatments. Be sure you take the correct dosage, since too much of a good thing can sometimes lead to uninvited side effects.

If you’re one of the nearly two thirds of adults who experience back problems, you fully understand the challenges of even the simplest of tasks. Walking, bending, sitting for long periods of time, and even sneezing can cause agonizing back pain. And since back problems are among the most difficult medical problems to diagnose, back pain often lingers for years, or even decades.

While it’s bad enough to deal with chronic back problems during our waking hours, loss of sleep due to back pain is an even worse fate. While there’s no magic wand to cure your back problems, the good news is you’ll find you can improve or prevent a lot of back problems by adopting back-friendly sleep habits.

Even though you may get 8 full hours of sleep, if you have chronic back problems, chances are you still awake non-refreshed. This may very well be caused by your sleeping posture and alignment. Proper posture and alignment are just as important when we’re asleep as awake. Your back problems may even be caused by your sleeping posture.

How To Ensure Proper Sleep Alignment

A key factor in getting a good night’s sleep and reducing back pain is to make sure you have proper sleep alignment. This means sleeping in such a way that there’s no added pressure on your back or neck. It doesn’t matter in which position you like to sleep – what is most important is aligning properly to take pressure off your back.

Simply adding a memory foam pad to your mattress is one such solution. Memory foam pads rest on top of your mattress and are designed to gently conform to your entire body, thereby removing pressure from your lower back and neck. Similarly, a contoured “lumbar (spine) pad” provides continuous lower back support and helps compensate for less than ideal sleeping surfaces. Also, countoured pillows function in much the same manner, preventing neck and back pain by conforming the head and spine into proper alignment.

There’s a good chance your back pain is aggravated or even caused by how you sleep. You can greatly reduce or even eliminate your back pain with inexpensive, ergonomic solutions like memory foam pads or countoured pillows. Of course, it’s also important to add healthy habits to your life like non jarring low impact exercise. Pilates are extremely effective in helping back problems. Added together, these simple solutions can greatly improve not only your sleep, but your overall quality of life.