Insomnia

Medicating Your Sleep Woes

March 4, 2020 By News articles on health

Medicating Your Sleep Woes

When sleep deprivation continues for a long period of time – even days in a row – you may be willing to try anything just to give you the ability to catch a few Zs. Before you get desperate, make sure you understand how each option works.

The first thing many consumers do when a few nights of sleeplessness causes daytime drowsiness is head for the pharmacy for some over-the-counter solutions. Sleep aids can often help initially, but they don’t get to the root of the problem.

Asleep aid shouldn’t be used as your cure. It might help you function initially, but you want to find out why you’re having sleep issues. Having to rely on a pill to get some sleep isn’t the best option for your health.

Some people get dependent on the pills and can’t sleep without them. Others see too many side effects from the use of sleep aids, or they wind up with complications due to how it interacts with their prescription medicines.

Over the counter sleep aids usually work using an antihistamine, which is what doctors use to treat allergies. They make you feel sleepy and help you stay asleep. Some people report feeling sleepy the next day, so it could interfere with your sleep cycles.

Side effects can include constipation, dizziness, memory loss, blurred vision, and dry mouth. As you grow dependent on them, your need for a higher dosage increases. A doctor might prescribe something stronger, such as a non-benzodiazepine.

These help you feel sleepy by revving up the natural chemical process of your brain. If you want a sleep aid for long-term use, they’re safer than using over-the-counter, short-term remedies, but they can also lead to an addiction.

It’s rare these days, but your doctor might prescribe a tranquilizer if your sleep disorder is severe enough. These slow your nervous system down to make you sleepy. It’s a short-term solution that can leave you feeling groggy the following day.

You might be put on antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications that act as sedatives if your doctor feels it’s the right choice for you. These are common but don’t have the same potentially addictive features as the other prescription medicines.

If you want to forego the medical options and choose something more natural, then you might consider an herbal treatment for your sleep disorder. Certain herbs have a reputation for aiding in sleep, such as chamomile, which can be consumed in a tea form.

Valerian root, melatonin, and SAMe are other herbal alternatives you can try. Make sure you take the proper doses, because sometimes even too much of a good thing can sometimes result in unwanted side effects.

Medications Used for the Sleep Disorder of Chronic Insomnia

People that suffer from the sleep disorder of chronic insomnia must decide whether or not they are going to take sleep medication. This decision is usually made with their physician. Many people decide to take a sleeping pill because it offers relief from the symptoms of their sleep disorder and the extreme sleepiness they are always feeling. Taking a pill can improve how they fell and also the quality of their life. However, many people worry about the side effects and health risks that come with taking sleeping pills. Sleeping pills are among the most widely used drugs in the United States, and their use continues to increase.

The types of sleep medications that are available to people with insomnia fall into two categories, prescription, and over-the-counter medications. Each sleep medication affects the body differently. The effectiveness of the sleeping pill is a major factor when dealing with sufferers of this sleep disorder. How quickly the pill will take effect and how long the effect will last are very important. The effect should match the individual’s sleep problem. The fast-acting drugs would benefit a person who has difficulty falling asleep while a longer-lasting pill would better benefit someone who has difficulty staying asleep.
Other important factors concerning medications for people with this sleep disorder include the impact the medication has on sleep quality, the tolerance that a person has for the drug, the possibility of developing a dependence on the drug, and the side effects associated with the drug. Each of these points has to be considered when deciding to take sleep medication for chronic insomnia.

Many over-the-counter sleep medications contain some type of antihistamine as a primary active ingredient. Antihistamines are widely used to treat allergies and they are also effective in helping people fall asleep. However, there has been little research done on their long-term effectiveness or safety.

Prescription medications for the sleep disorder of chronic insomnia are classified into four general groups: benzodiazepine receptor agonists, antidepressants, melatonin receptor agonists, and barbiturates. Each one of these drug groups has specific benefits in regards to treating insomnia. However, it is very important that the right type of for chronic insomnia medication is prescribed for each individual person with this sleep disorder.

Before choosing a sleeping medication, it is very important to determine the source of insomnia. For example, perhaps the source of insomnia is the result of another treatable illness or a side effect of a medication that is taken. The insomnia is then called secondary insomnia. The focus on medication should then be on the primary illness. Often insomnia will disappear once the underlying cause is treated.

The decision of whether or not to take sleep mediation for chronic insomnia has to be a personal decision. There is no right or wrong decision. However, it is important, if the choice is to take a medication for this sleep disorder, to become as educated as possible about the medication prescribed.

Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing is not continuous while you’re asleep. Your breathing stops temporarily and this pause in breathing can happen multiple times throughout the night.

Sleep apnea can occur without you even being aware that you have it. It’s usually a family member or a spouse that notices – and even then, he or she may not be aware that loud snoring or sudden bursts of gasping for air is a sign of sleep apnea.

The gasping stems from not enough oxygen passing through to your lungs because your air can become blocked as it tries to move through the airways. This condition causes breaks in your sleep and because you’re asleep, it escapes your notice.

What you may notice, however, is that it’s hard to function in the daytime. You may feel sleep-deprived and have a strong urge to take a nap. Having sleep apnea and not knowing you have it can be deadly if it’s not treated.

Sleep apnea that remains undiagnosed can lead to diabetes, heart attacks, other heart problems – even premature death because the apnea can cause your heart to begin beating erratically and throwing it into an irregular rhythm that you can’t recover from.

One of the most noticeable signs that you might have this condition is snoring that’s loud enough to wake others. If others have complained about how loud you snore, it’s time to get that checked out.

Another sign you might notice is that your throat is sore when you first wake up. You might chalk it up to allergies or sleeping in a cool room, but this is caused by snoring. You may have a headache upon waking – and this is caused by both the sleep interruptions and a lack of getting the proper amount of oxygen.

Getting up throughout the night to urinate can be a sign – or you may also wake up feeling like your mouth is full of cotton. Having sleep apnea can make you feel sluggish, cause you to experience periods where you struggle to remember things and it can even cause changes in your mood.

If you’re overweight, then you’re at high risk for sleep apnea. Children can also have a form of sleep apnea known as obstructive sleep apnea – and they can have this form of sleep apnea regardless of whether or not they’re overweight.

The symptoms for this are much the same as sleep apnea in adults. You might notice that your child is too sleepy during the day and struggles to pay attention during school hours. A doctor may be able to tell that the child’s tonsils are swollen, which is often a sign of the condition.

How to Get Back to Sleep Once You Wake Up

March 4, 2020 By News articles on health

How to Get Back to Sleep Once You Wake Up

Having a sleep disorder that’s ongoing can be very frustrating. You’re sick of being irritable, tired of feeling sleepy all day, and too exhausted to think straight and find a solution on your own.

Your anxiety about not sleeping will build over time. As one night turns into one month, you begin to panic, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, your anxiety contributes to you not being able to get back to sleep.

First, think about why you’re not sleeping soundly through the night. Try to remedy any exterior distractions, such as the alarm clock light that glows in your face, the noise you hear outside from the traffic, or a pet that routinely crawls in and out of your bed, waking you up every couple of hours.

Sometimes it’s a habit that you need to change. You may think you’re doing yourself a favor going to bed at 7 PM, but because it’s so early, it might actually be causing you to wake up too early.

Whatever the cause – the solution you seek when you’re awoken during the middle of the night is to get back to sleep. But how – when your frustration is at an all-time high? Make sure you don’t add anything stimulating to the mix.

Flipping on the TV or turning on the light to read a book is only waking you up further. You want to do something relaxing, but don’t lay in bed fuming over the fact that your sleep partner’s snoring woke you up again.

Instead, try visualization or self-hypnosis to calm your nerves and help you fall back asleep. You can release tension to start the visualization process by tensing and releasing different parts of your body, such as your fists, your toes, your shoulders, and more.

Then begin a series of deep breathing exercises. Breathe in deep through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Some people like to focus solely on their breathing to fall back asleep, while others prefer to visual a tranquil scene, like a brook running through a lush forest.

Others like to visualize themselves in the scene, such as a warm day at the beach, listening to the waves roll in and out. If this helps you, try to concentrate on all of your senses during the visualization process.

If you’re unfamiliar with self-hypnosis or visualization, you can invest in some downloads or CDs that provide instructions and guidance in the process as well as ideas and sounds to set the scene for you.

How a Good Sleep Pillow Can Help You Rest Better

You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Good sleep isn’t missed until you suddenly don’t have it anymore. You might have heard about how important it is to have the right bed in order to sleep well.

But you might not know that each part of your bed is crucial for helping you get a good night’s sleep. It’s true that having the right mattress will help you get rest, but having the wrong kind of pillow can derail any good that a mattress can do for your sleep.

The good news is that having the right pillow is an easy fix if yours isn’t helping you sleep well. When you lie down on the bed, the way your bones are supported is important.

Your spine can twist into and remain at the wrong angle without the right pillow. This misalignment during sleep can cause a host of aches and pains. You need a good pillow for proper neck support.

Without it, you end up with a stiff and aching neck and stiff, painful shoulders, too. Without the best pillow for your body, you can toss and turn and have your sleep cycle broken. It can even interfere with your blood circulation if you choose the wrong pillow.

We all have our favorite ways to sleep. Because not everyone falls asleep in the same position (some are back sleepers, while others sleep on their side or on their stomach), you need a pillow designed for your specific sleep style.

Not only should your pillow cushion your head, but it should support your neck and help keep your spine aligned straight. Having the wrong pillow can cause you to have headaches from the strain on your muscles and spine.

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What criteria should you base your pillow selection on? Your selection should be based on two factors – how you sleep and what kind of filling you prefer. For those who like to sleep on their side, there’s a gap of space between the head and the shoulder.

That gap has to be filled in with support from a pillow to avoid muscle aches and misalignment of the spine. Choose a pillow, such as a feather pillow, that will allow you to manipulate it to fit that gap.

If sleeping on your back is your preference, remember not to use a fluffy pillow or sleep on more than one pillow because this makes your neck crooked and puts pressure on your spine.

If you have to sleep with your head elevated, it’s best to elevate the head of your bed rather than using extra pillows. For those who sleep on their stomach, using a thin pillow is a good choice to keep the bones aligned and the blood circulation flowing.

What to Expect at a Sleep Disorder Overnight Sleep Center

I f you think you may have a sleep disorder, your primary doctor or a doctor that specializes in sleep disorders may send you to a sleep center for diagnosis. There are a large number of sleep centers located across the United States and their numbers are increasing. Sleep centers in the United States must be accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

When a person goes to a sleep center, it is usually for an overnight stay. Costs involved for most sleep study tests range from one to three thousand dollars and many need to be repeated twice. The first visit to diagnose the sleep disorder and the second to get accurate settings for any PAP machines that may be needed. Health insurance generally pays all or most of the cost of the tests needed to diagnose a sleep disorder.

Once an appointment has been made, many sleep centers send a sleep diary to the patient. The information from the sleep diary is used by the doctors to understand general sleeping patterns.
It is also recommended that no caffeine or alcohol be consumed after 12:00 p.m. on the day of the scheduled test.

Generally, the patient packs an overnight bag just as if they were going to stay at a hotel overnight. During the sleep study, you wear your own nightclothes and you can use a favorite pillow from home. You can bring a book or magazine if you like to read before falling asleep. Most sleep centers resemble a hotel room and have a television to watch if that is what the patient usually does before going to sleep at home. Once you are relaxed the sleep center technician starts preparation for the equipment needed to record your patterns of sleep.

Diagnosis from a sleep center study is made using polysomnography which records a continual record of your sleep. In order to take a specific reading slightly more than two dozen small thin electrodes are pasted to specific parts of your body. They are placed under your chin, on your scalp, near your eyes and nose, on your finger, chest, and legs, and also over the rib muscles and on the abdomen. These electrodes then record various types of readings during the night. Often audio and videotape are also made to monitor sleep noises and movement.

Once all the equipment is in place the sleep technician leaves you alone to fall asleep. Even with all the equipment, it is not uncomfortable. It is easy to move or turn onto your side. Each bedroom in a sleep center also has an automatic intercom so it is easy to call the technician if needed for such things as a bathroom break. When the sleep study is completed, the technician may wake you. Most studies that are used to diagnose a sleep disorder take seven to eight hours.

The reading is collected on a computer file called a polysomnogram and is monitored and analyzed by the sleep technician during the night. The results are then sent for further readings to determine if there is a sleep disorder.

Although a sleep study may not sound comfortable, it is very important to determine and treat any sleep disorder.

Today Tip.

How to Eat to Sleep

March 4, 2020 By News articles on health

How to Eat to Sleep

There are over-the-counter sleep aids, prescription medications, and techniques you can use to train yourself to have better sleep habits. But one area you may not have considered is controlling your sleep success through your food choices!

We like to joke about having to nap after a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, but there’s some truth behind that kidding. There really are foods that help you sleep – and some that keep you awake, so if you’re suffering from a sleep disorder, you’ll want to consider your food choices carefully!

Certain foods create a calming effect on your brain, while others rev it up for more activity. Turkey is a sleep-aiding food because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that your body uses to produce serotonin, which calms your brain and helps you sleep.

It’s kind of like sewing a piece of clothing – you can make a shirt without a needle, thread, and fabric. Your body needs tryptophan to help it create neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin, which result in restful sleep.

When you combine tryptophan-laden foods with carbohydrates, it helps the body absorb it so that you sleep better. Regular high-protein diets can keep you awake if they’re no paired with carbs because proteins contain tyrosine, which wakes you up!

To leverage your food choices, try to pair proteins and carbs the way you want your body to work throughout the day. Choose higher protein meals in the morning and afternoon, and eat more carbs in the evenings closer to bedtime.

You can’t exclude the tryptophan because an all-carb meal will defeat the purpose, keeping you awake even more. If you can sneak some calcium into your evening meal, you’ll reap even greater rewards, since calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan.

Foods that are high in tryptophan include beans, chicken, dairy, eggs, hazelnuts, hummus, lentils, meat, peanuts, rice, soy, seafood, sesame and sunflower seeds, and whole grains. So a perfect evening snack might be whole-grain cereal with milk or even oatmeal cookies with milk.

Full meals could include veggies with meat or chicken, chili and beans, or pasta with cheese. Just remember that when you over-indulge on a meal, it may cause you to not sleep as well – since your digestive system will be working overtime.

When you eat tryptophan, the sleep-inducing effects won’t take place immediately. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour for you to begin feeling drowsy, so eat early in the evening.

Aside from tryptophan, there are other foods you should be aware of in regard to how it affects your slumber, like caffeine for instance. Caffeine can be found in many products – even your over-the-counter cold medicine! It stimulates your nervous system, keeping you awake – even when you don’t want to be.

Keep a food journal to see how your nighttime meals affect your slumber. If you discover that certain foods keep you up at night, try to move those to the early menu of your day and reserve the evening for foods that are “sleep-friendly.”

Choosing the Best Bed for a Good Night’s Sleep

Many people make a mistake that robs them of getting enough sleep. While keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and clutter-free is important to your quality of sleep, none of that will make a difference if you have the wrong kind of bed.

Size does matter. You need the right size bed so you have to room to sleep at night without feeling like you’re being cramped or confined to a small space. Quality matters, too – in every component of your bed.

Starting with the frame, if you have a poorly constructed frame, it won’t support your box springs or mattress correctly. Your frame should not bow, have cracks or be warped anywhere. Your box spring is the base or foundation that keeps your mattress in good shape.

A poor box spring will cause your mattress to lose firmness and can contribute to the development of worn places. You need quality in your mattress and your mattress cover. The wrong mattress cover will give you an uncomfortable night’s sleep because it won’t keep away moisture and you’ll wake to feel hot and sweaty.

The right mattress cover can cut down on allergens, too. Your pillows and blankets should also be top quality. Everything needs to be optimal in order for you to achieve a deep slumber.

Beds aren’t supposed to make noise when you turn over or shift your weight. If a bed does this, it’s not the right one to buy – and if you have one that’s noisy, it’s time to replace it.

For the number of hours that you have every day to get a comfortable night of sleep, to put up with less than the best bed is a mistake. Your bed is the key to how you’re going to function in your waking hours.

It’s the key to good back and muscle health. It’s also the key to looking and feeling rested. How can you know if it’s time to replace the bed? If your mattress is older than 10 years, it’s time to start looking for another one.

The reason that mattresses have a certain number of years on the guarantee is that graduating up to that timeframe, a mattress slowly starts to wear and then gives way to worn places, broken springs and more.

Having a mattress that’s poor quality or too old is the reason they sag. If your body dips on the mattress when you lay down and you can get up and still see a sunken-in spot, it’s time to replace it. If your mattress has lumps, you need a new one.

When you’re choosing a bed, ignore the price and the hype associated with any of the names on the mattresses. You want to choose a bed based on how it suits you and don’t take a salesman’s word for it. Feel the material if you’re buying from a store. If you’re ordering online, pay attention to the reviews.

How to Tell If You Have a Sleep Disorder

There are many people that have an undiagnosed sleep disorder. They may feel very sleepy during the day. They may have trouble falling to sleep or staying asleep. Friends or relatives may tell them they look very tired. They may experience mood changes, irritability or become overly emotional. Often they have difficulty paying attention, concentrating, or remembering things that are important. These are all symptoms of sleep deprivation, and possibly of a sleep disorder.

A person that has an undiagnosed sleep disorder will usually answer the question, “What is the problem with your sleep,” with one of five answers. Those answers will be; “I have trouble falling asleep,” ” I have trouble staying awake,” “I can’t get up in the morning,” “I seem to do strange things in my sleep” or “I can’t sleep because of my partner.” The particular answer chosen helps to narrow down the possibility of a specific type of sleep disorder.

When someone says “I can’t fall asleep” it can mean several things. There could be a problem when first going to bed, after waking up in the middle of the night, or in the early morning hours.

Many people have the problem of not being able to fall asleep when they go to bed. This is called sleep latency. Sleep latency can be a very serious symptom of certain sleep disorders, including sleep onset insomnia, delayed sleep phase disorder, shift work, restless leg syndrome or paradoxical insomnia. Many times the problem is not being able to stay asleep, which is sleep fragmentation. Often a person with this complaint can fall to sleep easily when they go to bed, but wake up often throughout the night. Sleep disorders may include sleep maintenance insomnia, shift work. If a person wakes up very early in the morning and cannot get back to sleep, it could be a sign of advanced sleep phase disorder or sleep maintenance insomnia.

If the answer to the question is “I can’t stay awake” and the person is falling asleep at inappropriate times there may be a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy, obstructive or central sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, shift work or advanced sleep phase disorder.

Those that say “I can’t get up in the morning” and take an hour or more to fully wake from their sleep may suffer from excessive sleep inertia. They are having difficulty making the transition from sleep to being awake. Sleep disorders that could be responsible for excessive sleep inertia are sleep apnea and delayed sleep phase disorder.

A person that answers the question with “I do strange things in my sleep” may find that their sleep is full of surprises. Sleepwalking, Sleep terrors, confusional arousals, REM sleep behavior disorder, nightmares, sleep-related eating disorder, and bruxism are all types of sleep disorders known as parasomnias.

If a person answers “I can’t sleep because of my partner” snoring, sleep apnea, bruxism, restless leg syndrome, or periodic limb movement disorder may be the sleep disorder to blame.

How would you answer the question of “What is the problem with your sleep?”

Identify Your Sleep Impairment

March 3, 2020 By News articles on health

Identify Your Sleep Impairment

One of the challenges of treating a sleep impairment is first recognizing that you have one. Many of us shrug off the symptoms, refusing to treat them as anything serious. In some cases, we may tell ourselves “get more sleep,” but this is easier said than done.

To be successful, you need to make a concerted effort to fix the mounting problem: a lack of sleep. If not, then the only thing that will pass is time. Here’s a quick primer of common sleep disorders to give you a head start on identifying your sleep deprivation issues:

Insomnia: A common sleep disorder that’s defined by sleepless nights. You may have difficulty getting to sleep and/or staying asleep and as a result, you often wake up feeling tired. Fatigue is a warning sign, which can lead to irritability, drowsiness, and daytime sleepiness.

Sleep Apnea: Though there are three types of sleep apnea, the most common is “obstructive sleep apnea,” which occurs when enough air isn’t able to get through your mouth/nose and into the lungs.

As a result, your breathing will grow shallow and in some cases, cease completely – at least for a few seconds. This tells your body to re-trigger the breathing process, so you may snort, cough, or snore.

You’ll resume sleeping, but it’s been interrupted, so the quality isn’t there and you’ll begin seeing signs of sleep deprivation. Not everyone who snores suffers from sleep apnea.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): If you suffer from RLS, you’re literally unable to rest your legs, just as the name implies. For a number of reasons – including a burning, crawling, or a tingling sensation – you may feel the need to attend to your legs. By moving them, the sensation is addressed, but the result is a restless sleep.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): Similar to RLS, if you have PLMD, then you move often during sleep. However, unlike RLS, the movement is involuntary. The limbs move periodically in twitches or jerks.

This usually takes place in the legs, but for some, the arms are also affected. These movements – though you may be unaware of them – lead to restless sleep. Upon waking up, the deprivation is apparent through the moodiness, fatigue, or drowsiness that you feel.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): If you’re suffering from DSPS, it seems as if your circadian rhythm (an internal 24-hour cycle) is off by half a day, and you’re unable to sleep during nighttime hours. As a result, you need to sleep during the day, which can seriously interfere with your lifestyle – from work to quality time spent with the family.

Narcolepsy: A dangerous disorder defined by excessive sleepiness during the daytime, as well as periods when the body’s muscles are weakened into a state of cataplexy. You’re at risk when you’re doing everyday tasks, like driving a car from Point A to Point B, since a narcoleptic attack could occur at any time.

In addition to these sleep impairments, there are also others – such as snoring, seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), night terrors, and sleepwalking. All of them can lead to sleep deprivation and each is sure to have a physical, mental, or emotional impact on your life.

It’s important that if a sleep disorder is present, that you identify and address it quickly. You may have to try different methods to find a solution that works best for you.

Which Sleep Aids Are Best?

If you ask anyone who’s had a problem getting enough sleep how they feel, they will readily admit how it can wreak havoc on the body. Without the proper amount of sleep, you don’t feel well and you can’t function right, either.

But if you’ve done all you can to bring on a good night’s sleep – like having a comfortable bed, sleeping in a darkened room and avoiding anything that stimulates the senses like caffeine – and you still can’t sleep, then you need some extra help.

If you can’t sleep because there are noises keeping you up at night and you don’t like earplugs, then use a machine that produces white noise or use a CD that has soothing nature sounds like crashing ocean waves or the sound of gentle rain.

You can also find some extra help to get to sleep by using sleep aids. There are many different types you can get and some are natural and some are not. If you want to use natural sleep aids, you can try herbal supplements. You can also try exercises to relax or engage in forms of meditation.

There are also natural food choices that can help you get to sleep. You can try having some warm milk before bed or drinking some chamomile tea. Some foods, such as those containing magnesium, can help you get to sleep.

A natural sleep aid that you can take is melatonin, which helps prepare the body for sleep. It’s an all-natural aid without the groggy, morning-after side effects and you can buy it in pill form.

But over the counter medications can also be helpful so that you can get the sleep that you have to have for a healthy lifestyle. One popular and effective kind contains doxylamine. This is an ingredient that causes drowsiness. You can buy this product inexpensively.

Whichever sleep aid you decide to choose if you pick a medication there are three points you need to be aware of. First, you need to know what the side effects are. You don’t want something that’s going to interfere with your waking hours and you don’t want side effects like headaches that leave you feeling uncomfortable and cause you pain when you wake up.

Secondly, you need to understand the addictive quality of the medication versus how long you plan to take it. Some sleep aids are better for long-term use than others are. Finally, sometimes sleeping pills can actually cause sleeplessness when you’re finished taking them – so you want to make sure you know if the medication has a cycle effect.

Sleep Disorder Affecting Shift Workers

This is a fairly common form of sleeping disorder among medical professionals, police officers, and firemen. This is attributed mostly to people who change their work schedules and sleeping times around frequently. You’ll find this often in college students when they’re changing semesters and quarters when they get new schedules and can sometimes throw sleep patterns off.

Meaning if you were used to getting up early one semester and then you get to sleep late on another it can throw your sleeping patterns off, which can make you feel disoriented and confused which is the main cause for why people get up and retire late, and are late for their jobs and classes because they’re not giving themselves enough time to adjust between schedule changes.

This is why when a job or school schedules change it’s ideal to give yourself adequate time to make the adjustment so that it doesn’t throw you off physically, so you’re able to wake up and retire at a reasonable time so you can make it work and school on time.

This is why it’s not always wise to constantly change your schedule whenever possible because if you do it too much you’re going to confuse yourself on whether you’re coming or going. There are some people who’re jobs switch their schedules around so much that it can throw someone completely out of synch because the hours start to get rather conflicted when they’re coming and going and not making time for other things like having a life or maintaining their priorities outside of their job and school.

This also can happen if you’re running between more than one job and school because if you’re going to a job during the day and then running to another job at night it can throw you off as well. People are advised to give themselves so much time between things in order to make the full transition into the new schedule or time frame so they’re not feeling overwhelmed and stressed out since stress can play a huge thing in work-related insomnia. The stress comes from having to make so many drastic changes too fast and at one time.

This is why people get burned out quickly and dealing with the physical things like indigestion and other things because they’re pushing themselves too hard and sometimes forcing themselves to do things that aren’t even normal and is considered unhealthy.

College students who are like this tend to gain or lose weight because of the stress they’re under to switch from one thing to another and not giving themselves a chance to really adjust fully to a schedule or lifestyle change. Even people who work as nurses and doctors occasionally go through this. Because hours are rather strange, and that can throw off the pattern your body has become custom to when to rise and retire and if you interfere with that, it can make you feel weird which can also affect appetite and mental focus and concentration which most people deal with the disorientation of switching things around too fast.

5 Habits of Sleep Pros

March 3, 2020 By News articles on health

5 Habits of Sleep Pros

At times, it can seem like everyone on Earth is getting plenty of sleep – but you. Some people have what it takes to drink two cups of coffee and still go in their room for a nice little nap, while you struggle to nod off after 48 hours of sleep deprivation – how do they do it?

Sleep pros know there are five habits they have that you might not. This is the competitive edge they use to get plenty of rest each night. If your sleep deprivation isn’t due to a medical condition, try implementing these tactics into your everyday routine to see if it helps you get your Zs.

Sleep Pro Habit #1: Stick to a Schedule! If you’re trying to go to bed at 8 PM one night and 2 AM the next, your poor body can’t get on a steady cycle of sleep. It needs a routine so that it can differentiate between daytime tasks and nighttime rest.

Sleep pros who get in bed at the same time each night and wake up on schedule each morning program their bodies to relax, like a science! If you want to include naps in your schedule, make sure they’re at the same time each day, too. Just be aware that naps can impede your nighttime sleep if they’re too long.

Sleep Pro Habit #2: Just Say “No” to Stimulants! You might recognize you have trouble sleeping, but don’t even think that 24-ounce Coca Cola you had at 9 PM could be the cause.

Caffeine, as well as other stimulants like electronic gadgets (video games, television, and the Internet), can all contribute to your sleeplessness. Avoid products like alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, and sodas during the evening hours – save them for the daytime when you’re telling your body it’s okay to be alert and awake.

Sleep Pro Habit #3: Move Your Body Toward Sleep! Exercise may be the medicine you need to engage in a deep slumber tonight. Insomnia occurs less frequently in those who exercise on a regular basis for at least 20-30 minutes a day.

You don’t want to exercise near bedtime, but in the morning or afternoon instead. Studies have shown that many sedentary individuals who suffered from insomnia found their sleep disorder disappeared once they began an exercise regimen.

When you exercise, you’re relieving tension and increasing your body’s production of endorphins. You don’t have to exercise vigorously – a moderate walk is enough to aid you in your quest for sleep.

Sleep Pro Habit #4: No Napping! Just as eating in between meals ruins your appetite, napping between deep sleep can prevent many sleep disorder sufferers from being able to fall asleep and get a full night’s rest.

For some, a nap is just the medicine they need to re-energize for the day, but if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation, a nap may cause more harm than good. Even though in the beginning you may feel extremely sleepy, try to save your slumber for the middle of the night and not for a mid-day luxury.

Sleep Pro Habit #5: Don’t Go Back for Seconds! It’s a Thanksgiving ritual for many – stuff yourself so full you have no choice but to waddle down the hall and flop into bed for a nap.

But eating too much – especially near bedtime – can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule. Being overly stuffed with food can make sleeping uncomfortable, and if you’re one of the unlucky ones to suffer from indigestion, it can be a painful experience, too. Instead, eat just enough to quell your hunger and go to bed satisfied, but not distressed.

Not every sleep pro solution will work for everyone. The key is to find what works for you. Make lifestyle changes, keep records of your sleep quality, and seek out help from your doctor if signs and symptoms worsen.

Is It Possible to Get Too Much Sleep?

When the weekend rolls around, you’ll hear people talk about how they plan to sleep in since they didn’t get enough sleep during the week. There isn’t anything wrong with wanting a little extra sleep after a busy week.

There’s nothing wrong with it as long as you don’t overdo it. Once sleep is lost, you can never bank enough hours to cover that deficit. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc on your body.

A lack of the proper amount of sleep can cause you to develop heart problems and can cause your metabolism to slow down. It also leads to trouble concentrating and trouble dealing with stress.

But on the other hand, getting too much sleep can also have adverse effects on your health. On average, you need and should aim to get between 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleeping for more than 8 hours can lead to putting on weight, developing type 2 diabetes and more.

Sleeping too much can also cause some side effects that you’ll notice right away. You may wake up groggy and remain drowsy throughout the day. With too much sleep, you’ll experience fatigue brought on by sleeping and the inactivity of resting.

This can cause you to crave even more sleep. It’s almost like an addiction because you’re training your body to need more. You can also experience a sleep headache and a general sense of not feeling well if you sleep too much.

Sometimes, sleeping too much can be indicative of a deeper problem. You might have an undiagnosed health problem that makes you feel constant fatigue and causes you to crave more sleep.

You might also be sleeping too much to put off dealing with the things that drain you emotionally. Sleeping too much can also be a sign that you’re experiencing depression. The old adage that you’ll wake up once your body has had adequate sleep isn’t true. Sleep feels good – and it’s easy to sleep for 10 hours or longer unless you set an alarm.

There are ways that you can avoid getting too much sleep. Schedule an alarm if you find that you do sleep too much without one. Don’t change the time that you get up – even on the weekends.

If you feel like there’s no reason to get up because you have nothing going on, then set up a to-do list. Include fun activities, chores, and special outings. If you consistently sleep too much because of insomnia, then seek treatment to make sure that you don’t have a sleep disorder.

Insomnia in popular culture

Insomnia has been a featured disorder from many factors such as books and movies. Two cult classics one is a book titled Insomnia wrote by horror novelist Stephen King and the other is the Robert DeNiro film from 1976 Taxi Driver. There have been 28 songs written and recorded about insomnia and among the artists who recorded a song were Vanessa Carlton, Green Day, Radiohead, and Tenacious D. The most popular film based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel that was a hit about 6 years ago was Fight Club with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt and the lead character was manic insomniac. This seems to be the most common form of sleeping disorder to the point that movies and songs were made about this problem.

People aren’t aware that this is a problematic issue for those who suffer from this. It’s not healthy to go without sleep because it can affect your immune system making you prone to catching things like the flu and colds. Not getting any rest can cause severe disorientation because your body wasn’t given an opportunity to rest and recuperate.

This is what drove the designer coffee movement up like the sprawl of coffee shops from Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Seattle’s Best, and Caribou Coffee since you had a lot of late-nighters consisting of mainly people working in hospitals and college students who had to pull late nighters and cram sessions and needed to stay awake so when coffee wasn’t working they bought this over the counter pill called Vivarin which is equal to about 2 cups of coffee when you take the prescribed dosage.

It’s usually not a good idea to take Vivarin because it can interfere with your body’s ability to sleep and rest normally. You’ll find more college students getting sick a lot because they’re forcing their bodies to do things that aren’t normal like staying up super late and not getting at least 6 hours of sleep. Rest also provides your body’s digestive system to rest which makes up about 70% of your immune system so it’s ideal to sleep when necessary and taking short naps also works as a re-energizer to give you a burst of energy that works much better than coffee or caffeine pills.

That can become resistant since a lot of coffee drinkers tend to get very tired after a certain point and that’s due in part to the fact that you build up a resistance after having a few cups of coffee or cans of Coke so meaning it won’t keep you awake it will accelerate the rate of how fast you’ll start to feel sleepy.

So seeing pop culture idolize such a disorder is unknown unless the person who wrote the book or penned the song has a problem with it and decided to write or sing about it. The reason for it is unknown, but it’s rather interesting since a song can tell a story and the same of a book, but it’s obviously influenced a slew of songs, a few movies and a series of books where the characters are suffering from some kind of sleeping disorder from mild to severe.