Stages of sleep: REM sleep and non-REM sleep stages
Here is some information I got from an American online Help Guide – which talks about REM and Non REM sleep. Hopefully by understanding types of sleep it will help you understand your insomnia, its causes and what you can do to help cure your insomnia.
All sleep is not created equal. Sleep unfolds in a series of recurring sleep stages that are very different from one another in terms of what’s happening beneath the surface. From deep sleep to dreaming sleep, they are all vital for your body and mind. Each stage of sleep plays a different part in preparing you for the day ahead.
There are two main types of sleep:
• Non-REM (NREM) sleep consists of four stages of sleep, each deeper than the last.
• REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is when you do most active dreaming. Your eyes actually move back and forth during this stage, which is why it is called Rapid
Eye Movement sleep.
The Stages of Sleep
Non-REM sleep
Stage 1 (Transition to sleep) – Stage 1 lasts about five minutes. Eyes move slowly under the eyelids, muscle activity slows down, and you are easily awakened.
Stage 2 (Light sleep) – This is the first stage of true sleep, lasting from 10 to 25 minutes. Eye movement stops, heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases.
Stage 3 (Deep sleep) – You’re difficult to awaken, and if you are awakened, you do not adjust immediately and often feel groggy and disoriented for several minutes.
Stage 4 (More intense deep sleep) – The deepest stage of sleep. Brain waves are extremely slow. Blood flow is directed away from the brain and towards the muscles, restoring physical energy.
REM sleep
REM sleep (Dream sleep) – About 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, you enter REM sleep, where dreaming occurs. Eyes move rapidly. Breathing is shallow. Heart rate and blood pressure increase. Arm and leg muscles are paralyzed.
If you are an insomniac you rarely get long periods of deep sleep. Although by dozing and drifting in and out of light sleep you can often be susceptible to dreaming.
By treating the cause of your insomnia we can hopefully get you to get back into the routine of moving through the 4 stages of non REM sleep and REM sleep . So here is a bit more information about the architecture of sleep.
The sleep cycle: Understanding the architecture of sleep
You may think that once you go to bed, you soon fall into a deep sleep that lasts for most of the night, progressing back into light sleep in the morning when it’s time to wake up. In reality, the sleep cycle is a lot more complicated.
When you chart the sleep stages over the course of the night, the result looks like a city skyline—which is why it is called "sleep architecture"
During the night, your sleep follows a predictable pattern, moving back and forth between deep restorative sleep (deep sleep) and more alert stages and dreaming (REM sleep). Together, the stages of REM and non-REM sleep form a complete sleep cycle that repeats until you wake up.
The amount of time you spend in each stage of sleep changes as the night progresses. For example, most deep sleep occurs in the first half of the night. Later in the night, your REM sleep stages become longer, alternating with light Stage 2 sleep.
This is why if you are sensitive to waking up in the middle of the night, it is probably in the early morning hours, not immediately after going to bed.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Monday 15 November 2010
Can switching to Soy Milk help cure insomnia?
Can switching to Soy Milk help cure insomnia?
Thank you to Stella Katsipoutis for suppyling this article on the benefits of Soy milk in helping to provide relief from insomnia…
Replacing whole milk with a soy version in dessert recipes, cereal and smoothies could help you sleep better. A recent study conducted by the Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo in Brazil has shown that isoflavones, a substance found in soy that is similar to estrogen, could help reduce the symptoms of insomnia in postmenopausal women.
Researchers studied the effects of soy on sleep patterns by randomly administering either 80 milligrams of isoflavones or a placebo to 38 postmenopausal women over a period of four months. Each participant’s sleep cycle, movements and vital signs were observed overnight throughout duration of the experiment. Questionnaires that allowed the researchers to gauge the intensity of insomnia experienced by each subject were also administered.
Test results revealed that the sleep efficiency of women who received isoflavones increased from 77.9% at the beginning of the study to 83.9%, while the sleep efficiency of women who received a placebo only increased from 77.6% to 81.2%. The percentage of participants in the isoflavone group experiencing “moderate or intense” insomnia also decreased from 89.5% at the beginning of the study to 36.9% at the end of the study, whereas the percentage in the placebo group only decreased from 94.7% to 63.2%.
Because the study focused on a small population sample—and because other health factors such as snoring and sleep apnea affected the level of sleep disturbance experienced by several participants—researchers suggested that isoflavones may not be as effective in alleviating postmenopausal insomnia for all women. However, they concluded that soy treatment is still an option that could prove to be beneficial for many women who are suffering from sleeplessness.
Stella Katsipoutis is a freelance writer who has written for Redbook, Fitness, Global Rhythm, and Bridal Guide magazines. She has also previously worked on TheNest.com and WeddingChannel.com, published by The Knot Inc. Her writing has covered a variety of topics, including health, nutrition, music, travel and weddings.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Thank you to Stella Katsipoutis for suppyling this article on the benefits of Soy milk in helping to provide relief from insomnia…
Replacing whole milk with a soy version in dessert recipes, cereal and smoothies could help you sleep better. A recent study conducted by the Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo in Brazil has shown that isoflavones, a substance found in soy that is similar to estrogen, could help reduce the symptoms of insomnia in postmenopausal women.
Researchers studied the effects of soy on sleep patterns by randomly administering either 80 milligrams of isoflavones or a placebo to 38 postmenopausal women over a period of four months. Each participant’s sleep cycle, movements and vital signs were observed overnight throughout duration of the experiment. Questionnaires that allowed the researchers to gauge the intensity of insomnia experienced by each subject were also administered.
Test results revealed that the sleep efficiency of women who received isoflavones increased from 77.9% at the beginning of the study to 83.9%, while the sleep efficiency of women who received a placebo only increased from 77.6% to 81.2%. The percentage of participants in the isoflavone group experiencing “moderate or intense” insomnia also decreased from 89.5% at the beginning of the study to 36.9% at the end of the study, whereas the percentage in the placebo group only decreased from 94.7% to 63.2%.
Because the study focused on a small population sample—and because other health factors such as snoring and sleep apnea affected the level of sleep disturbance experienced by several participants—researchers suggested that isoflavones may not be as effective in alleviating postmenopausal insomnia for all women. However, they concluded that soy treatment is still an option that could prove to be beneficial for many women who are suffering from sleeplessness.
Stella Katsipoutis is a freelance writer who has written for Redbook, Fitness, Global Rhythm, and Bridal Guide magazines. She has also previously worked on TheNest.com and WeddingChannel.com, published by The Knot Inc. Her writing has covered a variety of topics, including health, nutrition, music, travel and weddings.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Sleep preparation
Preparing yourself for sleep – some quick reminders
I thought it would be useful to remind you of a few simple things that it might be worth trying to hopefully give yourself some releief from insomnia. A number of the things have been discussed in previous blogs in more detail, but sometimes it’s useful to look back and review some of the information.
There are a few different techniques here or things that you can alter which you never know might just provide that elusive cure for insomnia or help some relief for your sleep depravation.
Clear your mind. Do not watch TV, or read a book or go on the internet right before sleeping. Your brain can feel overwhelmed with all the information it has just heard that it will all linger on for a few more hrs and thus deprive you of sleeping right away. A clear mind can fall asleep quite easier.
Breathing technique. Lay down on your back, comfortably, and breathe in and out, slowly, but deeply. Do this over and over again. This breathing ritual will help relax you and cleanse your being, thus making it ripe for a good night of sleep.
Visualization. Close your eyes, and imagine the most beautiful, and peaceful place you know. Picture yourself there, and submerge yourself into the amazing feeling it's giving you. This will give you something relaxing and soothing to focus on, which will help calm you down and make you ready to fall asleep.
Sleep at regular hours. If you're awake until 3am and wake up in the afternoon, then you'll never overcome this problem. You need a normal sleeping schedule, which is waking up early in the morning, and going to bed not too late into the evening. Try it, and you'll notice immediate improvement.
Get rid of any addictions. The thing with addictions, is that they are constantly bugging you, and this even translates to the time when you're supposed to sleep. Therefore, if you have a caffeine, smoking, alcohol, or drug addiction, your best bet is to overcome the addiction first (which will help you not only for insomnia but for a lot more reasons) and then tackle your insomnia problem, which should already be much better with the loss of the addiction problem.
Listen to relaxing music. Music can guide our entire being into its tempo and mood. Same with relaxation music, and it can greatly help you feel at ease and stress free, which will help you fall asleep. You can also take it a step further and use self hypnosis or subliminal courses, which will help guide you mentally to overcome your insomnia, while also providing a relaxing music.
I particularly found that the listening to chilled out music helped me as one of the things that helped me gains some insomnia relief. I can particularly recommend a band called Lemon Jelly who are particularly chilled our even some of the Ibiza Chill out stuff - you can find from café del Mar on Amazon.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
I thought it would be useful to remind you of a few simple things that it might be worth trying to hopefully give yourself some releief from insomnia. A number of the things have been discussed in previous blogs in more detail, but sometimes it’s useful to look back and review some of the information.
There are a few different techniques here or things that you can alter which you never know might just provide that elusive cure for insomnia or help some relief for your sleep depravation.
Clear your mind. Do not watch TV, or read a book or go on the internet right before sleeping. Your brain can feel overwhelmed with all the information it has just heard that it will all linger on for a few more hrs and thus deprive you of sleeping right away. A clear mind can fall asleep quite easier.
Breathing technique. Lay down on your back, comfortably, and breathe in and out, slowly, but deeply. Do this over and over again. This breathing ritual will help relax you and cleanse your being, thus making it ripe for a good night of sleep.
Visualization. Close your eyes, and imagine the most beautiful, and peaceful place you know. Picture yourself there, and submerge yourself into the amazing feeling it's giving you. This will give you something relaxing and soothing to focus on, which will help calm you down and make you ready to fall asleep.
Sleep at regular hours. If you're awake until 3am and wake up in the afternoon, then you'll never overcome this problem. You need a normal sleeping schedule, which is waking up early in the morning, and going to bed not too late into the evening. Try it, and you'll notice immediate improvement.
Get rid of any addictions. The thing with addictions, is that they are constantly bugging you, and this even translates to the time when you're supposed to sleep. Therefore, if you have a caffeine, smoking, alcohol, or drug addiction, your best bet is to overcome the addiction first (which will help you not only for insomnia but for a lot more reasons) and then tackle your insomnia problem, which should already be much better with the loss of the addiction problem.
Listen to relaxing music. Music can guide our entire being into its tempo and mood. Same with relaxation music, and it can greatly help you feel at ease and stress free, which will help you fall asleep. You can also take it a step further and use self hypnosis or subliminal courses, which will help guide you mentally to overcome your insomnia, while also providing a relaxing music.
I particularly found that the listening to chilled out music helped me as one of the things that helped me gains some insomnia relief. I can particularly recommend a band called Lemon Jelly who are particularly chilled our even some of the Ibiza Chill out stuff - you can find from café del Mar on Amazon.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Busting the insomnia myths
Busting the myths.
This week I thought I’d share with you some information I’ve taken from The National Institute of Health’s Guide to Healthy Sleep.
It takes 4 key myths about Sleep and tells you the truth about them. Here goes…
Myths and Facts about Sleep
Myth 1: Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night won’t effect your daytime functioning. You may not be noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and compromise your cardiovascular health, energy balance, and ability to fight infections.
Myth 2: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust after traveling across several time zones or switching to the night shift.
Myth 3: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. Not only is the quantity of sleep important but also the quality of sleep. Some people sleep 8 or 9 hours a night but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor.
Myth 4: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. Although this sleeping pattern will help relieve part of a sleep debt, it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your biological clock so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.
Makes you think doesn’t it.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
This week I thought I’d share with you some information I’ve taken from The National Institute of Health’s Guide to Healthy Sleep.
It takes 4 key myths about Sleep and tells you the truth about them. Here goes…
Myths and Facts about Sleep
Myth 1: Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night won’t effect your daytime functioning. You may not be noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and compromise your cardiovascular health, energy balance, and ability to fight infections.
Myth 2: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust after traveling across several time zones or switching to the night shift.
Myth 3: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. Not only is the quantity of sleep important but also the quality of sleep. Some people sleep 8 or 9 hours a night but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor.
Myth 4: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. Although this sleeping pattern will help relieve part of a sleep debt, it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your biological clock so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.
Makes you think doesn’t it.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Sleep problems associated with the menopause
Sleep problems associated with the menopause.
Many women going through the menopause often experience insomnia, an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. This is a normal side effect of the menopause and is usually caused by symptoms of the menopause, such as hot flushes.
I am not sleeping well at night. Do I have insomnia?
Symptoms of insomnia can include one or more of the following:
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up frequently during the night, with difficulty returning to sleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Non-refreshing sleep (feeling tired upon waking and throughout the day)
Will drinking alcohol or warm milk help me to fall asleep?
Alcohol may help you relax and fall asleep, but it should not be used as a sleep aid because it does not induce a natural form of sleep, and it has a rebound effect. It can disturb your sleep later and can cause you to awaken in the middle of the night.
Milk contains a substance called tryptophan. The body uses tryptophan to make serotonin, a chemical in the brain. Serotonin helps control sleep patterns, appetite, pain, and other functions. Milk does not contain enough tryptophan to change sleep patterns, but drinking a glass of milk before bed may help you relax.
How is insomnia treated?
There are many steps you can take to get yourself sleeping soundly through the night.
Here are some tips:
• Do not nap during the day
• Exercise daily. However, be sure to avoid vigorous exercise from three hours before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine throughout the entire day
• Keep your bedroom cool to prevent night sweats
• Do not go to bed until you are tired
• Have a warm bath or shower at bedtime
• Do not watch television, eat or read in bed. Do these activities in another room until you feel sleepy
• Follow the same bedtime routine each night
• Avoid taking sleeping pills
When lifestyle changes such as these fail to cure insomnia, talk to your doctor. There may be other options that can help. The doctor may be able to prescribe temporary medicine to help you sleep and get you sleeping regularly. In addition, your doctor can rule out other conditions that may be causing your sleep problem.
For example, if depression is causing your sleep problems, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant.
If your insomnia is a result of menopausal symptoms, you may also want to talk to your doctor about taking hormone replacement therapy for a short period of time. HRT may help alleviate symptoms that are causing your sleep problem.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Many women going through the menopause often experience insomnia, an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. This is a normal side effect of the menopause and is usually caused by symptoms of the menopause, such as hot flushes.
I am not sleeping well at night. Do I have insomnia?
Symptoms of insomnia can include one or more of the following:
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up frequently during the night, with difficulty returning to sleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Non-refreshing sleep (feeling tired upon waking and throughout the day)
Will drinking alcohol or warm milk help me to fall asleep?
Alcohol may help you relax and fall asleep, but it should not be used as a sleep aid because it does not induce a natural form of sleep, and it has a rebound effect. It can disturb your sleep later and can cause you to awaken in the middle of the night.
Milk contains a substance called tryptophan. The body uses tryptophan to make serotonin, a chemical in the brain. Serotonin helps control sleep patterns, appetite, pain, and other functions. Milk does not contain enough tryptophan to change sleep patterns, but drinking a glass of milk before bed may help you relax.
How is insomnia treated?
There are many steps you can take to get yourself sleeping soundly through the night.
Here are some tips:
• Do not nap during the day
• Exercise daily. However, be sure to avoid vigorous exercise from three hours before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine throughout the entire day
• Keep your bedroom cool to prevent night sweats
• Do not go to bed until you are tired
• Have a warm bath or shower at bedtime
• Do not watch television, eat or read in bed. Do these activities in another room until you feel sleepy
• Follow the same bedtime routine each night
• Avoid taking sleeping pills
When lifestyle changes such as these fail to cure insomnia, talk to your doctor. There may be other options that can help. The doctor may be able to prescribe temporary medicine to help you sleep and get you sleeping regularly. In addition, your doctor can rule out other conditions that may be causing your sleep problem.
For example, if depression is causing your sleep problems, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant.
If your insomnia is a result of menopausal symptoms, you may also want to talk to your doctor about taking hormone replacement therapy for a short period of time. HRT may help alleviate symptoms that are causing your sleep problem.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Insomnia in older people
Insomnia in older people
The article below is from Sleepdex an online resource which has lots of information about sleep, but as insomnia appears to get worse with age – there is some quite interesting stuff as to possible causes. If you are over 60 and suffering from insomnia, then I’m sure you will find it an interesting read.
Insomnia is a common complaint in older adults. Chronic sleep difficulties affect older people more often than younger adults. The homoeostatic regulation of sleep changes as we age. Older adults typically have shallower sleep, and fragmentation is more common. Doctors prescribe sleeping aids to the elderly much more often than for young adults or kids.
Factors that contribute to insomnia in seniors may include medical illnesses and medication use, both of which are more common in older adults. Older people also have too little physical activity and reduced exposure to bright light.
There is also a fundamental age-related alteration in the neurobiology of circadian
rhythms, although scientists haven’t figured it all out.
Older people, even healthy ones, often complain about decreased sleep quality, and polysomnographic measurements of physiological indicators have confirmed the reality of these claims. Deep sleep, as a percentage of total sleep, decreases as people age, along with a decrease in growth hormone levels. During late life, REM sleep in a typical night declines about 10 minutes per decade. Wake time during the nocturnal period, a measure of sleep fragmentation, increases about 30 minutes per decade.
There’s also a chicken-and-egg question of the relationship between declining sleep quality and development of chronic illness in older adults. Does low quality sleep contribute to other physical problems or do illnesses cause the low quality sleep?
It can be unclear for any individual, and the two factors are intertwined in most people.
It is worth pointing out the distinction between insomnia and disturbed sleep. Insomnia refers to a subjective inability to fall or stay asleep, and chronic insomnia is due to circadian dysrhythmia, homeostatic dysregulation and hyperarousal.
A person can have insomnia but not disturbed sleep. When the person finally gets to sleep, he or she can sleep soundly. Young adults more typically have trouble falling asleep while old people have trouble staying asleep.
Insomnia, by this classification, often results in increased risk of depression, overall decreased productivity at work and in daytimes activities. Disturbed sleep results in symptoms like those of sleep deprivation.
As people get older, they are more apt to experience secondary insomnia due to medical conditions, and to experience sleep disorders such as apnea, restless leg syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorder. Primary insomnia and insomnia due to psychiatric problems do not increase with age.
Some common poor sleep habits are more prevalent in elderly populations – staying in bed all night even when not sleeping (leading to poor sleep efficiency) and daytime napping. This can be due to retirement or boredom. Good sleep practices can help.
Sleep medication use in the elderly differs from that in younger people only in the longer retention time in the body. A drug's half-life – the time it takes for the body to eliminate half the drug from the bloodstream – is higher in the elderly.
This means sleep inertia due to residual sleeping pills is more likely in older people.
In general, older people are more prone to movement during sleep and sedative drugs increase the risk of falls. This is why doctors take into account a patient's age when selecting a sleeping aid. Chloral hydrate is also used in the elderly more often than in young people.
WHAT SCIENTISTS KNOW
There’s a difference in the sexes. Men lose more of the deep sleep (stages 3 and 4) than women. Daytime sleepiness is more frequent in older men than in older women.
Young and middle-aged adults typically complain of difficulty falling asleep, seniors more often experience nocturnal awakening, early morning awakenings, and non-refreshing sleep.
Some of the sleep hygiene practices recommended for insomniacs are often ignored by older people. Retired people without the regular schedule of a job are more likely to engage in daytime napping, irregular arising time, and increased time in bed compared to employed people. These practices are not conducive to trying to beat insomnia.
Insomnia affects a third of older Americans. Restless leg syndrome and sleep-disordered breathing/apnea are also more common in older people. Sleep-disordered breathing is particularly of interest because there is evidence that connects it will dementia and cognitive deficits in the elderly.
It used to be believed that the human circadian clock had a period of about 25.25 hours and that this period declined as people got older. This explained why teenagers had trouble waking up in the morning while seniors get sleepy early in the evening. However, circadian rhythm amplitude sometime stays strong in very healthy older people. Now scientists think that the intrinsic period of endogenous human circadian pacemaker is not significantly different between health old and young adults and is much closer to 24 hours. Deterioration in the suprachiasmatic nucleus may represent a pathologic rather than a normal change. Another view is that older people tend to have a narrower window in the circadian cycle to get to sleep. They are literally more set in their ways. Young people can go to bed at a different time each night and move their sleep times around much more flexibility.
Older people spend more time in bed than younger ones, but nighttime sleep is typically shallow and fragmented. Scientific measurements confirm subjective reports of decline in sleep quality with age in otherwise healthy older people. Deep sleep decreased from 18.9% during young adulthood (ages 16 to 25) to 3.4% in midlife (36 to 50). The decrease in slow-wave sleep was accompanied by decreases in growth hormone levels.
During late life, REM sleep declines gradually by about 10 minutes per decade. Sleep fragmentation, as measured by wake time, increases by 30 minutes per decade during late life.
THERMOREGULATION AND THE ELDERLY
Dutch scientists have found that elderly bodies are less capable of thermoregulation than younger ones, and give the effect of skin temperature on the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, this may explain increased insomnia rates in seniors. (More on thermoregulation and sleep.)
The prevailing hypothesis in sleep models is the two-process model, in which sleep is a affected by circadian and homeostatic processes . The decline in sleep quality that goes along with getting old is thought to be due to alterations in both processes. Researchers at Cornell's Laboratory of Human Chronobiology found that the homeostatic process starts to go off-kilter before the circadian process as we age.
They found this by studying people of different ages.
They also found that while young adults sleep longer than middle-aged and older adults, daytime napping is essentially unchanged as we age, in the absense of other restrictions (such as retirement.)
RESEARCH
When the U.S. government started the National Insitute on Aging in the 1970s, sleep was a low priority in the medical funding community. In the past few decades the importance of sleep has been recognized, both as an important part of quality of life and as a contributor to and symptom of diseases.
The most recent National Sleep Disorders Research Plan (2003) concedes that most of the research on sleep is conducted on young adults and that there has not been enough scientific exploration of how age affects sleep. There isn’t widespread agreement on what is “normal” age-related changes in sleep patterns and therefore no going agreement on whether any medical treatment is desirable.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
The article below is from Sleepdex an online resource which has lots of information about sleep, but as insomnia appears to get worse with age – there is some quite interesting stuff as to possible causes. If you are over 60 and suffering from insomnia, then I’m sure you will find it an interesting read.
Insomnia is a common complaint in older adults. Chronic sleep difficulties affect older people more often than younger adults. The homoeostatic regulation of sleep changes as we age. Older adults typically have shallower sleep, and fragmentation is more common. Doctors prescribe sleeping aids to the elderly much more often than for young adults or kids.
Factors that contribute to insomnia in seniors may include medical illnesses and medication use, both of which are more common in older adults. Older people also have too little physical activity and reduced exposure to bright light.
There is also a fundamental age-related alteration in the neurobiology of circadian
rhythms, although scientists haven’t figured it all out.
Older people, even healthy ones, often complain about decreased sleep quality, and polysomnographic measurements of physiological indicators have confirmed the reality of these claims. Deep sleep, as a percentage of total sleep, decreases as people age, along with a decrease in growth hormone levels. During late life, REM sleep in a typical night declines about 10 minutes per decade. Wake time during the nocturnal period, a measure of sleep fragmentation, increases about 30 minutes per decade.
There’s also a chicken-and-egg question of the relationship between declining sleep quality and development of chronic illness in older adults. Does low quality sleep contribute to other physical problems or do illnesses cause the low quality sleep?
It can be unclear for any individual, and the two factors are intertwined in most people.
It is worth pointing out the distinction between insomnia and disturbed sleep. Insomnia refers to a subjective inability to fall or stay asleep, and chronic insomnia is due to circadian dysrhythmia, homeostatic dysregulation and hyperarousal.
A person can have insomnia but not disturbed sleep. When the person finally gets to sleep, he or she can sleep soundly. Young adults more typically have trouble falling asleep while old people have trouble staying asleep.
Insomnia, by this classification, often results in increased risk of depression, overall decreased productivity at work and in daytimes activities. Disturbed sleep results in symptoms like those of sleep deprivation.
As people get older, they are more apt to experience secondary insomnia due to medical conditions, and to experience sleep disorders such as apnea, restless leg syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorder. Primary insomnia and insomnia due to psychiatric problems do not increase with age.
Some common poor sleep habits are more prevalent in elderly populations – staying in bed all night even when not sleeping (leading to poor sleep efficiency) and daytime napping. This can be due to retirement or boredom. Good sleep practices can help.
Sleep medication use in the elderly differs from that in younger people only in the longer retention time in the body. A drug's half-life – the time it takes for the body to eliminate half the drug from the bloodstream – is higher in the elderly.
This means sleep inertia due to residual sleeping pills is more likely in older people.
In general, older people are more prone to movement during sleep and sedative drugs increase the risk of falls. This is why doctors take into account a patient's age when selecting a sleeping aid. Chloral hydrate is also used in the elderly more often than in young people.
WHAT SCIENTISTS KNOW
There’s a difference in the sexes. Men lose more of the deep sleep (stages 3 and 4) than women. Daytime sleepiness is more frequent in older men than in older women.
Young and middle-aged adults typically complain of difficulty falling asleep, seniors more often experience nocturnal awakening, early morning awakenings, and non-refreshing sleep.
Some of the sleep hygiene practices recommended for insomniacs are often ignored by older people. Retired people without the regular schedule of a job are more likely to engage in daytime napping, irregular arising time, and increased time in bed compared to employed people. These practices are not conducive to trying to beat insomnia.
Insomnia affects a third of older Americans. Restless leg syndrome and sleep-disordered breathing/apnea are also more common in older people. Sleep-disordered breathing is particularly of interest because there is evidence that connects it will dementia and cognitive deficits in the elderly.
It used to be believed that the human circadian clock had a period of about 25.25 hours and that this period declined as people got older. This explained why teenagers had trouble waking up in the morning while seniors get sleepy early in the evening. However, circadian rhythm amplitude sometime stays strong in very healthy older people. Now scientists think that the intrinsic period of endogenous human circadian pacemaker is not significantly different between health old and young adults and is much closer to 24 hours. Deterioration in the suprachiasmatic nucleus may represent a pathologic rather than a normal change. Another view is that older people tend to have a narrower window in the circadian cycle to get to sleep. They are literally more set in their ways. Young people can go to bed at a different time each night and move their sleep times around much more flexibility.
Older people spend more time in bed than younger ones, but nighttime sleep is typically shallow and fragmented. Scientific measurements confirm subjective reports of decline in sleep quality with age in otherwise healthy older people. Deep sleep decreased from 18.9% during young adulthood (ages 16 to 25) to 3.4% in midlife (36 to 50). The decrease in slow-wave sleep was accompanied by decreases in growth hormone levels.
During late life, REM sleep declines gradually by about 10 minutes per decade. Sleep fragmentation, as measured by wake time, increases by 30 minutes per decade during late life.
THERMOREGULATION AND THE ELDERLY
Dutch scientists have found that elderly bodies are less capable of thermoregulation than younger ones, and give the effect of skin temperature on the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, this may explain increased insomnia rates in seniors. (More on thermoregulation and sleep.)
The prevailing hypothesis in sleep models is the two-process model, in which sleep is a affected by circadian and homeostatic processes . The decline in sleep quality that goes along with getting old is thought to be due to alterations in both processes. Researchers at Cornell's Laboratory of Human Chronobiology found that the homeostatic process starts to go off-kilter before the circadian process as we age.
They found this by studying people of different ages.
They also found that while young adults sleep longer than middle-aged and older adults, daytime napping is essentially unchanged as we age, in the absense of other restrictions (such as retirement.)
RESEARCH
When the U.S. government started the National Insitute on Aging in the 1970s, sleep was a low priority in the medical funding community. In the past few decades the importance of sleep has been recognized, both as an important part of quality of life and as a contributor to and symptom of diseases.
The most recent National Sleep Disorders Research Plan (2003) concedes that most of the research on sleep is conducted on young adults and that there has not been enough scientific exploration of how age affects sleep. There isn’t widespread agreement on what is “normal” age-related changes in sleep patterns and therefore no going agreement on whether any medical treatment is desirable.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Saturday 6 November 2010
Depression and Insomnia
Depression and Insomnia
The information below is based on an article by Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs published recently in a US Medical Publication. If your insomnia is triggered by depression – the article may help you shed some light on the subject.
Bearing in mind the number of people suffering from depression, not just in America but Worldwide, the fact that insomnia is one of the main side effects means that depression is one of the major sources of insomnia. Recognising this and helping to treat the cause can be one of the key cures for insomnia.
I hope you find Dr Jacobs article interesting…
Everyone feels sad or blue at times. However, about 10-20% of Americans experience clinical depression at some point in their lives and the numbers are growing.
Insomnia is a hallmark symptom of depression; some depressed individuals may instead exhibit excessive sleep, called hypersomnia. Insomniacs also exhibit higher levels of depression than normal sleepers, although they generally do not have higher levels of depression than patients with other health problems such as pain, infertility, or heart diseases.
Furthermore, the majority of patients who visit their doctor with a primary complaint of insomnia do not have a diagnosable depressive disorder. And for those patients who do, research has shown that, for some of these individuals, depression can be the consequence of insomnia, not the cause.
Depressed people exhibit a number of other sleep disturbances in addition to insomnia, including reduced deep sleep, increased light sleep, and excessive dream sleep. They enter dream sleep earlier in the night and spend a greater percentage of time in dream sleep than nondepressed individuals. Research also suggests that the dream content of depressed people is more depressing than that of nondepressed people.
Another physiological abnormality associated with depression is a flattened body temperature rhythm; that is, a depressed person's body temperature does not rise and fall as much during the day as that of a nondepressed person. Interestingly, insomniacs exhibit the same problem with their body temperature rhythm. This irregular rhythm in depressed people, which may be the result of the increased fatigue and reduced physical activity that accompanies depression, may ultimately exacerbate insomnia and depressed mood.
To help you determine whether you have major depression, think about whether you have experienced either a relatively prominent, persistent depressed mood nearly every day for a two week period in the past few months or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all usual activities or pastimes. If you have experienced either of these two symptoms, you may have clinical depression and should consider seeking professional evaluation.
Although insomnia can be an important symptom of depression, it is not equivalent to depression. There has been a consistent tendency for both insomniacs and health professionals to conceptualize insomnia as a psychiatric problem, which is erroneous and leads to ineffective treatment. The majority of cases of chronic insomnia are caused by cognitive and behavioral factors, not psychiatric factors, and must therefore be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy, not psychotherapy or antidepressant medication. . Regarding insomnia as a psychiatric disorder just reinforces the stigma associated with insomnia and diminished self-esteem.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
The information below is based on an article by Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs published recently in a US Medical Publication. If your insomnia is triggered by depression – the article may help you shed some light on the subject.
Bearing in mind the number of people suffering from depression, not just in America but Worldwide, the fact that insomnia is one of the main side effects means that depression is one of the major sources of insomnia. Recognising this and helping to treat the cause can be one of the key cures for insomnia.
I hope you find Dr Jacobs article interesting…
Everyone feels sad or blue at times. However, about 10-20% of Americans experience clinical depression at some point in their lives and the numbers are growing.
Insomnia is a hallmark symptom of depression; some depressed individuals may instead exhibit excessive sleep, called hypersomnia. Insomniacs also exhibit higher levels of depression than normal sleepers, although they generally do not have higher levels of depression than patients with other health problems such as pain, infertility, or heart diseases.
Furthermore, the majority of patients who visit their doctor with a primary complaint of insomnia do not have a diagnosable depressive disorder. And for those patients who do, research has shown that, for some of these individuals, depression can be the consequence of insomnia, not the cause.
Depressed people exhibit a number of other sleep disturbances in addition to insomnia, including reduced deep sleep, increased light sleep, and excessive dream sleep. They enter dream sleep earlier in the night and spend a greater percentage of time in dream sleep than nondepressed individuals. Research also suggests that the dream content of depressed people is more depressing than that of nondepressed people.
Another physiological abnormality associated with depression is a flattened body temperature rhythm; that is, a depressed person's body temperature does not rise and fall as much during the day as that of a nondepressed person. Interestingly, insomniacs exhibit the same problem with their body temperature rhythm. This irregular rhythm in depressed people, which may be the result of the increased fatigue and reduced physical activity that accompanies depression, may ultimately exacerbate insomnia and depressed mood.
To help you determine whether you have major depression, think about whether you have experienced either a relatively prominent, persistent depressed mood nearly every day for a two week period in the past few months or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all usual activities or pastimes. If you have experienced either of these two symptoms, you may have clinical depression and should consider seeking professional evaluation.
Although insomnia can be an important symptom of depression, it is not equivalent to depression. There has been a consistent tendency for both insomniacs and health professionals to conceptualize insomnia as a psychiatric problem, which is erroneous and leads to ineffective treatment. The majority of cases of chronic insomnia are caused by cognitive and behavioral factors, not psychiatric factors, and must therefore be treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy, not psychotherapy or antidepressant medication. . Regarding insomnia as a psychiatric disorder just reinforces the stigma associated with insomnia and diminished self-esteem.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Insomnia Definitions – S to T
Some more definitions – this time Sl to T
Over the last months or so I have been posting definitions to help you bust the jargon when you are researching insomnia related issues.
Here are some more which I hope are of some help to you – most of them relating to Sleep related definitions.
Sleep Apnea – A condition where the sufferer momentarily stops breathing during sleep. I will blog about this problem separately soon as it is a major cause of insomnia.
Sleep Bruxism – This is where the sufferer constantly grinds his/her teeth during the night waking themselves (and others in the process). Not only can it lead to insomnia but also leads to problems with teeth and dental issues.
Sleep Homeostat – This is an internal body control mechanism which is controlled by brain chemicals such as melatonin. It basically makes sure that in an ideal world that you get enough sleep.
Sleep onset insomnia – This is a type of insomnia where you find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place.
Sleep Maintenance insomnia – This is different to the sleep onset insomnia as the sufferer doesn’t have a problem actually falling asleep – they have a problem staying asleep.
Sleep related breathing disorders – These cover a range of sleep breathing related issues which includes sleep apnea, but also includes difficulty in breathing and too shallow breathing.
Sleep related movement disorders – This is a group of disorders where the suffer makes involuntary movements during the night. These sudden movements can either keep the sufferer from falling asleep or wake them abruptly during the night. One of the most common forms of this is Restless leg Syndrome.
Sleep wake Cycle – Pattern of sleep and wakefulness that is determined by circadian rythms and sleep homeostat.
Stimulus Control Therapy- A treatment that aims to help insomnia by encouraging the brain to link to certain cues. This may be simply getting into bed, the dark etc where the sufferer immediately associates these with sleep.
Transient Insomnia- This is a temporary form of insomnia which tends to only last a few nights.
Tryptophan – This is an amino acid used to make serotonin. This is then turned into the sleep hormone Melatonin
Well that’s it for now – hope it’s been of some interest. Remember there are a few other blogs on this site which help take you through the alphabet if you are looking out for any other definitions.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Over the last months or so I have been posting definitions to help you bust the jargon when you are researching insomnia related issues.
Here are some more which I hope are of some help to you – most of them relating to Sleep related definitions.
Sleep Apnea – A condition where the sufferer momentarily stops breathing during sleep. I will blog about this problem separately soon as it is a major cause of insomnia.
Sleep Bruxism – This is where the sufferer constantly grinds his/her teeth during the night waking themselves (and others in the process). Not only can it lead to insomnia but also leads to problems with teeth and dental issues.
Sleep Homeostat – This is an internal body control mechanism which is controlled by brain chemicals such as melatonin. It basically makes sure that in an ideal world that you get enough sleep.
Sleep onset insomnia – This is a type of insomnia where you find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place.
Sleep Maintenance insomnia – This is different to the sleep onset insomnia as the sufferer doesn’t have a problem actually falling asleep – they have a problem staying asleep.
Sleep related breathing disorders – These cover a range of sleep breathing related issues which includes sleep apnea, but also includes difficulty in breathing and too shallow breathing.
Sleep related movement disorders – This is a group of disorders where the suffer makes involuntary movements during the night. These sudden movements can either keep the sufferer from falling asleep or wake them abruptly during the night. One of the most common forms of this is Restless leg Syndrome.
Sleep wake Cycle – Pattern of sleep and wakefulness that is determined by circadian rythms and sleep homeostat.
Stimulus Control Therapy- A treatment that aims to help insomnia by encouraging the brain to link to certain cues. This may be simply getting into bed, the dark etc where the sufferer immediately associates these with sleep.
Transient Insomnia- This is a temporary form of insomnia which tends to only last a few nights.
Tryptophan – This is an amino acid used to make serotonin. This is then turned into the sleep hormone Melatonin
Well that’s it for now – hope it’s been of some interest. Remember there are a few other blogs on this site which help take you through the alphabet if you are looking out for any other definitions.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Tart cherry juice, a natural insomnia cure
Tart cherry juice, a natural insomnia cure
A new research has suggested that drinking tart cherry juice daily can help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep.
To reach the conclusion, a team of University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester and VA Center of Canandaigua researchers conducted a pilot study on the sleep habits of 15 older adults.
The adults drank 8 ounces of tart cherry juice beverage (CheriBundi www.cheribundi.com) in the morning and evening for 2 weeks, and a comparable matched juice drink, with no tart cherry juice, for another 2 week period.
There were significant reductions in reported insomnia severity and the adults saved about 17 minutes of wake time after going to sleep, on average, when drinking cherry juice daily, compared to when they were drinking the juice drink.
The researchers suspect tart cherries'' natural benefits could be due in part to their relatively high content of melatonin – a natural antioxidant in cherries with established ability to help moderate the body's sleep-wake cycle.
Produced naturally by the body in small amounts, melatonin plays a role in inducing sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day.
Russel J. Reiter, a biomedical scientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center and one of the world's leading authorities on melatonin, says while melatonin supplement pills have been heavily promoted as a sleep aid, foods such as cherries – available year-round as dried, frozen and juice – may be a better alternative for boosting the body's own supply of melatonin.
"When consumed regularly, tart cherries may help regulate the body's natural sleep cycle and increase sleep efficiency, including decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep. And, because cherries are so rich in other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, you get other important health benefits," Reiter said.
The study has been published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
A new research has suggested that drinking tart cherry juice daily can help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep.
To reach the conclusion, a team of University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester and VA Center of Canandaigua researchers conducted a pilot study on the sleep habits of 15 older adults.
The adults drank 8 ounces of tart cherry juice beverage (CheriBundi www.cheribundi.com) in the morning and evening for 2 weeks, and a comparable matched juice drink, with no tart cherry juice, for another 2 week period.
There were significant reductions in reported insomnia severity and the adults saved about 17 minutes of wake time after going to sleep, on average, when drinking cherry juice daily, compared to when they were drinking the juice drink.
The researchers suspect tart cherries'' natural benefits could be due in part to their relatively high content of melatonin – a natural antioxidant in cherries with established ability to help moderate the body's sleep-wake cycle.
Produced naturally by the body in small amounts, melatonin plays a role in inducing sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day.
Russel J. Reiter, a biomedical scientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center and one of the world's leading authorities on melatonin, says while melatonin supplement pills have been heavily promoted as a sleep aid, foods such as cherries – available year-round as dried, frozen and juice – may be a better alternative for boosting the body's own supply of melatonin.
"When consumed regularly, tart cherries may help regulate the body's natural sleep cycle and increase sleep efficiency, including decreasing the time it takes to fall asleep. And, because cherries are so rich in other antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, you get other important health benefits," Reiter said.
The study has been published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Balancing your blood sugar to help cure insomnia
Balancing your blood sugar
Sleep can often be affected by hunger. This means that eating in a way that will keep your blood sugar steady during the daytime will help your sleep by ensuring it isn’t then affected by hunger!
Here are some top tips on things that uou can do to help balance your blood sugar to help sleep and get over bouts of insomnia.
1. Don’t starve or stuff yourself!
Whatever you do – don’t stuff your face and over eat at bedtime. It can lead to discomfort that can prevent you from sleeping soundly.
One of the other problems with eating lots late at night is that it causes a massive surge in body temperature – which in turn leads to stopping people from being able to drop off to sleep.
There are also issues with not eating enough before bedtime – so don’t eat too little before bedtime so you feel hungry. Not eating enough can lead to hunger pangs which can keep you from falling asleep and or cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Also your body needs nutrients to repair itself.
2. Eat low GI foods
GI means Glypercaemic index. Gypercaemic Index is a measure of the rate by which a food raises sugar in the blood.
Carbohydrates are a particular food with a high Glypercaemic Index. Foods in this group include things like bread, chips ,pasta, rice, couscous, pastries, biscuits, cakes, buns, crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks. All these foods have one thing in common – they are all converted by the body into glucose quickly. This causes the blood sugar level in the blood to rise rapidly.
But remember that there are some carbohydrates with a low Glypercaemic Index – these tend to be more of the wholemeal/brown versions of food – so things like wholemeal bread, bran flakes, porridge, sweet potatoes, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, baked potatoes, and anything containing large amounts of fibre.
The benefit of these low GI foods is that they take a really long time to digest. This has the added advantage of making the glucose in them to be released more slowly. This then has the positive effect of keeping your blood sugar steady – which then leads you to feeling full for longer.
This is great if you are struggling to sleep by keeping waking up in the night because you are hungry. (The same principal also works for when you have breakfast with low GI items which can keep you full up at work till lunchtime!)
3. Fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products
For a low GI diet, as well as eating these slow release carbohydrates – you also need to include lots of fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses. It would also help if you eat low fat dairy products such as yoghurt, skimmed milk and cheese. This helps you to have a more balanced diet.
So you see – you don’t have to eat masses before bedtime so that you don’t wake up during the night hungry. Doing this can cause a negative effect – you are much better eating a low GI diet – so that you stay hungry longer whilst remaining healthy.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Sleep can often be affected by hunger. This means that eating in a way that will keep your blood sugar steady during the daytime will help your sleep by ensuring it isn’t then affected by hunger!
Here are some top tips on things that uou can do to help balance your blood sugar to help sleep and get over bouts of insomnia.
1. Don’t starve or stuff yourself!
Whatever you do – don’t stuff your face and over eat at bedtime. It can lead to discomfort that can prevent you from sleeping soundly.
One of the other problems with eating lots late at night is that it causes a massive surge in body temperature – which in turn leads to stopping people from being able to drop off to sleep.
There are also issues with not eating enough before bedtime – so don’t eat too little before bedtime so you feel hungry. Not eating enough can lead to hunger pangs which can keep you from falling asleep and or cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Also your body needs nutrients to repair itself.
2. Eat low GI foods
GI means Glypercaemic index. Gypercaemic Index is a measure of the rate by which a food raises sugar in the blood.
Carbohydrates are a particular food with a high Glypercaemic Index. Foods in this group include things like bread, chips ,pasta, rice, couscous, pastries, biscuits, cakes, buns, crisps, sweets and fizzy drinks. All these foods have one thing in common – they are all converted by the body into glucose quickly. This causes the blood sugar level in the blood to rise rapidly.
But remember that there are some carbohydrates with a low Glypercaemic Index – these tend to be more of the wholemeal/brown versions of food – so things like wholemeal bread, bran flakes, porridge, sweet potatoes, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, baked potatoes, and anything containing large amounts of fibre.
The benefit of these low GI foods is that they take a really long time to digest. This has the added advantage of making the glucose in them to be released more slowly. This then has the positive effect of keeping your blood sugar steady – which then leads you to feeling full for longer.
This is great if you are struggling to sleep by keeping waking up in the night because you are hungry. (The same principal also works for when you have breakfast with low GI items which can keep you full up at work till lunchtime!)
3. Fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products
For a low GI diet, as well as eating these slow release carbohydrates – you also need to include lots of fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses. It would also help if you eat low fat dairy products such as yoghurt, skimmed milk and cheese. This helps you to have a more balanced diet.
So you see – you don’t have to eat masses before bedtime so that you don’t wake up during the night hungry. Doing this can cause a negative effect – you are much better eating a low GI diet – so that you stay hungry longer whilst remaining healthy.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Women and Insomnia
Women and Insomnia
Here is an interesting article I found from Sleepdex an online resource of Sleep Information. Hope you find it interesting…
More women have insomnia several times a week than men. Senior women are more likely to report sleep problems over the past decade than senior men.
Many women experience insomnia when they have fluctuations in the serum levels of hormones. These times include during their monthly cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
No cause-and-effect relationship has been established between hormones and sleep
latency at a biochemical level, though. It has been shown that hormone supplement therapy for women during menopausal change does decrease reports of insomnia.
Bloating, which many women experience as part of their menstrual cycle, contributes to insomnia. Perimenstral insomnia is often a secondary insomnia because the women cannot sleep due to other symptoms such as cramping or headaches.
Premenstral syndrome seems to cause both insomnia and hypersomnia. Different women experience different symptoms. Sleep restriction has been found to reduce menses-related depression, as has bright light therapy for insomnia. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder also is associated with sleep disruption, although doctors more commonly address the anxiety symptoms than insomnia. Anti-depressant drugs are often prescribed for PDD (and PMS) and the often help with sleep problems. If appropriate, doctors may prescribe benzodiazepine receptor agonists.
Sleepiness leads to weight gain by discouraging physical activity. Depression leads to overeating. Social expectations of women may contribute to the greater prevalence of sleep disorders. They are more likely to be the primary caregiver than men and more likely to shoulder a larger share of the housework. Researchers have also found that on average women get 5% less deep sleep on average than men.
In general, sleep disorders are more commen in women than in men, and they play out differently, emerging throughout the reproductive life cycle. Women get apnea and restless legs syndrome at a lower rate than men. Premenstral syndrome seems to cause both insomnia and hypersomnia.
There is a ton of anecdotal evidence that birth control pills cause insomnia in some women, although no formal studies that we know of. It is not surprising, though, that some women should notice an effect of supplemental hormones on their sleep patterns.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Here is an interesting article I found from Sleepdex an online resource of Sleep Information. Hope you find it interesting…
More women have insomnia several times a week than men. Senior women are more likely to report sleep problems over the past decade than senior men.
Many women experience insomnia when they have fluctuations in the serum levels of hormones. These times include during their monthly cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
No cause-and-effect relationship has been established between hormones and sleep
latency at a biochemical level, though. It has been shown that hormone supplement therapy for women during menopausal change does decrease reports of insomnia.
Bloating, which many women experience as part of their menstrual cycle, contributes to insomnia. Perimenstral insomnia is often a secondary insomnia because the women cannot sleep due to other symptoms such as cramping or headaches.
Premenstral syndrome seems to cause both insomnia and hypersomnia. Different women experience different symptoms. Sleep restriction has been found to reduce menses-related depression, as has bright light therapy for insomnia. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder also is associated with sleep disruption, although doctors more commonly address the anxiety symptoms than insomnia. Anti-depressant drugs are often prescribed for PDD (and PMS) and the often help with sleep problems. If appropriate, doctors may prescribe benzodiazepine receptor agonists.
Sleepiness leads to weight gain by discouraging physical activity. Depression leads to overeating. Social expectations of women may contribute to the greater prevalence of sleep disorders. They are more likely to be the primary caregiver than men and more likely to shoulder a larger share of the housework. Researchers have also found that on average women get 5% less deep sleep on average than men.
In general, sleep disorders are more commen in women than in men, and they play out differently, emerging throughout the reproductive life cycle. Women get apnea and restless legs syndrome at a lower rate than men. Premenstral syndrome seems to cause both insomnia and hypersomnia.
There is a ton of anecdotal evidence that birth control pills cause insomnia in some women, although no formal studies that we know of. It is not surprising, though, that some women should notice an effect of supplemental hormones on their sleep patterns.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Physical Exercise and Getting a Restful Sleep
Physical Exercise and Getting a Restful Sleep
The amount of physical exercise that you exert during the day is one of the key ingredients to helping you get a good restful sleep at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are to relax at night and fall asleep faster.
With regular exercise you'll notice that your quality of sleep is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. By keeping up your physical activity during the day, you may find it easier to deal with the stress and worries of your life.
Research and studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel afterwards.
You should try and increase your physical activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so that you aren't full of energy at night.
Your body requires a certain amount of physical activity in order to keep functioning in a healthy manner. It is also important to note that you should not be exercising three or four hours before you go to bed.
The ideal exercise time is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to make sure you expend your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.
You should attempt to exercise at least three or four times a week for a period of 30 minutes or so. You can include walking or something simple. If you prefer, you can include strenuous activities such as running as well.
The goal here is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. By adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will help you to improve your overall health and help you emotionally as well.
Along with running and walking there are several other physical activities that you can add to your daily life to increase your level of physical activity. If you are battling not sleeping, you'll find aerobic exercise to be the best.
Your goal with exercise is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood stream. Overall, there are many types of aerobic exercise for you to choose from.
The activities include running, biking, using a treadmill, dancing, and jumping rope.
There are some non aerobic exercises that you may find beneficial to help you solve your amnesia problem.
Yoga - Yoga is an exercise that has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, especially the brain. Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase the blood circulation to the brain, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. The regular practice of yoga will help you to relax as well as relieve tension and stress.
Tai Chi - Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by the Chinese monks. The movements involved are slow and precise, which is ideal if you have joint pains or you are unable to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi can help with insomnia by promoting relaxation.
If you discover that you don't have any time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to sneak moments of activity into your schedule. Whenever possible, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, as little things like that will do wonders for your body.
You should also park your car around the corner and walk that extra block or two to get to your destination. As you may know, there are many small things you can add to increase the activity in your life. Your overall goal here is to have a healthy and well balanced life - with plenty of sleep.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
The amount of physical exercise that you exert during the day is one of the key ingredients to helping you get a good restful sleep at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are to relax at night and fall asleep faster.
With regular exercise you'll notice that your quality of sleep is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. By keeping up your physical activity during the day, you may find it easier to deal with the stress and worries of your life.
Research and studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel afterwards.
You should try and increase your physical activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so that you aren't full of energy at night.
Your body requires a certain amount of physical activity in order to keep functioning in a healthy manner. It is also important to note that you should not be exercising three or four hours before you go to bed.
The ideal exercise time is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to make sure you expend your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.
You should attempt to exercise at least three or four times a week for a period of 30 minutes or so. You can include walking or something simple. If you prefer, you can include strenuous activities such as running as well.
The goal here is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. By adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will help you to improve your overall health and help you emotionally as well.
Along with running and walking there are several other physical activities that you can add to your daily life to increase your level of physical activity. If you are battling not sleeping, you'll find aerobic exercise to be the best.
Your goal with exercise is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood stream. Overall, there are many types of aerobic exercise for you to choose from.
The activities include running, biking, using a treadmill, dancing, and jumping rope.
There are some non aerobic exercises that you may find beneficial to help you solve your amnesia problem.
Yoga - Yoga is an exercise that has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, especially the brain. Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase the blood circulation to the brain, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. The regular practice of yoga will help you to relax as well as relieve tension and stress.
Tai Chi - Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by the Chinese monks. The movements involved are slow and precise, which is ideal if you have joint pains or you are unable to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi can help with insomnia by promoting relaxation.
If you discover that you don't have any time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to sneak moments of activity into your schedule. Whenever possible, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, as little things like that will do wonders for your body.
You should also park your car around the corner and walk that extra block or two to get to your destination. As you may know, there are many small things you can add to increase the activity in your life. Your overall goal here is to have a healthy and well balanced life - with plenty of sleep.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Hypnosis For Insomnia
Hypnosis For Insomnia
Thanks to Richard MacKenzie, a leading Hypnotherapist, for supplying this article about using Hypnosis as a cure for insomnia.
Do you crave and really need a decent nights sleep? Do you find yourself laying awake night after night in your hopeless attempts to get a sound amount of slumber? Do you find yourself nodding off in the day because you are not getting your 8 hours a night? If you are then you are probably suffering at the hands of insomnia. Insomnia is becoming increasingly common in our modern day lives as we work and play harder than any other generation before us. So if insomnia is your problem, then what can you do to rectify it? Is there a solution to your dilemma?
As a hypnotherapist I have helped countless numbers of people with insomnia over my career. In fact insomnia is one of those issues that we see a lot of in the clinic as it is very common probably even more common than you could ever imagine. It affects people from many different socio-economic backgrounds as well as people of all ages and educational background. In fact given the right scenarios, I don't think anyone would be immune. However once we have got into the routine of insomnia it is possible to escape and regain a solid sleeping pattern once again.
So how would life be different if you could get back into a sensible sleeping pattern in the near future? How much more fitter and healthier would you feel knowing that you are getting a well and sound nights sleep? What would it feel like to deal with all of those stresses and tensions that keep you laying awake at night and stopping you from sleeping? Well hypnosis can help as is deals with the part of your mind that holds your insomniac beliefs, habits and behaviours. In fact if reprograms this part of your brain to get you the results that you both desire and need.
While in the state of hypnosis you will feel relaxed and comfortable as you begin to make the changes needed to put your insomnia behind you forever. The other natural benefits that occur in hypnosis will also help you to de-stress and feel more in control and confident of yourself and your lifestyle choices.
If you are serious about getting rid of your insomnia then I would suggest trying hypnosis through a hypnosis download or recording or even getting in contact with your local hypnotherapist who will be more than happy to help you out.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Thanks to Richard MacKenzie, a leading Hypnotherapist, for supplying this article about using Hypnosis as a cure for insomnia.
Do you crave and really need a decent nights sleep? Do you find yourself laying awake night after night in your hopeless attempts to get a sound amount of slumber? Do you find yourself nodding off in the day because you are not getting your 8 hours a night? If you are then you are probably suffering at the hands of insomnia. Insomnia is becoming increasingly common in our modern day lives as we work and play harder than any other generation before us. So if insomnia is your problem, then what can you do to rectify it? Is there a solution to your dilemma?
As a hypnotherapist I have helped countless numbers of people with insomnia over my career. In fact insomnia is one of those issues that we see a lot of in the clinic as it is very common probably even more common than you could ever imagine. It affects people from many different socio-economic backgrounds as well as people of all ages and educational background. In fact given the right scenarios, I don't think anyone would be immune. However once we have got into the routine of insomnia it is possible to escape and regain a solid sleeping pattern once again.
So how would life be different if you could get back into a sensible sleeping pattern in the near future? How much more fitter and healthier would you feel knowing that you are getting a well and sound nights sleep? What would it feel like to deal with all of those stresses and tensions that keep you laying awake at night and stopping you from sleeping? Well hypnosis can help as is deals with the part of your mind that holds your insomniac beliefs, habits and behaviours. In fact if reprograms this part of your brain to get you the results that you both desire and need.
While in the state of hypnosis you will feel relaxed and comfortable as you begin to make the changes needed to put your insomnia behind you forever. The other natural benefits that occur in hypnosis will also help you to de-stress and feel more in control and confident of yourself and your lifestyle choices.
If you are serious about getting rid of your insomnia then I would suggest trying hypnosis through a hypnosis download or recording or even getting in contact with your local hypnotherapist who will be more than happy to help you out.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
What is hypersomnia?
What is hypersomnia?
Here is a bit of information about hypersomnia – which if you are not sure what exactly it is – basically is where a person is getting too much or little sleep, or being unable to control their sleep patterns or sleepiness.
They include menstrual related hypersomnia and medical related hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is a serious sleep problem leading in some cases to either insomnia or the opposite uncontrollable falling asleep.
Narcolepsy
The best known of the hypersomnia group of conditions is Narcolepsy. It is estimated that one person in every 2000 has narcolepsy, although this could be more as it is believed that many people don’t report their narcolepsy.
The main cause is thought to be to be the bodies faulty control of its sleep awake cycle and of REM sleep in particular.
The main symptoms of Narcolepsy are insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable sleep attacks. A friend of mine with narcolepsy has been known to fall asleep in mid conversation at a dinner party without warning. I know you are thinking – well what does that say about the company! – but there have been many more incidents of this.
Other symptoms of narcolepsy include:
1. Temporary paralysis when falling asleep or waking up
2. Hallucinations involving vivid images or sounds on falling asleep or
awakening
3. Moments or longer periods of trance like behaviour, where everyday activities are carried out on autopilot so that afterwards the sufferer can’t remember doing them
4. Waking up frequently during the night feeling alert and agitated
5. There may also be flushes and a rapid heartbeat
The condition can start earlier but usually narcolepsy begins between the ages of 20 and 40. It si thought to be linked to a lack of Orexin, a brain chemical that promotes alertness.
There are certain treatments which can help – these include stimulant drugs like Modafnil. There are also lifestyle changes and support and coping strategies through narcolepsy networks.
If you google Narcolpesy - you can find the Narcolepsy Association-they have a lot more information on support and help.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Here is a bit of information about hypersomnia – which if you are not sure what exactly it is – basically is where a person is getting too much or little sleep, or being unable to control their sleep patterns or sleepiness.
They include menstrual related hypersomnia and medical related hypersomnia. Hypersomnia is a serious sleep problem leading in some cases to either insomnia or the opposite uncontrollable falling asleep.
Narcolepsy
The best known of the hypersomnia group of conditions is Narcolepsy. It is estimated that one person in every 2000 has narcolepsy, although this could be more as it is believed that many people don’t report their narcolepsy.
The main cause is thought to be to be the bodies faulty control of its sleep awake cycle and of REM sleep in particular.
The main symptoms of Narcolepsy are insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable sleep attacks. A friend of mine with narcolepsy has been known to fall asleep in mid conversation at a dinner party without warning. I know you are thinking – well what does that say about the company! – but there have been many more incidents of this.
Other symptoms of narcolepsy include:
1. Temporary paralysis when falling asleep or waking up
2. Hallucinations involving vivid images or sounds on falling asleep or
awakening
3. Moments or longer periods of trance like behaviour, where everyday activities are carried out on autopilot so that afterwards the sufferer can’t remember doing them
4. Waking up frequently during the night feeling alert and agitated
5. There may also be flushes and a rapid heartbeat
The condition can start earlier but usually narcolepsy begins between the ages of 20 and 40. It si thought to be linked to a lack of Orexin, a brain chemical that promotes alertness.
There are certain treatments which can help – these include stimulant drugs like Modafnil. There are also lifestyle changes and support and coping strategies through narcolepsy networks.
If you google Narcolpesy - you can find the Narcolepsy Association-they have a lot more information on support and help.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
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