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
Showing posts with label causes for insomnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label causes for insomnia. Show all posts
Monday, 15 November 2010
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
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
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
Monday, 11 October 2010
Curb the Caffeine
Curb the Caffeine
Caffeine is a strong stimulant and its effect can last for hours.
Research has shown that just one single mug of coffee before bedtime can lead to severe problems getting to sleep. It can also effect quality of sleep, especially that of deep sleep.
There are different levels of caffeine in different coffee’s – so a cup of instant coffee may contain around 5.4mg of caffeine whereas a cup of proper ground coffee can contain as much as 2.5 times as much caffeine – averaging between 105 and 125mg.
But don’t think tea is the answer – a cup of tea can also contain about 40mg of caffeine – so this can act as a stimulant too!
Our advice - don’t drink tea or coffee too close to bedtime – especially if you have trouble dropping off.
Whilst it is not necessary to give up coffee completely if you have a problem sleeping – its best just not to drink it after 2pm in the afternoon. The other option is to try drinking de-caffeinated tea or coffee – which are both easily available from most supermarkets.
Hope this helps a bit – but basically if you want a good night’s sleep you need to CURB THE COFFEE.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Caffeine is a strong stimulant and its effect can last for hours.
Research has shown that just one single mug of coffee before bedtime can lead to severe problems getting to sleep. It can also effect quality of sleep, especially that of deep sleep.
There are different levels of caffeine in different coffee’s – so a cup of instant coffee may contain around 5.4mg of caffeine whereas a cup of proper ground coffee can contain as much as 2.5 times as much caffeine – averaging between 105 and 125mg.
But don’t think tea is the answer – a cup of tea can also contain about 40mg of caffeine – so this can act as a stimulant too!
Our advice - don’t drink tea or coffee too close to bedtime – especially if you have trouble dropping off.
Whilst it is not necessary to give up coffee completely if you have a problem sleeping – its best just not to drink it after 2pm in the afternoon. The other option is to try drinking de-caffeinated tea or coffee – which are both easily available from most supermarkets.
Hope this helps a bit – but basically if you want a good night’s sleep you need to CURB THE COFFEE.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Caffeine Calculator
Just a quick note for those of you concerned that caffeine intake is effecting your sleep.
If you want to be sure how much caffeine is contained in various drinks or foodstuffs ( a 50g bar of chocolate can contain as much as 50mg of caffeine!) there is a great resource available on The National Sleep Foundation Website which can be found at:
www.sleepfoundation.org
Worth a look...
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
If you want to be sure how much caffeine is contained in various drinks or foodstuffs ( a 50g bar of chocolate can contain as much as 50mg of caffeine!) there is a great resource available on The National Sleep Foundation Website which can be found at:
www.sleepfoundation.org
Worth a look...
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Restless Leg syndrome
Restless Leg syndrome
You may have heard about something called restless leg syndrome as being one of the main causes of insomnia.
This is where you have an irresistible urge to move your legs which stops you falling or staying asleep. These sudden movements happen without warning and are often so severe they wake the sufferer up with a jolt in the middle of the night.
A recent study showed that iron deficiency is often the cause of Restless Leg Syndrome.
You can increase iron levels in your diet and therefore aid the symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome.
Good sources of iron include:
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Eggs
Liver
Meat
Chicken
Green vegetables
Dried fruit and nuts
Wholemeal bread
It has been found that the absorbtion of iron by the body can be increased by vitamin C intake. So remember to have lots of fruit juice and fresh fruit with your meals.
Hope this helps you.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
You may have heard about something called restless leg syndrome as being one of the main causes of insomnia.
This is where you have an irresistible urge to move your legs which stops you falling or staying asleep. These sudden movements happen without warning and are often so severe they wake the sufferer up with a jolt in the middle of the night.
A recent study showed that iron deficiency is often the cause of Restless Leg Syndrome.
You can increase iron levels in your diet and therefore aid the symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome.
Good sources of iron include:
Salmon
Sardines
Tuna
Eggs
Liver
Meat
Chicken
Green vegetables
Dried fruit and nuts
Wholemeal bread
It has been found that the absorbtion of iron by the body can be increased by vitamin C intake. So remember to have lots of fruit juice and fresh fruit with your meals.
Hope this helps you.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Get a Massage To Cure Your Insomnia
Can you massage away your stress and gain a good nights sleep?
This week I’ve been doing some research into the benefits of massage and how they can help as part of a cure for insomnia.
I’ll share with you my findings... `
Massage is one of the oldest and most effective methods of reducing stress. Daily stresses cause tension and lead to pain and stiffness in the muscles.
The Greek Philosopher Hippocrates – known as the father of Modern Medicine recognised the benefits of massage hundreds of years ago and is quoted as saying “massage can loosen a joint that is too rigid”.
Massage involves touch and pressure – both powerful tools which can help ease away pain and tension which leads to aches and ultimately keep a person awake.
So how exactly does it work?
Massage works by helping to release endorphins – the bodies own natural painkillers as well as a natural substance called serotonin which helps aid relaxation. There are a couple of other health benefits with massage as well – it helps decrease the level of stress hormone in the blood as well as helping improve people’s circulation.
FACT Babies sleep much better after massage and there are a number of Baby Massage Groups set up around health care centres – but the same principle applies for adults with massage having great relaxing effects.
Recent research conducted on sufferers of something called Fibromyalgia (basically a medical condition leading to stiffness, muscle pain and fatigue) showed that massage had significant benefits when it came to pain relief and this in turn helped the sufferer to sleep for longer.
If you can’t afford to go to a trained masseur there are some simple things you can do with your partner to enjoy the sleep benefits associated with massage.
Firstly you need to create your own massage oil which will help reduce friction when massaging the muscles. Basically ask your chemist for a suitable aromatherapy oil – one which supposedly helps sleep like lavender is a good choice. Combine this with a carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed.
Then loosen your buttons of your shirt and get your partner to start by giving you a head, shoulder and neck massage.
Here are a few basic techniques...
STROKING – guide both hands over the skin in a rhythmic fanning or circular movement.
KNEADING – Using alternate hands, squeeze and release flesh between your fingers and thumbs – like kneading dough!
FRICTION – Use your thumbs to provide even pressure or make small circles on either side of the spine.
HACKING – Use the sides of both hands in a relaxed state to give a short, sharp taps all over.
So hopefully now you have some of the tools for a bit of DIY massage- which should lead to reducing stress and maybe the start of a good nights sleep.
Massage is something that a lot of people have written to me about to say it has worked to some extent for them – so good luck.
With a lot of the advice that I post on my blog it will work for some, but not for others but as I explained if you do it yourself it doesn’t have to break the bank – so you have nothing to lose. Even if it doesn’t help you sleep – it will certainly help you rest and relax.
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’ve been doing some research into the benefits of massage and how they can help as part of a cure for insomnia.
I’ll share with you my findings... `
Massage is one of the oldest and most effective methods of reducing stress. Daily stresses cause tension and lead to pain and stiffness in the muscles.
The Greek Philosopher Hippocrates – known as the father of Modern Medicine recognised the benefits of massage hundreds of years ago and is quoted as saying “massage can loosen a joint that is too rigid”.
Massage involves touch and pressure – both powerful tools which can help ease away pain and tension which leads to aches and ultimately keep a person awake.
So how exactly does it work?
Massage works by helping to release endorphins – the bodies own natural painkillers as well as a natural substance called serotonin which helps aid relaxation. There are a couple of other health benefits with massage as well – it helps decrease the level of stress hormone in the blood as well as helping improve people’s circulation.
FACT Babies sleep much better after massage and there are a number of Baby Massage Groups set up around health care centres – but the same principle applies for adults with massage having great relaxing effects.
Recent research conducted on sufferers of something called Fibromyalgia (basically a medical condition leading to stiffness, muscle pain and fatigue) showed that massage had significant benefits when it came to pain relief and this in turn helped the sufferer to sleep for longer.
If you can’t afford to go to a trained masseur there are some simple things you can do with your partner to enjoy the sleep benefits associated with massage.
Firstly you need to create your own massage oil which will help reduce friction when massaging the muscles. Basically ask your chemist for a suitable aromatherapy oil – one which supposedly helps sleep like lavender is a good choice. Combine this with a carrier oil such as almond or grapeseed.
Then loosen your buttons of your shirt and get your partner to start by giving you a head, shoulder and neck massage.
Here are a few basic techniques...
STROKING – guide both hands over the skin in a rhythmic fanning or circular movement.
KNEADING – Using alternate hands, squeeze and release flesh between your fingers and thumbs – like kneading dough!
FRICTION – Use your thumbs to provide even pressure or make small circles on either side of the spine.
HACKING – Use the sides of both hands in a relaxed state to give a short, sharp taps all over.
So hopefully now you have some of the tools for a bit of DIY massage- which should lead to reducing stress and maybe the start of a good nights sleep.
Massage is something that a lot of people have written to me about to say it has worked to some extent for them – so good luck.
With a lot of the advice that I post on my blog it will work for some, but not for others but as I explained if you do it yourself it doesn’t have to break the bank – so you have nothing to lose. Even if it doesn’t help you sleep – it will certainly help you rest and relax.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Ditch the telly!
Ditch the telly!
Get rid of the television in the bedroom.
This really did help me in my quest for a cure for insomnia...
Stop watching TV in bed late at night. It basically over stimulates the brain making it difficult to switch off.
Taking a lap top or computer to bed has a similar effect – so don’t do it. Bright lights from a TV and computers can also interfere with the production of hormones such as Melatonin that help regulate the sleep/awake cycle and are responsible for helping you get a good nights sleep.
So – keep the telly in the living room, and keep the bedroom for sleeping.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Get rid of the television in the bedroom.
This really did help me in my quest for a cure for insomnia...
Stop watching TV in bed late at night. It basically over stimulates the brain making it difficult to switch off.
Taking a lap top or computer to bed has a similar effect – so don’t do it. Bright lights from a TV and computers can also interfere with the production of hormones such as Melatonin that help regulate the sleep/awake cycle and are responsible for helping you get a good nights sleep.
So – keep the telly in the living room, and keep the bedroom for sleeping.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
7 top tips on avoiding jet lad triggered insomnia
My wife has just returned from a long haul trip to the States with work. After a couple of weeks with her struggling to sleep and waking me up in the middle of the night to look at paint samples I thought I’d better start looking at how I can stop this from happening again!
So I’ve decided to pull together some facts on the causes of jetlag and some tips on things that you can do to avoid it. Even if you’ve not got a long flights across timezones coming up soon – hopefully you can remember the tips and they will come in handy in the future.
So what is jet lag exactly?
Well, one of the downsides of long distance travel across different timezones is that it confuses your body clock – this can lead to throwing peoples sleep patterns.
The syptoms manifest themselves as severe tiredness and fatigue as well as minor disorientation.
7 Top Tips on avoiding jetlag
The tips below have been proven to help with minimising the effects of jetlag.
1. Your watch
Change your watch to your destination time as soon as you board the plane. It’s a small thing but it really helps you mentally adjust to arriving at your destination.
2. Eating
Eat after you land, rather than just on the plane. This will help your body clock adjust. It will also help you feel dozy as long as you keep to a light meal. A salad is often good as lettuce has been found to actually help people sleep.
3. Bedtime
When you arrive at your destination – force yourself to stay awake. It’s best not to sleep until it is bedtime in that timezone.
4. Routine
If it is bedtime when you arrive, follow your normal bedtime routine. This will encourage sleep.
5. Dehydration
This makes jetlag worse. It is important to try and avoid too much alcohol on your flight and instead drink lots of water.
6. Light
If you have arrived in daylight when it should be dark in the time zone you’ve come from – try and avoid light as much as you can the first day or so.
7. Active
Finally, be as active as you can during daylight hours. This will help you naturally feel tired at night time in the new timezone. Fatigue can be a great way of getting back into a sleep routine.
Hope these tips come in use at some point in the future
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
So I’ve decided to pull together some facts on the causes of jetlag and some tips on things that you can do to avoid it. Even if you’ve not got a long flights across timezones coming up soon – hopefully you can remember the tips and they will come in handy in the future.
So what is jet lag exactly?
Well, one of the downsides of long distance travel across different timezones is that it confuses your body clock – this can lead to throwing peoples sleep patterns.
The syptoms manifest themselves as severe tiredness and fatigue as well as minor disorientation.
7 Top Tips on avoiding jetlag
The tips below have been proven to help with minimising the effects of jetlag.
1. Your watch
Change your watch to your destination time as soon as you board the plane. It’s a small thing but it really helps you mentally adjust to arriving at your destination.
2. Eating
Eat after you land, rather than just on the plane. This will help your body clock adjust. It will also help you feel dozy as long as you keep to a light meal. A salad is often good as lettuce has been found to actually help people sleep.
3. Bedtime
When you arrive at your destination – force yourself to stay awake. It’s best not to sleep until it is bedtime in that timezone.
4. Routine
If it is bedtime when you arrive, follow your normal bedtime routine. This will encourage sleep.
5. Dehydration
This makes jetlag worse. It is important to try and avoid too much alcohol on your flight and instead drink lots of water.
6. Light
If you have arrived in daylight when it should be dark in the time zone you’ve come from – try and avoid light as much as you can the first day or so.
7. Active
Finally, be as active as you can during daylight hours. This will help you naturally feel tired at night time in the new timezone. Fatigue can be a great way of getting back into a sleep routine.
Hope these tips come in use at some point in the future
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Sleep restriction
Really interesting YouTube clip on Sleep restriction as a cure for insomnia
There was a really interesting documentary on BBC television I caught the end of, about people with sleep disorders. The bit that really caught my attention was about a TV presenter called Dominic Diamond – who I had met about twenty years earlier at a comedy club when he was plying his trade as a budding stand up comic.
To be honest he wasn’t much good – so I can see why he’s ended up as a TV presenter as opposed to the next Chris Rock or Ricky Jervais!
In the documentary, Dominic admits to sometimes going 72 hours without sleep and they interview him and his family about how this effects their life. It really brought back memories of my sleepless night and how it effected my marriage when I was at the height of my insomnia.
His sleep depravation was really making his life a misery and he would be classed as a particularly chronic insomniac – having suffered from long bouts of sleeplessness since his teenage years.
I think you’ll find it interesting and it may help you see that you are not alone with this condition.
Edinburgh Sleep Centre
I won’t spoil it for you – but there is an amazing simple technique offered up by Colin Epsie one of the Directors at The Edinburgh Sleep Centre. Called Sleep restriction – it appeared to show some stunning results. I’ll let you make your own mind up…
Check out the clip yourself…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrsCl_hnaWc
Hope you find it interesting and of some help.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
There was a really interesting documentary on BBC television I caught the end of, about people with sleep disorders. The bit that really caught my attention was about a TV presenter called Dominic Diamond – who I had met about twenty years earlier at a comedy club when he was plying his trade as a budding stand up comic.
To be honest he wasn’t much good – so I can see why he’s ended up as a TV presenter as opposed to the next Chris Rock or Ricky Jervais!
In the documentary, Dominic admits to sometimes going 72 hours without sleep and they interview him and his family about how this effects their life. It really brought back memories of my sleepless night and how it effected my marriage when I was at the height of my insomnia.
His sleep depravation was really making his life a misery and he would be classed as a particularly chronic insomniac – having suffered from long bouts of sleeplessness since his teenage years.
I think you’ll find it interesting and it may help you see that you are not alone with this condition.
Edinburgh Sleep Centre
I won’t spoil it for you – but there is an amazing simple technique offered up by Colin Epsie one of the Directors at The Edinburgh Sleep Centre. Called Sleep restriction – it appeared to show some stunning results. I’ll let you make your own mind up…
Check out the clip yourself…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrsCl_hnaWc
Hope you find it interesting and of some help.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Monday, 13 September 2010
Definitions of Insomnia - L to P
More jargon busting descriptions for terms you’ll come across when researching insomnia – this week L through to P.
LIGHT SLEEP – the second stage of sleep.
MELATONIN – a hormone produced in the pineal gland that promotes sleep. More of this is produced naturally in dark conditions. Supplements can be brought from pharmacists to top up levels and aid sleep.
NARCOLEPSY – a sleep disorder linked to excessive daytime sleepiness. The sufferer can fall asleep without any warning.
NON RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (NREM) – The type of sleep which occurs during sleep stages 1 to 4 . It’s different from REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep in that there are not any darting eye movements.
PARASOMNIAS – Sleep disorders involving moving, seeing or hearing things that don’t exist.
PERIODIC LIMB MOVEMENT DISORDER – This is where a sufferers limbs move involuntarily whilst they are asleep.
PLACEBO – This is where a patient is given an inactive substance to compare its effects with those of an actual treatment. Or a patient can benefit from just believing that they have received a treatment and subliminally feel better.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
LIGHT SLEEP – the second stage of sleep.
MELATONIN – a hormone produced in the pineal gland that promotes sleep. More of this is produced naturally in dark conditions. Supplements can be brought from pharmacists to top up levels and aid sleep.
NARCOLEPSY – a sleep disorder linked to excessive daytime sleepiness. The sufferer can fall asleep without any warning.
NON RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (NREM) – The type of sleep which occurs during sleep stages 1 to 4 . It’s different from REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep in that there are not any darting eye movements.
PARASOMNIAS – Sleep disorders involving moving, seeing or hearing things that don’t exist.
PERIODIC LIMB MOVEMENT DISORDER – This is where a sufferers limbs move involuntarily whilst they are asleep.
PLACEBO – This is where a patient is given an inactive substance to compare its effects with those of an actual treatment. Or a patient can benefit from just believing that they have received a treatment and subliminally feel better.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Eat a lettuce sandwich before bedtime helps you sleep easier!
This is a really weird bit of advice that someone told me about this weekend. It was apparently mentioned on a BBC documentary a couple of years ago as a way to help cure insomnia.
The advice on a programme about how to get to sleep faster and stay asleep suggested you eat a lettuce sandwich before bedtime.
So is there any science behind this or is it just an old wives tail?
We traced back and it appears that this is the basis of a very old English recipe for curing insomnia dating back to the eighteenth century.
So I asked Maureen Lumsden a nutritionalist friend of mine to explain why this should be?
It turns out that there is a lot of truth in this – but the sandwich needs to be made more specifically of the lettuce stem and it needs to be fresh. It’s the white latex from the plant’s stem — known as lettuce opium — that does the job.
Looking into it further Food expert and Author Anne McIntyre explains in her book Simple Home Remedies for Common Ailments that the substance in the plant’s stem “looks and works the same way as the opium poppy.”
So salad for supper tonight – At least it will be healthier than biscuits or a slice of toast!
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
The advice on a programme about how to get to sleep faster and stay asleep suggested you eat a lettuce sandwich before bedtime.
So is there any science behind this or is it just an old wives tail?
We traced back and it appears that this is the basis of a very old English recipe for curing insomnia dating back to the eighteenth century.
So I asked Maureen Lumsden a nutritionalist friend of mine to explain why this should be?
It turns out that there is a lot of truth in this – but the sandwich needs to be made more specifically of the lettuce stem and it needs to be fresh. It’s the white latex from the plant’s stem — known as lettuce opium — that does the job.
Looking into it further Food expert and Author Anne McIntyre explains in her book Simple Home Remedies for Common Ailments that the substance in the plant’s stem “looks and works the same way as the opium poppy.”
So salad for supper tonight – At least it will be healthier than biscuits or a slice of toast!
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Friday, 20 August 2010
Insomnia Definitions – D & E
More definitions of key insomnia terms – this time letters D & E
I recently detailed definitions of terms relating to insomnia for letters A,B & C.
Here are some further definitions for the letters D and E, I really hope they help clear things up and help you to understand some of the things you hear about when you are researching cures.
There are so many weird and wonderful scientific terms – when I first ended up suffering from insomnia it took me ages to research and work out what each of the things meant.
So I hope these definitions help you understand more about you condition and cures.
DIURETIC – Something that promotes urination! Taking diuretics like tea and coffee before bedtime can lead to numerous visits to the toilet during the night.
DEEP SLEEP – A heavy, relaxing sleep state – sometimes also known as Slow Wave Sleep or Delta Sleep.
DROWSINESS – When your brainwaves slow down. This is the first stage of sleep and a manifestation of tiredness.
DELAYED SLEEP PHASE SYNDROME (DSPS) – This is where your body clock is running late. It basically stops the sufferer from finally falling asleep till very late then having severe problems getting up in the morning.
DOUBLE BLIND – A technique for working out cures for insomnia where placebos are given to some patients.
EPWORTH SLEEP SCALE – A scale devised to measure sleepiness during normal daytime activity.
So there you go – that’s letters D & E done. I’ll post some more definitions soon. Hope it helps bust the jargon used on many sites.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
I recently detailed definitions of terms relating to insomnia for letters A,B & C.
Here are some further definitions for the letters D and E, I really hope they help clear things up and help you to understand some of the things you hear about when you are researching cures.
There are so many weird and wonderful scientific terms – when I first ended up suffering from insomnia it took me ages to research and work out what each of the things meant.
So I hope these definitions help you understand more about you condition and cures.
DIURETIC – Something that promotes urination! Taking diuretics like tea and coffee before bedtime can lead to numerous visits to the toilet during the night.
DEEP SLEEP – A heavy, relaxing sleep state – sometimes also known as Slow Wave Sleep or Delta Sleep.
DROWSINESS – When your brainwaves slow down. This is the first stage of sleep and a manifestation of tiredness.
DELAYED SLEEP PHASE SYNDROME (DSPS) – This is where your body clock is running late. It basically stops the sufferer from finally falling asleep till very late then having severe problems getting up in the morning.
DOUBLE BLIND – A technique for working out cures for insomnia where placebos are given to some patients.
EPWORTH SLEEP SCALE – A scale devised to measure sleepiness during normal daytime activity.
So there you go – that’s letters D & E done. I’ll post some more definitions soon. Hope it helps bust the jargon used on many sites.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Celebrities who can’t sleep
Celebrities suffering from insomnia
Just so that you know it’s not just us mere mortals who can’t sleep sometimes, there are a number of celebrities who admit to being insomniacs.
1. Matthew Perry
Better known as Chandler from Friends, Matthew Perry complains about being a chronic insomniac. He revealed he’d tried comfortable bedding, candles and relaxing music but none of it worked for him!
2. Madonna
The global pop icon also has problems switching off and admits to sleeping with her blackberry under her pillow in case she remembers something she needs to write down. She states that she rarely gets more than 4 hours sleep a night –perhaps she should try watching one of her ex-hubby Guy Richie’s films to help her get to sleep!
3. Jeremy Paxman
The British author and BBC TV presenter explained how he’d suffered from insomnia for 25 years – regularly waking up in the middle of the night tossing and turning. Maybe he should stop taking part in such heated debates in his news show as it must be hard to wind down after that!
Let me know if you know anyone else famous who suffers from sleep disorders?
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Just so that you know it’s not just us mere mortals who can’t sleep sometimes, there are a number of celebrities who admit to being insomniacs.
1. Matthew Perry
Better known as Chandler from Friends, Matthew Perry complains about being a chronic insomniac. He revealed he’d tried comfortable bedding, candles and relaxing music but none of it worked for him!
2. Madonna
The global pop icon also has problems switching off and admits to sleeping with her blackberry under her pillow in case she remembers something she needs to write down. She states that she rarely gets more than 4 hours sleep a night –perhaps she should try watching one of her ex-hubby Guy Richie’s films to help her get to sleep!
3. Jeremy Paxman
The British author and BBC TV presenter explained how he’d suffered from insomnia for 25 years – regularly waking up in the middle of the night tossing and turning. Maybe he should stop taking part in such heated debates in his news show as it must be hard to wind down after that!
Let me know if you know anyone else famous who suffers from sleep disorders?
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Reflexology – can it help insomnia?
A recent study at the University of Ulster showed that reflexology can have a very positive effect for those suffering with insomnia.
Below I’ve detailed some information explaining exactly what Reflexology is...
Reflexology is based on the idea that the body has ten energy zones that run vertically from the hands and feet up to the head. Reflexologists believe that a blockage in the flow of energy along one of these zones will affect the functioning of the organs, glands, bones and muscles that lie within it, and lead to illness.
These blockages manifest themselves as glandular deposits in the relevant reflex causing tenderness. Corns, bunions and even hard skin are thought to indicate problems in the parts of the body their position relates to. The energy theory behind reflexology is very similar to the one underpinning acupressure, though practitioners claim it is a different system.
It is claimed that stimulating the reflexes with the fingers and thumbs breaks down glandular deposits, releasing the flow of energy and encouraging self healing in the affected parts of the body.
I’ll give you some information on a couple of DIY reflexology techniques you can try yourself in future blogs – so watch this space.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Below I’ve detailed some information explaining exactly what Reflexology is...
Reflexology is based on the idea that the body has ten energy zones that run vertically from the hands and feet up to the head. Reflexologists believe that a blockage in the flow of energy along one of these zones will affect the functioning of the organs, glands, bones and muscles that lie within it, and lead to illness.
These blockages manifest themselves as glandular deposits in the relevant reflex causing tenderness. Corns, bunions and even hard skin are thought to indicate problems in the parts of the body their position relates to. The energy theory behind reflexology is very similar to the one underpinning acupressure, though practitioners claim it is a different system.
It is claimed that stimulating the reflexes with the fingers and thumbs breaks down glandular deposits, releasing the flow of energy and encouraging self healing in the affected parts of the body.
I’ll give you some information on a couple of DIY reflexology techniques you can try yourself in future blogs – so watch this space.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
The ABC of Insomnia
The ABC of Insomnia – Definitions of key insomnia terms for letters A,B & C
Here are a selection of key terms you may hear about regularly whilst researching about insomnia. If you’re like me you’ll have had no idea about what they meant at first – so hopefully I’ve done some of the hard work for you.
Please find below definitions for some of the key terms beginning with A,B or C. I’ll post definitions of other key definitions at some time in future blogs.
ACTIGRAM – Electronic devices used by specialists to measure brain activity. This in turn helps measure sleep and wakefulness.
ADVANCED SLEEP PHASE SYNDROME – Sometimes known as ASPS. This is a type of insomnia where the sufferer has problems staying awake in the evening, but then cannot sleep beyond the early hours.
ANTIHISTAMINES – More well known for treating allergies or being used to ease nettle or insect stings – they are known to cause drowsiness so are often used to help aid sleep and cure insomnia.
BENZODIAZEPINES – This is a group of drugs which are regularly used to treat anxiety sufferers. By curing the anxiety people have it can help alleviate insomnia.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM – This is more commonly known as your own body clock – and is what controls the cycle of when you are awake and when you are asleep.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM DISORDER – Disorders to your body clock which affect you ability to sleep at certain times.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY – A treatment for insomnia which works through the power of positive thought.
CHRONOC INSOMNIA – Insomnia that lasts longer than a month is categorized as “chronic”.
Watch out for more helpful definitions in future blogs.
Good luck with your finding some relief from your insomnia.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Here are a selection of key terms you may hear about regularly whilst researching about insomnia. If you’re like me you’ll have had no idea about what they meant at first – so hopefully I’ve done some of the hard work for you.
Please find below definitions for some of the key terms beginning with A,B or C. I’ll post definitions of other key definitions at some time in future blogs.
ACTIGRAM – Electronic devices used by specialists to measure brain activity. This in turn helps measure sleep and wakefulness.
ADVANCED SLEEP PHASE SYNDROME – Sometimes known as ASPS. This is a type of insomnia where the sufferer has problems staying awake in the evening, but then cannot sleep beyond the early hours.
ANTIHISTAMINES – More well known for treating allergies or being used to ease nettle or insect stings – they are known to cause drowsiness so are often used to help aid sleep and cure insomnia.
BENZODIAZEPINES – This is a group of drugs which are regularly used to treat anxiety sufferers. By curing the anxiety people have it can help alleviate insomnia.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM – This is more commonly known as your own body clock – and is what controls the cycle of when you are awake and when you are asleep.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM DISORDER – Disorders to your body clock which affect you ability to sleep at certain times.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY – A treatment for insomnia which works through the power of positive thought.
CHRONOC INSOMNIA – Insomnia that lasts longer than a month is categorized as “chronic”.
Watch out for more helpful definitions in future blogs.
Good luck with your finding some relief from your insomnia.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Monday, 26 July 2010
The 16 Most Common Causes of Insomnia.
In order to find a cure to your sleep problems it is important to firstly understand the causes behind your insomnia.
Make a list if you have to – it’s one thing that worked well for me – but do whatever it takes to get a close, objective look at your lifestyle to determine what isn’t working in your life.
Now, you may say you have an extremely successful marriage, a good business or enjoyable career, a lively circle of friends, and a steady bank account, but look beneath the surface just a bit. What, really, is going on physically or in that restless unconscious of yours?
You probably wouldn’t be reading this article if you were perfectly healthy and happy and could fall asleep at the drop of a pillow. You’re struggling to function at your peak, and you’re fighting something that you may feel you can’t control.
The good news is that you can control many causes of insomnia. These are the most common:
• A change in diet, or a poor diet;
• Generalised or specific stressors;
• Depression and anxiety;
• A recent traumatic experience;
• Any new medications;
• Additional health problems, or new health problems;
• A change in your everyday routine;
• Frequent travel, or recent travel, particularly crossing time zones;
• Lack of exercise, or being overweight or underweight;
• A poor sleep environment, with noise or too much external stimulus;
• An irregular sleep schedule;
• A negative/hopeless attitude about sleep, and a dread of bedtime for fear that you won’t sleep;
• Clockwatching;
• Shallow or ineffective breathing;
• Use or overuse of over-the-counter, prescription, or herbal supplements to aid in sleep, which often disturbs the quality of sleep; and
• Smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking in too much caffeine.
So try to identify the cause or causes that most apply to you, and then look towards altering that aspect of your life.
Remember, getting the right kind of sleep is as crucial to maintaining your health as breathing. As you age, your ability to withstand life’s stressors reduces. It is critically important that the first step you take toward reconditioning your body and mind is to make sleep a priority.
The best sleep occurs when you are comfortable and not over stimulated or distracted. To help get to sleep and stay that way, you need to firstly identify which aspect of your life is causing this distraction or stimulation and then begin to work towards changing it.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Make a list if you have to – it’s one thing that worked well for me – but do whatever it takes to get a close, objective look at your lifestyle to determine what isn’t working in your life.
Now, you may say you have an extremely successful marriage, a good business or enjoyable career, a lively circle of friends, and a steady bank account, but look beneath the surface just a bit. What, really, is going on physically or in that restless unconscious of yours?
You probably wouldn’t be reading this article if you were perfectly healthy and happy and could fall asleep at the drop of a pillow. You’re struggling to function at your peak, and you’re fighting something that you may feel you can’t control.
The good news is that you can control many causes of insomnia. These are the most common:
• A change in diet, or a poor diet;
• Generalised or specific stressors;
• Depression and anxiety;
• A recent traumatic experience;
• Any new medications;
• Additional health problems, or new health problems;
• A change in your everyday routine;
• Frequent travel, or recent travel, particularly crossing time zones;
• Lack of exercise, or being overweight or underweight;
• A poor sleep environment, with noise or too much external stimulus;
• An irregular sleep schedule;
• A negative/hopeless attitude about sleep, and a dread of bedtime for fear that you won’t sleep;
• Clockwatching;
• Shallow or ineffective breathing;
• Use or overuse of over-the-counter, prescription, or herbal supplements to aid in sleep, which often disturbs the quality of sleep; and
• Smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking in too much caffeine.
So try to identify the cause or causes that most apply to you, and then look towards altering that aspect of your life.
Remember, getting the right kind of sleep is as crucial to maintaining your health as breathing. As you age, your ability to withstand life’s stressors reduces. It is critically important that the first step you take toward reconditioning your body and mind is to make sleep a priority.
The best sleep occurs when you are comfortable and not over stimulated or distracted. To help get to sleep and stay that way, you need to firstly identify which aspect of your life is causing this distraction or stimulation and then begin to work towards changing it.
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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