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 different types of insomnia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label different types of 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
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
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
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
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Insomnia Jargon Buster R-So
Hi there
Jargon Busting – R-So!
Here’s are a few more explanations of definitions that you’ll probably come across if you’re trying to understand your insomnia. Hope it sheds a bit of light on the subject.
RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM) – This is the type of sleep which occurs during sleep stage 5 when the brain is really active. This is seen by many experts as the best type of sleep and usually involves the eyes moving around quickly when the eyelids are closed. Now you know where the band got their name from!!
RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME (RLS) – This is where the sufferer is constantly woken up during sleep by involuntary movements of the limbs – usually causing a sudden jolt and disrupting sleep.
SERATONIN – This a substance that the body makes which then helps make the sleep hormone MELATONIN. You’ll sometimes find it referred to as 5HT.
SHORT TERM INSOMNIA – These are bouts of insomnia which can still be severe which last up to one month.
SOMNAMBULISM – This is just another term for Sleepwalking, where people get up and move around during the night without being properly awake.
I’ll stop with definitions for the time being, but there are a load of definitions all starting with the word SLEEP, which I’ll try and explain the actual meaning of shortly.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
Jargon Busting – R-So!
Here’s are a few more explanations of definitions that you’ll probably come across if you’re trying to understand your insomnia. Hope it sheds a bit of light on the subject.
RAPID EYE MOVEMENT (REM) – This is the type of sleep which occurs during sleep stage 5 when the brain is really active. This is seen by many experts as the best type of sleep and usually involves the eyes moving around quickly when the eyelids are closed. Now you know where the band got their name from!!
RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME (RLS) – This is where the sufferer is constantly woken up during sleep by involuntary movements of the limbs – usually causing a sudden jolt and disrupting sleep.
SERATONIN – This a substance that the body makes which then helps make the sleep hormone MELATONIN. You’ll sometimes find it referred to as 5HT.
SHORT TERM INSOMNIA – These are bouts of insomnia which can still be severe which last up to one month.
SOMNAMBULISM – This is just another term for Sleepwalking, where people get up and move around during the night without being properly awake.
I’ll stop with definitions for the time being, but there are a load of definitions all starting with the word SLEEP, which I’ll try and explain the actual meaning of shortly.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
4 Tips on How Changes In Your Environment Will Help With Insomnia
Some people are more sensitive to their environment than others. If you’re one of them, then these four tips on how to make your environment more sleep friendly should help.
When it comes to sleep, most people require the same things: a quiet, dark, cool room.
It sounds easy, but it’s truly hard to find. Noisy neighbors, barking dogs, babies crying, someone’s snoring, thumping music, a bedmate with “restless leg syndrome” or one who talks in his or her sleep, or even a dripping tap can keep you from restful sleep. Noise is truly a serious invader, and there are several ways to obliterate the offending sounds.
If there are noises in your environment that affect your sleep, run that fan or some other white-noise machine to help block it out. If you are very sensitive to sound, invest in some decent ear plugs to help you tune out the noise around you. Some people wear heavy-duty earplugs that can block out up to 32 decibels of sound. Playing soothing music may help some sleep, but others may be tempted to “hum along” with the tunes, which will naturally keep them awake, so just experiment until you find what works best for you.
Next, create a space that is peaceful and comfortable. It certainly helps if your bedroom is visually appealing and clean, and make sure the temperature is comfortable. Fresh air or a breeze created by an oscillating or overhead fan can help you sleep, and the ideal temperature for sleeping soundly is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, remember that we are not that far away from our ancestors in terms of rest and work cycles. Humans are naturally diurnal creatures; we are meant to sleep at night, when it is dark. Therefore, your body is naturally responsive to light and dark. Darkness induces sleep, whilst light induces wakefulness. To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, make sure your room is dark. If the sun comes through your windows too early in the morning, invest in light-blocking drapes or shades. However, make sure that whatever you do to make it dark is reversible, because during the day, the more bright sunshine you can let into your life and home, the easier it will be to stay awake!
Your sleep surface is incredibly important to your ability to get good sleep. So few people take the time to consider whether they might need a new, quality mattress and pillows. If you cannot afford to replace your mattress now, make it a priority to save for a future purchase. In the meantime, improve your sleep by rotating your mattress regularly. Also, invest in new pillows. If you have had your pillows for more than six months, replace them now – their germ-collecting time is UP!
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
When it comes to sleep, most people require the same things: a quiet, dark, cool room.
It sounds easy, but it’s truly hard to find. Noisy neighbors, barking dogs, babies crying, someone’s snoring, thumping music, a bedmate with “restless leg syndrome” or one who talks in his or her sleep, or even a dripping tap can keep you from restful sleep. Noise is truly a serious invader, and there are several ways to obliterate the offending sounds.
If there are noises in your environment that affect your sleep, run that fan or some other white-noise machine to help block it out. If you are very sensitive to sound, invest in some decent ear plugs to help you tune out the noise around you. Some people wear heavy-duty earplugs that can block out up to 32 decibels of sound. Playing soothing music may help some sleep, but others may be tempted to “hum along” with the tunes, which will naturally keep them awake, so just experiment until you find what works best for you.
Next, create a space that is peaceful and comfortable. It certainly helps if your bedroom is visually appealing and clean, and make sure the temperature is comfortable. Fresh air or a breeze created by an oscillating or overhead fan can help you sleep, and the ideal temperature for sleeping soundly is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, remember that we are not that far away from our ancestors in terms of rest and work cycles. Humans are naturally diurnal creatures; we are meant to sleep at night, when it is dark. Therefore, your body is naturally responsive to light and dark. Darkness induces sleep, whilst light induces wakefulness. To ensure you get a good night’s sleep, make sure your room is dark. If the sun comes through your windows too early in the morning, invest in light-blocking drapes or shades. However, make sure that whatever you do to make it dark is reversible, because during the day, the more bright sunshine you can let into your life and home, the easier it will be to stay awake!
Your sleep surface is incredibly important to your ability to get good sleep. So few people take the time to consider whether they might need a new, quality mattress and pillows. If you cannot afford to replace your mattress now, make it a priority to save for a future purchase. In the meantime, improve your sleep by rotating your mattress regularly. Also, invest in new pillows. If you have had your pillows for more than six months, replace them now – their germ-collecting time is UP!
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
Monday, 19 July 2010
Different Types of Insomnia
Different types of insomnia
I’d never realised that there were lots of different types of insomnia - but looking into it in a bit more detail I found there to be different types and levels of this common sleep problem. Each has different causes and effects – so understanding this can really help you to start identifying the correct cure for the specific type of insomnia.
Sleep Onset Insomnia
This basically is the type of insomnia where you find it really hard to fall asleep.
The average sleeper takes between 1 and 20 minutes to get to sleep on a night time. Insomniacs are people who take longer than this.
This was always my problem – I’d go to bed and just lie there, wide awake, tossing and turning. No matter what sort of tiring day I’d had at work – I just couldn’t nod off. I’d just lie there with my mind racing, clock watching every half hour. It would sometimes take me 3 or 4 hours to finally drop off.
Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
This is the other type of insomnia, where people have problems staying asleep.
This wasn’t my problem, but during my research I’ve met or heard off hundreds of people experiencing this sort of insomnia where you constantly wake up during the night.
It is normal believe it or not to wake up momentarily several times during sleep without ever being aware of it. But with insomniacs once they are awake it isn’t a minor temporary intrusion – they lie awake for minutes or even hours unable to get back to sleep.
Sleep scientists define someone suffering from Sleep Maintenance insomnia as someone who awakes at night for more than half an hour at a time.
Once you’ve worked out which type of insomnia you are – you can now start to define this further by how often it happens. Hope you are still with me but it’s really important to take a step back and look at where you are now before being able to create the right mix of treatments to act as a cure.
Transient Insomnia
This is where you might only have problems sleeping for a few nights, then you slip back naturally into a normal sleep pattern.
Generally this isn’t too much of a problem as it’s only temporary. It’s usually triggered by an event such as a big night out, a trauma, the stress of a forthcoming presentation or even eating something too late at night.
Short Term Insomnia
This is where you might experience sleep deprivation for as much as a month. It’s more severe than the transient type of insomnia and if not treated or cured can lead onto the more extreme version of the condition.
Chronic Insomnia
This is the inclusive term for people who experience lack of sleep – either sleep onset insomnia or sleep maintenance insomnia for over a month.
I did find out that some sleep scientists do have another category called a Semisomniac. This is the term for what some people including a leading sleep scientist Dr Neil Stanley give to the majority of people who sleep, but poorly most nights. This they believe is down to the stresses and strains of modern life.
Dan Kennedy has written a free ebook on how to Cure Your Insomnia. To download it visit www.cure-your-insomnia.com
I’d never realised that there were lots of different types of insomnia - but looking into it in a bit more detail I found there to be different types and levels of this common sleep problem. Each has different causes and effects – so understanding this can really help you to start identifying the correct cure for the specific type of insomnia.
Sleep Onset Insomnia
This basically is the type of insomnia where you find it really hard to fall asleep.
The average sleeper takes between 1 and 20 minutes to get to sleep on a night time. Insomniacs are people who take longer than this.
This was always my problem – I’d go to bed and just lie there, wide awake, tossing and turning. No matter what sort of tiring day I’d had at work – I just couldn’t nod off. I’d just lie there with my mind racing, clock watching every half hour. It would sometimes take me 3 or 4 hours to finally drop off.
Sleep Maintenance Insomnia
This is the other type of insomnia, where people have problems staying asleep.
This wasn’t my problem, but during my research I’ve met or heard off hundreds of people experiencing this sort of insomnia where you constantly wake up during the night.
It is normal believe it or not to wake up momentarily several times during sleep without ever being aware of it. But with insomniacs once they are awake it isn’t a minor temporary intrusion – they lie awake for minutes or even hours unable to get back to sleep.
Sleep scientists define someone suffering from Sleep Maintenance insomnia as someone who awakes at night for more than half an hour at a time.
Once you’ve worked out which type of insomnia you are – you can now start to define this further by how often it happens. Hope you are still with me but it’s really important to take a step back and look at where you are now before being able to create the right mix of treatments to act as a cure.
Transient Insomnia
This is where you might only have problems sleeping for a few nights, then you slip back naturally into a normal sleep pattern.
Generally this isn’t too much of a problem as it’s only temporary. It’s usually triggered by an event such as a big night out, a trauma, the stress of a forthcoming presentation or even eating something too late at night.
Short Term Insomnia
This is where you might experience sleep deprivation for as much as a month. It’s more severe than the transient type of insomnia and if not treated or cured can lead onto the more extreme version of the condition.
Chronic Insomnia
This is the inclusive term for people who experience lack of sleep – either sleep onset insomnia or sleep maintenance insomnia for over a month.
I did find out that some sleep scientists do have another category called a Semisomniac. This is the term for what some people including a leading sleep scientist Dr Neil Stanley give to the majority of people who sleep, but poorly most nights. This they believe is down to the stresses and strains of modern life.
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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