DEAL WITH INSOMNIA
from the article '4 Sleep Disorders Solved'
By Stephanie Schorow, Special to Lifescript
Published April 26, 2010
Insomnia
What it is: Do you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep? It could be insomnia. Most people have the occasional sleepless night, usually during stressful times. However, about 10% of American adults report chronic insomnia. Women are more likely than men to report ongoing problems, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
One reason is hormones: Pregnancy and menopause can trigger insomnia, probably due to shifts in estrogen levels. In fact, a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll found that 30% of pregnant women and 42% of post-partum women say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep, compared to 15% of all women.
Causes of insomnia: A few sleepless nights, particularly during a period of stress or major life change, is no cause for alarm. Such “reactive insomnia” often goes away on its own, says Schulman of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory.
But if those sleepless nights pile up, it can set the stage for chronic insomnia. Going to bed becomes an exercise in anxiety because “you can’t get sleep off your mind, so you can’t sleep,” Schulman says. Simply put, you psych yourself out.
Women are more likely than men to see their lack of sleep as a sign of an impending health disaster, says Gregg D. Jacobs, M.D., an insomnia specialist at the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts and author of Say Goodnight to Insomnia (Holt).
This only serves to reinforce patterns of sleeplessness, he says.
Depression and anxiety can also be underlying causes of insomnia. That’s why you should discuss long-term insomnia with a health care professional.
How to treat insomnia: If you have trouble sleeping, your instinct might be to reach for a sleeping aid. That may be OK for a few nights, but experts caution against using sleeping pills for more than a month.
Sleep medications have side effects, including drowsiness and memory loss, and they can become psychologically, if not physically, addicting, Jacobs says. (If you’re pregnant, talk to your doctor before taking any sort of sleeping aid.)
The best way to overcome insomnia is to take inventory of your bedtime routines and sleeping habits. Most of the time, small changes can make a difference.
Start by cutting back on caffeine. Make your room dark and cool. And try to adhere to a consistent sleep schedule by waking up and going to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends.
MY THOUGHTS
Avoid sleeping during the day. You want to be really tired and sleepy in the evenings. And take out the TV from your bedroom. Contrary to popular belief, TV keeps you awake.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
SOLVING SLEEP DISORDERS
SOLVING SLEEP DISORDERS
FROM THE ARTICLE '4 Sleep Disorders Solved'
By Stephanie Schorow, Special to Lifescript
Published April 26, 2010
Do you toss and turn at night or wake up feeling exhausted? You could have a sleep disorder that’s keeping you from getting the zzz’s you need. Find out what causes these 4 common sleep woes and how to banish them for good. Plus, test your sleep IQ with our quiz…
Sleep: New moms dream about it. Night-shift workers rarely get enough. But they’re not the only ones not getting adequate pillow time. Most women don't either.
Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Yet most women age 30-60 years old are getting less – six hours and 41 minutes to be exact.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the resulting dark circles women have to worry about. Lack of sleep can trigger a host of problems, including:
* Daytime sleepiness
* Problems concentrating
* Poor performance on the job or at school
* Irritability
* Increased likelihood of illness
* Weight gain
“The more common the sleep loss, the worse the problems get,” says Douglas Kirsch, M.D., a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Experts agree that most people who boast about getting by on five or six hours of sleep are kidding themselves.
“They don’t realize how much better they would be with seven to eight hours,” says David Schulman, M.D., director of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Atlanta.
Here are 4 common problems that get in the way of slumber and what to do about them:
1. Insomnia
2. Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
3. Obstructive sleep apnea
4. Narcolepsy
MY THOUGHTS
I have to cut this article because it's too long. Will be posting the suggested cure for the 4 sleep disorders in separate blogs - including how to get a good night's sleep.
FROM THE ARTICLE '4 Sleep Disorders Solved'
By Stephanie Schorow, Special to Lifescript
Published April 26, 2010
Do you toss and turn at night or wake up feeling exhausted? You could have a sleep disorder that’s keeping you from getting the zzz’s you need. Find out what causes these 4 common sleep woes and how to banish them for good. Plus, test your sleep IQ with our quiz…
Sleep: New moms dream about it. Night-shift workers rarely get enough. But they’re not the only ones not getting adequate pillow time. Most women don't either.
Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Yet most women age 30-60 years old are getting less – six hours and 41 minutes to be exact.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the resulting dark circles women have to worry about. Lack of sleep can trigger a host of problems, including:
* Daytime sleepiness
* Problems concentrating
* Poor performance on the job or at school
* Irritability
* Increased likelihood of illness
* Weight gain
“The more common the sleep loss, the worse the problems get,” says Douglas Kirsch, M.D., a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Experts agree that most people who boast about getting by on five or six hours of sleep are kidding themselves.
“They don’t realize how much better they would be with seven to eight hours,” says David Schulman, M.D., director of the Emory Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Atlanta.
Here are 4 common problems that get in the way of slumber and what to do about them:
1. Insomnia
2. Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
3. Obstructive sleep apnea
4. Narcolepsy
MY THOUGHTS
I have to cut this article because it's too long. Will be posting the suggested cure for the 4 sleep disorders in separate blogs - including how to get a good night's sleep.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
WETTING THE BED: A SLEEP DISORDER
WETTNG THE BED
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Wetting the bed
When adults soak the sheets, it’s called secondary incontinence. And it’s unnerving.
“A sudden nighttime accident can freak people out,” says Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., clinical assistant professor of urology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and author of A Seat on the Aisle, Please! (Springer).
But it’s usually not as isolated as it appears. Typically, it’s part of a larger condition known as overactive bladder (OAB).
That’s when the bladder becomes irritable and reactive – usually as part of aging – resulting in a greater and more frequent urge to urinate, Kavaler says.
“When people look back, they realize they’re going to the bathroom more than they used to. Or they’ve been having trouble getting to the restroom on time.”
Some adult bedwetting stems from a urinary tract infection (UTI), but OAB is the more common cause, Kavaler says.
What you can do about it: Make a doctor’s appointment.
If you have a UTI, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics.
If OAB is the cause, there are three approaches to treatment, Kavaler says.
The first course of treatment, behavior modification, involves reducing the amount of liquid you drink, especially bladder irritants such as caffeine and alcohol, and moving consumption to earlier in the day. You’ll also be asked to use the restroom more frequently and on a schedule.
“For bedtime, we might have a patient try to get up one more time in the middle of the night to void,” Kavaler says.
If that doesn’t work, there are nine different anticholinergic medications (such as Detrol), which treat OAB by relaxing bladder muscles.
“That shows how common this is,” Kavaler says.
Medication comes in gels, patches and pills. And about 80% of the people who try them get some degree of relief, she adds.
If you fall into the other 20%, your doctor may suggest invasive surgery to regulate urinary urges.
Common options include surgically implanting a bladder pacemaker, which sends electrical pulses to the nerve that controls bladder function. Botox is a newer treatment for OAB. It works by preventing inappropriate contractions of the bladder muscles.
Check out our Sleep Health Center.
MY THOUGHTS
of all the sleep disorders, i think this is the one that i would hate the most. sounds very uncomfortable. and embarrassing.
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Wetting the bed
When adults soak the sheets, it’s called secondary incontinence. And it’s unnerving.
“A sudden nighttime accident can freak people out,” says Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., clinical assistant professor of urology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and author of A Seat on the Aisle, Please! (Springer).
But it’s usually not as isolated as it appears. Typically, it’s part of a larger condition known as overactive bladder (OAB).
That’s when the bladder becomes irritable and reactive – usually as part of aging – resulting in a greater and more frequent urge to urinate, Kavaler says.
“When people look back, they realize they’re going to the bathroom more than they used to. Or they’ve been having trouble getting to the restroom on time.”
Some adult bedwetting stems from a urinary tract infection (UTI), but OAB is the more common cause, Kavaler says.
What you can do about it: Make a doctor’s appointment.
If you have a UTI, you’ll be prescribed antibiotics.
If OAB is the cause, there are three approaches to treatment, Kavaler says.
The first course of treatment, behavior modification, involves reducing the amount of liquid you drink, especially bladder irritants such as caffeine and alcohol, and moving consumption to earlier in the day. You’ll also be asked to use the restroom more frequently and on a schedule.
“For bedtime, we might have a patient try to get up one more time in the middle of the night to void,” Kavaler says.
If that doesn’t work, there are nine different anticholinergic medications (such as Detrol), which treat OAB by relaxing bladder muscles.
“That shows how common this is,” Kavaler says.
Medication comes in gels, patches and pills. And about 80% of the people who try them get some degree of relief, she adds.
If you fall into the other 20%, your doctor may suggest invasive surgery to regulate urinary urges.
Common options include surgically implanting a bladder pacemaker, which sends electrical pulses to the nerve that controls bladder function. Botox is a newer treatment for OAB. It works by preventing inappropriate contractions of the bladder muscles.
Check out our Sleep Health Center.
MY THOUGHTS
of all the sleep disorders, i think this is the one that i would hate the most. sounds very uncomfortable. and embarrassing.
Friday, March 18, 2011
NIGHT SWEATS
NIGHT SWEATS
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Night Sweats
If you routinely wake up with your PJs, pillowcase and sheets drenched, you're having night sweats.
There are several possible causes: a temporary hormonal issue (such as menopause), fever due to flu or infection, the side effect of a medication (antidepressants are one culprit), sensitivity to alcohol or an overactive thyroid.
It could also indicate another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, or a serious health issue, including lymphoma, HIV or tuberculosis.
What you can do about it: See your doctor if night sweats continue consistently for more than a week or intermittently for more than a month, says Jill Grimes, M.D., a family physician.
Because of the range of potential triggers, your doctor may ask about your medications and alcohol intake.
“Women in their 40s can develop an alcohol sensitivity that may manifest as night sweats after a glass or two of wine,” Grimes says.
Your doctor may order a number of tests, including:
* Checking hormones to see if you’re in menopause
* Tuberculosis skin test
* Blood work, to rule out overactive thyroid and low blood sugar
* HIV test
* Chest X-ray to look for enlarged lymph nodes, which can signal lymphoma
* A sleep study, if your doctor suspects sleep apnea is behind your sweats.
If your doctor rules out any serious issues, you may be able to minimize night sweats by cutting back on caffeine and alcohol.
Regular exercise can also help, Grimes says.
“It seems to help reset the body’s internal thermostat and may decrease the frequency or intensity of night sweats.”
MY THOUGHTS
this article should remind us not to disregard anything. night sweating can be serious and probably cannot be solved by a cooler aircon. it's scary to think that something as simple as sweating can be caused by an overactive thyroid, even lymphoma.
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Night Sweats
If you routinely wake up with your PJs, pillowcase and sheets drenched, you're having night sweats.
There are several possible causes: a temporary hormonal issue (such as menopause), fever due to flu or infection, the side effect of a medication (antidepressants are one culprit), sensitivity to alcohol or an overactive thyroid.
It could also indicate another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, or a serious health issue, including lymphoma, HIV or tuberculosis.
What you can do about it: See your doctor if night sweats continue consistently for more than a week or intermittently for more than a month, says Jill Grimes, M.D., a family physician.
Because of the range of potential triggers, your doctor may ask about your medications and alcohol intake.
“Women in their 40s can develop an alcohol sensitivity that may manifest as night sweats after a glass or two of wine,” Grimes says.
Your doctor may order a number of tests, including:
* Checking hormones to see if you’re in menopause
* Tuberculosis skin test
* Blood work, to rule out overactive thyroid and low blood sugar
* HIV test
* Chest X-ray to look for enlarged lymph nodes, which can signal lymphoma
* A sleep study, if your doctor suspects sleep apnea is behind your sweats.
If your doctor rules out any serious issues, you may be able to minimize night sweats by cutting back on caffeine and alcohol.
Regular exercise can also help, Grimes says.
“It seems to help reset the body’s internal thermostat and may decrease the frequency or intensity of night sweats.”
MY THOUGHTS
this article should remind us not to disregard anything. night sweating can be serious and probably cannot be solved by a cooler aircon. it's scary to think that something as simple as sweating can be caused by an overactive thyroid, even lymphoma.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
RESTLESS LIMB SYNDROME
RESTLESS LIMBS
SLEEP APNEA
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Restless Limbs
This bodily behavior, called periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), mostly affects legs but sometimes arms too.
It’s often confused with restless leg syndrome (RLS) – that irritating, tingling feeling that starts in the legs as you’re trying to fall asleep and makes you need to move around. Many people have both conditions.
“There’s a common overlap,” Gromer says. “Patients don’t often come in to be treated for PLMD, since it usually doesn’t disturb them, but they'll want treatment for RLS.”
PLMD differs from RLS because it occurs only when you’re asleep, and movements – ranging from twitches to kicks – are involuntary.
Most people with PLMD don’t know they have it. The biggest sign is that they wake up with the sheets strewn about, says Hirshkowitz.
While these movements won’t necessarily harm you, “they tend to disturb a bed partner,” Gromer says.
What you can do about it: If PLMD is disrupting your sleep, or you regularly wake up tired, talk to your doctor.
Treatment is the same as for RLS: It includes taking iron supplements, since the disorder is linked with having a low amount of ferritin, a protein that helps store iron.
A doctor may also prescribe dopamine agonists (drugs that mimic the effect of the neurotransmitter dopamine), levodopa [also known as L-DOPA, a psychoactive drug that increases dopamine concentrations], sleep agents such as benzodiazepines and anticonvulsant medications.
Regular exercise, such as walking and nightly stretching, and limiting caffeine and alcohol also seem to help, Hirshkowitz says.
MY THOUGHTS
i'm so curious if i have the restless limb syndrome i'm thinking of turningthe video on while i'm sleeping.
SLEEP APNEA
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
Restless Limbs
This bodily behavior, called periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), mostly affects legs but sometimes arms too.
It’s often confused with restless leg syndrome (RLS) – that irritating, tingling feeling that starts in the legs as you’re trying to fall asleep and makes you need to move around. Many people have both conditions.
“There’s a common overlap,” Gromer says. “Patients don’t often come in to be treated for PLMD, since it usually doesn’t disturb them, but they'll want treatment for RLS.”
PLMD differs from RLS because it occurs only when you’re asleep, and movements – ranging from twitches to kicks – are involuntary.
Most people with PLMD don’t know they have it. The biggest sign is that they wake up with the sheets strewn about, says Hirshkowitz.
While these movements won’t necessarily harm you, “they tend to disturb a bed partner,” Gromer says.
What you can do about it: If PLMD is disrupting your sleep, or you regularly wake up tired, talk to your doctor.
Treatment is the same as for RLS: It includes taking iron supplements, since the disorder is linked with having a low amount of ferritin, a protein that helps store iron.
A doctor may also prescribe dopamine agonists (drugs that mimic the effect of the neurotransmitter dopamine), levodopa [also known as L-DOPA, a psychoactive drug that increases dopamine concentrations], sleep agents such as benzodiazepines and anticonvulsant medications.
Regular exercise, such as walking and nightly stretching, and limiting caffeine and alcohol also seem to help, Hirshkowitz says.
MY THOUGHTS
i'm so curious if i have the restless limb syndrome i'm thinking of turningthe video on while i'm sleeping.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
SLEEP APNEA
SLEEP APNEA
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
You might be spending the entire night gasping for breath – waking up and falling back asleep immediately, up to 20-60 times per hour. And you might not even know it.
This potentially serious condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, occurs in people with a narrowed airway, either since birth or after gaining weight around their neck.
Normally, muscles in the face and neck relax during sleep, including the tongue, cheek muscles soft palate and uvula (the soft tissue that hangs in the back of your mouth).
If you have sleep apnea, this already narrow airway closes completely, making you stop breathing for at least 10 seconds.
That’s when the body’s built-in survival mechanism kicks in, Gromer says.
“Your brain says, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to save you,’ and wakes you up,” she says.
Your heart starts pounding, blood pressure rises, and body temperature skyrockets. That opens the airways, making you gasp and take in air. Then you fall back asleep immediately and the process starts again.
The result: extreme fatigue the next day and increased cardiovascular stress each time you’re jolted awake.
“You’ll always wake up tired,” Gromer says. “Sleep becomes very unrestful. The most common thing I hear [from my sleep apnea patients] is ‘I sleep, but I have no energy.’”
Because sufferers fall asleep immediately after each episode, many don’t know they have sleep apnea until someone informs them. Bed partners unusually notice loud snoring, choking or gasping sounds.
What you can do about it: See a sleep specialist.
Sleep apnea gets worse as you age, and fatigue can be as dangerous as cardiovascular stress. It slows your reaction time, impairs judgment, and may even make you fall asleep at the wheel of your car.
The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a mask the sleeper wears to assist with breathing.
Other options include surgery to remove or reduce the uvula, soft palate and surrounding tissues, or to stiffen them with deliberate scarring. However, it doesn’t reliably cure sleep apnea, and some scarring may aggravate symptoms, cautions sleep expert Max Hirshkowitz, Ph.D., author of Sleep Disorders for Dummies (For Dummies)
Oral appliances that support the tongue, soft palate or jaw to open airways are also available. But they reduce apnea only by 50%, Hirshkowitz says.
MY THOUGHTS
snoring is not necessarily sleep apnea. if you snore and you're not sure if this is snoring or sleep apnea check out this article - http://www.aaoms.org/sleep_apnea.php
from the article "5 Common Sleep Disorders: Disturbing or Dangerous?"
By Laurie Sanchez, Lifescript Staff Writer
Published January 26, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D
You might be spending the entire night gasping for breath – waking up and falling back asleep immediately, up to 20-60 times per hour. And you might not even know it.
This potentially serious condition, called obstructive sleep apnea, occurs in people with a narrowed airway, either since birth or after gaining weight around their neck.
Normally, muscles in the face and neck relax during sleep, including the tongue, cheek muscles soft palate and uvula (the soft tissue that hangs in the back of your mouth).
If you have sleep apnea, this already narrow airway closes completely, making you stop breathing for at least 10 seconds.
That’s when the body’s built-in survival mechanism kicks in, Gromer says.
“Your brain says, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got to save you,’ and wakes you up,” she says.
Your heart starts pounding, blood pressure rises, and body temperature skyrockets. That opens the airways, making you gasp and take in air. Then you fall back asleep immediately and the process starts again.
The result: extreme fatigue the next day and increased cardiovascular stress each time you’re jolted awake.
“You’ll always wake up tired,” Gromer says. “Sleep becomes very unrestful. The most common thing I hear [from my sleep apnea patients] is ‘I sleep, but I have no energy.’”
Because sufferers fall asleep immediately after each episode, many don’t know they have sleep apnea until someone informs them. Bed partners unusually notice loud snoring, choking or gasping sounds.
What you can do about it: See a sleep specialist.
Sleep apnea gets worse as you age, and fatigue can be as dangerous as cardiovascular stress. It slows your reaction time, impairs judgment, and may even make you fall asleep at the wheel of your car.
The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a mask the sleeper wears to assist with breathing.
Other options include surgery to remove or reduce the uvula, soft palate and surrounding tissues, or to stiffen them with deliberate scarring. However, it doesn’t reliably cure sleep apnea, and some scarring may aggravate symptoms, cautions sleep expert Max Hirshkowitz, Ph.D., author of Sleep Disorders for Dummies (For Dummies)
Oral appliances that support the tongue, soft palate or jaw to open airways are also available. But they reduce apnea only by 50%, Hirshkowitz says.
MY THOUGHTS
snoring is not necessarily sleep apnea. if you snore and you're not sure if this is snoring or sleep apnea check out this article - http://www.aaoms.org/sleep_apnea.php
Sunday, March 13, 2011
PILLOWS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
PILLOW FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
MY THOUGHTS
that's a lot of pillows! there won't be space for your husband.
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
MY THOUGHTS
that's a lot of pillows! there won't be space for your husband.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)