SLEEP

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Or are you one of many suffering from one of the common sleep disorders including insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea. Insomnia is characterized by a difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder that involves an overwhelming urge to move one’s legs often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations in the leg. Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles at the back of the throat relax to such a degree that the airway is blocked. This blockage not only causes a disrupted sleep but also leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Bad sleep habits include consuming too much caffeine or alcohol and having an erratic sleep schedule.

More than half of the U.S. adult population has some form of insomnia. In a survey by the National Sleep Foundation, 58% of adults reported having insomnia at least a few nights a week. The vast majority of those surveyed agreed that sleep loss can have a major impact on their lives:
Insomnia — a term used broadly to define “difficulty with sleeping” — can take many forms. Your insomnia may be characterized by one of these problems primarily, but it most likely will entail some combination of: Trouble falling asleep
Difficulty staying asleep; frequent wakings. Waking up too early. Not feeling rested when you wake up. There are three basic types of insomnia:
Transient insomnia lasts only a few nights. It can be caused by jet lag, temporary stress, excitement, illness, or a change in sleep schedule.
Short-term insomnia lasts up to three weeks. It often results from more prolonged stress or worries, such as financial troubles, death of a loved one, job change, or divorce. If not addressed, short-term insomnia may escalate into a chronic problem.
Chronic insomnia, also known as long-term insomnia, lasts more than a month. It can occur every night, most nights, or several nights each month. Chronic insomnia is often related to a medical problem; treating the underlying problem may alleviate the insomnia. Chronic sleeplessness may also be caused by bad sleep habits.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, chronic, long-term sleep disorders affect at least 40 million Americans each year.

Sleep is as important to our health as a healthy diet. In fact, like an unhealthy diet, lack of sleep can lead to physical problems including a lowered immune system, diabetes and increased blood pressure.
Lack of sleep is also associated with obesity. Scientists have found that sleep deprived people have a higher level of the hormone, ghrelin, which triggers appetite and a lower levels of leptin, a hormone that indicates a feeling of fullness.
If all of that were not enough, lack of sleep negatively affects our mental alertness, mood, creativity, memory, language skills and of course, energy level.
For some people, their sleeplessness is the result of a sleep disorder and for others it is the result of bad habits (which could lead to a sleep disorder). Whatever the reason for your bleary eyes, the resulting physical drain on your body is the same.

Do you . . .
Fall asleep while driving? Struggle to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching television or reading? Have difficulty paying attention or concentrating at work, school, or home? Have performance problems at work or school?
Often get told by others that you look sleepy? Have difficulty remembering? Have slowed responses? Have difficulty controlling your emotions? Need to take naps almost every day?
How are sleep disorders diagnosed?
Sleep disorders are often diagnosed based on a number of factors including your
description of symptoms, age and gender, psychological history, medical history,
family member or partner’s observation of disruptive sleep patterns.
In order to determine if you have a sleep disorder, it is important to pay attention to your sleep habits and daily routine. Keeping a sleep diary may be helpful in discussing your daily patterns with your doctor or sleep specialist.
Other methods physicians and sleep specialists use to diagnose sleep disorders include:
Epworth Sleepiness Scale – This sleep questionnaire asks you to rank whether certain situations make you sleepy and, if so, how sleepy. Your responses will assist your doctor in providing a formal diagnosis.
Nocturnal polysomnogram - This test will measure the electrical activity of your brain (electroencephalogram) and heart (electrocardiogram), and the movement of your muscles (electromyogram) and eyes (electro-oculogram) and usually requires an overnight stay at a sleep clinic for observation purposes.
Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) – This test measures how long it takes for you to fall asleep during the day. Sleep specialists will observe your sleep patterns.
Repeated test of sustained wakefulness (RTSW) –This test measures how long it takes for you to fall asleep by challenging your ability to stay awake. During the test, you will likely be placed in a quiet room with dim lighting and asked to stay awake.
Blood test – Depending on your description of your symptoms and personal and family medical histories, a blood test may also be conducted. The blood test may not be conclusive but can be helpful in establishing the possibility and probability of certain sleep disorders.

Tips for better daytime habits
Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap during the day because you will throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.
Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns.
Do not smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs disrupt sleep.
Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.
Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability to sleep.
Tips for a better sleep environment
Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size bed. Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.
Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine to help block outside noises.
Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.
Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual. Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep at the same time each day. Do not oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep – doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it is time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
Relax for a while before going to bed. Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery programs.
Do not eat a large, heavy meal before bed. This can cause indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eat a slice of toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the warmth may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands, making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh.
Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed.
Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective. In some cases, there are safety concerns. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!
Tips for getting back to sleep.
Do visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Do not lie in bed awake. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake.
Do not do anything stimulating. Do not read anything job related or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to be alerting). Do not expose yourself to bright light. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
Get up and eat some turkey, cottage cheese, yogurt, ice cream, chicken, cashews, soybeans, and tuna or drink a glass of warm milk.
Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.
Tips for keeping a sleep diary
Learn about your sleep patterns and habits by keeping a daily sleep diary and include: Time you went to bed and woke up; Total sleep hours; Quality of sleep; Times that you were awake during the night and what you did (e.g. stayed in bed with eyes closed or got up, had a glass of milk and meditated); Amount of caffeine or alcohol you consumed and times of consumption; Types of food and drink and times of consumption; Feelings - happiness, sadness, stress, anxiety;
Drugs or medications taken, amounts taken and times of consumption.

If your sleep does not improve please consult a professional! Sleep to live!