Sleep Deprivation Has An Effect On Your Health

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep. Most people need 6-8 hours of sleep to keep healthy. In this world today, it is hard to get that required amount of sleep. We live our lives at such a fast pace such as handeling our family affairs, work, or even our nightly activities. Many people force themselves to carry out their daily routines on a few hours of sleep. Insufficient sleep can be manifested in many ways like an exhausted immune system, weakened thinking abilities, and intensified stress levels. Operating on an insufficient amount of sleep can cause our brain to respond to some issues slowly. Solution solving can become even more difficult and in some cases hallucinations can take place in your brains thought process. Usually when sleep deprivation happens depression, heart disease and stress take hold causing your health to deteriate. As we grow older we need to receive the required amount of sleep. Health research has been found that more than 50 percent of persons who are 65 years or older suffer from this problem. That is why as we get older we need to take more frequent naps. This is healthy the older you grow.

Weight gain can also be an issue. Because lack of adequate sleep impairs our judgment, we are incapable of feeling full and satisfied after a meal. This leads to overeating and weight gain. Weight fluctuations are common in people who do not get enough quiet sleep. There are two hormones that your body uses to control weight: ghrelin and leptin. Leptin is a protein that regulates and controls appetite and ghrelin is responsible for stimulating your appetite. Both are supposed to tell your brain when you are full. Scientist have found that people with sleep deprivation may find weight loss extremely difficult because a lack of sleep causes elevated levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin. Low leptin levels may increase appetite, leading to weight gain. An estimated 65% of Americans are overweight or obese and 63% of the population report that they do not get 8 hours of sleep or more per night. For people suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and getting only 2-4 hours of sleep per night, weight loss is unlikely because they are 73% more likely to be obese than those getting 8 hours or more of sleep. The effects of lack of sleep on weight gain are far-reaching. In addition to physical effects of lack of sleep, people experiencing sleep deprivation find it difficult to gather the energy needed for exercising, or even preparing healthy meals.

Signes that you may have sleep deprivation include irritability, slow reaction times, slurred speech, depression, heart desease and hypertension. Many times this condition goes undiagnosed. Knowing if you have these above symtoms can help your doctor determine if you have this condition.

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What Is Sleep Apnoea and Who Does It Affect?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

Sleep apnoea is a very common condition, but one which is unfortunately very difficult to diagnose and which as a result is often suffered for years at a time before sufferers are finally diagnosed. The disorder is characterised by pauses in breathing which can occur up to sixty times an hour. The pauses happen because the tissue around the airway collapses and there is insufficient muscle tone to hold the windpipe open. Pauses in the breathing, lasting up to a minute at a time cause oxygen levels in the blood to drop and carbon dioxide levels to rise. This in turn causes the heart to beat faster and possibly irregularly, perhaps even stopping for several seconds. The blood pressure also increases. After a minute or more, the brain realises that the body is in trouble and drags the sleeping sufferer into a shallower state of sleep to restore breathing. However, the sufferer rarely actually wakes up and is therefore unaware of this process occurring.

Sleep apnoea can affect anyone of any age although certain people are more likely to have the disease. For example, it affects more men than women and those people who are overweight are more likely to suffer. People with large tongues and large neck measurements are more likely to have sleep apnoea. It is most prevalent in people over the age of forty, but children can still be affected. In very young children, sleep apnoea is associated with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)and in older children it is associated with being overweight. Snoring is widely accepted as an indicator of sleep apnoea, although it is important to remember that 40 per cent of adults snore. Therefore it is possible to snore and not have sleep apnoea, but unlikely that someone would have sleep apnoea without snoring.

If you are concerned you may be suffering from sleep apnoea then you should contact a professional who can help with your diagnosis. Sleep apnoea can be improved with lifestyle changes so if you are concerned you have sleep apnoea, it is worth investigating and making the appropriate lifestyle changes.

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Know The Typical Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

It is important to know Sleep Apnea symptoms. You may not know you have apnea, but it is a serious condition. Apnea strikes certain individuals when they sleep making them stop breathing. It could happen many times during the night lasting a few seconds to a minute.

Sleep Apnea is a common sleeping disorder that can be related to heart issues and serious heart related conditions. If you have trouble sleeping this could be the culprit. Individuals may not even know they are suffering from Apnea, but it is a good idea to consider the symptoms. There are three different types of Apnea. This includes central, mixed and obstructive types. Some individuals have a minor condition while others have a more serve condition that is life threatening. Knowing the symptoms will help you talk to your doctor and get proper treatment that could save your life and help you get a more restful sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central Sleep Apnea means difficulty sleeping, daytime sleepiness, such as hypersominia, snoring, trouble concentrating, breathing difficult relieved with sitting up, abnormal breathing patterns while asleep and shortness of breath causing abrupt wakening. It is fairly common and has many of the same symptoms as Obstructive Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

An individual that suffers from Obstructive Apnea their airway is obstructed when the throat muscles relax. This is the most common Apnea type. Symptoms include loud snoring, extreme daytime sleepiness, morning headache, waking up with a sore throat or dry mouth, sleeplessness and waking up abruptly leading to shortness of breath.

Mixed Sleep Apnea

Symptoms of Mixed Sleep Apnea are a combination of Central and Obstructive symptoms. This is diagnosed when the patient has an airway blockage and suffers reduced brain activity that relates to lost breathing control. Since it is a combination of symptoms it can be difficult to treat. Nevertheless, there are a variety of options for this type of apnea as well as all other types.

Some Apnea symptoms from each type can be felt, which makes it difficult to diagnosis what type. It is important for doctors to know about your symptoms because they can help find the best way to treat you. It is common to be recommended to use a special CPAP or PAP sleeping mask. This mask rests over the person’s nose and mouth and pushes air into the airways.

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Cure For Bruxism

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

Millions of the people all over the globe are suffering from the affects that teeth grinding has caused during sleep hours, which is known as Bruxism, and those sufferers might include you. This suffering is mainly due to stress related issues or other physical factors which might cause such condition. Have you ever noticed when your upper jaw is exactly as straight as lower jaw, and then it is not perhaps a physical state.

A Cure for Bruxism Program

Many people around the globe are suffering from Bruxism and one of those sufferers has now suggested a solution through a program called A Cure for Bruxism, which is helpful for people to stop crushing their teeth during sleep at night hours and sleep peacefully.

If night guards have been used to protect your teeth from grinding and it has not helped much or have not given positive results, then do not get disheartened. With the help of this nutrition program and exercise, you can prevent your teeth from grinding and help protect them from further decay.

There are chances that you found no obvious results after trying acupunctures or night guards that are supposed to be chewed overnight or you visited orthodontist and your physician. But by exercising for 7 minutes per day, noticeable results will be acquired proving that this program really works.

Two Plans for this Program

This program offers two plans; one for the sufferers due to stress related issues and the other for sufferers who have been crushing their teeth since childhood. By not going for this revolutionary program, you will have unpleasant, painful and uneven teeth which eventually will be destroyed completely. This in the end will leave you to spend on costly dental surgeries if you have not used any of them till now so hurry up.

Your partner might get annoyed of sleeping with you in the room due to continuous tooth grinding. In order to save your partner from horrible experience and give him a peaceful night’s sleep, sign up with this specialized program.

If Bruxism is related to stress issues, you might not realize that you were grinding whole night. But in the morning, if you get up with teeth pain, jaw aches or having upper jaw ache beneath the temples while chewing or find unexplained damage on teeth, there are probabilities that you must follow this program which will help you to deal with certain issues.

The payment package for this program is one time payment which costs fewer than $40 at an instant and is cheaper enough to get rid of teeth grinding rather using night guard or other expensive dental surgeries. Being a Bruxism sufferer, remember that you are not only suffering at night but your partner is also suffering with you. So relieve your partner and give him a good night’s sleep by signing up with this new extraordinary program to get rid of teeth grinding as soon and as painlessly as possible.

you can read more http://www.shopering.com/bruxism

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Is Aging Affecting Your Sleep?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

Aging can affect your sleep pattern and overall quality of your sleep. Having the best sleep is very important for your health.  There are some interesting and specific facts about what tends to prevent good sleep.

 

While there are many different kinds of beds to help you sleep better, now there are many types of pillows that will help too.  A generation ago we only thought of one kind of bed, the spring filled bed. Now there are beds that are adjustable, natural and made of organic materials. There is a multitude of different fills. The right bed can help with the several sleep problems that can occur as we age.

 

It is common for older people to have what is called “sleep latency”. This is the amount of time it takes an individual to fall asleep. Naturally, most people have a harder time falling asleep as the years go by. Sometimes it is because of chronic pain that can come with aging that has nothing to do with sleep problems.

 

The sleep rhythm also prevents sleep from providing the best rest and relaxation. The patterns change as we get older and studies show that there is less REM sleep, where the sleep is deeper and the dreams are vivid. There is lighter sleeping. This does not provide as restful sleep

 

Sleep deprivation can be directly related to sleep issues.

 

1. Snoring is a common problem. It is estimated that 40% of our population snores.

 

2.  Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that affects your legs. It causes an irresistible urge to move the legs because of uncomfortable feelings of tingling and pulling within the legs.

 

3. Menopause, brought on by hormonal changes, often brings hot flashes which prevent a good night’s sleep.

 

4. Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can bring discomfort from heartburn and wake you up during the night.

 

The amount of light your eyes are exposed to also affect how you sleep. Studies show that when we watching television or computer use close to bed time affects our ability to fall asleep quickly. Light from electrical appliances will fool your brain to thinking it is daytime. Sunlight during the day will keep your brain focused that it is daytime and you should not sleep. Therefore you should keep as much to the normal rhythm of light and dark as you are able. Actually this is good for your overall health as well.

 

The National Sleep Foundation reported a study that examined the overall physical health and mental well being of people who worked in off hour shifts. They found that the more you work during the night, the more likely you are to be depressed and suffer from a lower immune system. Our bodies crave the light during the day and darkness at night. Following this natural pattern as we age will help us sleep a better and more restful sleep.

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Sleep Deprivation? Take A Second Look At It

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

What is normally disregarded when people say they’re “sleep deprived” is exactly HOW your sleep deprivation presents itself.

The answer to how your sleep deprivation happens can be the most valuable lead to your tailored sleep solution.

For instance, trouble falling asleep generally has a completely different underlying problem to waking up too early in the morning.  Waking up in the middle of the night anxious and worried, is a different underlying problem to getting up in the middle of the night with twitching legs.  It’s pretty obvious, but not normally investigated.

Here are a few sleep deprivation issues and possible solutions:

Waking too early in the morning.  Evidence has shown that this could have a direct relationship to depression and grief.  It can also be related to food additives and colorings that have been associated with depression (e.g. calcium propionate 282, that occurs in few manufactured breads and frozen foods).  And there are also common drugs that have the side-effect of depression and/or waking too early in the morning.  Solutions here include every day exercise, omega-3 supplementation, finding out the side effects of your prescription medications, and making decisions to change your life to conquer the issue. 

Waking in the night anxious and worried.  Clearly anxiety can be a problem here.  Not so obvious may be an intolerance to a particular food additive or coloring that increases restlessness and anxiety – and sometimes the reaction does NOT show up the night instantly after having eaten that particular food item – it can take days.  Evidence shows that many individuals don’t think that a food item was a problem unless the adverse reaction happens in the next hour, which makes the diagnosis rather difficult.  Some food additives, even natural food substances have been linked to increased feelings of anxiety, frequent night waking, even nightmares, night terrors and weird dreams. 

Remember that if you have a restless, crying baby (sometimes even screaming!) – it may be behaving in this way because the chemicals you are eating are passing to them through your breast milk.  (To clarify – we aren’t saying breast feeding is the problem, but that the mother’s diet can be the problem).

There are many chemical free diets and organizations to assist you if you wish to investigate this option.  Food chemicals are also addictive, so there may be few withdrawal symptoms which need managing during this process.  Joining groups that can help with this a great idea.

These are just a couple of examples (nowhere near a conclusive list), but they will give you an idea of some of the underlying sleep deprivation problems.  Don’t just think of insomnia in broad terms any longer, your mission is to get down to detail, and self-diagnose your problem(s) so as to find your unique solution.

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What Supplies Do I Need for My CPAP Machine?

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

If your medical provider has prescribed a CPAP machine for your use, you may be confused about what parts need replacement and the frequency in which they need to be replaced. Maintaining your CPAP machine is vital to the success of your treatment, and you should replace your CPAP supplies on a regular schedule. Supply replacement can be broken into three intervals: items that need to be replaced once a month, every three months, and every six months.

Once a month, you should replace the nasal pillow and nasal cushion as well as the white disposable filters; the black reusable filters may be rinsed weekly and reused. If you begin sneezing, have a runny nose, or have above-average pollen or dust in your area check the filters in case they need more frequent replacement. Your face mask interface should be replaced now, too.

Every three months you will need to replace your CPAP mask, full face mask, or oral CPAP mask. This is important, as the seal on the mask must work properly in order for your treatment to be effective and the mask will not be as comfortable if it is too worn. The tubing must also be replaced at this point, and you should check the head gear for wear.

At the six month point, you should replace the head gear, chin strap, and the humidifier chambers. If you use the black foam reusable filters that are rinsed weekly they will also need to go on your six month replacement list of CPAP supplies.

Although this replacement schedule should cover all of your CPAP machine maintenance, it’s important to note that the instructions on your specific machine may differ and you should always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when ordering CPAP supplies. If your medical provider gives you a different schedule, that should be followed first. It’s also important to remember that the replacement timeline of CPAP supplies is a guideline and is not set in stone. If you notice any wear on a piece of your equipment, don’t wait until the scheduled replacement time to get a new piece.

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How to Get Rid of Snoring – 3 Simple Ways to Get Rid of Your Sleeping Problem

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

So you wish to get rid of your snoring? Well, I can sympathise because I know just how devastating snoring can be. But there is a way out, and you’ll discover how to eliminate snoring here…

But first let’s look at how snoring is caused:-

Snoring is usually due to soft tissue that partially blocks your airways while you sleep. This happens because, when you are asleep, the muscles and corresponding tissue in your airways become totally relaxed and can move into the airways and partially block them.

So that, when you breathe in and out, the air has to flow faster and in a more turbulent way through the now restricted space. This sets up vibrations in the ‘flappy’ soft tissue which comes out as snoring noises.

Snoring affects both the person who snores and their sleeping partner:-

Is this the same with you? Then you’ll know the problems that can then arise. Relationships can be severely tested, with may couples sleeping apart, and even breaking-up. I’m sure you don’t want this to happen to you, right?

But, apart from the relationship side, there’s the health side too:-

Lack of proper sleep — the ‘proper’ sleep cycle — can mean many health problems for both of you. Your immune system can become compromised so that you are open to a variety of illnesses and infections, which then become hard to cure.

And there is your work to think of too:-

Your tiredness affects your ability to do your work effectively and could lead to problems there, even being given your marching orders. Again this is one of the last things you want, right?

So you need to do all you can to prevent any soft tissue moving into and blocking your airways whilst you sleep. If you can successfully do this you can get rid of snoring at night…

Here’s how to get rid of snoring, save your relationship, and improve your overall health:-

1. Stop sleeping on your back and get onto your side. On your back, your chin moves back and the tongue restricts the main airway. Do this by attaching a tennis ball or similar to the back of you pyjamas etc. Alternatively you can buy physical aids that do the same.

2. Avoid big meals and alcohol before bed. Big meals mean a full stomach which puts pressure on your diaphragm. Alcohol relaxes your muscles even more. So don’t eat large meals or drink alcohol within 3 1/2 to 4 hours of your bedtime.

3. Take a look at a variety of stop snoring devices that are available online and from some pharmacies etc. In particular, have a look at snoring mouthpieces which you insert in your mouth during the night. These maintain your lower jaw in the correct position and prevent it moving backwards.

These really are valuable tips that you should take seriously if you want to get yourself out of the trouble you find yourself in.

But there are many more ways of getting rid of snoring that you should get to know about:-

Because information is power. And when you are ’empowered’ you can definitely get rid of your snoring…

So, to get more on exactly how to get rid of snoring, plus, important info. on special exercises to prevent snoring, please go now to www.howtostopsnoringatnight.info.

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Snoring Treated with Laser Assisted Uvulapalatoplasty (LAUP)

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

If you are looking for a safe and effective treatment for snoring you might consider a Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP as it is known. First introduced in France in 1990 this treatment for snoring is easy and only takes about one-half hour of your time.

The LAUP is done in the doctor’s office and you are sitting upright and awake with only a local anesthetic used. The procedure involves removing the uvula and trimming the soft palate of your throat. You can normally return to work or your normal activities immediately. However you will experience a sore throat especially when eating for up to ten days.

Your snoring is usually eliminated or drastically reduced in 80% of the surgeries in only one session. Some patients might require a second treatment or a series of treatments depending on the severity of their problem. As healing occurs further reduction is noticed.

The LAUP has been successful in treating and alleviating snoring volume by reducing the noise level, snoring duration by decreasing the length of time for each snore and respiratory disturbances such as blockage and post nasal drip.

The risk involved in this surgery is that the removal and cutting of tissue can sometimes cause excessive scar tissue in patients thereby narrowing the passageway further than it was before surgery, thereby making their snoring even worse than it was before surgery. As with all surgeries there are risks involved and everyone reacts differently to the procedures.

You would require a full evaluation to determine the extent of your breathing problems, however this procedure is considered effective to relieve snoring. But if you are suffering from a more severe sleep disorder like sleep apnea then you might need further evaluation because these types of disorders can lead to heart or lung disease if not treated properly.

 

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Foods to Aid Sleep

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin

Who would have thought that one thing as rest (sleep), it is hard to come by? Since sleep is relaxing and refreshing, because it is prone to be a sleep disorder? It is true that inadequate or disturbed sleep can have adverse effects on brain function, which besides affecting a person’s awareness can also affect memory.

Ayurveda, which is a traditional practice of medicine and a native to India, says, “People or constitutions that are most vulnerable to having a sleep disorder are people Vata”. Now that we understand from people who have all or some of these physical descriptions, like light dry hair tends to fall very dry skin, sensitive digestion, impatient with the character, usually slightly bones, anxious, smokers and / or a massive sweet tooth. These are properties can keep sleep at bay.

Food is also an important part of this disorder; It has the power to affect our sleep.We have some suggestions of food that could help you have a sound sleep:

Reduce the consumption of tea / coffee: When we consume more than 3 cups of tea or coffee by day, our nervous system goes into a super excited state, thereby preventing the natural rhythm of sleep induction. Similar effects observed with smoking, pans and tobacco.

Have light meals: Eating a heavy dinner too close to sleep time results in disturbed sleep and snoring, difficulty breathing and GERD.

Eat foods that cause sleep: Foods that may improve sleep are those that have a high concentration of tryptophan. This is an amino acid that increases the availability of serotonin in the brain that lulls us into a night of restful sleep. Foods containing tryptophan are milk, cheese, curd, potato, wheat (Roti, whole wheat pasta), apricots and bananas. Many foods like oatmeal / oat flakes also help to induce sleep when taken as a meal with milk and honey.
Avoid chocolates at night: chocolate consumption during the night leads to low levels of serotonin in the brain.

Avoid junk food: It is important to avoid junk foods and refined foods as processed carbohydrates like Maida over stimulate insulin levels in our body leading to disturbed sleep.

Try cool drinks before bedtime: For some people, drinking a cool glass of Lassi or a cold fizzy drink at night is very reassuring, especially if someone has a spicy meal or beer at dinner time.

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