October 2008 Archives

Women are strong emotionally and mentally but their work involves more of physical efforts than mental, though the scene is gradually changing. It is proven that women need more sleep than men to keep their mental do and physical clock ticking. Lack of sleep puts women at a greater risk of heart diseases, depression, and psychological disorders.
Deprivation of sleep results in the emission of a substance in the blood, which is responsible for Type 2 diabetes. Women with sleeping problems exhibit higher levels of different markers tied to inflammation that lead to the thickening of arteries and increase in heart problems.
Instead, it transforms a woman into an angry young woman strengthening the symptoms of hostility. Lack of sleep and disturbed sleep leads to mood swings, frustration, clotting of blood and arteries, and other cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, women and all their members in the family should try to make the environment conducive to a better sleep.
 Hence all women can explain this to their husband so that they stop snoring and disturbing their sleep.

Pic courtesy Asturtom on www.flickr.com

Research shows that children with autism suffer from sleeplessness than their peer group. Study reveals that approximately 70% autistic children have some or the other sleep related problem as compared to 50% in the other children. These children are more likely to be sluggish, disoriented after waking, and have more sleep disturbance than normal children.
As more and more children are diagnosed with neurobiological disorders, they are prone to have disturbed sleep. In addition, the problems and symptoms that characterize the disorders will be greatly exacerbated by a lack of sleep. Most of the children with special needs are stressed, as they are trying to cope up with the other kids and their schoolwork. They are continuously working on their behavioural aspects that truly exhaust them.
In addition, the medication taken as stimulants tends to contribute towards this lack of sleep. If such sleep problems continue to plague these children, one must resort to proper alternative medication and therapies.
All children are at their best with healthy sleeping habits, so it is advisable to set up a consistent sleeping schedule for autistic children. It does require special care and patience but nothing can be more important than the health of our apple of the eye.

Pic courtesy Jeanquingwenloo on www.flickr.com

We have just read in the prior post that when we sleep our brain passes though different stages of sleep, producing different waves such as delta, beta, theta and alpha. As these waves change we drift from one stage of sleep to another, from deep sleep to dreams and then to wakefulness. But normally these brain waves are inaudible to the human ear. These rhythmic sleep cycles lasts for around 3 hours; however can we set aside 3 hours for a nap?
If the answer is no, then what is the remedy? All we need to do is close our eyes and listen to the power nap recording via stereo headphones and we can actually listen to the
brain waves which otherwise are inaudible. To know more about power nap click here

By now we know what happens if we do not sleep, but little is known about what happens when we are asleep? Sleep occurs in recurring cycles of 90 to 110 minutes divided into two categories
1.Non REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep
2.REM Sleep
The Non REM is sub divided into 4 stages
Step one Light sleep
At this stage we can be awakened by the slightest of noise, and the muscle activity slows down. We are partially awake and partially asleep.
Step two True sleep
This stage lasts for around 20 minutes and we enter this stage within 10 minutes of light sleep. The heart rate and the pace of breathing slow down making us more stable. True sleep accounts for the maximum part of human sleep.
Step three and four Deep sleep
Breathing and heart rate are at their lowest level as the brain starts sending delta waves.
At step four muscle activity is reduced considerably characterized by continuous rhythmic breathing. This is the deep sleep mode, if awakened at this stage we tend to be groggy and grumpy.
 

REM
The body is sleeping and numb but the brain is very active and this is the time when most of the dreams occur. Our blood pressure is on the rise and breathing becomes faster and heavier. We have around 4- 5 REM episodes at night.
After REM the sleep cycle restarts.

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More than half of America’s population is suffering from sleep deprivation, commonly known as apnea, insomnia, or narcolepsy. There are people who boast about their stamina to do their work with a minimal amount of sleep and still stay fresh.
After all how far can anyone stretch the demand of their own body and mind? It is a known universal truth that any type of fatigue is injurious to health. The sleep problem has reached its peak and is the most sought after problem.
One point is clear like water that we need sufficient amount of sleep to survive, although the exact definition of sleep is still a mystery. But one thing is proved that those who get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep live longer than those who sleep for less than 6 hours. This lack pf sleep can prove to be very expensive and fatal. The National Commission on Sleep Disorder estimates the cost of sleep deprivation to be $ 150 billion, in terms of reduced productivity and high level of stress.
It is of utmost important to bring about an awareness and social consciousness regarding the causes of sleeplessness, the effects, and the remedies available to overcome it.

Pic courtesy The Big Mr on www.flickr.com
 

Babies are the best gift anyone can have, they are the most adorable, innocent, and happy beings on this planet. When they are out of their mother’s womb which is their security zone they need some time tome to get in tune with the outside world. One of the main concerns of any parent is their little ones sleep, because as mentioned in the earlier posts it takes about three months to six months to get into a fixed sleeping pattern and sometimes even two years.
There are two schools of thoughts for encouraging babies to sleep peacefully, the cry out technique or the grin and bear it solution. The advocates of cry out solution make it sound so simple, as you just need to let the baby cry out for a few nights and then the baby starts sleeping undisturbed. If only it was so simple every one would be able to apply the same rule.
Research shows that it might be effortless for some parents, but most of the babies cry so relentlessly and violently, that they even vomit on such occasions. Some of them feel that night time crying affects their daytime as the babies tend to be more clingy and cranky. Many parents resort to this solution thinking it will get their babies and themselves a good and long sleep.
Nevertheless can any parent bear to see their bundle of joy crying, for reasons unknown to themselves? I think no and you all will vouch for the same. So let’s think of some other way to tackle this issue in the coming days
Pic courtesy www.flickr.com and Idychapman

A baby right from his birth till one and a half month tries to get acquainted with the new world and its way of living. As a reason of this most of the infants have a disturbed sleeping pattern in the first 1 month. At the end of 2- 3 months he gets acclimatized and start sleeping a little peacefully.
The difficulty in sleeping is associated with night wakings, which occur due to a learned pattern requiring parent’s intervention to fall asleep. Most of the infants are restless during the night because they suffer from colic, an allergy, ear infection or any sort of viral.

Although for the babies it is nothing to do with insomnia as it is a part of growing up.
Night wakings or sleep arousals occur in all age groups of children, right from infants to adolescents; the point to be noted is, whether a child can signal to his parents that he requires their assistance to sleep. If a toddler cannot or is unable to communicate to his or her parent and cannot be pacified then it is matter of concern requiring medical aid.
Since children of this age do not perceive these night wakings as a problem sleep difficulty in children does not meet the definition of insomnia.

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Insomnia is an epidemic; it truly is as we can see seven in ten are suffering from insomnia. Like we are what we eat similarly we can do much more than what we think we actually can, if we are able to take charge of all the thoughts and emotions nothing can stop us from what we want to do. Gradually it becomes a habit to control our inner feelings.
The subconscious mind plays a very vital role in conquering insomnia, it signals the mind to take charge of all the negative thoughts and reinforce the optimistic thoughts.
It is not a miracle that happens overnight as the symptoms of any ailment need to be cured rather than the ailment itself.
Popping up a sleeping pill and lying in bed anxiously waiting for our dear friend to do its magic is extremely easy. Real test is if we can overcome the causes of insomnia and get rid of it right from the roots.
To sleep naturally and soundly we need to work on it ourselves and believe in ourselves.

For at least 3 years I always associated bedtime and wakefulness with tensions and thoughts of worry because there was not a single night when I slept peacefully. God, how I dreaded those nights always wandering why is this happening to me. Like most of the insomniacs I failed to understand what is insomnia and what is it that triggers it.
So many hours of tension and spiraling thoughts and how I myself shunned my ability to sleep. Lack of sleep curbed my ability to concentrate on my daily work and I was gradually losing confidence in myself.
I always felt tired and exhausted and thought everything around me was going haywire. As if I was losing control and never thought I could regain control over myself as well as the situation.
But all in vain Insomnia like any other anxiety disorder is treatable however grave and chronic it may seem. We have been taught in school Nothing is Impossible.
Are you interested in knowing how to beat this so called chronic disorder, stay connected.

Pic courtesy www.flickr .com

Does everyone sleep well through the night? Yes, well actually No. About 40%- 50% of the population suffers from insomnia, and 5%- 10% suffer from chronic insomnia. Insomnia as we all know by now is difficulty to sleep through the night due to various reasons. The causes vary from person to person; similarly there are different medicines which help to sleep through the night. These drugs have some or the other significant side effect, although they might be prescribed by an experienced physician.
Excessive intake of these medicines may cause drowsiness and instead of feeling elated and full of energy a person feels very dull and groggy. Latest innovations in this field of medicine are some natural supplements or certain naturopathic pills, which if taken consistently and for the prescribed reasons have little or no side effects improving both quality and quantity of sleep.
However the market is floored with so many new medicines everyday, that it is hard to judge which one is most reliable. Out of the approximately 150 natural drugs in the market only a few have qualified the safety and maximum relief test.
For the detailed information click here. 
 

It is a known fact that the cause of any behaviour seen in adults is rooted to childhood experiences, genetics, and parental behaviour. Similarly, the children who have sleeplessness in their childhood are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and aggression in their adolescence. In a study conducted of children aged between 4- 6 years parents rated their sleep patterns and any unusual behaviour on different scales. The same children reported later at the age of 17- 30 years their own emotional and behavioural pattern. The study suggested that the parental reports of children sleeping less hours in their childhood scored high on scales of depression and anxiety than those who did. Reasons for the sleep related problems cannot be known in the infant stage as the infant is not verbally expressive, so it the physicians duty to inquire about any sleep disorder in the early stages of child development.
If any serious abnormality in the initial phase of life is observed, steps to eradicate any type of future risks should be taken immediately 

Pic courtesy www.flickr.com by Basse911   

"Jack mama told you to keep all your books in place, the house is in a mess and no one seems to be bothered”. “God please help me”. This and other such irritated dialogues can be heard from every house. However, why is this happening to all of us, is it the pressure at work, well yes. Everyone is trying to juggle around with work, family, and friends. Natural consequence of this is that the amount of work as compared to their rest period is more it never strikes a balance.
This cycle continues daily, people drag themselves out of bed every morning feeling groggy, dazed and trying hard to keep awake and feel energetic. Nevertheless, that does not mean they quit, all they do is take a nice hot cup of coffee and get back to work. Work is worship, which is what propels them to do more. Sometimes they cannot concentrate on their work and tend to make silly mistakes, might even get furious at one of the subordinates. If this is the routine then it is for sure that these people are suffering from sleep deprivation.
It is necessary for such people to find out the reasons for lack of sleep, work on it, and not ignore it. After all burning the midnight oil is not always a must isn’t it.

Pic courtesy www.flickr.com by sarahmonster

I just don’t get enough sleep, since the time Nick is born, said a friend of mine. This is the case with most of the parents of new born babies. Babies have no specific schedules or times till the age of atleast one. We can’t change their round the clock time so it is necessary for the parents to adjust their sleep timings and work out a proper routine which will enable them to have sound sleep.

Parents of babies should encourage each other to indulge in daily exercise at least 2 hours before mealtime. Say no to nicotine, caffeine and any type of alcoholic beverages. They should take a 10-15 min nap in the day time when the baby is sleeping, but try and avoid a prolonged sleep as this will disrupt the good night sleep. Parents should try and make the baby sleep at specific intervals, so that he gets habituated to specific sleep timings and sleeps through the night. The bedroom should be clean, neat, with very dim lighting and with some soothing music making the sleep times an effortless, happy and tranquil experience. The tossing and wandering in bed will reduce slowly as you and your baby get adjusted to a healthy regime.So parents just need to be a little patient and thoughtful so that both their bundle of joy and themselves can enjoy a good amount of sleep.

Pic courtesy www.flickr.com

A research at the University of Washington shows that the people who work in the night or do a night shift are deprived of their peaceful sleep at night. This sleep which the body requires is reduced to a large extent; this is because how much ever a person sleeps in the day time it cannot compensate or the night sleep. The hands of the clock always go clockwise and the numbers always start from zero to ten.
When a person is deprived of sleep the insulin levels take its toll. Due to the fluctuating insulin levels the risk of neurodegenerative disorder in the brain increases, which culminates into a mental disorder such as Alzheimer. In such cases there is a gradual memory loss which can be life threatening. In the normal course insulin promotes the learning and memory, but the resistance cases inflammation which is an important step in the development of Alzheimers.
A person who is deprived of his prescribed period of sleep can interrupt a bout of depression.

Here is a new wonder cure for insomnia that's based on nutrients.

Manufacturers of this product claim that it's a natural nutrient supplement which guarantees 100% results in overcoming sleeplessness. You don’t have to take medication nor do any sort of exercise and still you can not only enjoy a peaceful sleep, but always feel fresh and full of energy. We all know that good sleep can do wonders to the body, mind and soul.
Read more about the product here

It is seen that as people grow old they tend to sleep less. Ofcourse, there can be various reasons for this, like their body and brain tend to function less as people grow old. Proper sleep and the cognitive functioning of the brain are interrelated. But what is cognitive functioning of the brain? It  is the high level functioning of the brain, comprising of learning, storing information, logic application and problem solving capacity of the brain.

Whether it is the quantity, meaning amount of sleep, or the quality i.e peaceful sleep or disturbed sleep, or lack of sleep that is responsible for the cognitive functioning of the brain is a subject of debate.  It is seen that elderly people who are insomniacs and have trouble sleeping are more prone to improper and unstable functioning of the brain.

It is concluded that inadequate sleep is the main cause of memory loss, but if proper medication is taken along with exercise and a healthy diet, together these can slow down the pace of this malfunctioning of the brain.

Work, work and more work, that’s what people everywhere are focused on. Not once is a thought spared as to where all this work will take them. People are so busy trying to make both ends meet that they don’t get a single minute for themselves. What do they get in return - often hours of sleepless nights.

So the crux of the matter is, that our body needs atleast 6-7 hours of peaceful sleep every night, once in a while it is okay if this routine is skipped. More than  40% of the population in the US, sleep for less than 5 hours, which is not a trivial problem. The lesser we sleep the more prone are we to strokes and cardiovascular deaths. The correlation between such cardiovascular risks and less sleep is clear, but, curiously this risk is even higher if people sleep for more than 8-9 hours.
The pressure in the society, to cut down on sleep, so as to squeeze out as much as is possible in the given time may not be a good idea, especially if people are sleeping for less than 6 hours.

So please think twice before thinking “it's fine, I'll just finish this much work and then sleep, it hardly makes a difference. ”

Pic courtesy www.flickr.com, Work is never done by Tumbleweed

Did you know, that the National Commission on sleep disorders attributes approximately 38,000 cardiovascular deaths to sleep apnea. This is a chronic condition where the air passage in the throat becomes blocked, preventing the air from entering the lungs. This blockage is repeated throughout the night for as much as hundred times an hour.

Unfortunately the people suffering with this type of Obstructive Sleep Apnea don't even realise this struggle for air and oxygen while they are sleeping. Since they do not get their required peaceful sleep, these people might suffer from any of these symptoms.
Loud Snoring, Snorting or Gasping for Air
Frequent Nighttime Urination, Morning Headaches
Irritability, Daytime Sleepiness
Memory Loss, Lack of Energy
Drowsy Driving, Excessive Stress
Cardiovascular Strain, Erectile Dysfunction
Increased Risk for Accidents, Weight Gain
Depression, High Blood Pressure
Stroke

So find out if you have Sleep Apnea!

Sleep study, medically known polysomnography,  is a test which records the activities of the body while sleeping.  For many years a standard test required a patient to actually go to a Sleep Lab. The technicians put a number of electrodes to the forehead,  body and scalp using an adhesive and video shooted and monitored the entire process with the reactions.

Due to the technological advancement, things are much easier. The test can be conducted with a simple,  safe and clinically proven self testing device. This accurate diagonising sensor measures the pulse rate,  chest movement,  oxygen level along with snoring,  if any in the privacy of your home.  So no pains no tedious procedures and no risk,  a sleep study is just a phone call away.

All of us experience insomnia or lack of sleep in our life at some point of time. It might not be a killer disease, but it does lead to depression, fatigue, frustration, and deaccelerated functioning of mind and body. People spend hours and nights trying to get a good night sleep, but this inturn leaves them stressed out and worried. Those suffering from insomnia are unable to sleep for more than 3-4 hours every night.
There are various reasons for such sleeplessness, as there are causes, there are remedies also such as, Homeopathy, Ayurved, Naturopathy and ofcourse Allopathy. However one remedy for such ailment which is highly effective without any side effects is Yoga and Meditation which gives us not just physical but also mental and internal peace. click here for more information

There are many people who even after a long and hard day of work, when they are in their comfort zone -their bed, they keep tossing and turning from one side to the other, just to get some peaceful sleep. But when they are doing so they do it with a grim face and an irritated state of mind, which still worsens the condition. Why? cause the mind and body are not in tune with each other and very unstable.
Instead, one should go to bed when the body and mind know and tell that it is time to sleep. At that point of time we should lie still in bed,  put a nice smile on the face and tell ourselves I am sleeping, I am s-l-e-e-p-i-n-g, till we know that we actually are.
Of course any thing works only if done consistently and with full dedication and concentration. So GOODNIGHT and SWEET DREAMS.

Pic courtesy www.flickr.com c1970 smiley of suehawkins photostream

According to Carlos Schenck, a psychiatrist at the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorder Center, apart from the many sleeping disorders such as eating or driving while sleeping sexomania is one of the most critical disorders, including masturbation, fondling another person, intercourse and other sexually assaultive behavioural patterns.
This sleep disorder can be the outcome of various other physical and mental ailments such as, Restless Leg Syndrome, Insomnia, Narcolepsy or severe tiredness, making people feel very embarrased and humiliated.
However it is important to know that such an ailment can be treated and cured over a period of time with the help of proper medication and diet.

Dopamine is a chemical in the brain, which keeps your brain going even when you are physically tired. The levels of dopamine changes with the sleeping pattern, enabling you to stay up and alert even when you are tired.
Science shows that lack of sleep affects the ability to think and learn. But research suggests that dopamine plays an important role in peoples ability to function without sleep.
Dopamine is a complex brain chemical and sleeplessness or lack of sleep is a complex state of mind, so it is necessary to try and strike a good balance between work and rest. After all only work and no play and rest makes Tom a dull boy.

It is not,  that only high calorie intake or alcohol will result you to put on a few pounds. A research shows, that lack of sleep causes certain hormonal changes which, inturn increases appetite and weight gain.

It is really surprising that even two nights of poor sleep can trigger the hormone levels such as to increase the appetite, so those who are considering to lose weight should think of incorporating healthy sleeping habits along with some exrcise.

Here’s a good article about the correct and safe use of sleeping pills – Rachel Grumman writes for CNN Health website, and addresses a number of FAQs about sleeping pills.

Questions such as ‘how do I know if I need a sleeping pill’ or about the use of pills after taking alcohol are answered here. Read the full article here.

A study estimates that 2% to 4% of children in the United States under the age of ten suffer from childhood sleep apnea. However, the symptoms may be similar to other childhood disorders such as the tendency to resist going to sleep, restless or interrupted sleep patterns, bedwetting, irritability, depression, a diminished ability to learn and thrive academically, and excessive frustration or aggression. 

This may cause the children to be misdiagnosed to have behavioral disorders such as Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while the childhood sleep apnea goes untreated.

Pic courtesy Neil Wood on flickr.com

One of the treatments available for sleep apnea is the use of devices called Positive Airway Pressure or PAP devices, which blow a fixed amount of air pressure constantly throughout the duration of the user’s sleep cycle. The air pressure forces the airway open and eliminates apneas or snoring. This can help users to get a restful night tremendously.

The older PAP machines used to be bulky, but the new generation ones are smaller and portable .

A recent report by Kalorama Information lists the different manufacturers in this market.

Pic courtesy Apria Healthcare website

A new research report based on a study of mice has found that sleep apnea may cause erectile dysfunction in men. The obstructed breathing during apnea episodes causes oxygen deprivation and leads to ED.

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University of Louisville researchers found that, in a study of mice, one week of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), the lack of oxygen suffered during apnea, resulted in a 55 percent decline in their daily spontaneous erections. After five weeks, the length of time between mice attempts at mating increased on average by 60-fold.

When the mice went back on standard oxygen levels for six weeks, they recovered 74 percent of their original erectile function. The condition can also be treated with tadalafil, which is generic Cialis and increases the availability of nitric oxide, improved erectile and sexual functioning.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have identified a genetic variant linked to a much higher risk of narcolepsy, which may explain the cause of the condition.

Narcolepsy is a rare condition which causes extreme daytime sleepiness, impaired vision and sudden muscle weakness. Sufferers suddenly fall asleep without any warning during a normal activity, and some of them also suffer from "cataplexy", where strong emotions such as anger, surprise, or laughter can trigger loss of muscle strength or lead to collapse.

Scientists believe the cause of narcolepsy may be related to a shortage of a chemical called hypocretin which sends signals to the brain about sleeping and waking up. The condition occurs in 1 in every 2,500 people in the United States and Europe, but is at least four times more common in Japan.

The Japanese researchers analyzed the genomes, or DNA, of 222 narcoleptic Japanese and 389 others who did not have that condition, as well as 424 Koreans, 785 people of European descent and 184 African Americans.

The research found one gene variant occurred with significant frequency among those with narcolepsy and it was linked to an 79% higher chance of narcolepsy in Japanese people, and a 40% increased chance in other ethnic groups - it occurred with significant frequency among narcoleptic Koreans, but the association was not evident in the Europeans and African Americans.

The culprit gene is found close to two genes, CPT1B, and CHKB, which have already been identified as candidates for involvement in the disorder as they both have a role in regulating sleep.

This research could be vital because treatments usually focus on dealing with the symptoms of narcolepsy, but knowing the genetic cause may help to understand underlying cause - in particular what was causing the shortage of hypocretin.