Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes excessive daytime drowsiness EDS and falling asleep without warning. Cataplexy is also a symptom which causes the loss of muscle tone and possibly brief periods of paralysis. This can be a serious illness if the narcolepsy sufferer falls asleep while driving or other activities that requires full attention. The actual cause of narcolepsy is unknown but it is considered to be a neurological and sleep disorder problem.
Although there is no cure for narcolepsy a drug called modafinil has been approved by the FDA. Antidepressants are also prescribed along with behavioral modifications. Regular sleep habits and scheduled naps are suggested for narcolepsy patients. Medication and behavioral changes help patients with the most severe symptoms such as EDS and cataplexy but they don’t cure the narcolepsy.
Some patients over sixty see a decrease in the narcolepsy as they get older.
Do you have a problem with waking up too early due to insomnia? Do you have a difficult time falling asleep at night? If you answered yes to both of these question then you might want to try Bright light therapy.
The premise behind bright light therapy is that increased light will have an effect on the body’s circadian rhythm which in turn works with the body ‘inner clock’ that regulates the body’s sleeping waking habits. Natural light plays a part in how much sleep is achieved. Using artificial light can help control that inner clock.
- Bright light therapy uses different devices to achieve its results:
- Light visor is placed over your eyes that generates a strong light.
- A special desk lamp that produces high levels of light.
- A light box is similar to the desk lamp in that it provides a steady level of light
- Dawn Simulator is a light box that simulates the sunrise
Usually bright light therapy has been associated with seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Your depression or your gloomy mood can be attributed to the lack of light during the winter season so bright light therapy can useful in this regard. However it is always wise to consult a doctor before trying any therapy.
The last thing that you want when you are trying to sleep is noise, especially noise that is grating on the nerves. I use a sound machine that blocks out all unwanted noise in the house.
One of the best sellers on Amazon is the Marpac SleepMate 980A Electro-Mechanical Sound Conditioner
- Masks unwanted noise for use in the home and office
- Recommended for restless sleepers, shift workers, infants, children, students, apartment dwellers, office workers and many others
- Dual speed 980 is made of durable plastic
- Marpac sound conditioners create a consistent, smooth sound of rushing air
- Made in USA
Melatonin is often mentioned when sleep disorders are discussed, but what is it? Melatonin is a hormone that comes from the pineal gland in the brain. The level of melatonin helps the body’s inner clock or the circadian rhythm to regulate when you sleep and when you are awake. The melatonin level is the highest at night and it goes down in the morning.
Some say that melatonin is affected by day light or lack of it causing more melatonin to be produced in the shorter days of the winter.
Melatonin is also found in animals as well as humans it also regulates their sleeping and waking. This is considered natural melatonin. Man-made melatonin is the synthetic form used as sleep aid supplements. Care has to be taken with this type of supplement because it may cause drowsiness. Always check with your doctor before taking any supplement.
You can’t get melatonin directly from food but there are foods like turkey that help the body produce more of it.
Melatonin is also an antioxidant that has been considered in treating other diseases and disorders.
Have you ever had a problem with grinding or clenching your teeth at night? You may have bruxism.
Around 8 percent of the population clench or grind their teeth every night. It can be caused by smoking, anxiety, stress, or sleep apnea among other things. The end results of this disorder can be dental problems, headaches, earaches and lack of sleep.
It seems that a good number of sleep apnea patients have problems with this condition. According to the National library of Medicine and National Institute of Health bruxism rarely occurs alone and that many of those who have it also have sleep apnea.
One possible cure would be a dental device which would prevent the teeth from clenching and grinding. But many feel that dental devices only help those with mild sleep apnea. Of course if you didn’t have sleep apnea, the dental device would probably cure the bruxism.
The cpap machine might help with your teeth clenching and grinding as well as the sleep apnea. The continuous air would keep your mouth open as well as your teeth.
Did you ever have a dream so real that it scared you to death? Did you wake up screaming and sweating as if something had been chasing you and you feared for your life? You experienced night terrors.
Why does anyone get night terrors?
There are many reasons why a person would have a dream so intense that they would wake up screaming, not only waking up and screaming, some individual have actually jumped out of bed and ran through their house screaming till they woke up exhausted but still terrorized.
The root causes of night terror are:
- Emotional stress that you may be going through at the time can set off night terrors.
- Alcohol and certain medications can also be a factor.
- If you haven’t sleep in a long time (sleep deprivation) your mind may play tricks on you.
- Migraine headaches have been known to cause night terrors.
- Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders should also be considered as a source of night terror.
In a number of people who have night terror, they also have had problems with anxiety and depression issues.
Who usually gets night terror?
Children more than anyone have night terrors; boys and girls get them in equal number. It is not as prevalent with adults’ especially senior citizens. Sleepwalking usually accompanies night terror.
Treatment is limited with children having night terror. Usually the parent will keep an eye on the child so they don’t get hurt. In most cases night terror goes away. With adults the doctor may suggest a sleep study to ensure there isn’t a more serious problem.
Are your dreams vivid and seem a little too real? Do you thrash about at night in your bed like you are actually awake but you still dreaming? Maybe you have REM sleep behavior disorder RBD.
REM is one of the 5 sleep stages. REM sleep is characterized by loss of muscle control (paralysis), irregular breathing and very lively brain activity. Most dreams occur during REM.
REM sleep behavior disorder is when there isn’t loss of muscle control leaving the sleeper to be physically involved with their dreams. Usually these dreams are intense and the sleeper may be violent as in kicking, punching, twisting and even yelling. This can be dangerous to the person sleeping or the sleeping partner. Middle aged men are usually victims of RBD.
Polysomnographic video recording is used to diagnosis if RBD is the problem. Other electrical activities are also monitored at the same time.
The medication Klonopin is used to treat RBD along with other medications.
While the causes of RBD are unknown, some evidence point to alcohol withdrawal or with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you from going to sleep and or prevents you from staying asleep. Millions of people have had some form of insomnia.
What can be done to help with this exasperating condition?
The first thing and probably the hardest thing to do, is to not worry about being awake. The more you worry the harder it is to fall asleep. I know first hand that not worrying about falling asleep is hard but you must try.
Cognitive behavior therapy is considered one of the best ways to help with insomnia. This type of therapy deals with changing the way you feel about things that may affect your sleeping. You may have misperceptions about how much time you need to sleep or other feelings or reactions that cause you to get less rest. After the therapy your perceptions will have changed and you should be ready to get some rest.
Typical CBT methods include relaxation training, biofeedback and sleep hygiene, which encourages a healthier lifestyle that discourages late night eating, smoking and drinking. Exercising is also a big part of sleep hygiene. See sleeping tips.
At one time medication was the only cure for insomniacs. But now medication isn’t considered a long term fix for sleeping disorders. There may be side effects with other medications and sleeping pills may cause other physical problems like high blood pressure, confusion and nausea.
If you have insomnia you need to go to your doctor in order to rule out any other serious ailments that may be having an adverse effect on your sleeping.
Do you feel tired in the morning even though you were in bed for at least 8 hours? Were you tossing and turning and did it seem like you could only sleep for a few minutes at a time? And does your partner complain about your grunting snoring? If any of this sounds familiar then you might have sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is where there is blockage of the airway in the back of the throat. This blockage causes the sleep apnea sufferer to wake up hundreds of times a night because the brain has stopped receiving oxygen. Millions of people suffer from this all over the world. There are also millions that have this condition and don’t know it.
In order to find out if you have sleep apnea you would go to a doctor, either a ENT or a pulmonologist (lung doctor). After describing your sleeping patterns they would probably set you up for a sleep study.
A sleep study is an overnight study in a hospital or specialized office. There are rooms set up as bedrooms with video cameras that are connected into another room where sleep techs observe your sleeping. You are also connected to wires that measure your brain waves and the number of times that you wake up when your airway is blocked.
The test takes all night and the tech will send the report to your doctor.
After examining the report the doctor can then determine whether you have sleep apnea or not. If you do have sleep apnea the usual cure is the cpap machine. The cpap machine blows air through a tube into a mask that fits over your face. This continuous air will force the airway to stay open making sure that you don’t stop breathing in the night. The only drawback to using the cpap is that not everyone is comfortable wearing a mask at night and the sound of the machine can also be cumbersome.
Alternatives to the cpap mask are dental devices and surgery, which is usually the last resort for sleep apnea.
Many people believe that all sleep apnea patients are overweight. That isn’t necessarily true. An enlarged tongue and tonsils also may block the airway. Certain face shapes may also cause sleep apnea.
