Sleeping well » sleep disorders

What is Melatonin?

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:22:54 +0000

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.

Night Terrors

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:33:31 +0000

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.

Sleep Disorders

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:49:29 +0000

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that affects millions of people through out the world. Sleep apnea occurs when there is blockage in the airway in the throat. That blockage may come from an enlarged tongue or excess tissue inside the mouth. Narrow throats are also a cause of sleep apnea. This blockage forces the sleep apnea sufferer to wake over and over again each night because the blockage prevents breathing. There are cures to sleep apnea with the most popular being is the cpap machine. CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure, provides relief, forces air through a hose and then into a mask worn over the face. This air keeps the airway open. Not everyone is comfortable with the cpap mask so there is also a dental device that keeps the jaw and the airway open. And as a last resort surgery to open the airways can also be used.

Insomnia is being unable to fall asleep and being unable to remain asleep. The quality of sleep is more important than the quantity of sleep regarding insomnia. There are three basic type of insomnia. Transient lasts a week. Short term lasts about 3 weeks and chronic insomnia is anything longer than that. Insomnia is usually caused by psychological problems such as anxiety, stress and depression. It can also be caused by medical condition such as high blood pressure and hormonal changes. Cognitive Behavior treatment is considered one of the best ways to cure insomnia. Sleeping pills may help in the short term but they don’t fix the underlying problems.

Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes a peculiar sensation on the legs which in turn causes the need to move the legs uncontrollable. The cause of RLS is unknown but some connect it to low iron or anemia or reaction to medications. There is no cure for this disorder.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is connected to EDS (excessive daytime sleepiness). Narcolepsy sufferers will often fall asleep during the day at any time and any place. This condition may be caused by genetics. Medication and therapy are used to treat this disorder.