Archive for the 'Good Night Sleep' Category

As you grow older, you face many health problems including sleep problems.

Older people often face difficulty to sleep and they think that it is the common problem and everyone faces sleep problems as they grow older.

But it is not true that as you grow older, you should face sleep problems. Symptoms of sleep problems in elderly are difficulty in getting sleep, early morning awakening, maintaining sleep, taking more daytime naps and excessive daytime sleepiness.

It is common that as a person ages, many changes takes place. The change is in the quality of sleep not in the quantity of sleep. Older people cannot get into the stage four sleep, which is a deep sleep. Not all people suffer with lack of deep sleep but maximum elders don’t get into deep sleep.

Factors which interfere with your sleep are psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders, medical illnesses, medications, and poor sleep habits.

Psychiatric disorders: Psychiatric disorders such as depression, stress and anxiety cause sleep problems in the elderly. Depression can occur if you lose your loved one or if you are facing any family problems.

Stress can occur, if you are working in the old age and cannot meet the work requirements quickly.

You know that sleep loss is not a just a nighttime problem.

Its effect can extend far into the daytime functioning.

You cannot substitute anything for a good night’s sleep.

Sleep loss causes depression:

In college students, depression is two times more common than in the general population, affecting approximately 20% of students.

Researchers believe that sleep loss contributes to high rate of depression in college students.

Attending college increases the incidence of both sleep problems and depression. Lack of sleep for more than two weeks is a risk factor for developing depression. Some people have sleep loss due to the work submission before the deadline. [Depression Management]

For many students, it’s an indication of achievement to function on minimal sleep, but lack of sleep carries risks. Sleep less than 6.5 hours per night is related with 1.7 times greater risk of disease and death.

Sleep loss causes:

• Automobile accidents (exhaustion is the leading cause)
• Illness such as colds and flu
• Mental illnesses
• Decreased academic performance

Sleep loss alters hormones and metabolism:

Sleep loss can decrease the capacity of even young men and women to perform metabolic functions, such as processing and storing carbohydrates or regulating hormone secretion.

Millions of people all over the world have problems sleeping.

Sometimes, it is a recurring problem called insomnia and sometimes, it might be the occasional night or two, every so often.

You have many options of sleep aids regardless of how your sleep problems came to be.

However, there are some natural sleep aids that can guide you to dreamland if you are reluctant to ask your doctor for prescription sleep drugs or other medical alternatives.

Herbs

Natural sleep aids through the use of herbs have been around for a long time. The Chinese, most notably, have been big proponents of herbal remedies for centuries and stand by their efficiency.

It is just in the past decade or two that herbs have been scrutinized more closely for their advantageous properties in treating everything from stomach aches to colds and to, of course, sleep problems. You should discuss with your doctor first before you decide to try one or more of herbal remedies.

Other medications you are taking might adversely react to the herbal remedies. Additionally, you should also know that these herbs are not sleep cures and will not always work the first time you take them. It may take a few times before you might notice the effects.

At present, one of the most common problems is Sleep deprivation.

In fact the Better Sleep Council surveyed a thousand adult respondents and discovered that more than 30% of them confessed to not getting enough sleep each night.

The recent survey also revealed that insufficient sleep resulted in reduced daily performance at work and at home in terms of their ability to concentrate, their capacity for problem solving, their coordination and reaction time, their physical strength and energy levels and how they handled stress.

Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Excessive tiredness and a general feeling of irritability are the short-term effects of sleep deprivation, but studies have proven that there are long-term effects as well. One needs to be able to fall into a deep sleep and also dream in order to learn and process information.

Memory also requires these things as well. The brain is capable of retaining new information for a short quantity of time and that is why it advantages greatly from restful sleep patterns. Information learned throughout the day can be easily forgotten or lost by the brain if a person is sleep deprived.

It is proven that chronic sleep problems affect 40 million Americans every year and an average of 20 million to 30 million individuals will lose sleep on an occasional basis according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Compound this with the knowledge that 22 million American citizens work night shifts or swing shifts which causes many disruptions with the bodys normal cycles in terms of sleep considerations.

These sleep disorders, if left untreated can evolve into full blown sleep deprivation which can cause problems with

• Person’s ability to function on the job
• Their driving skills and personal relationships
• Their ability to learn, remember and concentrate

It has also proved that a person’s cognitive functions get effected with consistent lack of sleep, which includes impaired memory, a slower reaction time, an inability to concentrate, a shorter attention span and a reduced ability to learn and process new information.

Being too tired to learn can lead to lack of adequate performance at school or work for an individual. When an individual is deprived of sleep, his or her brain will have a difficult time while processing new information.

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding choosing a pillow.

A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about choosing a pillow for good night’s sleep. Prevent being a pain in the neck and choose a pillow that will not only hold up your neck but also your head and upper spine.

Your option of pillow is a necessary part of that plan to get a great night’s sleep and wake up feeling refreshed instead of tired and groggy.

Do you have a sense of what kind of pillow would work best for your requirements? You might as well be reading hieroglyphics because the array of choices can be dizzying and confusing, when you set foot into the linen and bedding section of a department store to look for pillows.

The optimal scenario in selecting the best pillow would be to break down the options into more convenient, comprehensible parts so you can get a clear picture of your options. Read on below for some valuable insight into what should be considered in your pillow selection.

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding relaxation tips.

A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about relaxation tips.

Chill out. Relax. Does anyone ever tell you this as a way to get to sleep?

Better said than done! You probably have tried practically anything and everything to catch a restful snooze, if you have problems sleeping.

The thing of it is you may not know how to relax appropriately.

Oh, you along with many others may think you do, but relaxation is almost an art form, something that you have to really focus on to get right. And because everyone has their own styles, tastes and interests, one relaxation method may work for one person but not you.

Benefits of Relaxation Tips

First of all, let’s talk a little about what relaxation tips might do for you, generally speaking. If you are relaxed, sleep might come more quickly. And your mood improves and your energy level is higher, when you sleep.

Stick to a sleep schedule.

Go to bed and wake up the same time each day. As creatures of habit, people have a hard time adjusting to altered sleep patterns.

Sleeping later on weekends won’t fully make up for the lack of sleep during the week and will make it harder to wake up early on Monday morning.

Exercise is great but not too late in the day.

Try to exercise at least 30 minutes on most days but not later than 5 or 6 hours before your bedtime.

Avoid caffeine and nicotine.

Coffee, colas, certain teas, and chocolate contain the stimulant caffeine [Caffeine and Sleep Problems], and its effects can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully. Therefore, a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.

Nicotine is also a stimulant, often causing smokers to sleep only very lightly. In addition, smokers often wake up too early in the morning because of nicotine withdrawal.

Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed.