Difficulty Sleeping: Try Asking Yourself This Question

An increasingly large number of people are experiencing difficulty sleeping and our society as a whole is suffering from the results.

We all deserve a excellent night’s sleep, but when we don’t, our lives start to change. In the small term, difficulty sleeping isn’t a problem and can be easily modified but left to develop over time we could have a major problem on our hands.

We start to look and feel tired. We tend towards irritability and illogical mood changes rather than cool logical choice making. We can’t focus, listen for any length of time and our memory looses its edge Delicate and precise becomes lumbering and inaccurate and in the extreme, our ability to operate machinery of any kind loses all judgment and control.

Further sleep difficulties can cause a breakdown in our immune system, a rise in blood pressure and possible pressure on the heart. Left un-modified for very long, chronic insomnia will develop, perhaps sleep apnea and even a disruption of the sleep phases and para-somnias such as night terrors.

I reckon that if you are experiencing difficulty sleeping then you first have to examine for yourself, the answers to the question: “What exactly is the problem with my sleep?” Secondly you will need to share this information with your doctor. Yes, it could be serious and you will need professional help!

1…Try asking yourself the question first!

When you question the question, “What exactly is the problem with my sleep?” you will tend to answer in one of five possible ways. They are as follows:

* I Have a Problem Falling Asleep: this may occur on first going to bed which could be the start of sleep latency or onset insomnia, or it may occur during the night, which is more of a sleep fragmentation often caused by jet-lag or shift-work disruption.

* I Have a Problem Staying Awake: this could be early signs of narcolepsy especially if you are falling asleep at inappropriate times and loosing control of your limb. It could also be a sign of extreme tiredness due to sleep apnea occurring during the night.

* I Have a Problem Getting Up in the Mornings: this may be a problem with sleep inertia where it takes an hour or more to become fully awake. This could be caused by sleep apnea or a delayed sleep phase disorder.

* My Sleeping is Disrupted: such things as sleep-walking, sleep-terrors, nightmares or bruxism (teeth grinding!) may be occurring during your normal sleep time. These are known as para-somnias and often require treatment.

* My Sleeping Partner Affects My Sleep: this is usually caused by a partner snoring, having restless legs, excessive teeth grinding or constantly waking up from sleep apnea. You won’t sleep well until their problems are solved!

2…Now do something about it!

Once you have chose on the parameters of your sleeping difficulties you are armed with information that should be shared with your doctor. You could learn more by visiting our website, but whatever you choose to do, you should include a visit to your doctor to share your concerns. Step Two: Take Action!

We all tend to have difficulty sleeping at some time or another but if the problem persists we need to take action before the problem becomes chronic. Look carefully at your needs, collect information and share it all with your doctor.

This flu season protect yourself better by making sure you get enough sleep

The talk this flu season is about how to best protect ourselves from the N1H1 flu. So while you are making an appointment to get your flu shot, if you believe its appropriate for you or rushing to the drug store to load up on Vitamin C  – take stock of one more thing.  Are you sleeping well? As someone who is in the sleep business I have learned well the benefits of sleep – primarily this most vital fact; while we are snoozing our bodies are boosting our immune system to help us fight off colds, flu viruses and much more serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and weight gain. It needs to be appreciated that along with eating well and exercising, sleep is the most vital thing you can do to ensure you stay healthy and are able to resist whatever is lurking in the air and waiting to pounce.

As the weather gets colder and we are confined inside more, breathing circulated air, getting less natural vitamin D from sunshine, doing less walking outside and relying on our cars more – we are more susceptible to becoming run down and exposing our weakened immune systems to illness.

The body uses sleep to restore itself physically and mentally. While sleeping cell and tissue hurt is repaired. Not enough sleep leaves you with less protection against infections and weaker muscles and organs. It also makes you more likely to reach for alternative energy sources such as sugar rather than sticking to a balanced and vitamin enriched diet composed of fresh foods that you select and prepare yourself. Denying our body the healthful food it needs further compromises the immune system.

This year take a excellent look at your sleep habits and make sure that you are getting at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep 7 days a week, that you are preparing as many meals as you can using fresh ingredients (including lunch) and that you make time to walk at least half an hour daily in the fresh air if you can’t get to a gym.

its smarter and simpler to take action to prevent an illness than to deal with its effect, small and long term, after you have become ill. And if you are a woman who works outside the home while raising children you owe it to them to avoid catching a cold or the flu which can be easily passed to them. You are already at heightened risk of infection of you have children between the ages of 2-6 who are in childcare or school. During these years they are themselves building their own immune systems as they get exposed to all kinds of bugs from their school age friends. Mothers of young children are sick more than the general population for that fact alone so it is more vital that we maintain a healthy lifestyle, with as small added stress as possible, so that we and our children don’t end up passing sickness back and forth like a boomerang.  You and your children need to develop a disciplined sleep routine that allows you to wind down at night and sleep well to keep your bodies strong.

And keep in mind that a sleep deprived person takes much longer to recuperate from illness than a healthy well rested one. And it is also the run-down individual that is least likely to take the time needed to rest and heal – instead seeing themselves as a hero for taking as small time off work as possible. If you or anyone in your family falls ill take it as a sign that you need to rest and heal and examine your lifestyle to lessen the chance of a reoccurrence.

So sleep adequately, eat well balanced meals and rev up your engine once a day. Set a excellent example for everyone around you and we can all ensure that this flu season won’t be any worse than any other – maybe better as a result of all this heightened vigilance and awareness. Knowledge is power. Use it wisely.

Tova Greenberg is President of The Sleep Genie. For more information on how to sleep well go to: http://www.TheSleepGeniec.om

Ways To Cure Insomnia – Finding the Root Cause Can Solve This Problem of Sleeping Deprivation

Ways To Cure Insomnia

Insomnia simply means headaches falling asleep. Some people have this sleeping problem chronically, while others do not have it too often. Types of Insomnia Are: The chronic kind which is more often than not characterized by a new medical condition. This type will go on without end unless the medical quandary can be brought below control or resolved. The acute or transient type of insomnia is a temporary condition which is due to high stress levels in a person’s life. Insomnia in this form is usually small-term and will disappear when life situations become resolved. Both insomnia types are due to psychological factors or environmental surroundings. People may have insomnia because:

1. They have a very stressful life at work, at home or both.

2. They are alcoholics and going through withdrawal periods.

3. They are grieving over loss of a loved one.

4. The conditions for sleeping are those that make it hard to sleep. For instance, the temperature is too cold or too warm, the mattress is not firm enough, or the bed is not comfortable.

5. Medical conditions such as diabetic neuropathies may make getting any type of sleep very hard. Neuropathy is often very painful and can greatly disturb a person’s sleeping ability.

6. A go from one place to another. For instance, if a person moves from a place with low altitude to high altitude, the sleeping patterns will become very disturbed until they are used to it. This is usually a case where a person has transient insomnia. Ways To Cure Insomnia

7. Breathing problems of any type will make it very hard for a person to sleep, or if a person has sleep apnea.

8. Some medicines will not allow sleeping to come easily. Some types of hypertensive drugs, or other drugs that treat depression will really cause more wakefulness.

What Can You Do for Insomnia There are things available that doctors can do to help you get better sleep. First though, they will need to dig and get to the bottom of what your problems are. Before seeking medical advice, you might try some of these thoughts:

1. Chamomile tea often helps induce sleep. Have some with milk. When milk is warm, it tends to make relaxtion.

2. Try some excellent exercises around four hours or so before bed.

3. Read a book until you are too tired to read anymore.

4. Some people cannot handle caffeine before bedtime hours. Try to not drink any caffeine at least 4 hours or more before sleep time. If the above don’t really work, then medical intervention may help. One of the first things a doctor or sleep specialist will probably do, is hand you a diary that is made for tracking sleep, and all of your daily activities which may or may not play a role in your lack of sleep.From there,they might go on and use what is called actigraphy.

This is much more advanced then a diary in that it will provide the treating doctor with what your day is like as far as how active you are, etc. This is something that is worn just like a watch. Once your underlying cause(s) are revealed, then an effective treatment may be used. Doctors can give you sedatives for a time in conjunction with some recommendations of how to get some behavorial therapies. If your problems are neuropathies, the appropriate pain drugs may be prescribed to help alleviate painful nightly episodes.

People that are not sleeping due to deep depression, will likely be given an antidepressant drug that will help them to cope with their daily problems in life. Forms of meditation, support groups, and counseling can also help with depression related problems causing sleep deprivation. Do your body a favour. Have a excellent sleep tonight! Download your Ways To Cure Insomnia eBook now!

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