Archive for 'Sleep Disorder (general)'
Book Review: Good Night
I was very excited when I learned that Michael Breus, Ph D. had published a book. Breus is the sleep expert on the popular site WebMD, an has other sleep sites Soundsleep Solutions and The Insomnia Blog.
The Sleep Doctor really deserves credit for giving us practical suggestions for better sleep in Good Night. Often when I read books about health improvement, I feel like the author is a doctor writing for the audience of another doctor. Those types of books have a lot of wonderful information - it is too bad you have to go to med school to understand it, and even then it may not have an application in your life. The Sleep Doctor’s book is not like that - it is gives doable advice, and quick hints on getting better sleep.
This is an excellent book if you are not familiar with sleep health because Breus discusses the most common sleep disorders, as well as the common things that disrupt your sleep. Even if you are well read in sleep health, Breus includes latest healthcare discoveries and makes hard concepts easy to understand.
The book starts off with discussing the most common causes of sleep problems, and gives us a solution to those problems. For example, the sleep problems caused by having young children, by smoking, using caffeine, stress, and business needs. What I really like about Breus is that he does not try to make us sacrifce the rest our lives in order to have perfect sleep. He is not going to tell you not to have your Starbucks fix, or convince you to quit smoking. He realizes that people do not have perfect conditions, and he encourages to break down a big problem (never feeling well rested) into smaller problems, and make small adjustments in order to get maximum results.
After these quick fixes, the Sleep Doctor goes into depth about why sleep is so important, and the pontential results of not getting enough sleep. This leads us into the best part of the book - your own 28 day program to getting better sleep (the full title of the book is Good Night: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health
The last part of the book recognizes there are times when good habits may not be enough, or are not right at a point in time. He briefly presents medications, and other sleep aids that may help us as a last resort.
Overall, and excellent book. I definately reccomend that you buy this book, or check it out at your local library. Breus also has information on his website Soundsleep Solutions.
How to Get a “Good-Night” Sleep
Sleep is something we tend to take for granted, but lack of good sleep is becoming a wide-spread problem in the United States. According to a recent poll by the National Science Foundation, only 50 percent of Americans get a “good night” sleep a few nights each week. So what is the big deal about that?
Side effects of poor sleep
Insufficient sleep or a lack of good sleep can degrade your health and affect your ability to function throughout the day. If untreated, sleep problems may lead to the following health issues:
(1) Decreased immune response
A study at Washington State University found that adequate sleep was a key factor in fighting illness. If you are not getting sufficient sleep and you become ill, you may suffer from more serious symptoms and have difficulty recovering.
(2) Reduced memory
According to researchers at the University of Liege in Belgium, a “good night” sleep helps the brain consolidate memories so that theyare readily available during waking hours.
(3) Daytime sleepiness and fatigue
Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine have found that even one night of disrupted or missed sleep in a healthy person can drastically alter chemical balance of the body. This may cause reduced productivity and an increased risk of accidents.
Sleep disorders
Everyone has trouble falling asleep or getting a “good night” sleep at some point in their lives. However, if it is an ongoing problem, you may have a sleep disorder. Common problems include:
(1) Insomnia - Stress, jet lag, diet, or other factors can result in short-term insomnia. Good sleeping habits can cure or prevent mild insomnia. If it continues, however, you may need help. Insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying medical issue, so consult your physician.
(2) Restless Legs Syndrome - This disorder most commonly affects older people. It causes unpleasant crawling, prickling, or tingling sensations in the legs and feet, producing the urge to move them to get relief. As a result, you may experience constant leg movement during the day and insomnia at night. This syndrome can often be relieved with medication.
(3) Narcolepsy - People with narcolepsy have frequent “sleep attacks” during the day even when they get plenty of sleep at night. A sleep attack can last anywhere from several seconds to half an hour or more. Narcoleptics may also experience other symptoms as well, but fortunately there are ways to treat it.
(4) Sleep apnea - Obstructive sleep apnea may seem to be just severe snoring, but it is actually a potentially dangerous blockage of the airway that repeatedly stops you from breathing at night. Apnea sufferers may experience as many as 30 episodes of halted breathing per hour.
Each episode of apnea cuts off your oxygen supply for as long as a minute or more. If untreated, it can cause high blood pressure, heartbeat irregularities, impotency, memory problems, learning difficulties, and depression. It can also cause you to fall asleep at work or, even worse, while driving. It is even been linked to heart attack, stroke, and sudden infant death syndrome.
In the U.S., sleep apnea occurs in approximately 15 to 25 percent of men and in 5 to 9 percent of women. Virtually everyone with sleep apnea snores, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, consult your physician. It can be treated. In some cases, we may be able to design an oral appliance that keeps your throat and airway open while you sleep.
Tips for getting a “good night” sleep
If you have or suspect you may have a sleep disorder, consult your physician for advice. Sometimes sleeplessness is a sign of an underlying condition.
If you do not have a sleep disorder, try the following tips to get a “good night” sleep:
(1) Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
(2) Get enough sleep. Most people need 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.
(3) Avoid taking naps during the day.
(4) Abstain from or limit caffeine in your diet.
(5) Avoid drinking alcohol in the evenings and do not use it to help you sleep.
(6) Eat your last heavy meal at least 5 hours before bedtime.
(7) Avoid vigorous physical or mental exercise at least 5 hours before bedtime; we all need a “wind down” time at the end of our day.
(8) Avoid using your bedroom for work, business, television, or exercise.
(9) Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.
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Tags: []Sleep Deprivation and Traffic Accidents
By: Mary Desaulniers
Ten years ago, a former colleague of mine, a fine teacher and person, was tragically killed in a car accident in British Columbia. He was on vacation with his daughter who miraculously survived the accident. What happened was a classic case of sleep deprivation: my friend was anxious to make his way to a chosen destination and despite his fatigue and the fact that he had been on the road for over 6 hours, he made the decision to drive through the night. He never made it there.
That there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and traffic accidents cannot be disputed. In 1998, 24,318 deaths were cited from accidents related to sleep deprivation in the US. There were as well 2, 474,430 disabling injuries resulting from accidents where decreased mental efficiency and attentiveness due to sleep loss was the major causative factor. In fact, a major review conducted in 1996 suggested that the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez, the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger, the nuclear accident at Chernobyl( costing over 50,000 lives) and the near nuclear accidents at the Three Mile Island and Peach Bottom reactors were all associated with sleep deprivation of the personnel involved.
Sleep deprivation is often caused by sleep disorders which are unknown to the subjects themselves. Sleep apnea, for example, is a common cause for sleep deficit. A study at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center of Stanford University Medical School showed that truck drivers identified with sleep disordered breathing had a two-fold higher accident rate than drivers without sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep disordered breathing, commonly known as sleep apnea, affects 15 million people in the United States. This condition, characterized by suffocation and oxygen deprivation which wake the subjects up several times in the course of the night, is responsible for daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Put these subjects on the highway and we have a recipe for disastrous traffic accidents.
Perhaps an examination of the influence sleep deprivation has on our mental acuity and performance level can shed light on how we can protect ourselves and others from the disastrous consequences of sleep fatigue.
What happens to you when you are sleep deprived? According to the Traffic Research Center, these are the influences of sleep deprivation on performance:
a) Slower reaction time: sleeplessness slows down your reflexes; reaction time slows down, preventing you from stopping in times of danger.
b) Decrease in concentration levels: When you are overly tired, your attention span decreases. Most people are subject to a decrease in attention every 90-120 minutes; however, sleepiness makes this decrease even worse and it can cause accidents when you fall asleep at the wheel.
c) Disorder in information processing: Sleepiness is very much like being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. When you are sleepy, your mental and psychomotor skills diminish. In one study, a group of subjects were kept awake for 28 hours; another group was given alcoholic drinks every half hour. When both groups were tested for hand-eye coordination, the ones who were sleep deprived performed equally bad as the ones with 0.5 blood alcohol level.
What are the factors that have a direct effect on a driver’s tiredness?
a) The amount of time the driver has been on the road. When a driver has been on the road for 8 or more hours, his driving performance is impaired. The risk of accidents increases.
b) The amount of sleep the driver had the night before. Not having any sleep for 16 hours has a serious impact on driving performance. Research shows that the sleeping period of drivers who are involved in road accidents are shorter than the ones of those who had sufficient sleep.
c) Sleep disorders and Obesity. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea or narcolepsy in truck drivers are a major risk factor. In the same Stanford University Study mentioned above, even weight can seriously affect the frequency of traffic accidents. Obese drivers with a body mass more than 30 kg also presented a two-fold higher accident rate than non-obese drivers.
d) Environmental factors. The lack of resting and parking facilities for drivers is another factor that contributes to the accident rate.
What can we do to ensure that we get adequate sleep?
a) Set up a bedtime ritual-the same time to bed, the same routines like reading in bed or listening to relaxing music.
b) See your doctor if you have snoring or breathing problems, daytime fatigue, morning headaches, night time choking episodes. You could have sleep apnea which can be treated with new devices and technology.
c) If you are overweight, take the steps to bring down your weight. Obesity is a common factor in sleeplessness.
d) Get into a routine of exercise during the day. Do not exercise after 7Pm as the activity could be over stimulating and prevent you from sleeping.
A simple thing like sleep is nothing to be dismissed. More and more studies are revealing a direct link between our nighttime and daytime experiences.
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About the Author:
A fitness and weight consultant, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies through nutrition, exercise, positive vision and creative engagement. Visit her atGreatBodyat50 or at ProteinPower
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