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Many of us has had at least one restless or sleepless night. The tossing and turning you encountered could have been caused by a multitude of factors including stress, illness, anxiety, or perhaps, the over consumption of caffeine or alcohol.
Whatever the reason, chances are you hate not sleeping.Our ability to be productive at work and even at play is due to not having enough sleep. We feel tired, cannot concentrate, and are far more sensitive to emotional and physical stressors. Basically, we just aren’t ourselves.
The fact remains: sleep and relaxation are equally as important, if not more, than diet and exercise. It’s our body’s way of recuperating. Think of us as say… a rechargeable battery. When we sleep our mind and body go through a replenishment process. We can compare batteries being inserted into the charger to our climbing into bed for a long slumber. Only when the charger is plugged in, however, do the batteries begin to recharge. We can equate this to our sleep process. But for some, “plugging in” to good sleep remains extremely difficult.
Your mood and performance can be severly affected due to a few nights of bad sleep.Experts state ,as well, that the longer a sleep problem persisits,it is unlikely to go away without some form of intervention by treatment. Insomnia should not be ignored. It is not a fact of life, as so many of us believe, and there is help.
Do you have Insomnia?
Are you are constantly struggling with sleep quality, not getting enough sleep, and suffer from the following symptoms, you may have insomnia. Ask yourself these questions.
Do you Have problems falling asleep? Are you frequently waking up during the night and cannot fall back asleep? Getting up earlier than you want in the morning? Even after sleeping a good 7-9 hours,you awake un-refreshed.
You are not alone if you have said yes to any of these questions.According to a recent study, reports indicated 35% of all adults get the required amount of sleep,and that nearly half of all Americans have some difficulty sleeping.
Experts,however,have suggested that only 1 in 3 people suffer from a chronic disorder. But regardless of its frequency, our emotional and physical well being is in danger as a loss of sleep wreaks havoc.Impaired concentration, diminished memory, constant headaches and the increased risk of substance abuse and motor vehicle accidents are some of the major factors of prolonged insomnia.
Signs and Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of insomnia/lack of sleep differ from person to person. Some individuals may suffer from anxiety approaching bedtime, while others fail to feel refreshed even after getting and abundant amount of sleep. Other symptoms may include; not being able to sleep despite being extremely tired, daytime drowsiness, irritability, feeling of depression, and impaired ability to perform normal activities.
Types of Insomnia:
Two types of insomnia are prevalent; chronic and short term. Chronic diagonoised insomnia, or on-going insomnia, occurs at least three nights a week over a month’s time. There are two classifications of chronic insomnia;
Primary Insomnia: Insomnia not related to any other health or medical problems. Â Secondary Insomnia: Insomnia caused by an underlying medical condition (physical and mental), medication, or poor sleep environment. Short term (transient) insomnia is lack of sleep lasting for one night to a few weeks. Intermittent insomnia is the last class of insomnia and is characterized by ’bouts’ of insomnia, or insomnia occurring from time to time
It has proven extremely difficult for treating insomnia for patients and care providers alike.Every person presents his/her own set of unique problems and circumstances. There exists no cure-all for people suffering from chronic sleep problems; rather physicians aim to treat the condition through a multi-factorial approach. The Four of the most popular methods for treating insomnia include:
Reconditioning: Reconditioning therapy is a method which involves re-organizing the environment a person uses to nothing more than a place of rest.Reading or watching TV in bed must be stopped, and used only to sleep.
Sleep Restriction: Sleep Restriction is done under the guidance of a medical proffesional. This technique is used to alter andlessen the time spent in bed by the person. People with insomnia often spend too much time in bed trying to fall asleep. Going to bed later or waking earlier is done until normal sleep patterns return.
Relaxation Therapy: This type of theory aims to reduce stress, tension, and anxiety in a person relaxing the muscles and diminishing ‘racing’ thoughts.
Medications: Perhaps the most controversial of all treatments, despite its success, medications are used to alleviate anxiety and treat underlying medical conditions (e.g. depression) that may be contributing to the condition.The medications used to treat insomnia (over-the-counter and prescription) carry an extreme risk of physical and psychological dependency. In addition, there are many side effects associated with the use of these drugs; including morning grogginess, dry mouth, dizziness, and nervousness. Lastly, the majority of these medications are recommended for a maximum of 14 days of continuous use.
What you need is an all natural, safe, and long-term solution for Your insomnia, or other sleep related-issues.Understanding that sleep is essential,one needs to find treatment that bridges the gap between your sleeplessness and a great night’s rest. Trouble sleeping is often the result of naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, particularly adrenaline and non-adrenaline. These chemicals are used by the body for alertness. However, in insomnia these “awake” chemicals are more active than your “sedentary” chemicals.The most important of all the “sedentary” chemicals, as far as sleep is concerned, is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This chemical slows down brain activity, relaxing the body and allowing you to sleep. In the majority of insomnia sufferers, GABA doesn’t work as it should.
The result? Restlessness and problems falling asleep.
Kevin Naidoo is a freelance author specializing in health and wellness industry.
Moderex is an effective alternative to traditional sedative medicines, which carry a high risk of dependency and adverse side effects; including grogginess and memory loss.For More info please visit http://www.4yrhealth.wordpress.com
Dr. Glenn Smith is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Smith, a Lincoln, Neb., native, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990 and works with neurologists, psychiatrists, internists, social workers and nurses involved in diagnosing and providing care for people with dementia and their families.
“For Alzheimer’s disease, there is currently no cure,” he says. “The best ‘medicine’ for patient and family remains education and support. Hopefully, Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s disease Web resources contribute to compassionate care and understanding for Alzheimer’s families.”
Dr. Smith is a professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, a consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and principal investigator of the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Education Core. He is past president of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely,
reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more.
Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts,
and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Are there any proven Alzheimer’s prevention strategies?
Answer
from Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
According to an April 2010 statement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a number of factors could play a role in whether you develop Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is needed before modifying any of these factors can be proven to prevent Alzheimer’s.
The NIH report was developed by an independent panel of health professionals and public representatives who reviewed the most current research on Alzheimer’s prevention. The panel found that studies to date have varied too much in size, scope, criteria and definitions to compare results and draw reliable conclusions.
Although more research is needed to definitively prove which Alzheimer’s prevention strategies are effective, some purported strategies are healthy choices that promote good overall health:
Avoiding smoking
Eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids
Preventing Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. National Institutes of Health. http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/docs/alz/alz_stmt.pdf. Accessed June 25, 2010.
People suffering from insomnia are unable to sleep. Many of them complain of being unable to rest even for a few minutes. Curing insomnia becomes easier if you first find out the factors that cause it.
According to U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60 million people in the U. S. suffer from insomnia. Studies show that the tendency to suffer from insomnia increases with age.
About 30 percent men and 40 percent women suffer from this sleeping disorder. Women suffer more from insomnia because more and more of them are now single-handedly managing a home, children, and career without the support of any partner or spouse.
Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia has several causes including bipolar disorder or anxiety. Sometimes, insomnia has absolutely no physical causes. Usually, people who lead active, exciting lives or those who suffer from intense physical pain suffer from insomnia.
Studies have revealed that unhealthy food habits could also cause insomnia. Magnesium deficiency can lead to insomnia. The sleeping patterns of people suffering from insomnia have been found to regularize when they corrected their intake of magnesium.
Stress can disrupt sleeping patterns, which is why those suffering from insomnia are advised to lead more relaxed lives.
Types of Insomnia
Insomnia is categorised into three: transient, acute, and chronic. Transient insomnia is short-term, lasing from one day to a few weeks. Acute insomnia lasts longer, and the patient is not able to sleep for three to six weeks. Chronic insomnia is the most serious of the three conditions, and it lasts for months.
Cures for Insomnia
You can choose among three treatment plans to cure insomnia.
Usually, this sleep disorder is treated by taking prescription drugs such as Ambien Controlled Release (CR), Ambien, Lunesta, or Rozerem, to mention a few. People tend to become excessively dependant on Ambien and Lunesta unlike the older brand of sleeping medication.
Sleeping disorders are characteristic of the modern times. The shelves of medical stores contain newer sleeping pills indicating the sharp rise in the occurrence of sleeping disorders. Some of these prescription drugs have been proved to be effective. However, not much study has been done on many of these sleeping pills.
Recently, cognitive behavior therapy has gained importance in the treatment of insomnia. Therapy reduces the chances of getting addicted to the sleeping pill and is highly recommended for people with a tendency to overuse or misuse their medication.
Many people suffering from insomnia have used herbs such as chamomile, which can be brewed like a tea. People have also taken refuge in aromatherapy and found that lavendar is great for inducing relaxation.
Pomegranates have been known to cure anything from immunity disorders to cardiovascular problems, and they are great in improving sleep patterns too. Chinese medicine is also effective in the treatment of sleeping disorders.
Abhishek is a Natural Sleep expert and he has got some great tips on Overcoming Insomnia Download his FREE 1Ǫ Pages Ebook, “How To Win Your War Against Insomnia ” from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/77/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
Dr. Alan B. Carr, Department of Dental Specialties at Mayo Clinic, is a consultant in the Division of Prosthodontics and a professor of dentistry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Carr, a native of Hattiesburg, MS., received his prosthodontics training at Mayo. Following his training he has was an assistant professor at Marquette University and then became a full professor at Ohio State University where his clinical duties included Director of Maxillofacial Prosthetics at the James Cancer Hospital. He returned to Mayo in 2000.
Dr. Carr is board certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics. He served in the Air Force and has degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He also is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, the American College of Prosthodontists and the American Dental Association. He has made dozens of international and national presentations, and is author of a dental textbook.
His clinical practice focuses on combined prosthodontics and reconstruction of patients with disabling oral conditions. His research interests include oral and craniofacial endosseous implants, tobacco cessation, and the impact of oral health on general health, especially for patients with chronic illness and the elderly.
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely,
reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more.
Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts,
and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Is there a time that’s best to brush your teeth? After certain foods?
Answer
from Alan Carr, D.M.D.
At a minimum, the American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day; one time should be before sleep. But if you snack and drink throughout the day, it may be helpful to brush your teeth more often.
When you brush your teeth, you help remove plaque — a sticky film that forms on your teeth because of bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria in plaque causes the two major tooth-related diseases, cavities (dental caries) and gum disease (periodontitis).
It’s important to brush your teeth after you eat, because certain food and drinks cause bacteria in your mouth to release acids that are harmful to your tooth enamel. When you eat food or drink beverages containing sugar or starch, the bacteria in your mouth produce acids that can attack your tooth enamel for 20 minutes or more. Choosing nutritious foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugar and drinking plenty of water also can help reduce harmful acid production.
One caveat to brushing after you eat is if you’ve eaten an acidic food or drink — for example, orange juice. Avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after acidic foods and beverages. These acids weaken tooth enamel, and brushing too soon can cause damage to the enamel. If you know you’re going to eat or drink something very acidic ahead of time, you may want to brush your teeth first.
Brushing your teeth alone can’t remove all of the decay-causing plaque. The American Dental Association also recommends using an antimicrobial mouth rinse plus flossing daily between your teeth to get rid of food particles and minimize plaque and bacteria.
Eating habits that can harm teeth. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/sections/scienceAndResearch/pdfs/patient_21.pdf. Accessed June 15, 2010.
Cleaning your teeth and gums. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/30Ȩ.aspx?currentTab=1#plaque. Accessed June 15, 2010.
Diet and oral health. American Dental Association. http://www.ada.org/2984.aspx?currentTab=1. Accessed June 15, 2010.
Wiegand A, et al. Toothbrushing before or after an acidic challenge to minimize tooth wear? An in situ/ex vivo study. American Journal of Dentistry21:13.
Lussi A. Dental erosion — Novel remineralizing agents in prevention or repair. Advances in Dental Research. 2009;21:13.
Hooper SM, et al. The protective effects of toothpaste against erosion by orange juice: Studies in situ and in vitro. Journal of Dentistry. 2007;35:476.
O’Hehir T. Evidence-based or just a tradition? Dental Abstracts. 2005;50:264.
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010No CommentedCategorized Under: insomnia
Insomnia and Poor Quality Sleep: Causes and Treatments
Insomnia is irregular wakefulness, inability to sleep or poor quality sleep. This problem might cause during daytime, like lack of energy, tiredness, irritability and difficulty concentrating. Some level of this problem is experienced by everyone. It is as simple as not able to fall asleep, as changes made in sleeping patterns or excitement of next day. A symptom of Night time eating syndrome may be Insomnia.
Different classifications of Insomnia are chronic, intermittent and transient. The short term insomnia is transient insomnia, which lasts from single night to couple of weeks. Insomnia which occurs on and off is Intermittent Insomnia. The constantly occurred insomnia is chronic insomnia.
This problem can be caused by different things. The people who are experiencing stress, extreme temperatures, change in surrounding environment, environmental noise, wake/sleep schedule problems like medication side effects is caused by intermittent and transient insomnia. The chronic insomnia cause is more complex than intermittent and transient insomnia causes. It results in the combination of factors which includes mental disorders or underlying physical. Chronic insomnia is most commonly caused by depression.
Other substances or medications may also cause insomnia like tobacco, caffeine, stimulants, alcohol, nicotine, sedatives, certain allergy, theophylline and cold medicines. The primary causes of insomnia include medical or emotional conditions. Some life changes can cause long term insomnia like changes in their work schedule, major life problems, emotional upsets like relationship break up, long lasting stress and Gastrointestinal disorders like heartburn.
The non-drug treatments of insomnia:
The treatment not only includes medications, but even behavioral modifications for long term results and sleep habitat. To manage insomnia, it is important to evaluate sleep habitats. In some cases changing sleep schedule might correct the problem without any medications.
The good sleep habitat includes a comfortable quite room at comfortable temperature and a comfortable bed, regular sleep times, appropriate lighting, regular exercises, not late in evenings or close to bed time, avoid naps during day time and relaxations techniques like breathing exercise.
The OTC (Over the Counter) medicines for insomnia are advisable only for short term and transient insomnia. The OTC drugs should not be used for short period conjunction, with having changes in sleeping habitats. These drugs when used for chronic results in dependence on them. Where it creates a problem, that sleep is not possible till the use of drug. Chromic insomnia should be evaluated by physicians.
The Antihistamines for insomnia:
Doxylamine (for e.g. Unisom) and Diphenhydramine (for e.g. Nytol, Sominex) are marketed as OTC drugs. Diphenhydramine is the agent which is considered to be effective and safe by drug and food administration. The effectiveness and safety of doxylamineis not adequately evaluated for FDA approval. The causes of Diphenhydramine include motion, allergy, cough suppression and sickness.
The drug interactions for insomnia:
Doxylamine and Diphenhydramine add medications which causes drowsiness and the tranquilizer of alcohol.
The side effects for insomnia:
Doxylamine and Diphenhydramine also cause dry mouth, difficulty in urinating and constipation. Both the drugs worsen the symptoms of asthma, prostate gland enlargement, glaucoma and heart problems.
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Alan B. Carr, D.M.D.
