Sleep; wake up to the benefits…

From sluggerotoole.com

Sleep is finally revealing its secrets and they are proving more sensational than we ever dreamt. Sleep, that part of human functioning we treat with such contempt and distain, might be a means of improving many aspects of our lives particularly our health. Sleep, of sufficient quality and quantity, is offering a panacea for a range of medical conditions plaguing modern life. But will we listen? We; fail to take enough exercise, eat too much poor quality foods; sustain bodies that are over-weight or obese and smoke tobacco in spite of convincing evidence that we should do none of these things.
Will the call to take, every night, a minimum eight hours of rejuvenating peaceful sleep be viewed as yet another patronising rant and prove too much effort? Yes, it will take effort to make a poor sleeper into a sleeping beauty but Adrianne Huffington has published a reasonable self-help book “The Sleep Revolution”. We are mainly the authors of our own insomnias.

Sleep became a nuisance around 1900 when the Industrial Revolution met the electric light-bulb. From that point on, with no imposed darkness in our days, sleep was for the weak and timid. Socially and economically sleep was seen as an imposition and heroes were those who claimed they needed little if any. Sleep deprivation -getting only 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night – is pretty toxic across a range of measures. We are more likely to develop; dementia, diabetes, heart disease and cancers, the list of linked diseases is rather impressive. Margaret Thatcher and Ronnie Regan both shunned sleep and both succumb to severely demented ends. Sleep deprivations has a huge impact on our mental health with a link to depression and more serious conditions such as bipolar and schizophrenia. It also affects our wake-time functioning with an estimated 100,000 US road traffic deaths linked to poor sleep and then there’s industrial accidents such as the Space Shuttle Disaster and Chernobyl where the link has been proven.


Sadly when sleep is poor or inadequate -mainly due to lifestyle – we suffer through our days dazed, confused and exhausted or we opt for sleeping pills. Recent findings cry out that we shouldn’t use sleeping pills because of the simple fact they kill us.

Chronic insomnia is a serious condition that needs treatment that is not in dispute. Its long-term consequences are well recognised but most sleep experts agree that sleeping pill, certainly for long-term use, is just silly and dangerous. A series of studies covered in a number of books on sleep such as Martin Walker’s excellent book “Why We Sleep”, outlines the consequences of long-term sleeping pill use. GPs get this and are battling hard to reduce the dependence on sleeping aids and they would be helped by better public awareness and understanding.

The problem with sleeping pills – and I include those sold over the counter as Nytol and Sominex – is they do not do what they say on the tin; they don’t make us sleep; they knock us out and during this time we are technically unconscious such as when anesthetised. For this reason sleeping pills alter the natural four stage sleep cycle that happens about five times a night and ensures tip-top mental and physical function. People who use sleeping pills long-term die earlier and the most common cause of death is surprisingly serious infection. When first noted this association seemed implausible and then, as more and more evidence emerged, it was recognised that the four cycle, five stages of human sleep rejuvenates the immune system. In sleeping pill users the immune system is shot to pieces.

We all need to improve our sleep and that will take some time. The first step is to recognise that there is a real public health danger from long-term sleeping pill use. We need better access to support so that poor sleepers and insomniacs can make meaningful changes to their lifestyles; no devices in the bedroom, reduce lighting and less stress. The benefits will be huge; how could it not be good when society is; less grumpy, self-centred and unreasonable which we will be if we learn, again, how to have a good night’s sleep.

https://sluggerotoole.com/2017/12/30/sleep-wake-up-to-the-benefits/

Can a Vitamin Deficiency Lead to Insomnia in Seniors?

From sunriseseniorliving.com

Getting a good night’s rest can be difficult for many seniors. In fact, insomnia is reaching the point where sleep experts say it presents a serious health crisis in our country. The lack of quality sleep has a variety of causes, including sleep apnea, stress, irregular heartbeat, and lifestyle.
We know our diets are important to our overall health, and sleep is no exception. Shortened or low-quality sleep can wreak havoc on your goal of healthy eating. That’s because it increases the body’s appetite for comfort foods, which are high in fat and carbohydrates.
A study from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that the key to a good night’s sleep might lie in eating nutrient-rich foods—ironically, something insomnia makes you less likely to do.

Can a Nutrient-Rich Diet Help Seniors Sleep Better?
 A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research reveals our bodies need amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to help us fall and stay asleep. When our diet lacks variety or contains a lot of processed foods, we miss out on some of those beneficial nutrients.
But when we eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and quality meat, we give our body the best chance of falling asleep naturally.  The study, which was conducted at The Centre for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, uncovered interesting information on the potential link between sleep duration and nutrition.
Here are a few of their findings:

• Lauric acid: A diet rich in lauric acid helps keep the cardiovascular system healthy. Research shows people who have a healthy cardiovascular system enjoy a better night’s sleep. Foods containing lauric acid include milk, cheddar cheese, and coconut oil.
• Lycopene: Researchers found that people who consume too little lycopene have shorter sleep durations. Dried basil and parsley are two herbs that contain lycopene and can be easily incorporated into your cooking. Other good sources of lycopene are tomatoes, cabbage, watermelon, and asparagus.
• Selenium: Difficulty falling asleep is associated with reduced selenium intake. Selenium is found in meats, seafood, dairy products, grains, and nuts.
• Vitamin C: Many adults say vitamin C helps them sleep better, and foods high in vitamin C are easily added to your diet. Examples include berries, oranges, bell pepper, papaya, kale, parsley, broccoli, and cauliflower.

https://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/blog/december-2017/can-a-vitamin-deficiency-lead-to-insomnia-in-seniors.aspx?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication

New Study Reveals Chemical Brain Imbalance in Smartphone Addicts

From observer.com

In the past decade, smartphones have made the Internet so accessible that technology has evolved to make online activity a first-world necessity completely interwoven into the fabric of our daily lives. New research suggests these technological advances are changing our brains, too. According to a Korean study recently presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), researchers have identified a chemical imbalance in the brains of adolescents addicted to their smartphones, social media, and the Internet.

Forty-six percent of Americans claim that they would be unable to live without their cell phone, the majority of whom are younger adults and teens, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Centre. The same survey revealed that 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone, despite the fact that 19 percent of them consider the cost to be a substantial financial burden, risking economic hardship in exchange for devices they consider to be an absolute necessity. Smartphone dependency is increasing not just in the United States, but the whole of the developed world. A team of researchers in Seoul led by Hyung Suk Seo, M.D., professor of neuroradiology at Korea University, studied teenage smartphone addicts using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), an advanced type of MRI that is able to measure the chemical composition of the brain.

Examining 19 South Korean adolescents with medically-diagnosed smartphone addictions, the researchers developed a standardized test surveying the severity of the subjects’ addictions based on how greatly smartphone dependency affected their daily routines, education, social life, productivity, sleep and emotional state. Researchers found that the addicted teens were more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and insomnia than their non-addicted peers, detecting higher levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in their brains, a neurotransmitter linked to anxiety and depression.

The addicts’ ratios of GABA to glutamate-glutamine (Glx), a neurotransmitter in the brain that causes neurons to become more electrically active, were imbalanced compared to non-addicted teens. The researchers suspect this imbalanced ratio is the root cause of depression, anxiety, and insomnia in their technology-addicted subjects. According to the researchers, the imbalance of GABA caused by smartphone addiction may be the key to finding a treatment. “The increased GABA levels and disrupted balance between GABA and glutamate in the anterior cingulate cortex may contribute to our understanding the pathophysiology of and treatment for addictions,” Dr. Seo explained during the presentation, according to a press release by the Radiological Society of North America.

While many of the subjects benefited from cognitive therapy, their GABA to Glx ratios slowly returning to more normal states, the negative symptoms of smartphone addiction still continued to persist. When the source of your addiction is an integral part of your daily life, a full recovery may not be a viable option. However, there are ways to cut back on technology to promote a healthier, happier brain. Try Moment, an app that measures how much time you’re truly spending on your phone and coaches you step by step to cut back on usage and spend more time unplugged. For those with even less self-control, the app even offers a “daily limit” that locks your phone after a daily goal of allotted use with the exception of emergency calls.

http://observer.com/2017/12/new-study-reveals-chemical-brain-imbalance-in-smartphone-addicts/

Amber-Tinted Glasses Might Get You More Sleep

From health.usnews.com

TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For the tech-obsessed who use their smartphones, laptops and tablets right before bedtime, a small new study suggests that inexpensive amber-tinted glasses might guarantee sound slumber.

The glasses block the blue-wavelength light emitted from many hi-tech devices. That light suppresses the brain's production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles.

But in the study, researchers found that adults diagnosed with insomnia got about 30 minutes more sleep when wearing wrap-around amber lenses for two hours before bedtime.

"We expect that blue-light exposure before bedtime might contribute to sleep difficulties or exacerbate sleep problems in individuals who already experience difficulties, so we were not surprised there was an improvement in sleep quality," said study author Ari Shechter. He's an assistant professor of medical sciences at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York City.

"These kinds of glasses are very widely available, probably for $5 to $10, although more expensive options might be available for different styles," added Shechter, who doesn't have a financial stake in the findings.

Insomnia symptoms such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, frequent awakening or disturbed sleep occur in as many as one-third to one-half of adults, according to background information in the study. In addition, an estimated 90 percent of Americans use light-emitting electronic devices -- such as tablets, smartphones and computers -- in the hour before bedtime, despite the sleep-inhibiting effects of this blue-light exposure.

In the new study, 14 adults with chronic insomnia wore wrap-around, amber-tinted glasses or clear placebo glasses for two hours before bedtime for seven consecutive nights. Four weeks later, participants repeated the process with the other set of glasses.

In addition to getting about a half-hour more sleep on nights after wearing the amber lenses, participants also reported better-quality sleep and an overall reduction in their insomnia symptoms.

A slight reduction in the time it took amber lenses-wearing participants to fall asleep was noted, though it wasn't statistically significant. "It is possible the intervention would be more effective in speeding up time to fall asleep in individuals who have difficulty falling asleep as their chief sleep complaint," Shechter said.

Many smartphone screens can be adjusted to emit amber instead of blue light, which would be another step toward reducing insomnia symptoms in those affected. Blue-wavelength light is also emitted from many light bulbs and LED light sources increasingly being used in homes because of their energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness, he noted.

"Now more than ever, we are exposing ourselves to high amounts of blue-wavelength light before bedtime, which may contribute to or exacerbate sleep problems," Shechter said.

"We believe this to be an important and timely study, as it describes a safe, affordable and easily implemented intervention for insomnia," he added.

"Avoiding exposure to light from light-emitting devices before sleep would be the best approach, but using other techniques to block the blue light can help if the devices will continue to be used," Shechter suggested.

Dr. Raman Malhotra is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and wasn't involved in the research. He agreed with Shechter that the research should be replicated in larger numbers of patients with insomnia, possibly over longer periods of time.
But Malhotra said some doctors are already recommending patients with insomnia wear amber-tinted glasses before bedtime, reasoning there's little to lose.

"I look at cost or risk compared to possible benefit, and in this case I feel cost and harm are minimal compared to benefits in patients' sleep," said Malhotra, an associate professor of neurology at the Washington University Sleep Medicine Centre in St. Louis.

"Very large portions of the population have trouble sleeping because of the light coming from their devices, and this is a very reasonable thing to use," he added.

The study is scheduled for publication in the January issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/articles/2017-12-26/amber-tinted-glasses-might-get-you-more-sleep

Suffering from insomnia? Here’s how writing a poem could help you sleep

From pe.com

Before signing off for bed recently, a friend told me, “At the end of a day during which I’ve written something, I feel that the day, the entire day, has been well spent.”
Unfortunately, I haven’t been writing frequently enough to know that feeling, but I remember it. It also reminded me of what I think the most valuable function of poetry might be for a society: It helps us sleep at night.
I’ve often said that the collective health of a culture could be measured in the volume of poets it produces, and there’s actually a large body of scientific literature that suggests this might be true to some extent.
Studies on the positive effects of expressive writing began in the 1980s when psychologist James W Pennebaker and his colleagues asked undergraduates to write about personally traumatic experiences for four consecutive days. Six weeks later, those students reported more positive moods and fewer illnesses than the control group, which wrote about trivial matters. Later studies included blood draws, and showed enhanced immune and cognitive function within the trauma-writing groups.
A 1999 study by Joshua Smyth and Arthur Stone at the State University of New York’s Stony Brook campus gave the same task to patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, who then demonstrated improved lung capacity and a reduction of disease severity. While it wasn’t clear what was causing these salutary effects, it was strong evidence that psychological factors inherent in the act of writing itself can have a real influence on physical health.
Most people are familiar with the concept of catharsis, a Greek word which means “a bodily purging.” In a Freudian sense, it means the expulsion of the emotions that are supposedly clouding and confounding our minds. But writing requires more than just a simple release of raw emotions to be effective. As anyone active on Facebook or Twitter knows, simply ranting about the problems of the world doesn’t make anyone feel better. What matters seems to be an attempt at making sense of the world.
An intensive journaling study by Susan K. Lutgendorf and Philip M. Ullrich in 2002 found that the writing needed to include cognitive processing — and not just emotional expression — to be beneficial. The writer has to find meaning from the experience, to find a way to learn or grow from it, in order to reap the positive effects of the writing process.
And this is where poetry comes into play.
What is a poem, if not a little linguistic meaning machine? Like any work of art, what a poem strives to do is carve some new sliver of understanding out of the emotional and physical caldron of chaos that is human experience. As readers, what we enjoy is that someone dared to explore the unknown, and brought us back the poem as a map we can follow along.
When asked how he felt winning the Nobel Prize, Saul Bellow is said to have replied, “I don’t know, I haven’t written about it.” That statement is exactly how poets and artists live in the world.
A poem almost always starts with an itch, some kind of irritation or lack of understanding that we’re struggling to wrap our minds around. Something bothers us, gnaws at us subconsciously until we finally sit down to write. That quest to figure out what the trouble is becomes the poem, which is an articulation of a journey into the unknown — so that we can name it, so that we can map it, so that we can bring it into the light of understanding.
This process is fundamental to the development of cognitive function in homo sapiens. It’s the reason why the first task we’re given by God in Genesis is to name all of the living creatures: If we can name them, we can tame them, and then maybe they won’t kill us. This is what the human mind was evolved for; learning from experience to plan for the future. Is it any wonder that there are beneficial health effects that come along with it?
Being linguistic creatures, poetry is the most powerful place that this meaning-making process can occur — in the landscape of words, which is the landscape of our ideas and emotions.
As Pennebaker and Smyth explain in their book “Opening Up by Writing It Down,” what seems to be happening is that effort to bury our experiences, rather than exploring and taming them, becomes physical work. If we don’t take the time to organize our thoughts, so that we can capture and store them, they continue to take up space in our working memories; we continue to gnaw at the itches, whether we want to or not. It raises our cortisol levels, which increases our heart rate and hinders our ability to rest.
Poets are able to scratch those itches so we can get to sleep.

http://www.pe.com/2017/12/03/suffering-from-insomnia-heres-how-writing-a-poem-could-help-you-sleep/

Two Common Sleep Issues Associated with a Bad Mattress

From theinscribermag.com

Sleep issues are not only frustrating and excessively tiring; they do have certain health implications as well. Due to sleep issues, there is an increased risk of stroke and heart issues. Sleep issues like insomnia, sleep apnea, poor circulation, early waking, and restlessness are often attributed to a bad mattress.

Insomnia
If you are not able to sleep properly every night then you may be suffering from insomnia. You lie down in bed trying to sleep. For hours you are hoping to feel sleepy but sleep is forever elusive to you. Chronic insomnia is also referred to as habitual sleeplessness and affected almost 10 percent of the adult population. For those who are working, the perpetual lack of sleep could be really detrimental to health. The mental and physical impact of sleep deprivation is intense and quite drastic at times. Your mattress could be the probable culprit for your lack of sleep every night.
You must start following an effective and healthy night-time routine. You need to restrict your caffeine intake at bedtime and must stop using the mobile. Examine your mattress to see if it is an old mattress with features like sagging or bumps & lumps that adversely affect your sleep. See if your mattress offers the right support. You must invest in a mattress that has been specially crafted for optimal sleep and overall comfort. Your mattress must maintain a pretty comfortable temperature. Choose your mattress after a lot of deliberation and make sure that the mattress fulfils your unique requirements.

Poor circulation
Poor circulation implies constricted blood flow throughout the body. If you wake up in the morning and find that your fingers or sometimes your hand feels pretty strange and you are just not able to move them then you may be experiencing poor circulation issues.
The constant sensation of numbness and tingling in your legs and arms is quite disturbing and when you experience this at night, you just feel shattered and obviously, do not welcome it at all. Poor circulation could trigger tossing and turning at night and fatigue and grogginess the next morning.
It is time to replace your old mattress. You must invest in a good mattress that boosts blood circulation. Choose a specially engineered mattress that would eliminate pressure points and enhance lumbar support. This mattress would be instrumental in improving your spinal alignment. An enhanced spine alignment means natural blood flow all through the body.
Your mattress should be your prime concern. You may invest in a good mattress even if it works out quite expensive. A properly crafted mattress could keep sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, poor circulation at bay and facilitate sound and peaceful sleep. Your mattress must be breathable and you should be able to sleep comfortably.
Conclusion
Sleep disorders and issues must be treated by replacing the old mattress and sleeping on a cosy mattress. The mattress should possess the perfect features.

http://theinscribermag.com/two-common-sleep-issues-associated-with-a-bad-mattress/

Insomnia is not a natural consequence of aging

From charlotteobserver.com

Trouble sleeping? That’s just a natural outcome of accumulating lots of birthdays, right?
Actually, insomnia is not a normal result of aging. According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, however, half of senior citizens are convinced that sleep problems “come naturally with age.”
The pollsters discovered that more than one-third of those over 65 “reported using some type of medication to help with sleep, including prescription sleep medications, over-the-counter medications promoted as night-time formulations, herbal/natural sleep aids (like melatonin) or prescription pain medications.”
Not surprisingly, people who reported that they frequently have trouble getting to sleep were even more likely to take such medication. Almost one-third use their medicine regularly, with another third using it occasionally. A majority of those taking prescription sleeping pills had been taking them for years.
Why is this important? Regular use of sleeping medications can have serious consequences for older adults.

People over 45 account for three-fourths of the emergency-department visits due to adverse effects of the sleeping pill zolpidem (The CBHSQ Report, May 2013). Side effects of such medications may include dementia and serious injury due to falls (Clinical Therapeutics, November 2016).
One popular prescription sleeping pill for older people is trazodone. Even though the Food and Drug Administration has never approved this old-fashioned antidepressant for insomnia, many primary-care providers prescribe it off-label for people who have a hard time falling asleep.
Trazodone is not innocuous, however. It may cause morning hangover. Dizziness, constipation, blurred vision and dry mouth also are fairly common. Liver injury, high blood pressure, glaucoma and abnormal heart rhythms are among its serious complications.
One reader reported her spouse’s experience: “My husband had difficulty sleeping and was prescribed trazodone. For most of the next day, he was like a zombie – brain fog, confusion, foot shuffling and disorientation. When he stopped taking the trazodone, we realized that all these nasty after-effects were due to the drug.”
People who are aware of the hazards of relying on prescription sleeping pills may turn to over-the-counter sleep aids. Unfortunately, a number of OTC medicines for sleeping contain diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine; it is the “PM” in Advil PM or Tylenol PM.

Diphenhydramine also has serious drawbacks for older individuals. This drug has strong anticholinergic activity and can lead to confusion, grogginess and memory loss.
People with chronic sleep disturbances should discuss this problem with their primary-care provider. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can be very helpful without causing adverse effects.
Some people find melatonin helpful. Others like a glass of tart cherry juice before bedtime. People who have to get up several times for bathroom visits report that eating a handful of raisins in the evening can help.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/clt-boomer/article188468879.html

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Plants you need in your bedroom to beat colds, insomnia and anxiety

From wsav.com

Experts say the presence of plants reduces stress, anxiety and absorbs pollutants.  Research from NASA has revealed the top plants for your bedroom.
It’s time to bring more plants indoors.  Scientists say we can reap plenty of health benefits by simply setting them on your bedside table… including better sleep.
So here’s the list…

First, Areca Palm.  Experts say this plant is extremely efficient at “mopping up” pollutants.  The palm is ideal for anyone prone to colds and sinus issues as the plant releases moisture in the air.  Experts say you will breathe better and fall asleep more quickly.

Next, Aloe Vera.  This plant has been named as one of the best plants for air purification by NASA.  It releases oxygen throughout the night.  It also fights benzene ( this is found in detergents and plastics ) and formaldehyde ( found in varnishes and floor finishes ).

Also on the list, Peace Lily.  This is a beautiful plant that cleanses the air and improves it by 60 percent.  It absorbs mould spores through its leaves and circulates them in its roots to use as food.

Finally, Spider Plant.  Well, this plant grows quickly, and it can remove up to 90 percent of the toxins from the air in your bedroom in just 2 DAYS!  The spider plant is especially great for people with dust allergies.

http://wsav.com/2017/11/16/plants-you-need-in-your-bedroom-to-beat-colds-insomnia-and-anxiety/

Follow a Regular Bedtime Routine

From newsmax.com

Each of us has daily habits that are so ingrained, we hardly notice them. We often fail to realize the impact these habits have on our lives and our health.
Nowhere is this more true than with our sleep habits.
To reduce insomnia, fall asleep faster, and get a better quality sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends these tips. You may not need to use all of them. Using one or two that apply to your personal situation can make all the difference:
• Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time seven days a week. Having a consistent sleep schedule helps to regulate your body’s internal clock.
• Start a relaxing bedtime ritual. A relaxing routine before bedtime helps you transition from activity to rest. Turn off the TV and any other electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Instead, try meditation, prayer, or reading an inspirational passage in a dim room with just a reading light. Eliminate all lighting from electronics no matter how dim, even the indicator lights on the cable TV box.
Avoid late afternoon naps. If you find you can’t fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating naps may resolve the problem.
• Get more exercise. If your body isn’t ready for sleep at bedtime, it might be telling you that it hasn’t completed its day’s work. Getting more exercise during the day may help your body become ready for sleep at night.
• Re-think your bedroom. Your bedroom should be designed for sleep. This means little or no light and sound. Blackout curtains, sleep masks, earplugs, white noise machines, humidifiers, fans, and similar devices can all help reduce light and mask disturbing sounds. Any night lights or illuminated clocks should be as dim as possible.

• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow. Many people literally toss and turn on their mattress because it is beyond its intended lifespan. Replace mattresses at least every 8 to 10 years and rotate them every 6 months. Choose a pillow that supports your head and neck and is made of hypo-allergenic materials (even if you don’t have allergies).

https://www.newsmax.com/health/erikaschwartzmd/insomnia-sleep-exercise-stimulants/2017/11/10/id/825430/

People who worry about insomnia have more health problems than non-worriers, study finds

From medicalxpress.com

People who worry about poor sleep have more emotional and physical problems during the day than those who do not worry, regardless of how well either sleep, according to research conducted at The University of Alabama.
In a review of more than a dozen sleep studies going back more than 20 years, Dr. Kenneth Lichstein, UA professor of psychology, defines something he calls insomnia identity, a person's conviction of having poor sleep. This belief is more indicative of poor health outcomes than poor sleep, he finds.
"We can independently assess people's view of their sleep and their sleep. Insomnia identity is a more potent predictor of daytime impairment than poor sleep," said Lichstein, who has researched sleep for more than 30 years.
The findings were published in October in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy.

Insomnia is understood as a sleep disorder marked by regular, extended periods of being awake during normal sleep times that increases risk for conditions such as depression, anxiety, hypertension, fatigue and suicidal thoughts.
However, Lichstein's review of sleep studies shows insomnia is also a psychological disorder as those who reported sleep problems, even if they slept well, had insomnia's effects. In fact, people with poor sleep who are not worried about it , called non-complaining poor sleepers, reported healthier outcomes than those with insomnia identity, according to the paper.
"We thought that poor sleep and insomnia are linked, but now we know this is a soft link," he said. "There are clearly people with poor sleep who are relaxed about it, letting it roll off their back, and they are at low risk for impaired functioning. Insomnia identity drives the daytime dysfunction, not the sleep."
About a third of people who complain of insomnia sleep well, according to the research. Lichstein said insomnia identity comes from anxiety about not getting what the person believes to be perfect sleep such as taking longer to fall asleep or awaking briefly during sleep, even if these are minor problems that, overall, do not constitute actual sleep deprivation.
"Insomnia identity drives worry, and worry is the fuel of stress," Lichstein said. "That stress has physical effects on our life."
In his paper, Lichstein lays out direction for more research on this topic, and he suggests treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, or conversations about sleep perceptions with those who have an insomnia identity.
"This proposes a new way of looking at insomnia," he said. "These findings have been out there, but have never been organized and their implications have not previously been clearly focused on. It's helpful to re-conceptualize our view of insomnia in such a way that focuses on the critical clinical aspects of the disorder."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-people-insomnia-health-problems-non-worriers.html                                                              

Tart cherry juice may help adults with insomnia, study finds

From fooddive.com

A pilot study found that drinking tart cherry juice in the morning and evening for two weeks extended sleep times for men and women older than 50 who suffer from insomnia by 84 minutes, according to a release from the Cherry Marketing Institute.

Participants were first screened for sleep problems and then given about eight ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice. Montmorency cherry juice contains the flavonoid phytonutrient procyanidin. A placebo group followed the same schedule and consumed a drink designed to look and taste like cherry juice but without the procyanidin. The cherry juice significantly outperformed the placebo. 

"Insomnia is quite common among older adults and it can lead to a range of health issues if left untreated," lead researcher Jack Losso Ph.D., a professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre in Baton Rouge, said in the release. "However, many people are hesitant to resort to medications to help them sleep. That's why natural sleep remedies are increasingly of interest and in demand."

Tart cherries are lauded for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian nutritionist, they play a painkilling role and can help with post-exercise muscle recovery. And, as this study reflects, cherries are also rich in melatonin, which can help improve sleep duration and quality.
Montmorency tart cherries are the most common variety of tart cherries grown in the U.S. and are available year-round in dried, frozen, canned, juice and concentrated forms. Marketing typically focuses on the tart cherry's antioxidant properties rather than its role as a sleep aid. This makes sense, as antioxidant-based value adds are top of mind for today's health-conscious consumers, especially younger ones. But the promise of sleep is also sure to lure consumers of all ages — if they're not wary of juice's high sugar content, that is.
Tart cherry products on the market today are nearly all juices or sweetened cocktail varieties, the type of products that many shoppers are rejecting because of concerns over sugar levels. The $19.8 billion juice market is expected to decline 7% between 2016 and 2021, a dip that Mintel attributes to this consumer fear. It's possible, however, that a dynamic marketing campaign focused on cherry juice as a sleep aid could capture consumer attention, especially from those suffering from insomnia. It would also be wise to advertise to older demographics, who may not be as dismissive of juice as younger consumers. 

This study's findings also point to opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers to add tart cherries as an ingredient to existing products like yogurt to gain a health halo. But food and beverage manufacturers need to be careful about asserting health-related benefits of their products without sufficient science to back it up. The Food and Drug Administration warned the industry back in 2005 about making "unproven claims" online or through labelling claiming products treat or prevent cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Such claims, FDA pointed out, could violate the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
And while the promise of sleep is not as bold a claim as cancer prevention, manufacturers should still be careful that their claims reflect the ingredient's properties. It will be interesting to see if cherry juice makers begin leveraging this study's findings and if the prospect of some extra sleep will overcome consumer qualms about juice. 

https://www.fooddive.com/news/tart-cherry-juice-may-help-adults-with-insomnia-study-finds/508389/

Believing you’re an insomniac may be costing you sleep and productivity

From theladders.com

Is your insomnia all in your head? A new review of the sleep disorder in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that your inability to fall asleep is not enough to make you an insomniac — you have to identify as one, too.
Comparing poor sleepers with poor sleepers who also complain about their insomnia in two studies of older adults, they found that complaining about your insomnia made the biggest difference. Poor sleepers were identified as people who were awake at least 30 minutes three times a week when they wanted to fall asleep but couldn’t.
You would think that your lack of sleep would automatically lead to side effects of sleeplessness, but that’s not what the researchers found. The quality of sleep the participants had didn’t determine whether they had insomnia. Complaining good sleepers — who objectively got a good amount of sleep — would exhibit comparable levels of daytime impairment as people with insomnia. Poor sleepers who had a restless night wouldn’t automatically experience insomnia the next day.

Your mindset matters more than reality

Whether or not you got much sleep the night before, you wouldn’t feel daytime impairment on your cognitive functions unless you reported high distress about your sleeplessness. In other words, the conviction that one has insomnia is a more predictive factor to you getting a sleep disorder than the quality of sleep itself.
“These two studies challenged the conventional wisdom that dysfunction associated with insomnia was due to disturbed sleep and could best be alleviated by improving sleep patterns,” the review states.
As the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy recognize, how you think changes how you feel. When you think you’re an insomniac, you help yourself become one. “When dread intermingles with sleep, the bedroom is a neutral or welcoming environment by day, a dystopia by night,” the researchers warned.
Reviewing separate studies, the researchers found that people who obsess over their sleeplessness were found to be at greater risk for self-stigma, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and fatigue.

How to fight insomnia

But for people who identify as insomniacs, there’s still hope of obtaining that elusive good night’s sleep. As the review outlines, “treatment is pushing against conviction” that you’re an insomniac and you will always be one. When you catastrophize your bad sleep habits and beat yourself up about not getting enough sleep, you’re not helping yourself. To push against this all-or-nothing thinking, researchers suggested asking yourself the following questions to reframe your attitudes about sleep:

1. Can you be a normal sleeper if you are not a perfect sleeper?
2. Does having troubled sleep change the way you think about yourself?
3. What do you think the impact of seeing yourself as an insomniac is?
4. If your sleep improved, how would that change the way you think about yourself?
5. These questions are all to help you challenge reframe your concept of yourself as a bad sleeper. When it comes to getting rest, your “sleep self-appraisal takes precedence over sleep,” the researchers concluded.

And too many of us identify as bad sleepers. We are in a sleeplessness epidemic. Three in four employees aren’t getting the recommended eight hours of sleep on a work night, and they say their performance at work has suffered for this.
With this new research, you can now combat your sleep deprivation by first recognizing that it doesn’t define you. By learning to separate the insomnia from the insomniac label, you can spare yourself from the guilt and health risks of staying up too late.

https://www.theladders.com/p/29385/insomnia-sleep-issues

To Improve Sleep and Reduce Anxiety, Add More Magnesium to Your Diet

From observer.com

Magnesium is supposedly the fourth most-commonly found mineral in the human body, yet studies show most people are deficient in it. The mystery culprit? The same phenomenon behind anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep: stress. Stress causes all kinds of negative effects on the body, and your brain compensates for it by using up all of the magnesium naturally found in cells, responsible for regulating hundreds of bodily chemical reactions. Magnesium supports the transformation of food into energy, formulating new proteins, repairing DNA, supporting muscle movement, and regulating the nervous system among many other critical functions. Magnesium also helps protect the body from minor health complications like migraines and insomnia to major health issues like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“If there’s one supplement that is absolutely essential, it’s magnesium,” Dr. Dennis Goodman, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at New York University, Board Certified Cardiologist, and the Director of Integrative Medicine at New York Medical Associates, told Observer. “In my practice, 80 percent of people are deficient in it.”

In his book, Magnificent Magnesium: Your Essential Key to a Healthy Heart and More, Dr. Goodman explores magnesium’s ability to remedy many cardiovascular conditions, arguing the case for the naturally-occurring mineral over pharmaceutical drugs to lower blood pressure and even prevent heart attacks. He also highly recommends supplementing your diet with magnesium, an easy way to avoid fatigue, insomnia, migraines, anxiety, muscle cramps, and even depression. Dr. Goodman is consistently named one of New York’s top doctors by The New York Times and New York Magazine, thanks to his integrative approach to overall optimal health; rather than resorting immediately to pharmaceuticals, he addresses his patients with a combined approach that is equal parts mind and body.

Dr. Goodman cites an unbalanced diet as one of the main causes of magnesium deficiency; most Americans aren’t consuming the right foods critical to a magnesium-rich diet such as green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, avocados, and halibut to name a few. To fill your diet with natural sources of magnesium, he recommends visiting farmer’s market for fresh, organic produce, explaining that much of the soil used to grow America’s produce is magnesium deficient in itself.

Popping a daily dose of magnesium has also been proven to boost your workout. Magnesium supports the dispersion of blood sugar to the muscles, aiding the overproduction of lactic acid and preventing joint pain. This means, you can go harder in the gym, knowing you won’t be as sore the next day. A German study at the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry found that athletes training for a triathlon while supplementing with magnesium experienced improved cycling, swimming, and running times with an easier recovery afterward.

http://observer.com/2017/10/improve-sleep-reduce-anxiety-with-magnesium/

How Personality Affects Sleep Quality

From independent.co.uk

How easy you find drifting off at night could be down to your personality, a new study has shown.
According to research carried out on 1,000 Americans, introverts are more likely to suffer disrupted sleep than extroverts.

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The study was carried out by Best Mattress Brand and involved participants’ personality traits being determined by the Myers Briggs Test.
Someone who focuses on the outer world is deemed an extrovert, whereas someone who prefers the inner world is classed as an introvert.
Although some experts believe the test isn’t useful in all situations, it’s widely considered to be a good marker of various character traits.
After participants took the test, they were asked a series of questions related to their sleep and dream experiences.
And the researchers found that personality type seems to correlate with both sleep quality and what we dream about.
Extroverts are more likely to sleep through the night without waking up, and perhaps unsurprisingly thus have more energy during the day and feel more alert.

In fact, extroverts are 17.7 per cent more likely to feel satisfied with their level of energy during waking hours than introverts.
Our dreams are affected too.
The researchers concluded that introverts are more likely to have nightmares and unclear dreams than extroverts.
The study found a difference in the content of our dreams too, with extroverts more likely to dream of traveling than introverts, whilst people who focus on the inner world are more prone to dreaming about their teeth falling out or punching something with no effect than more outgoing people.
Introverts also fall asleep when they want to stay awake more often than extroverts.
You may not be able to change your personality type, but getting enough sleep is essential for staying healthy in every way.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/personality-trait-introvert-extrovert-more-likely-to-sleep-badly-insomnia-dream-quality-a8012546.html

Where the magic happens: Having better habits to create a better sleep environment

From metronews.ca

Everyone sleeps differently, so be comfortable and find a solution that works for you when you're looking to make your bedroom more conducive for sleep

The one rule everyone should follow, says sleep specialist Colleen Carney, is to leave the cell phone in another room.

Be comfortable and find a solution that works for you. That’s the biggest piece of advice Colleen Carney, director of Ryerson University’s Sleep and Depression lab, can provide to people looking to make their bedrooms more conducive for sleep.

Everyone sleeps differently, and humans are able to get shut eye in a variety of different environments — even loud and bright ones, she says.

If watching a bit of TV before bed helps you fall asleep, she says go for it (but remember to put the TV on a timer, lest it wake you up with loud noise). The same goes with the light levels in rooms: if nightlights are useful, the people should use nightlights. Beds should be comfortable — and there’s no magic formula to finding something that works for everyone. The Canadian Sleep Society concurs, offering only that bedrooms should be comfortable, with limited distractions from noise and light, and temperatures set at whatever is optimal for the sleeper.

What’s important is not to stress about your sleep environment Carney says. “When it’s an overly dark room, my concern is someone tried to artificially create that. A lot of my patients will buy black-out blinds thinking light is the cause [of their insomnia]. But really, we’re adaptable beings. And we can sleep in a variety of situations.”

The risk, she says, is that people will over-focus on their environment. When they have a bad night’s sleep, they often begin to associate that stress with their environment, trying to solve the problems they perceive to be the root cause by making the room quieter or darker. When that doesn’t work, they often try more extreme measure, reinforcing the idea that the room is to blame.

“That’s at the crux of their insomnia,” Carney adds. “They’ll have whales singing. They'll get alarm clocks that wake up them gradually with light. They’ll block out all blue light. They’ll kick out their spouses.”

But instead of being preoccupied with their bedrooms, everyone should work on developing better sleep habits overall, such as being active during the day and maintaining consistent bed and wake-up times.

People with insomnia should avoid stimuli in their bedrooms — including TVs — and the bed should be kept strictly for sleep and sex, she adds.

But for the rest of the population — those who have normal sleep, generally quiet rooms without bright lights, all at a comfortable temperature and a comfy bed, are sufficient.

The one rule everyone should follow, however: leave the cell phone in the other room. If you need it because it’s an alarm, put it on airplane mode overnight and keep it out of easy reach.

“If you wake up and check your phone, people can’t resist checking what [else] is happening,” she says. “Your brain orients itself to notifications — so even if we’re not aware we’re paying attention, our brain pays attention and that wakes us up.”

http://www.metronews.ca/life/2017/10/20/where-the-magic-happens-having-better-habits-to-create-a-better-sleep-environment.html

How to reverse insomnia: A sleep expert offers advice

From stuff.co.nz

It's 3am on Wednesday, a time when only nursing mothers, shift workers and die-hard partiers are awake. I'm none of the above, yet I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, staring at the bedroom ceiling instead of at the insides of my eyelids. I am a chronic insomniac, unable to fall asleep and stay asleep, both equally frustrating sides of the disrupted sleep coin.
Sleep and I have never been good friends, or even casual acquaintances.
This is what usually happens: I go to bed and toss and turn for hours worrying that I can't get to sleep/have to get up soon/haven't sent an important email/need to add something to the grocery list, etc. On particularly bad nights, random thoughts and worries bounce around my brain like an out-of-control game of ping pong.

I try counting sheep, listing the things I'm grateful for, regulating my breathing and meditating and when none of these work, I try to bargain with God/Buddha/Allah/Anyone that if they grant me a good night's sleep, I'll be a good girl from now on. Ironically, the only thing that all that worrying and bargaining does is to further stimulate my brain, ratcheting up the anxiety and making sleep even more elusive.Eventually, annoyingly, I fall into an exhausted sleep, only to wake up a few hours later to watch daylight creep around the curtains.
If insomnia was an Olympic sport, I would have a permanent place on the podium, gold medal firmly clasped around my neck.
It's not as though I haven't tried to sleep: over the years I've taken chamomile and magnesium, fitted blackout curtains, done yoga, eaten bananas and sipped warm milk (not at the same time), exercised in morning sunlight, given up coffee and limited alcohol. I've tried deep-breathing exercises, listened to podcasts and gobbled melatonin tablets (and when those didn't work, I got a prescription for sleeping tablets which do work but which I only take when I really, really need to). I've eaten lots of carbs and given up carbs and, once on a work trip to a health retreat in Queensland, had acupuncture from the bloke who used to stick needles into Princess Diana. Heck, I would pound my chest in a drum circle while hanging naked from a chandelier if I thought it would help.
And even though in the wee small hours, when my rock-solid sleeper husband is happily lost in dreamland and it feels as though I'm very much alone, figures show I'm anything but.
New Zealand's National Health Survey 2013-2014, for example, revealed that 37 per cent of Kiwis aged 30-60 never, or rarely, get enough sleep. Those most at risk include women (insomnia affects twice as many women as men), shift workers, the elderly, young adults, travellers, women in menopause, drug abusers and alcoholics.
Dr Alex Bartle, director of New Zealand's Sleep Well Clinics, believes up to 15 per cent of adult Kiwis have chronic insomnia which affects their waking lives.
"That's a fair number of people who have disrupted sleep at least three nights a week, and have had for more than three months," says Bartle.
"Part of the problem is that many people who can't sleep accept it as normal and insomnia is not normal."
Although we spend about 24 to 26 years of our lives asleep, how much we really need varies from person to person. The gold standard for an average night's sleep, set by the US Sleep Foundation, is 6½ hours.
"Any less than six hours and we don't compute very well," says Bartle.
He's right: when we're sleep deprived we tend to be grumpy, unproductive and often unable to think straight. Research from the University College London Medical School revealed that people who fail to get a full night's sleep score significantly lower on tests of logic and vocabulary and, more worryingly, have slower reaction times which can impact on everything from operating machinery to driving.     
The grim news doesn't stop there: chronic  insomnia can lead to a laundry list of illnesses, from high blood pressure and diabetes to an increased  risk of heart attack, Alzheimer's disease, problems with the immune and lymphatic systems and even death (such as the 24-year-old Indonesian  woman who died in 2013 after prolonged sleep deprivation).
It's why I take myself to Bartle's Wellington clinic on yet another day when I need pegs to prop open my eyes. I'm clearly not the only one, because I've had to wait three weeks for an appointment with the Auckland-based doctor who made the switch from general medicine 10 years ago when he realised the extent of New Zealand's insomnia problem.
"Insomnia isn't just a case of not sleeping, it's also about fear, an overwhelming but common anxiety that can paralyse your sleep," says Bartle.
We talk about my history with disrupted sleep, how fatigued I am during the day (very) and how I manage to muddle along with around four to five hours shut-eye a night (not always successfully). We discuss my current sleeping situation – blackout curtains (good), dog sleeping on the bed, not so much – and if I watch TV, read emails and scan the internet while in bed (yes, yes and yes).
"You're a classic chronic insomniac, someone who's tired and wired and can't turn off the internal dialogue or to-do lists," Bartle tells me.
It is, apparently, possible to rewire my brain to  give me the confidence I need to fall asleep and  stay that way using cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTI), which helps to manage the underlying stress that interferes with sleep. CBTI, which numerous studies have shown to be more effective than sleeping pills, pivots on a simple concept – that insomnia is caused by learned thoughts and behaviours which can be unlearned  or changed. 
We start with sleep hygiene, a slightly icky term which basically describes the routines and rituals around bedtime that let the brain know it's moving into the sleep phase.
These include environmental factors such as dimming the lights, taking a hot shower or bath an hour before bed, avoiding exercise and snacks before lights out and, most importantly, not doing anything in the bedroom except sleeping and sex. Which means no watching TV or mindlessly scrolling through my phone while in bed.
Bartle says my sleep efficiency is also something that needs to be tackled.
"You're currently going to bed at 11pm, getting up at 7.30am and sleeping for around four to five hours, which is only a 50 per cent sleep efficiency rate."
He suggests I restrict the time I spend in bed by going to bed at midnight, which should help to consolidate my sleep. "Turn off all electronic devices around 11pm and read a book until it's time to go to bed."
So far, so doable. What doesn't sound so easy is dragging myself out of bed if I can't fall asleep within 10 minutes of retiring (or after waking during the night). The CBTI tough-love approach is to get out of bed, go to another room and read a magazine for 20 minutes before returning to bed.
"You can't make yourself sleep, so the trick is to relax enough in order to allow sleep to happen," says Bartle. That includes progressive muscle relaxation which, as the name suggests, involves working up or down the body relaxing various muscle groups. That old chestnut – mindfulness – and visualisation, taking my mind to a happy place (currently a deserted beach in Fiji), can also help.
"Some people pray, do self hypnosis or have mantras they repeat, basically whatever relaxation technique works for you."   
It's probably nothing I didn't already know but it helps to have someone of Bartle's experience put it in practical, easy-to-follow terms. I leave the clinic feeling more confident about sleeping than I have in a long time.
"Just remember, it takes time to retrain your brain," he says kindly as I leave.
One month down the track and although I haven't quite nailed this sleeping six hours a night thing, it definitely feels more manageable. I'm going to bed later, switching off the electronic distractions earlier and reading more books than I have for ages. Thankfully, I'm also sleeping for longer stretches and seldom waking before the alarm. But, best of all, I've almost forgotten what 3am looks like.

DR ALEX BARTLE'S TOP 5 TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP
- Stop screen time (including smartphones, computers and TV) for at least one hour, and preferably two hours, before bed.
- Stop "clock watching" overnight by ensuring clocks and cell phones are out of sight and out of reach.
- Spend more time outside, especially in the morning.
- Go to bed later when you're more likely to be able to go to bed and sleep. Then slowly advance bedtime every two to three nights.-
- If you're unable to sleep, get up within 20 minutes. You may only need to be up for 15 minutes before returning to bed to try again. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/97841599/how-to-reverse-insomnia-a-sleep-expert-offers-advice

Insomnia: 11 Steps to a good night’s sleep

From southcoastherald.co.za

If you struggle to sleep, you are not alone!

According to an article in the Doctors’ Book of Home Remedies,  insomnia (not being able to sleep) ranks right behind the common cold,  stomach disorders and headaches when it comes to reasons people book doctor’s appointments.The book also offers some advice on how to drift off to the Land of Nod a little quicker:

• Keep to a schedule – seven days a week – this helps set your body’s internal clock. Make sure you get up and retire at the same time, every day.
• Listen to your body – as we age, our bodies need less sleep. And remember, what is enough sleep for one person may not be enough for someone else.
• Set aside a ‘quiet time’ before bed – allow your body and mind to unwind before attempting to fall asleep.
• Keep your bed for sleeping – don’t work, watch TV or use your phone.
• Avoid caffeine after 4pm – remember, nicotine and alcohol are also stimulants.
• Eat a light snack – enjoy a piece of fruit or a warm milky drink, but avoid sugary snacks.
• Set the mood – make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature and nice and dim. Block out any stray light from things such as cell phone chargers or air conditioning units.
• Get some exercise – a walk around the block before bedtime might be just the ticket.
• Sex it up – it’s a pleasurable and physically and mentally relaxing was of preparing for sleep.
• Soak it up – try grandma’s remedy – a nice, warm bath.
• Use technology – earplugs, eyeshades, air conditioners and electric blankets can all help keep you comfortable enough to drift off to sleep.

http://southcoastherald.co.za/238326/insomnia-11-steps-good-nights-sleep/

Dream loss may silently harm health: study

From indianexpress.com

If you are dream deprived you may be sleep deprived. Many health concerns attributed to sleep loss may be due to dream deprivation, says study.

A silent epidemic of dream loss may be at the root of many of the illnesses attributed to sleep deprivation, say scientists, suggesting that the unrecognised public health hazard may contribute to depression, a study claims.
A silent epidemic of dream loss may be at the root of many of the illnesses attributed to sleep deprivation, say scientists, suggesting that the unrecognised public health hazard may contribute to depression, a study claims.
Researchers detailed the various factors that cause rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and dream loss. Typical sleep follows a pattern in which deeper, non-REM sleep is prioritised by the body. Only later in the night and into the early morning do people experience dreaming, during REM sleep. “We are at least as dream-deprived as we are sleep-deprived. Many of our health concerns attributed to sleep loss actually result from REM sleep deprivation,” said Rubin Naiman, assistant professor at University of Arizona in the US.
He sees REM/dream loss as an unrecognised public health hazard that silently wreaks havoc by contributing to illness, depression and an erosion of consciousness. The review, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, examines data about the causes and extent of REM/dream loss associated with medications, substance use disorders, sleep disorders and behavioural and lifestyle factors.

http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/dream-loss-may-silently-harm-health-study-4869931/

Better sleep for your child

From cdapress.com

Most parents are aware of the importance of a nutritious diet and regular physical exercise for their children’s health, but surprisingly, another vital aspect of our physical and mental well-being is often overlooked: SLEEP.
It has long been known that sleep is critical for recovery and development of brain functions such as learning new information and storing long-term memories. The latest discoveries are also showing that uninterrupted sleep is vital for kids because the growth hormone needed for tissue and muscle development is primarily released during sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, pre-schoolers should be getting 10 to 13 hours, kids 6 to 13 years old need 9 to 11 hours, and teens require 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.
Inadequate sleep also increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and a weaker immune response. Sleep modulates the neuroendocrine system and glucose metabolism. Insufficient sleep can also depress the immune system, leaving kids more vulnerable to illness.
In addition to physical symptoms, sleep debt can cause behavioural and emotional problems. It can shorten kids’ attention span and even cause symptoms similar to ADHD. A study of 2,500 kids ages 6 to 15 confirmed that kids with sleep problems are more likely to be hyper, impulsive and aggressive. Kids tend to become hyperactive and explosive as they try to compensate for their exhaustion.

What can you do to help your child sleep better? Here are tips for creating a healthy sleeper:
• Be consistent with a bedtime routine. Enforce an early bedtime. Early bedtimes ensure that children do not become overtired. When a child is overtired, it becomes more difficult for the child to settle down and fall asleep. Routine is also important for retraining their brain to its circadian rhythm, so it supports the regulation of melatonin (sleep hormone) and cortisol (stress hormone).
• Get outside. Middle of the day sun exposure reacts with photoreceptors in our eyes to help sync our circadian rhythm hormones.
• Turn off the technology. Smartphones and tablets emit blue-white light which mimics the sun and stimulates the brain. If you can’t move electronics out of the bedroom, turn them off or at least set them to airplane mode. Turn off the Wi-Fi in your house overnight to stop unnecessary EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure.
• Sleep in a dark room. Sleeping in a completely dark room allows us to get to a deeper state of sleep. If you child needs a nightlight to fall asleep, it should be amber or red in colour, or else shut it off when you go to sleep. A dark room also prevents them from waking during the night.
• Do not give sugary snack before bed. If your child is hungry, give something high in protein and good fats, like a handful of almonds. Eating sweets near bedtime causes a spike in blood sugar followed later by a drop, which leads to a feeling of hunger and may leave kids awake in the middle of the night.
• Keep bedrooms clean and free of allergens, which can cause sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia.
• Try to teach your kids a form of mindfulness before sleeping. Simple breathing exercises can quiet the mind, reduce stress and improve sleep.
If your child suffers more serious sleep issues, seek the help of a holistic doctor (acupuncturist, chiropractor, naturopath, etc.) who can help you determine the root cause for the insomnia.

http://www.cdapress.com/article/20170927/ARTICLE/170929818

Why Women—More Than Men—Can't Sleep

From courant.com

Millions of Americans will have a hard time falling or staying asleep tonight, and research says most of them will be women.
"Insomnia is definitely more common in females, and it seems to begin fairly early on," said Dr. Meir Kryger, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine who studies sleep. Sleep problems can appear in women as early as their teens or 20s, he said.

Various research shows women are more likely than men to experience the sleep disorder. Women are about 1.5 times more likely to have insomnia, said Kryger, who has written several books on the topic, including "The Mystery of Sleep," which was published in March.
A 2006 Canadian study found women are 1.3 to 1.8 times more likely than men to have insomnia, and a 2007 National Sleep Foundation poll of Americans found 60 percent of women ages 18-64 get a good night's sleep just a few times a week, compared with 52 percent of men.
Amy Nix, 46, of Bethany, has struggled with insomnia since her second child was born 14 years ago. She usually wakes up around 3 or 4 a.m. and can't get back to sleep, she said.
"I envy those people who can lay down and sleep," she said.

Women's greater likelihood of insomnia, Kryger said, is largely due to "tremendous changes in hormonal levels" they experience from the time they begin menstruating through menopause.
"Each one of these is associated with sleep difficulties," Kryger said. "We know these hormones have an impact on sleep.
Pregnant women may have trouble sleeping due to increased urination, restless leg syndrome, acid reflux, leg cramps and other discomforts. Women going through menopause often find sleep disturbed by hot flashes and night sweats that can last for years, he said.
Non-hormonal factors can also keep women up at night, said Dr. Daniel McNally, director of the Sleep Disorders Centre at UConn Health and a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
"More men snore, so more women have to listen to snoring," he said, which can make falling asleep difficult.
Also, men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start in sleep. Patients with apnea typically, most of whom are men, have an easier time falling asleep because they are more tired.
Sleep apnea, like insomnia, is a sleep disorder.
More than 18 million adults nationwide have sleep apnea, according to the non-profit National Sleep Foundation. In people who have it, sleep is briefly and repeatedly interrupted by breathing pauses that last at least 10 seconds, according to the group. It occurs in all age groups and both genders, but is more common in men, particularly men who are middle aged and overweight.
Women, on the other hand, are more likely to have certain ailments or take certain medications that can cause insomnia, Kryger said. Hypothyroidism and depression, for instance, are known to disrupt sleep and are more common among women than men, he added.
"The reasons for the insomnia need to be explored," he said, and sleep-aid medications should not be the first remedy tried. In many cases, cognitive behavioural therapy, in which patients essentially relearn how to fall asleep, is effective, he added.
Often, people with insomnia come to associate being in bed with being awake, McNally said. Cognitive behavioural therapy trains them to associate bed with sleeping. He encourages patients to get in bed only when they are sleepy and to avoid stimulating activities, like watching an intense television show or reading a book, before bed.
"Lots of people self-medicate with alcohol," he added. While having a couple of drinks before bed may help people fall asleep faster, it typically leads to poor sleep quality later in the night, he said.
Prescription sleep aids are more likely to be used by women than men, according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 5 percent of adult women use medications, compared with 3.1 percent of men, according to the CDC.
Nix has tried various medications but to no avail.
"The older I have gotten, the worse it is," she said. "I have a very difficult time shutting down at night and my mind races. I have been on pretty much every sleep medication on the market from over-the-counter to prescription."
The National Sleep Foundation's 2007 study found stay-at-home mothers were the most likely to experience insomnia, with 74 percent saying they had symptoms at least a few nights a week. Also, 72 percent of working mothers and 68 percent of single working women report having insomnia several times a week.
About 6 percent of the overall U.S. population—tens of millions of people—suffer from insomnia, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"This is an extraordinarily common disorder," McNally said. "Lots of people complain of difficulty getting to sleep and difficulty staying asleep."

http://www.courant.com/health/hc-no-sleep-20170928-story.html

Here’s what smoking weed is actually doing to your sleep

From metro.co.uk

Should insomniacs ditch the sleeping pills and just have a massive bong hit every night instead?

Plenty of weed users already do it: a study by a consumer group, Cannabiz, found that 88% of weed users in American states that have legalised the drug said that it worked better than pills.

But does it actually work? And is it a good idea to rely on it every night?

Researchers at the University of Michigan set out to find out – asking 98 dope users to wear Fitbit-style wristbands, keep sleep diaries, and smoke weed as they normally would.
What they found was that weed seems to make people sleep more deeply – but it might depend on your mental state.

Also, smoking it every day really isn’t a good idea, according to Deirdre Conroy of the University of Michigan.

Conroy says in an essay for The Conversation, ‘Our results show that the frequency of use seems to be an important factor as it relates to the effects on sleep. Thirty-nine percent of daily users complained of clinically significant insomnia. Meanwhile, only 10 percent of occasional users had insomnia complaints.’

‘Interestingly, when controlling for the presence of anxiety and depression, the differences disappeared. This suggests that cannabis’s effect on sleep may differ depending on whether you have depression or anxiety.

http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/18/heres-what-smoking-weed-is-actually-doing-to-your-sleep-according-to-science-6936144/

Are You Binge-Watching Your Way to Insomnia?

From thealdennetwork.com

We know that spending hour after hour of couch potato time watching TV is bad for our health. Prolonged sitting raises the risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and even dementia. Whether you’re watching on a big-screen TV or your tablet computer, you need to take a break now and again and walk around. Or rig up a TV in front of your treadmill and get some exercise while viewing your favourites.

If watching too much TV is bad for us, does what we watch factor in as well? An intriguing new study from University of Michigan suggests that “binge watching”—viewing multiple episodes of a TV series without a break—may have a detrimental effect on sleep quality.
Not so long ago, binge watching wasn’t even an option. Networks doled out one episode per week of a program, and that was that. But now, with streaming services, on-demand cable and whole seasons of TV series ready to check out from the library, it’s possible to watch episode after episode, one after another.
The University of Michigan team studied the TV watching habits and sleep patterns of a group of college-aged people, and found that those who binge watched reported more tossing and turning at night, and more daytime fatigue than did the viewers who watched a variety of programming. For one thing, the ability to watch “just one more episode” tempts us to postpone going to bed, so we might not be getting the recommended amount of sleep.
And even if we do go to bed at a reasonable hour, said the study’s lead author Liese Exelmans, binge watching can lead to poor-quality sleep. We have trouble settling down, our heart beats harder, and we have heightened mental alertness. Exelmans explains, “Bingeable TV shows have plots that keep the viewer tied to the screen. They become intensely involved with the content, and may keep thinking about it when they want to go to sleep.”
Poor-quality sleep is linked with a host of health conditions—just about the same list that’s linked with prolonged sitting. So, though it might be tempting to have your own Game of Thrones marathon so you’ll be able to join the conversation when the final season starts, it’s best to dole out the episodes more slowly. Do some channel surfing. Switch over to I Love Lucy reruns to wind down. Or better yet, read a book before bedtime.

http://www.thealdennetwork.com/binge-watching-way-insomnia/

Treating Insomnia Can Ease Anxiety, Depression Study Says

From ebony.com

Treating young people who suffer from insomnia may reduce anxiety and depression, according to researchers at Oxford University’s Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute.

The Huffington Post reports that using online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be the key to treating such debilitating mental health problems.
Researchers at the institution also found that successfully treating sleep disruption eased psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and paranoia.

“Sleep problems are very common in people with mental health disorders, but for too long insomnia has been trivialized as merely a symptom, rather than a cause, of psychological difficulties,” said Daniel Freeman, a professor of clinical psychology who led the work. “This study turns that old idea on its head, showing that insomnia may actually be a contributory cause of mental health problems.”
The research is based on data collected from 3,755 university students from across Britain who were randomly placed into two groups. One group had six 20-minute sessions of online CBT that was delivered via a digital program called Sleepio. The others were exposed to standard treatments but not CBT.

The researchers found that those who had the CBT sleep treatment reduced their insomnia significantly. They also showed small but sustained reductions in paranoia and hallucinatory experiences.

The CBT led to improvements in depression, anxiety, nightmares, psychological well-being, and daytime work and home functioning, the researchers said.

“A good night’s sleep really can make a difference to people’s psychological health,” Daniel Freeman, a professor of clinical psychology. “Helping people get better sleep could be an important first step in tackling many psychological and emotional problems.”

http://www.ebony.com/wellness-empowerment/black-mental-health-insomnia#axzz4sIXucix3

The 7 Worst Things You Do When You Just Can’t Sleep

From menshealth.com

Some guys are lucky to fall asleep within minutes after their heads hit the pillow. But if you’re not one of them, sleep can feel more elusive than that 300-pound bench press you’ve been hoping for.
And if you’ve struggled to nod off, chances are you’ve tried every “sleep fast” remedy in the book to get snoozing faster. Problem is, some common advice and habits thought to boost sleep might actually have the opposite effect, says W. Christopher Winter, M.D., president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and Men’s Health sleep advisor.
That’s right—the same things you’re doing to help your sleep might actually be keeping you up.
We’re talking pretty everyday stuff, too. So if you’ve ever struggled to get to sleep, give this list a read: Chances are, you’re doing some stuff on here that could be sabotaging your shuteye.

Sleep Saboteur: Taking sleeping pills

It’s the ultimate irony: The same drugs marketed to help you sleep better might actually be hindering your nightly recharge. That’s because sleeping pills haven’t been proven to increase quality of sleep to any large degree, says Dr. Winter.
And that’s important, since quality of sleep is vital to helping you wake up feeling refreshed. If your quality of sleep is poor—say, waking up often or failing to reach truly deep sleep—you won’t fully tap into the restorative processes that your brain and body need.
Plus, they also might not help as much as you think with quantity of sleep, either. Some studies have found that sleeping meds like Ambien help you fall asleep only a few minutes earlier than you would without the meds, he notes. And those extra minutes may not equate to much relief, especially when you consider that many meds cause side effects like morning grogginess or sleepwalking.
The only potential upside, says Dr. Winter, is if you perceive that you’re getting better sleep, even if that’s not technically true. That can help you feel more refreshed the next day, or have an easier time waking up. But even then, you may be risking side effects or even dependency, just for a placebo effect.

Sleep Saboteur: Messing with your melatonin

Around sunset time, your brain secretes more of a hormone called melatonin, which is designed as a trigger to help us wind down to sleep.
So lots of guys pop melatonin supplements to help the process along. But you might not be getting as much help from them as you think: A meta-analysis of 19 studies on 1,683 people from Yale concluded that while melatonin can help you get to sleep faster and snooze longer, the effects were pretty small - people nodded off just seven minutes faster and slept just eight minutes longer. Those are much smaller benefits than you’d see with other sleep aids, the researchers write.
Plus, frequently using the supplement can mess with your body’s own production of the hormone, says Dr. Winter. As a result, your brain can secrete less of it—making it harder to sleep without the supplement.
And many guys take it way too late for it to help, anyway, he says. Melatonin naturally kicks in about three to four hours before sleep. So if you take it when you’re getting ready for bed—say, around 10 p.m.—it won’t affect you until around 2 a.m.

Sleep Saboteur: Going to bed only when you’re tired

Although it sounds like logical advice, similar to “eat only when you’re hungry,” varying your bedtime can cause sleep disruption over time, according to Mia Finkelston, M.D., family practice physician who sees patients virtually through telehealth app LiveHealth Online, and often counsels patients on sleep issues.
This is a big problem for those ages 20 to 40, she says, because their bodies seem to be able to handle lack of routine. Think of it: Summer comes and you stay out super late on weeknights at barbecues and concerts, but still manage to be ready for that 8 am meeting the next day.
But, actually, your body craves structure. Setting a regular bedtime, waking up at the same time each day—yes, even on the weekends—and having the same rituals nightly can make it easier to fall asleep.
That’s because your recognizes the routine, and so it powers down on cue, reducing adrenaline and cortisol and increasing sleep-inducing melatonin around the time it expects you to start winding down, Dr. Finkelston explains.
“We can handle spontaneous changes to our sleep routine, but most days should be consistent,” she says, suggesting that you aim for five nights out of seven on a predictable schedule.

Sleep Saboteur: Getting out of bed if you can’t sleep

It’s become common advice to give yourself 15 minutes to fall asleep, and if you can’t, to get up and do something else, like read or listen to music.
But Dr. Winter disagrees. The time spent resting—even if you’re not sleeping—can be hugely beneficial to the body, he says.
“As long as you’re not upset about the fact that you’re not sleeping, then seeing that time as rest is great,” he notes. “It’s not wasted time.” That’s because “resting” helps your body even if you’re not actually asleep, by lowering stress-hormone cortisol levels.

Also, he adds, people tend to get up and do something that wakes them up even more—like reading social media feeds or doing work tasks—and that can make it harder to fall asleep later.

Sleep Saboteur: Having a nightcap

According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 20 percent of Americans use alcohol to help them fall asleep. Many claim that it helps them wind down or fall asleep faster. While both of those assertions might be true in the short-term, it can do a number on sleep quality overall, Dr. Winter says.
“Alcohol will harm your sleep, there’s simply no question about that,” he says.
While you might fall asleep faster than you would sober, you’ll pay for it in a bunch of disadvantages—interrupted circadian rhythms and less REM sleep, but also increased need to urinate and potential breathing problems through over-relaxation of throat muscles. All these disrupt your sleep, so that you feel lacklustre the next morning.
Dr. Winter suggests that if you want to imbibe in the evening, have one to two drinks with dinner, but then stop after that. Alcohol can continue to affect your sleep even four or five hours after you’ve had your last drink, he says.

Sleep Saboteur: Counting sheep

If visualizing a bunch of fluffy, white sheep leaping over a fence works for you to fall asleep, that’s great, says Dr. Winter. But for many people, counting becomes a source of anxiety. Once they get up high in the double digits, those sheep aren’t so adorable anymore. Instead, they just serve as a reminder that you’re double-digit sheep away from when you should have conked out.

Instead, he advises using visualization that’s distracting, but not overly stimulating. For example, one of his patients envisions the perfect golf course. He imagines himself climbing out of the cart, selecting a driver, taking out the tee, setting up the ball, and lining up his shot. Sometimes, he’s awake long enough for a swing, but usually not.

“He never makes it past the first tee-off,” Dr. Winter says. Another patient imagines baking banana bread, with every step involved, but she never manages to get the loaf in the oven.

That’s because the brain becomes efficient at recognizing these images as pre-sleep visualizations, he notes. Having the same mental routine every night makes it easier to get into a dream state faster.

These visual images are less anxiety-producing than counting, Dr. Winter says, because they’re not quantitative. For example, if it takes you 30 sheep to get to bed tonight, but only 10 last night, you might feel anxious about that uptick.

Sleep Saboteur: Looking at the clock

Six hours until you have to get up. Now five and a half. Now five. Glancing at the clock may make you feel like you’re tracking the situation and you’re on top of it, but it’s actually a bad habit, says Dr. Finkelston. That’s because as the time you have for sleep decreases, your worry increases that you won’t be able to fall asleep. Cue the cortisol and adrenaline spike.
She advises setting an alarm and placing it away from the bed, where you can’t see the clock.
This can be particularly good advice if your phone is your alarm, adds Dr. Winter. Getting even a small flash of blue light from the screen can wake you up more than you want, he says, not to mention all the notifications that might be scrolling by.
“Make your bedroom as distraction-free as possible,” he says. “That means no TV, put your phone in an other room, get rid of everything that beeps and flashes.”

http://www.menshealth.com/health/worst-things-to-do-for-sleep/slide/7