How meditating in the morning can break your sleep anxiety cycle

From cosmopolitan.com/uk

You might think meditating to help insomnia is best done at night, but you're actually better off doing it in the morning.

If you're struggling to sleep, the advice you'll see crop up time and time again is to establish a sense of calm to help you drop off. Ditching your phone, reading, or meditating are all commonly recommended methods to break the insomnia cycle.

Just like reading, it might seem safe to assume that meditating is best done before bed, in order to become zen enough to banish your anxieties just long enough to allow you to fall asleep. But according to Headspace founder Andy Puddicombe, you might actually be better off doing your meditation in the morning.

Meditating in the morning? To help you get to sleep at night? It doesn't sound like the obvious solution. But hear him out...

Achieving sleep when it's something you struggle with, Andy tells Cosmopolitan, requires "feeling less anxious about going to sleep, and being able to create the conditions where the mind can let go and drift off to sleep more easily." And it's exactly this line of thinking that supports his suggestion to meditate in the AM.

"I think doing [meditation] first thing in the morning, one, ensures that you do it. Two, you start the day fresh, and three, you lay down a foundation of mindfulness that means that you are more likely to make mindful decisions throughout the day, and are more likely to experience that quality of life throughout the day," the meditation and mindfulness expert explains.

By laying down that foundation of mindfulness, Andy believes your mind becomes all-round calmer throughout the day - and that can spill over into your ability to drop off.

Part of the issue with insomnia is the cycle you get yourself tangled in; you can't fall asleep, so you feel anxious about not falling asleep... which prevents you from falling asleep. And so it continues. By meditating first thing in the morning, the Headspace founder believes we become better equipped to tackle situations like that better.

"It doesn’t mean that you won’t come across difficult situations, you will. But I think it means that you are less likely to react to them," he tells Cosmopolitan. If you're less likely to wind yourself up about your difficulty sleeping, then you've got a chance to break the cycle. Makes sense, huh?

Meditating, Andy explains, gives you "the ability to experience everything but to then let go of it. It’s not about shutting ourselves away from the world; it's still experiencing everything but not necessarily being so overwhelmed by it."

If you could do with becoming a little less overwhelmed by your sleep/anxiety pattern, then maybe some morning meditation is just what you need.

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a29888191/sleep-meditation-mindfulness-anxiety/

How to Overcome Insomnia

From happiful.com

As many as one in seven people live with long-term insomnia – whether that be disturbed nights, or hours spent lying in bed wide awake. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With help from expert clinical hypnotherapist Andrew Major, we explore the causes of insomnia, and get the low-down on putting sleep problems to bed once and for all

Almost all of us will experience sleep problems at some point in our lives. Whether it’s tossing and turning throughout the night, or waking up every couple of hours, losing out on those precious hours of shut-eye can set us back for the day and can easily spiral into mental health problems.

The point at which sleeping problems turn into insomnia is when they become regular – over months or years. This could show itself in a number of ways, from finding it hard to fall asleep at night, to waking up regularly through the night, or not being able to fall back to sleep again.

When considering what may be causing insomnia, Andrew Major, a clinical hypnotherapist, points to the close link with mental health.

“Some of the most common causes of insomnia are: ongoing stress, pressure, anxiety, and depression, which can creep up on us gradually, leading to excess worry and overthinking – especially when it’s time to sleep,” Andrew explains. “But there may be other psychological reasons causing insomnia, including anger, grief, or trauma.”

According to the Sleep Council, of those who get less than five hours of sleep per night, 21% live with depression and 17% with anxiety. But when it comes to insomnia, it’s a vicious cycle. While mental health problems may be causing sleep problems, lack of sleep can then lead to poor mental health, including low mood, irritability, and problems concentrating – not to mention the added anxiety about not being able to sleep.

“When we don’t get enough sleep, it can reduce problem-solving skills and our ability to cope with stressful situations – leaving us feeling overwhelmed by things we’d previously been able to deal with,” says Andrew. “Getting enough sleep helps us build mental and emotional resilience so that we’re able to deal with the demands, challenges, and sometimes adversity, of modern life.”

Clearly, there’s a lot at stake. And yet, only four in 10 people with insomnia go on to ask for help – something that is particularly common in older people, where 47% believe that nothing can be done to improve their sleep quality.
“Whatever the issue – by taking action to address the underlying causes, and with some simple changes to our daily habits and routines – you can break the cycle of sleepless nights, and learn how to sleep well,” says Andrew.

So how’s it done? Andrew advises that the first step is to take a good look at your daytime habits. For example, consider:

• How much caffeine do you drink during the day?
• When do you switch off your mobile devices and laptops?
• Do you have time to relax properly before going to bed?
• Do you have a regular and consistent sleeping and waking routine?
• Is your bedroom comfortable, and free from noise and light?

Addressing these areas first can often help us narrow down what may be the root cause of our sleep problems. The next point of call is assessing the amount of physical activity we do each day. Regular aerobic activity calms our bodies and minds, releasing feel-good hormones that help us regulate our moods. Although this doesn’t mean that you need to hit the gym for an intensive workout – gentle activity, such as walking, yoga, or gardening has the same effect.

As a solution-focused hypnotherapist, Andrew’s approach to treating insomnia in sessions includes a type of talking therapy that combines psychotherapy and hypnosis. During hypnosis, the subject goes into a ‘trance’, or a natural relaxed state, using guided relaxation. Once in this relaxed state, it’s then possible to focus on mantras, thoughts, and suggestions that can help them to cope with the stress and anxiety that may be causing insomnia.

Beyond that, Andrew suggests four key ways to take back the night:

Practise positivity

Talk about the positive aspects of the day, and celebrate successes. Your brain triggers thousands of neurons with every thought. Repeating the thought process triggers the same neurons so, when we make a conscious effort to recognise the positive things in life, we build new, helpful thought patterns.

Visualise change and find solutions

What would life be like tomorrow if you slept well? What would you be doing differently? What would friends and colleagues notice about you? Creating a positive expectation, and visualising it happening, will strengthen the likelihood of a positive outcome.

Create good sleep hygiene

Create a plan, identify the things that are easy to change – such as a regular bedtime and waking time, avoiding stimulants before going to bed (e.g. cigarettes and caffeine), get enough exercise during the day, create a quiet, dark, and comfortable bedroom, and remove all electronic screens.

Seek professional support

Seeking out professional support can be a big step, but has many lasting benefits – it’s often the start of real focus and change. Solution-focused hypnotherapy can help you to relieve the symptoms of insomnia in a positive and uplifting way.

With so much of our mental wellness dependent on ensuring that we get good quality sleep, it’s time to start taking shut-eye seriously. And the truth is, it is possible for all of us to get the sleep we need and deserve. Whether it’s making a few small tweaks to your routine, or embarking on a long-term lifestyle change, it’s time to stop counting sheep, and start drifting away to dreamland.

https://happiful.com/how-to-overcome-insomnia/

Why It’s So Hard To Sleep After A Breakup

From refinery29.com

After a breakup, you might find yourself crying on the subway and checking your ex’s social media five times a day. Breakups absolutely affect us emotionally. So when you spend a few nights tossing and turning, you can blame your ex (or, more specifically, the breakup itself) for your your inability to fall sleep. But sometimes, post-breakup insomnia can be a little more complicated than just post-split stress.

Yes — various studies have found that stress is connected to insomnia, and breakups can be very stressful. A 2011 review of studies found similarities between mourning a relationship and grieving the death of a loved one: Both can lead to insomnia, intrusive thoughts, immune dysfunction, and even physical pain.

                                                        Photographed by Michael Beckert

Although you might wish you could cure your insomnia with some chamomile tea, unfortunately, the best medicine here is time. “There’s nothing to do other than wait it out, though I wish I could tell you to do something like drink a gallon of water,” sex & relationships therapist and TENGA brand ambassador Shan Boodram tells Refinery29. “The best thing you can do is try to feed your dopamine [the 'feel-good chemical'] receptors in other ways: Go out, meet new people, and try to distract yourself as much as possible. But ultimately, the withdrawal process sucks for everyone.”

Post-breakup insomnia is usually a type of acute insomnia — a brief period of sleeplessness that happens because of life circumstances. According to the National Sleep Foundation, this type of insomnia usually resolves itself on its own within a few days or weeks. During this period, you can make some simple lifestyle changes to fall asleep easier — try to go to bed at the same time every day, cut down on your caffeine intake, and develop a routine to relax before bed, such as taking a bath or reading a book. You can also try practice calming your thoughts, for example by doing guided meditation or breathing exercises.

But although most of us are sad after a breakup, for some, breakups can trigger depressive episodes. And changes in your sleeping habits are one sign that your post-breakup blues may have tipped from "just sadness" into something more serious. (Other signs are changes in appetite, hygiene, and concentration, as well as feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, or hopelessness.)

After a breakup, "the first 30 days or so is just part of the natural grieving process," Chloe Carmichael, PhD, a psychologist in New York City, previously told Refinery29. But if you’re still experiencing these symptoms after that, she added, it’s a time to seek professional support. And hey, going to therapy after a breakup is almost always a good idea, anyway.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/cant-sleep-after-breakup

Insomnia While Travelling

From advrider.com

Not being able to sleep can feel horrible – but insomnia while traveling is even worse. Sleep deprivation, according to research, can impair your cognitive function, which means riding your bike after a sleepless night might be dangerous. More than that, however, insomnia will leave you feeling tired, irritable, and anxious, and the less you sleep, the worse it gets.
When on the road, a myriad things can cause insomnia. Jet lag if you’re flying and riding, noisy hostel roommies, or simply being in a strange country on your own can induce insomnia thanks to stress and excitement.
So if you’re experiencing insomnia while traveling, here’s what you can do to combat it.

Peace and Quiet

If you know you’re sensitive when it comes to a good night’s sleep, don’t stay at backpacker hostels. They may be fun and much more economical than hotels, but they’re also noisy – and you never know what your roommates will be like. They might come back after a pub crawl at 4am and wake everybody up, they may snore, decide to get up at 2am to catch their next bus, or just have a party right there in the room. Get a private room, a hotel room, or an AirBnB place for some privacy and restful sleep.

Blacking It Out

In many countries around the world, noise is perceived differently. Loud music, traffic noise, and loud conversations are the norm in many parts of the world, so even if you’ve got your own room, there might be music blaring loudly until midnight or later, and asking people to turn the volume down might not work. Invest in some good quality ear plugs and a sleep mask to black out the noise and lights for some peace and quiet.

Meditation

Sometimes, you may get insomnia simply because you’re stressed or anxious. To prevent your mind from racing, listen to a guided sleep meditation – there is a variety of them available on Youtube for free, and they can work wonders in helping you calm down and drift off to sleep.

https://advrider.com/insomnia-while-traveling/

EARLY WARNING Insomnia and 7 other signs of a heart attack that start one month before deadly event

From thesun.co.uk/news

SOMEONE clutching their chest tends to be the stereotypical image when we think of someone having a heart attack.

But in reality it's rarely that dramatic.

                                                        Credit: Getty - Contributor

Many people don't realise that you can have a heart attack without feeling any chest pain at all.
In fact, there are some early warning signs that can present themselves up to a month before the life-threatening event.
Most of which can easily be confused with other conditions - or simply overlooked.
It's especially the case for women who experts say are less likely to seek medical attention and treatment quickly.

Prevention is always better than cure so it's valuable to know what to look out for.
Here are some of the warning signs...

1. Fatigue

We can also experience feeling tired from time to time, but experts say that extreme fatigue can be a sign that something is wrong.
It's much more likely to affect women - around 70 per cent - who also may also put their symptoms down to flu, according to Healthline.

Feel exhausted for no reason could begin months before a heart attack, which is why it's vital to see a doctor as early as possible.

2. Abdominal pain

Pain in the abdomen, empty or full stomach nausea, feeling bloated and an upset stomach are some of the most common symptoms.
Some 50 per cent of cases of a heart attack involved some sort of abdominal pain, according to Bright Side.
They have an episodic nature - easing and then returning for short periods of time.

As heart attacks tend to affect older people, these signs are often dismissed as heartburn or other food-related complications.
If you normally have a tough stomach, then this could be a signal from your body that something is up.

3. Insomnia

Insomnia is also linked with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke - and is more common among women.
Symptoms include difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early-morning awakening.
Experts have previously found significant associations between insomnia and heart attack risk.
Researchers in China, reporting in the journal Neurology, found that people who had three types of insomnia symptoms were 18 per cent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

4. Shortness of breath

The heart pumps blood so it can circulate to your tissues and get oxygen to your lungs.
If your heart can't pump blood effectively - as is the case with a heart attack - then it can cause breathlessness.
This symptom is diagnosed in 40 per cent of cases and is a strong feeling of being unable to draw a deep breath.
It can be an accompanying symptom to unusual fatigue in women, but can occur for both genders up to six months prior to a heart attack.

5. Hair loss

Losing hair is considered to be another visible indicator of the risk of heart disease.
It tends to most commonly affect men over 50, but some women may also be affected.
Pay close attention to losing hair from the crown of your head especially, says Bright Side.

6. Irregular heartbeat

Heart rhythm problems, known as arrhythmias, occur when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heartbeats don't work properly, causing your heart to beat too fast, too slow or irregularly, according to Mayo Clinic.
It may feel like a fluttering or racing heart and can be accompanied by a panic attack, especially among women.
Some people report that the irregular heartbeat lasts for one to two minutes. If it doesn't fade you may feel dizziness or extreme fatigue.
If you are suffering this symptom it's important to speak to a GP immediately or call 111.

7. Excessive sweating

Sweating more than usual - especially if you've not been active - could be an early warning sign.
Pumping blood around clogged arteries takes more effort from your heart, so your body sweats more to try to keep the body temperature down.
Women often mistake this symptom as a hot flush or a night sweat more typical of menopause.
But if you wake up and the sheets are damp or experience cold sweats and clammy skin then it's worth consulting your doctor.

8. Chest pain

Chest pain, or discomfort, is one of the most common early sign of a heart attack.
People have described it as feeling like an elephant standing on their chest.
Others say it's more of a chest tightness or squeezing sensation.
It may seem bad for a few minutes and then go away, and come back hours or even a day later.

Chest pain tends to affect just 30 per cent of women - which is why it's vital to know the other signs.
If you are suffering this symptom, speak to your GP immediately or call 111 for advice.
A heart attack is a medical emergency and can be life threatening.
If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 999 for an ambulance immediately.
If you’re not sure, it’s still important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to be on the safe side.

WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK?

• A heart attack happens when the heart muscle is starved of oxygen-rich blood, often as a result of a blockage
• The lack of oxygen causes the muscle to be damaged
• Most heart attacks are triggered by coronary heart disease, the British Heart Foundation notes
• This is when the coronary arteries – the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood, become narrowed by a gradual build-up of fat inside the walls
• If a piece of this fatty material breaks away, it can cause a blood clot or blockage to form. If it then blocks the coronary artery it can cut off the blood supply to the heart

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10378320/insomnia-signs-heart-attack-month-before/

How to Sleep Better for More Productive Days

From thefutureofthings.com

When you work in a home office as a telecommuter, it’s important to sleep well. However, sleeping is sometimes difficult.  There are several steps you can take to sleep better. Many of these tips are home remedies that you can easily manage before bedtime, but other sleep issues need the attention of a professional. Knowing how to sleep better will help you be more alert during the day.

Potential Causes of Poor Sleep 

Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. It is divided into acute, short-term insomnia and chronic insomnia. Short-term insomnia occurs under stressful life conditions, while chronic insomnia is likely due to changes in the environment, shift work, clinical disorders, unhealthy sleep habits and certain medications. Side effects of insomnia include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and low energy. Both can be helped with the removal of stressful situations. 
For better sleep, it’s important to examine the likely causes of insomnia. Several potential causes include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sleeping pills, and bright lights. 

Caffeine in drinks such as coffee and tea can keep you awake. You should avoid products with caffeine even four to six hours before bedtime. Alcohol too, like caffeine, can disturb sleep rhythms. While drinking alcohol acts as a sedative, it can then act as a stimulant, keeping you from a deep sleep.  Refrain from drinking alcohol before bed for better sleep. Nicotine from tobacco is another stimulant.  While not smoking is ideal, avoiding tobacco before bed should improve sleep. 

While seemingly helpful, sleeping pills can have the exact opposite of their intended effect. They do so by causing dependency, at which point the efficacy wears off. They can also be extremely dangerous when combined with alcohol. Finally, natural sunlight determines our body’s rhythms. By using artificial light sources such as smartphones, computers, and tablets before bedtime, we negatively affect our body’s natural sleep cycle. Turn off devices at least an hour before bed to improve your sleep. 

Other Good Habits for Better Sleep 

In addition to tackling bad habits that cause insomnia, there are several good habits you can pick up to encourage better sleep. 
Try light exercise three hours before bedtime to prime your body for sleep. Going to bed and waking at the same time each day also helps set your body’s internal clock. Clean your air filter to help you breathe easy, promoting better sleep. Dirty air filters in your air conditioner or furnace create dirty air, making it hard for you to breathe and therefore affecting your sleep. Clean or change your air filters.

Sleep Apnea and Better Sleep 

Sometimes, professional help is required for better sleep. 
Sleep apnea is a medical problem that limits better sleep. People with sleep apnea often do not get the oxygen they need, preventing them from getting a good night’s rest. There are two forms of sleep apnea, obstructive and central. Obstructive apnea is airway blockage when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to signal the body to breathe properly. Snoring and fatigue are common symptoms. Speak with your healthcare provider if you suspect sleep apnea is a problem interfering with better sleep. 
If you have trouble sleeping, consider using one of the above tips to improve your body’s ability to get a good night’s rest. 

https://thefutureofthings.com/13736-how-to-sleep-better-for-more-productive-days/

Let it go, get to sleep

From toledoblade.com

Tired of sleepless nights? If you’ve already tried warm milk, counting sheep, and any number of other remedies for insomnia without success, you might consider becoming more forgiving.
It turns out, according to a new study published this fall in the journal Psychology & Health, that being more forgiving — to others and to yourself — is associated with getting a better night’s sleep.

The study, conducted with more than 1,400 American adults, asked participants to score themselves regarding how likely they were to forgive themselves and others. Then researchers also asked study participants to take a survey on their sleep habits and general satisfaction with life over the previous month.

It turns out that the people who described themselves as forgiving also were the most likely study participants to say they slept well and were happy with their lives.

Experts suspect that the connection is rooted in the idea that people who can let go of resentment, regrets, and other hurt feelings are more likely to be able to relax their minds sufficiently to achieve quality sleep. Likewise, people who let anger, bitterness, and other negative emotions linger on their minds find that those feelings interrupt their capacity to fall into a restful sleep.
Researchers were quick to point out their work doesn’t prove that forgiveness cures sleep problems. But the findings do reinforce other similar studies.

And isn’t it reassuring when science can substantiate generations-old advice of spiritual leaders, parents, and other wise people, that forgiveness is good for you?
Good, quality sleep is also good for you, as most of us know. Chronic sleep problems can be linked to heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.

So if lack of sleep is frustrating you, consider cutting yourself and everyone else in your life a little slack.
Letting go of negative emotions can probably help you drift off to dreamland in peace.

https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2019/11/09/let-it-go-scientists-link-forgiveness-to-getting-sleep/stories/20191025181

Drinks That Will Help You Get Better Sleep

From medicaldaily.com

Adults aging from 18 to 60 should get seven to nine hours of sleep the least every night, according to experts. But it is just hard to fall asleep sometimes. Good thing there are several beverages that can help improve nightly rest.

Here are some of the beverages that can help you get a good night sleep.

Ashwagandha Tea
Commonly considered as a powerful medicinal plant, ashwagandha (particularly its roots) contain compounds that induce sleep especially when taken in large amounts. A study conducted on mice revealed an active ingredient in the plant’s leaves called triethylene glycol that promotes a phase in sleep when the body renews its bones and tissues.
Drinking ashwagandha tea helps people relax, consequently improving the quality of sleep. Even though the plant extract is regarded safe for human consumption, people with autoimmune disorders, are taking maintenance drugs, or are pregnant or lactating are advised to remain cautious when drinking the beverage.

Chamomile Tea
Not only can this plant from the Asteraceae family help relieve cold symptoms, enhance skin health and alleviate inflammation, but it can also enhance the quality of sleep.
According to studies, a 400 mg intake of the chamomile extract for 28 days straight has shown better sleep quality among 60-year-olds without any side effects. Moreover, physical manifestations of insufficient sleep dramatically improved in 80 female subjects after two weeks of drinking the beverage every day.

Peppermint Tea
Drinking peppermint tea helps ease gastrointestinal discomfort at night, consequently inducing sleep. However, more research about the tea's sedative effect is still needed.
Peppermint tea is safe to drink, but consuming it with certain maintenance drugs might just cause some drug interactions. So before drinking the peppermint extract, consult with your healthcare provider for a much healthier result.

Valerian Tea
Valerian tea is found to benefit menopausal women having difficulties in sleeping. Taking 530 mg of valerian capsule twice daily for four weeks have shown sleep quality improvement among 30 percent of postmenopausal women, according to one study.
However, experts concluded that further research is still necessary before giving specific dosage recommendations and treatment modes despite a wide range of findings suggesting that the tea can alleviate insomnia. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that pregnant or nursing women and children below three years of age avoid valerian tea.
Moreover, the plant's roots can induce sedation, therefore it should never be taken with alcohol or depressants like benzodiazepines and barbiturates.

Cherry Juice
Drinking two cups (480 ml) of cherry juice per day may enhance sleeping hours since cherries contain tryptophan that is thought to induce sleep. Tryptophan is a type of amino acid that forms melatonin - the hormone responsible for sleep-wake cycle.
One study conducted has shown 84 minutes increased sleep time from drinking the beverage daily for a matter of two weeks. The same study revealed that cherry juice has helped relieved insomnia among 50-year-olds and above.
Additionally, there are also studies that found higher melatonin levels in people consuming tart cherry drink, and improved sleep in individuals drinking cherry-based products two times daily.

Milk

A glass of warm milk at night can help improve sleep quality because of milk's tryptophan content. Just like cherry juice, tryptophan found in milk produces the sleep-regulating hormone called melatonin, which promotes sleep.
Other tryptophan containing beverages that can better sleep are golden milk, almond milk and banana-almond smoothies.

https://www.medicaldaily.com/drinks-will-help-get-better-sleep-445278

When your teenager can’t sleep through the night

From todayonline.com

NEW YORK — Sleeping through the night is a hot topic in paediatrics, so it was no surprise that there was a standing-room-only crowd for a lecture on it at the national conference of the American Academy of Paediatrics in New Orleans in October.

The speaker, Dr Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, a developmental behavioural paediatrician, did her training at Children’s Hospital, Boston, where her teachers included the paediatric sleep expert, Dr Richard Ferber, whose name has become a verb: “we Ferberized our baby.”

But Dr Spinks-Franklin, an associate professor of paediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, wasn’t talking about the burning question of whether to let babies cry. In her presentation, “Strategies to Help Sleepless Teens,” she started by reviewing the factors that can contribute to inadequate sleep in adolescents: social media and electronic devices in the bedroom. Intensely caffeinated drinks. The pressures of heavily overloaded schedules, including academic demands, extracurricular activities, travel sports teams, jobs and social lives.

                                                                      Unsplash/twinsfisch

                   Paediatricians often see adolescents with insomnia, who have trouble falling                                       asleep or staying asleep, waking up too early or finding sleep not restful or refreshing

The biology of adolescent sleep reflects a natural and normal delay in melatonin secretion that leads to a later sleep onset time, which unfortunately coincides with early high school start times, creating a high-stress set up. Paediatricians often see adolescents with insomnia, who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, waking up too early or finding sleep not restful or refreshing.   

                  

Evaluating insomnia in an adolescents means looking at the predisposing factors, she said, including how that adolescent responds to stress, and possible genetic influences, and the precipitating factors — the specific triggers for insomnia — and finally, the perpetuating factors, which can keep the pattern going.

All these adolescents should be screened for depression and anxiety, Dr Spinks-Franklin said; both can affect sleep onset or sleep maintenance. And both are alarmingly common in adolescents.

Chronic sleep deprivation can be caused by depression or anxiety, but it can also put kids at risk for depression and anxiety, as well as for obesity and diabetes.

And more immediately, it can mean that teenagers are not performing at their best, whether academically, in sports or behind the wheel of a car.

“I talk about sleep as being every bit as important as making sure they stay hydrated,” Dr Spinks-Franklin said. “I say, something has to give, your academic performance and your athletic performance are being damaged, your brain can’t even store what it has learned if you’re not getting enough sleep.”

Her presentation was crowded because so many paediatricians are seeing these kids. In a study presented as an abstract at this meeting, researchers looked at national survey data about the sleep habits of 49,050 children from 6 to 17, to see how many were getting enough sleep. They used the AAP guidelines for sufficient sleep: a minimum of nine hours a night for younger children and eight for adolescents.

Dr Hoi See Tsao, a paediatric emergency medicine fellow at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, who was the lead author on the study, got interested in the subject when she worked as a teacher and noticed that many of her students were tired in class. The researchers found that 31.9 per cent of the 13- to 17-year-olds did not get sufficient sleep.

The study looked at the association between how much sleep kids were getting and whether they appeared to be “flourishing” according to several measures. When parents and caretakers were asked about how their children were doing, the adolescents who were not getting eight hours of sleep a night had a 34 per cent increase in the odds of not showing interest or curiosity about learning new things, a 34 per cent increase in the odds of not staying calm when faced with a challenge, and a 36 per cent increase in the odds of not doing all their required homework.

Younger children who were not getting sufficient sleep (that is, an average of nine hours on weeknights for those 6 to 12) also had higher chances of not showing these flourishing markers — in fact, their parents were 61 per cent more likely to report that they did not show interest in learning new things.

This is a cross-sectional study, which shows association, not causation, but “it reinforces the importance of having children get enough sleep, the importance of setting good bedtime routines, a good sleep environment,” Dr Tsao said. This may mean changes in the home, she said, but also advocacy on a community level, changes in the school system — school start times, homework loads — and a rethinking of how fully scheduled the days of children and adolescents ought to be.

The consequences of sleep deprivation in adolescence include daytime fatigue, which can look like low energy and be marked by falling asleep in school, or like poor concentration and inattention. “The parent may be thinking the teen has ADHD,” Dr Spinks-Franklin said, but in fact, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not something that develops suddenly in adolescence. And in addition to poor concentration, sleep deprivation may contribute to poor executive function, and an increased tendency toward bad judgment.

For some adolescents, this results in a more extreme picture, delayed sleep phase syndrome, in which they stay up later and later, trying to catch up by sleeping in on weekends, but shifting their circadian rhythms further away from being asleep at night and awake during the day. Treatment involves behavioural interventions, consistent wake-ups, scheduling changes and melatonin, but there is a high recurrence rate.

The strategies for helping adolescents sleep in healthy patterns are similar to the resolutions we make for ourselves as adults. Stay away from caffeine for at least four hours before bedtime, and practice consistent bedtimes and wake-up times.

Avoid all screens for an hour before bedtime, Dr Spinks-Franklin said, since light suppresses the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland, and it takes an hour to recover.

When there is conflict between parents and teenagers over sleep issues, often connected to phones and screens, she asks about other areas where power and control may be contested — curfews, mealtimes, homework — and sometimes recommends family therapy.

She suggested a cellphone jail to lock up devices at night, and urged parents to exercise their authority around getting screens — including phones — out of adolescent bedrooms. “Parents are in charge,” she said. “Parents are responsible for limits and boundaries and guidance around media use and the balance between media use and appropriate sleep.”

But Dr Spinks-Franklin knows how hard it can be for her patients to change their sleep habits: She has done it.

“When I graduated from fellowship and I moved to Texas, I called Dr Ferber and I said, ‘I need you to Ferberize me,’ and he did,” she said.

They discussed her evening schedule, the lighting in her apartment, the temperature, doing calming things before sleep, moving the TV out of the bedroom, turning off devices. She started reading paper books again, rather than reading on a device.

“If something is important to us, we figure out a way to do it — if sleep is a priority, you’ll figure it out.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

https://www.todayonline.com/world/when-your-teenager-cant-sleep-through-night

Mobile phone usage before bedtime leads to fatigue and insomnia

From thehindu.com

A study conducted by NIMHANS stated that mobile phone usage around bedtime had become an “unstructured leisure activity during night time” with no fixed starting or stopping point.

If you want to wake up well-rested and alert after a good night’s sleep, reduce the amount of time you spend on your mobile phone before going to bed. A study, which has been conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), states that excessive use of mobile phone during bed time adversely affects the quality of sleep. Increased usage is associated with fatigue and insomnia.

The study, which has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, stated that mobile phone usage around bedtime had become an “unstructured leisure activity during night time” with no fixed starting or stopping point. Researchers surveyed as many as 2,000 people aged between 18 and 40 years, and assessments were based on a self-reported questionnaire. These included college students as well as employees in government and private sectors.

The survey revealed that among those who used their mobile phones before going to bed, 72.4% had poor sleep quality.

Respondents were asked to evaluate their sleep based on a seven-day recall period. The study showed that 65.5% of the respondents — more men than women — kept their mobile phone nearby while sleeping.

The survey also found that among the users who slept with their mobile phone by their bedside, 70% of men and 54% of women reported poor quality of sleep. Among those who do not keep their mobile phones beside them, only 8.89 -12.38 % reported poor sleep.

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, professor of clinical psychology and service for healthy use of technology clinic, NIMHANS who conducted the study, found that the pattern of mobile phone usage differs among men and women. While men, particularly students, used several game apps, female undergraduate students turned to multimedia applications and social networking sites. “There is a need to avoid using mobile phones for 30 minutes before sleep. Avoid binge-watching videos, using social media or playing games at night,” he said, adding that instead, families should plan activities that don’t rely on gadgets.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/mobile-phone-usage-before-bedtime-leads-to-fatigue-and-insomnia/article29857421.ece