A Colder Room Can Decrease Insomnia, Study Finds

From nigeriatoday.ng

Insomnia, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition which affects the ability of someone to either fall asleep or stay asleep and results in symptoms like daytime tiredness and sometimes even severe fatigue. But there are a variety of other serious symptoms that go along with this condition, including anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating at work or in school, and even emotional problems like depression. To make matters worse, insomnia can be difficult to treat. However, new research might be able to uncover natural ways — such as sleeping in a colder room — to help improve the quality of your sleep.

The new research on insomnia is out of the University of South Australia, where researchers have discovered that one of the underlying causes of insomnia is the failure of the body to drop its core temperature. Apparently, this drop in temperature is necessary to initiate a normal sleep cycle. Lead author Dr. Cameron Van der Heuvel notes that, “These physiological changes happen well before going to bed and may be occurring before people realize them.”
If the body fails to regulate its core temperature — which it does by shifting some of its body heat to outlying areas such as the face, hands and feet — it can affect both kinds of insomnia:
Sleep onset insomnia: This kind of insomnia prevents someone from falling asleep naturally and more often occurs in young or middle-aged adults.

Sleep maintenance insomnia: This kind of insomnia prevents someone from staying asleep once they have gone to bed and causes the sufferer to awake several times throughout the night. This happens more often in older adults.

Researchers at the university found that those who do have insomnia of either type, tend to have slightly higher core temperatures than those who sleep normally or well. This is backed by other research that has shown that an impaired thermo-regulatory system can affect the quality of sleep.
The goods news is that this research may help to develop home treatments for insomnia, such as sleeping in a colder room or using biofeedback to send heat from the body’s core to its periphery. There are other health benefits to sleeping in a colder room as well: in one study published in the journal Diabetes, men sleeping in a cooler room improved their metabolic profile and significantly reduced their chances of metabolic diseases like diabetes.

Other Natural Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) apart from sleeping in a colder bedroom, there are other natural ways to help improve the quality of sleep that are backed by scientific research. These include:

• Changing one’s mattress when it becomes saggy or loose in order to get the support you need when you sleep.
• Choosing the materials of the mattress, bed linens, pyjamas, and sleepwear carefully in order to help prevent the body from getting too warm or too cold while asleep.
• Keeping the sleeping environment clean, which can also reduce sleep problems caused by allergies.

It has also been suggested that going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, keeping the room dark, quiet, and cool will also help. In short, insomnia is a condition which can cause chronic sleep disturbances and has effects on both the mind and body. Thanks to the new research that has discovered a link between core body temperature and sleep disturbances, there are more natural options to help improve sleep quality. As an added bonus, sleeping in a colder room not only prepares the body for better sleep, but it also decreases the risk of serious health problems like diabetes; in short, it’s a simple way to greatly improve one’s general health in the future.

http://www.nigeriatoday.ng/2016/09/a-colder-room-can-decrease-insomnia-study-finds/

4 Foods That Cause Insomnia

By Almaz Rabb

There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to sleep – and even worse, not knowing why you can’t get to sleep. While there may be a number of factors at play that are stopping you from sleeping easy, the foods that you are eating could be standing between you and a night of sweet dreams.
According to registered nutritionist and model Alicia Rountree, when trying to figure out why we cannot sleep we often overlook the food that we are eating. “Sure, we all have times when stress is the culprit and we find ourselves tossing and turning all night. But stress may not be the only reason you’re still tossing and turning,” she wrote in an article on Byrdie.

1. Red meat

According to Rountree, meat is difficult to digest and therefore having it late at night may force your  body to work harder than it should at that hour. “High-protein fatty animal meat is one of the toughest foods for our bodies to digest. If you happen to eat red meat in the evening, make a conscious effort to chew it properly to ease its digestibility,” said Rountree.

2. Spicy foods

“Spicy foods are another treat better left for daytime,” she said. “A spicy meal can cause indigestion and irritation of the upper digestive tract. This can cause pain and acid reflux, which can prevent you from getting a peaceful night of sleep.”

3. Drinks

In the habit of drinking a whole lot of liquids before bed? Rountree says that this could be the reason you just can’t seem to get to sleep. “Yes, that’s why you wake up twice in the night to go to the bathroom. It is so important to have an uninterrupted full night’s sleep. Try to stop consuming any liquids after 8 p.m. (just make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day),” she said.

4. Alcohol

“You may think a glass of wine will help you unwind, but it can actually disrupt your sleep cycle,” said Rountree. “You may fall asleep faster, but you’re likely to find yourself unable to stay asleep—and end up with a headache in the morning. Make sure you drink enough water to balance out the effects of alcohol.”

http://www.m2now.co.nz/11-4-foods-that-cause-insomnia/

Calling all insomniacs

By Tristi Patterson

Do you often spend the night awake and miserable, each passing minute feeling like an eternity? Do you feel like your mind gears up when you are ready to gear down? Do you constantly remind yourself that tomorrow will be awful if you can't get to sleep?
If these questions sound like you, you may be dealing with some form of insomnia.
Seeing as we spend approximately 25 years of our lives asleep, insomnia can be a major player in our health and well-being. More than half of all Americans report having insomnia at any given time, with half of those reporting chronic insomnia.
Chronic insomnia typically takes hold after a bout of acute insomnia, or insomnia that occurs due to some type of distressing event or situation. We attempt to cope with the acute insomnia in ways that seem to make sense. For instance, we may try to catch up on sleep by sleeping in, going to bed earlier than usual, or napping during the day.
Sadly, our well-intentioned adaptations actually encourage acute insomnia to develop into chronic insomnia. The longer we struggle with not sleeping, the more our thoughts become focused on our desire for sleep.
We begin to worry about not being able to sleep, and we focus on our perceived problems resulting from not sleeping. We feel tired and long for sleep, so we repeat the coping strategies over and over in an effort to capture elusive sleep.
Many people turn to sleeping medications to help them achieve a good night of sleep. Although this may be a tool to help in the short term, taking medications for sleep may not be the best the long-term solution. Luckily, for many people there are other treatment options for chronic insomnia. One such option is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I.
CBT-I is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy that focuses solely on chronic insomnia that is not attributed to a medical condition, including untreated depression and anxiety. CBT-I is often a helpful adjunct treatment for those already being treated with cognitive behavioural therapy for depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues.
CBT-I has been shown to significantly improve sleep and reduce or eliminate dependence on sleeping medications in 75 percent of people who follow through with the treatment. The treatment is completed in approximately five sessions after a thorough assessment of symptoms.
Why does CBT-I work so well? It is effective for several reasons.
First, it teaches about the different types of insomnia and about our sleep cycles. Understanding these basic concepts makes it easier to see how the treatment works. Secondly, CBT-I teaches us how to strengthen our sleep system and how to make adjustments in our wake system — putting them both back in balance. CBT-I includes a plan to reduce and possibly eliminate sleeping medications.
And finally, CBT-I helps to address our negative sleep thoughts while also offering behavioural techniques that support healthy sleep. Negative sleep thoughts are thoughts we have about our insomnia, such as "I'm going to feel miserable today," or "I won't be able to get through the day without a nap."
As it turns out, much of what we think we know about sleep may not be accurate. One of the fallacies we have come to accept is that we need eight solid hours of sleep to stay healthy. Numerous research studies have demonstrated that this is not the case for everyone. There is actually significant variability in individual sleep needs.
CBT-I helps to identify how much sleep you actually need each night. Knowing this can make a significant difference in how you look at sleep.
Research has also shown that moderate sleep loss may not impair daytime performance as much as we think, particularly in chronic insomniacs. However, sleep loss does tend to negatively affect our mood, which may be exacerbated by the negative sleep thoughts we have when we don't sleep well.
Interestingly, sleep loss due to pleasurable activities such as late-night socializing or vacations is not seen as stressful and therefore does not typically cause impaired daytime mood.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/lifestyle/health/sound-of-mind-calling-all-insomniacs-3b612fd5-06df-6545-e053-0100007f4d83-392478971.html

Health benefits of bambara beans

From graphic.com/gh

Bambara beans have rich nutritional value that makes them essential for enhancement of human health.

              

It can be prepared in different ways for consumption.
Here are some health benefits.
• Protects the body against arthritis
Due to high content of minerals, these nuts are a natural remedy to safeguard the body from arthritis.
• Treatment of anaemia
The bambara beans are best for management of anaemia which is lack of blood in the body. The nuts are rich in iron that boosts blood levels in the body.
• Manages malnutrition
The flour from these beans is ideal for management of malnutrition especially in children. This is because the nuts have high contents of carbohydrates, proteins, calories and varying minerals that boost the growth of the body.
• Remedy for insomnia
These beans are a natural remedy for insomnia. This is because the beans contain amino acids that stimulate release of serotonin from the brain hence bringing about mental calmness that leads to ability to fall asleep.

http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/health/health-benefits-of-bambara-beans.html

Easy tricks to banish insomnia, including sleeping naked

From nzherald.co.nz

With sleep problems on the rise, more and more of us are struggling to nod off, or waking in the middle of the night and staring at the ceiling for hours until morning.
In a bid to help people in their quest for a restful slumber, a US sleep expert and clinical nutritionist, Shawn Stevenson, has penned a book of practical steps to improve sleep quality.
Titled Sleep Smarter, the book outlines the impact a lack of sleep can have on numerous aspects of the body, including weight, mental ability, and heart health.
Stevenson, who also has a popular internet podcast, the Model Health Show, told the Daily Mail that sleep is the key to a well-functioning body.
"Unless you give your body the right amount of sleep, you will never have the body and life you want to have."
Here are his top 10 sleep tips:

Put your desk next to a window

According to Stevenson, a great night's sleep actually begins in the morning.
The amount of sunlight you get during the day has a major impact on your circadian system - a 'body clock' that controls a range of functions and processes.
Sunlight exposure signals to your hypothalamus (a brain area that is the master gland of your hormonal system) and all corresponding organs and glands to 'wake up'.
If we don't get light exposure at the right time, it can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that is secreted at night, to improve sleep quality.
Stevenson says getting more sunlight exposure during the day, and less at night, will greatly improve your sleep.
Studies have found direct sunlight outdoors for at least half an hour is the most effective, and the body clock is most responsive to sunlight between 6am and 8.30am.

Set a 'coffee curfew'

Coffee could be affecting you in ways you don't even realise.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2013 found that participants given caffeine at different times (immediately before bed, or three or six hours before bed) all showed significant measurable disruptions in their sleep.
Although the participants lost an hour's sleep - as recorded by a sleep monitor at home - they didn't actually notice any difference to their sleep, as shown by their entries in a sleep journal.
In some cases, coffee can help to manage your body's systems, by stimulating the production of cortisol, which can be useful early in the morning.
However, to ensure coffee doesn't impact on sleep, it's best to drink it no later than 2pm, so the body has enough time to process and remove the caffeine before bedtime.

Beware a 'second wind' after 10pm

Put simply, to get the best quality of sleep, you need to be in bed by 10pm.
This is because at about 10pm, your body ramps up the melatonin levels, in a bid to rev the metabolism to prepare for all the process that need to take place while you're asleep - all the strengthening, repairing, and rejuvenating that goes on while you're out like a light.
However, if you're up past 10pm, this metabolic boost can increase your energy and produce a 'second wind'. This can make it even harder to get to sleep.

Break your screen habit

Cutting out screen time is the number one thing you can do to immediately boost your sleep quality.
Using electronic devices increases levels of dopamine, a powerful chemical that drives us towards feelings of gratification. It also keeps us awake and alert.
Experts recommend turning off all screens 90 minutes before bedtime to allow dopamine, melatonin and cortisol levels to normalise.

Go to bed naked

When it's time to rest, there is an automatic drop in your core body temperature to help initiate sleep.
If the temperature in your environment stays too high, it can hard to reach the ideal state for restful sleep.
Research has shown the insomniacs tend to have a significantly warmer body temperature than normal right before bed, though exactly why is unclear.
Going to bed nude can help to regulate body temperature to the perfect level for sleeping, and the temperature in your bedroom should be 16c to 20c, to help you snooze easier.

Get up early

Even if you're a 'night owl', try to make small, simple steps to becoming more of a morning person - your body will love you for it.
Start making your wake-up time 15 minutes earlier than normal, and gradually increase this as you adjust.
By becoming a morning person you'll be working more with your body, rather than against it - humans are designed to be up during the day and sleeping at night.

Ditch your pillow

While some believe sleeping on a pillow helps to align the spine correctly, this is not the case if you sleep under a stack of them.
Larger pillows will misalign the natural curve of your spine, potentially causing neck pain, back pain, and headaches.
If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, ditch the pillow completely, as it can hyper-extend the neck. Instead, place a small firm pillow under your belly and hips to reduce the stress on your back and neck.

Exercise, but not late in the evening

Regular exercise can aid in your quest for a great night's sleep, but working out too late significantly increases your core body temperature, and it can take at least four to six hours for it to come back down to the optimal temperature for sleep.

Invest in some house plants

Not only do they help to promote a more serene, relaxing environment, they also improve air quality in a room.
House plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which can improve your chances of a restful sleep.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11702550

Can’t sleep? Try these foods to help avoid 3 a.m. wake-up call

By Rochelle Koff

It’s 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and you can’t fall asleep. The night stretches on, and you’re staring at the clock, stressed, frustrated and miserable.
You’re not alone.

“At least 30 percent of the population has insomnia at some point in their lives,’ said Dr. Belen Esparis, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. ”At least 10 percent suffer from chronic insomnia.”
Insomnia can be caused by a lot of factors, including anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and poor sleeping habits. In turn, lack of sleep has health repercussions, as well.
“Poor sleep quality worsens every chronic condition including depression, heart disease, high blood pressure and different types of cancer,” said Dr. Ashwin Mehta, medical director for Integrative Medicine, a holistic approach to supplement traditional treatment methods, at Memorial Healthcare System. “If you have a chronic health concern and you’re sleep deprived, you’re setting up a recipe for disaster.”

Experts also point to the link between lack of sleep and obesity.
“It has been shown that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to gain weight and be obese than people who get the amount of sleep they need,” Esparis said. “This is regardless of what you eat so sleeping enough is as important as your diet.”
And diet can be important in getting those much-needed Zzzs.
“Foods and nutrients contribute to every body process,” said Sheah Rarback, a registered dietitian on the faculty of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a Miami Herald columnist. “There are certain foods that help us sleep by doing certain things in the body.”

Green, leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, edamame, bananas, avocados, beans, and nuts and seeds are all foods rich in magnesium, which helps muscles relax and induces a sleepy state, Mehta said. A lack of magnesium can cause restless leg syndrome and muscle spasms.

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Certain foods contain an amino acid called tryptophan. We usually associate tryptophan with our post-turkey nap on Thanksgiving, but many meats and other proteins have it as well. Tryptophan is a sleep-enhancing amino acid that helps produce serotonin and melatonin, the “body clock” hormone that sets your sleep-wake cycles.
“A body that isn’t nourished during the day is not going to be in a restorative state at night,” Rarback said.
While a good diet has been known to promote better sleep, there’s “not significant evidence that the amount of food you’re eating can change sleep patterns,” said Gina Sweat, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Cleveland Clinic of Florida in Weston.

“When you’re eating is just as important as what you’re eating,” Mehta added. “You want to wait at least two to three hours between your last meal and when you actually go to sleep.”
Sweat suggests eating dinner at least four hours before going to bed and perhaps having a snack no later than two hours before you go to bed.
How much you eat can be an issue, said Julie Rothenberg, a registered dietitian for Oncology Nutrition Services at Mount Sinai. Being too full can cause reflux symptoms, including heartburn, she said. “But if you eat too little, your body is craving nutrients and that also causes stress on your body and prevents you from having a deep sleep.”

What to avoid

Knowing what foods and drinks to avoid is part of the happy sleeping equation. Caffeine, alcohol, high-fat meals, sugary snacks and spicy foods may all be culprits ruining a good night’s sleep.

“Caffeine is hidden in so many of the foods and drink we have,” Mehta said. “One cup of coffee in the morning can potentially impact sleep quality. It depends on a person’s metabolism.”
It takes six hours to metabolize caffeine so consider your intake of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and other foods that contain caffeine during the day, Rothenberg said. The notion of having a nightcap, a small cocktail, before going to bed isn’t necessarily going to lead to deep slumber either.
“Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant,” Mehta said. “It may seem like having a drink helps people sleep, but it actually ends up being counterfeit sleep.”
Studies have shown that while alcohol may have helped people fall asleep more quickly, their sleep was more disrupted during the second half of the night. It’s recommended that you have no more than one 4.5-ounce pour of wine, one 11-ounce glass of beer or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor in an evening, Mehta said.
While one beverage — water — is always seen as beneficial, aim to drink up during the day and cut back on fluids a few hours before bedtime to help limit trips to the bathroom.

You also want to avoid certain foods before bedtime, like a greasy burger or big piece of cake.
“Fats create more stomach acid and increase the likelihood of reflux,” Rarback said. “Really spicy food can also cause some people to have stomach distress.”
You might as well forget about that grandmotherly snack of milk and cookies — or at least the cookies part. “Sugar and other high-glycemic foods can cause stress on the body,” Rothenberg said. “It raises the cortisol level, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.”

Milk’s a ‘soothing drink’

Milk can be helpful as long as you’re able to tolerate dairy products.
“Milk has different good things in it,” said Dr. Andres Lichtenberger, an internal medicine specialist with Baptist Health Primary Care. “It’s a soothing drink especially when it’s warm and can help you relax.” Calcium also helps the body’s process of producing melatonin.
Instead of a sweet snack, it’s better to have a handful of pumpkin seeds with Brazil nuts and a fig — no more than what fits in the palm of your hand, Mehta said. “Anything more than that is excessive.”
Proteins are the building blocks of tryptophan and carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, so try snacks that pair both, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Consider peanut butter or hummus on whole wheat toast or crackers, plain Greek yogurt with some nuts, apples and peanut butter, a banana and milk.
Exercising during the day can help your overall sleep patterns, but making a stop at the gym right before you go to bed can keep you awake, Lichtenberger said.
The idea is to ease into sleep with a consistent, relaxing pattern.
“Cue the body” for bedtime, Mehta said. “The body responds to a routine.”

Have a cup of chamomile tea. Turn off the TV. Remove your cellphones and computers from the bedroom. Try aromatherapy oils. Keep the room dark so you don’t interrupt your sleep cycle.

Foods to aid sleep

To help boost your chances of a good night’s sleep, here are some foods that could help you get that needed shut-eye:
Bananas: The fruit is a good source of potassium and magnesium, which help to relax muscles. They also contain Vitamin B6, which may improve sleep, and tryptophan.
Chamomile tea: “It helps calm the brain and helps put you to sleep sooner,” said Mount Sinai’s Rothenberg. Decaffeinated green tea, which contains the amino acid theanine, can also help reduce stress, UM’s Rarback said.
Cherry juice: Specifically, you want tart cherry juice, which has melatonin in it, nutritionists said. “Make sure it’s in its natural form without added sugar,” Rothenberg said.
Chickpeas: Legumes are a good source of magnesium. Eat them on their own or create a hummus dip. Edamame is another good source of magnesium.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article97995877.html#storylink=cpy

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Green leafy vegetables: Such vegetables, including kale, spinach, turnip greens and collard greens, are a top source of magnesium and calcium.
Lean proteins: Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and other proteins, which contain tryptophan. But avoid high-fat cheeses and deep-fried chicken or fish.
Nuts and seeds: Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium, a mineral that helps you get a restful sleep. Almonds and pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium. “Nuts and seeds contain a good balance of proteins and fats that help you feel satiated,” Mehta said.
Whole grains: Barley, couscous, buckwheat and other complex carbohydrates help convert tryptophan into melatonin and serotonin. Avoid simple carbohydrates, including pasta, breads made with white flour and sweets like cookies, cake and other sugary foods.
Yogurt: It contains calcium, which helps produce tryptophan. Choose plain Greek yogurt without sugar. You can add a few nuts or dried fruit as a garnish.

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article97995877.html

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Your Body: Battling Insomnia

By ABC News Radio

Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and just can’t fall back to sleep?
For isolated incidents of late night/early morning insomnia, you may be surprised to hear my advice: Do nothing. Don’t sleep late the next day, don’t take a power nap — just go about your normal schedule.
Many of us will suffer an occasional bout of insomnia, which is generally caused by mental stress, and will feel the inclination to make up for lost sleep the next day or next several days.
But the latest in sleep medicine suggests that this can do more harm than good. It may disrupt the circadian rhythms and make it harder for you to resume your normal sleep schedule.
So be consistent with your bedtime and your wakeup time, and chances are good you’ll be back to sweet dreams soon.

http://kwbe.com/abc_health/your-body-battling-insomnia-abcid35759175/

How To Tell If Insomnia Is More Than Just A Bad Night's Sleep

By Julia Naughton

When it comes to the concept of sleep, people tend to fall into one of two camps: either they are partial to it or they long for the time they are partial to it.
If the latter sounds familiar it's likely you've tried numerous things to achieve a good night's kip -- and been met with a bunch of frustration along the way -- which experts agree can compound the problem further.

Dr Delwyn Bartlett, associate professor of sleep medicine from Sydney University and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, said it is important we find a happy medium between valuing sleep and not putting too much pressure on people to sleep.

"The more pressure one puts on their sleep, the less likely they are to sleep. If you have a bad night, it's a bad night it doesn't mean the beginning of a downward cycle," Bartlett told The Huffington Post Australia.
Bartlett explains the difference between a few bad nights and chronic insomnia comes down to the duration and frequency of trouble sleeping.
"Chronic insomnia is when you have a difficulty going to sleep, staying asleep or waking too early, where any of those events takes longer than 30 minutes."
"Those symptoms have to appear at least three times or more per week, and be present for greater than three months," Bartlett said.
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, frequent sleeping difficulties including initiating and maintaining sleep as well as daytime fatigue are highly prevalent in Australia, with women suffering more than men.
"Insomnia is distressing and individuals often compensate for their poor quality sleep by spending too much time in bed 'trying to sleep' which potentially increases the fear of not being able to sleep," Bartlett said.
Often individuals then lose their confidence in their ability to sleep.
"And this causes individuals to believe that they can't do things without a certain amount of sleep," Bartlett said.
As a result, they then spend a lot of time in bed attempting sleep.
"The bed becomes a place of wakefulness compared to a person who is sleep deprived and doesn't spend enough time in bed," Bartlett said.
Bartlett explains when sleep is the focal point of your life then it becomes associated with high levels of what she calls "sleep anxiety".

"Sleep sits in front of you and you actually believe you can't do all sorts of things like communicate, socialise or go to work because of your sleep," Bartlett said.
Given the complexity of sleep, there is no one treatment that is a panacea, though Bartlett explains when it comes to insomnia it's about retraining how an individual thinks about sleep and changing behaviour patterns.
"The messages they have been giving their brain can exacerbate the 'flight or fight' response making them more alert and less able to sleep," Bartlett said.
This response from the brain is probably an adaption to poor quality sleep over a long period of time.
"It is important to remember the brain is plastic so retraining is likely to have a good outcome," Bartlett said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/08/16/how-to-tell-if-insomnia-is-more-than-just-a-bad-nights-sleep/

Health Matters: Struggling with Insomnia

From kvrr.com

With busy work schedules and lives, sometimes sleep is the last thing we think of.
But for those who can't fall asleep, it may not leave their mind.
Almost 30 percent of people face insomnia at some point in their life.
Night after night, you lie in bed awake for hours.
Tossing and turning, you just can't seem to fall asleep.
When it's time to get started on your day, you can be left tired, irritable and your work and relationships can suffer.
"Most effects are shortened and everybody, because of their life stress. We see that this happens for a few days. But if it tends to stay longer that's when we call it insomnia," said Dr. Praveen Jinnur, who works with patients at the Essentia Health Sleep Medicine Department.

Most people have shortened insomnia disorder, which lasts less than three months.
Ten percent of patients who go beyond that, are considered to have what's called "chronic insomnia".

"Insomnia is a very common complaint I hear in the sleep medicine clinic," said Dr. Jinnur. "Insomnia is a persistent difficulty in falling asleep. Or maintaining the sleep despite having an adequate portion of opportunity and time to sleep."

But Jinnur says this condition shouldn't be confused with being a night owl.
Circadian Rhythm Disorder is when a body's internal clock is irregular.
But the difference between this and insomnia is once people fall asleep, they typically stay asleep.
And for anyone, habits right before bed make a big difference.

"Lifestyle management is one of the important aspects of insomnia which includes a good sleep hygiene. They should not exercise before bedtime and avoid caffeine late in the evening. And alcohol," adds Dr. Jinnur.

He says a good night's sleep is considered to be between seven to eight hours, and it shouldn't be taken lightly.

"It is very essential. If you are unable to fall asleep adequately, it definitely affects your daytime performance, if you are very tired your productivity is affected the next day and it also affects your social performance," said Dr. Jinnur.

If you do find yourself having trouble maintaining sleep, it's recommended to see a physician to decide if a sleep study is necessary.
Dr.Jinnur says there isn't a quick fix for insomnia, but it's possible as long as the patient takes good sleep hygiene seriously.

http://www.kvrr.com/health-matters/health-matters-is-your-trouble-falling-asleep-insomnia/41144042

Dangers Of Sleep Disorders: Insomnia And Oversleeping Increase Risk Of Stroke

By Susmita Baral

A review of 29 studies by a medical journal from the American Academy of Neurology claims there is growing evidence that sleep disorders increase an individual’s risk of stroke. Published in the online issue of Neurology, the authors of the review suggest screening stroke victims for sleep disorders.
"Although sleep disorders are common after a stroke, very few stroke patients are tested for them," said study author Dirk M. Hermann, a professor of neurology at University Hospital Essen in Germany, in a statement. "The results of our review show that should change, as people with sleep disorders may be more likely to have another stroke or other negative outcomes than people without sleep problems, such as having to go to a nursing home after leaving the hospital."
Sleep disorders are divided into two groups: sleep breathing problems (e.g. sleep apnea) and sleep-wake disorders (e.g. insomnia, restless leg syndrome, hypersomnia). The former disrupts breathing while someone sleeps while the latter impacts sleep time. Sleep breathing problems have been linked with depression, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease while sleep-wake disorders have also been associated with the aforementioned conditions.
In the review, the team used data from dozens of studies that connected sleep disorders with stroke and conducted a meta-analysis. The analysis found sleep breathing problems may increase stroke risk and harm recovery. A similar, albeit smaller, correlation was found with sleep-wake disorders.
"Sleep disturbances are more prevalent in stroke patients, even more than in the general population," Hermann said. He added: "After a stroke, sleep has restorative functions for your brain. Sleep is important for the ability of the neurons [brain cells] to connect, and after a stroke, these neurons have to reconnect to compensate for the lost function. This explains why disturbed sleep affects recovery from stroke.”
Specifically, Herman says insomnia and hypersomnia (oversleeping) are risk factors in different ways.
"Insomnia promotes sympathetic nervous system activity, thus increasing the development of vascular risk factors, such as arterial hypertension, cardiac dysfunction, vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis and thombosis," said Herman in an email to International Business Times. "Subjects suffering from oversleeping are a heterogenous group comprising many subjects with superficial sleep (.i.e., insomniacs), who compensate sleep deficits by long sleep duration."
The researchers note that the study does not prove cause and effect so a definitive claim that treating sleep problems can reduce the risk of stroke cannot be made. But the findings do suggest people should be cognizant about their sleep patterns.
The researchers advise consumers to be wary when mixing sleep-wake disorders with drugs, which become an addicting substance in frequent users. They also recommend individuals with sleep apnea use a continuous positive airway pressure machine—also known as a CPAP machine—to reduce the risk of stroke.

http://www.ibtimes.com/dangers-sleep-disorders-insomnia-oversleeping-increase-risk-stroke-2397799

What Are The Consequences Of Insomnia

From boldsky.com

Insomnia may be defined as habitual sleeplessness. It is a condition wherein a person faces certain disorders like inability to get sleep, often waking up during the night, problem in going back to sleep and waking up too soon. Insomnia may be classified into primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is nothing but the inability of an individual to attain adequate sleep. Primary insomnia is a very common situation which is momentary and lasts only for thirty days approximately. The reasons for primary insomnia include long hours of travelling, busy work schedules, psychological setbacks, stress, etc.

On the other hand, secondary insomnia is the result of sleeplessness due to serious problems. Depression is an often observed reason for secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia must always be treated under the strict analysis by a doctor because secondary insomnia may further develop into any other chronic disease that can be life threatening at times.

Common adverse effects of insomnia include being tired throughout the day and being irritable. It also causes difficulties in concentrating. When we do not get adequate sleep, our cognitive processes stop functioning properly. It affects our reasoning, problem solving ability, alertness, concentration, reasoning and attention. It also affects our learning ability.

Insomnia can cause accidents and injuries in the workplace. Insomnia also causes accidents on the road. Drivers suffering from insomnia cause a number of accidents on the road. It can also result in memory loss. It also impairs our judgement.

It can also lead to diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases and irregular heart beat. Research has shown that people who suffer from insomnia are at the risk of dying early, mostly due to heart attacks.

Insomnia can also lead to faster aging of the skin. Lack of sleep can result in dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles. Cortisol, the stress hormone is released when you suffer from insomnia. This hormone breaks down collagen that keeps our skin firm and elastic. Insomnia also leads to weight gain. It not only stimulates the appetite, it also initiates the cravings for food items high in carbohydrates and fats.

http://www.boldsky.com/health/nutrition/2016/what-are-the-consequences-of-insomnia-104093.html

Natural vs Medical - Acupuncture vs sleeping pills for insomnia

From wddty.com

Should you swap sleeping pills for needles to get a good night’s sleep? Joanna Evans weighs up the evidence

Popping a sleeping pill is the usual treatment for chronic insomnia in the West, with more than 10 million prescriptions for the drugs written each year in England alone. But in China, one of the most common therapies for persistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep is acupuncture.
While sleeping pills are associated with a raft of serious adverse effects and even death, acupuncture has proved to be a remarkably safe form of alternative medicine.
But does it work? Let’s take a look at the evidence.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique based on the idea that all lifeforms are supported by subtle energy known as chi or qi. In TCM, blockages or excesses of energy at certain places and organs of the body are understood to result in illness. These obstructions and accumulations of chi are balanced by inserting incredibly thin needles into acupuncture points—which are specific places along the body’s meridians (energy lines), as identified in TCM.
Clinical trials
Numerous trials have looked at the effects of acupuncture on insomnia, and many have had impressive results. Not only has the technique proved to be better than either no treatment or fake acupuncture—where the patients think they’re receiving real acupuncture, but the needles are actually being placed incorrectly or in the wrong places—but it has also outperformed powerful sleep-inducing (hypnotic) drugs.
In a high-quality six-week study published in the international journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers compared the effects of true acupuncture, fake acupuncture and the hypnotic drug estazolam in 180 insomniacs.
Those who received either acupuncture or the sleeping pill had significantly greater improvement in their sleep compared with those in the control (fake treatment) group. However,only the acupuncture group reported better sleep quality and vitality, along with less sleepiness and daytime dysfunction. The estazolam group, on the other hand, reported higher levels of daytime dysfunction.
An added benefit of acupuncture was that the positive effects were longer-lasting. “Improvements of sleep quality, total sleep time, sleep efficiency [and] daytime functioning achieved in the [acupuncture] group were well maintained to follow-up,” the researchers noted, “whereas the effect of sham acupuncture and estazolam was not significant when the intervention ended.”1
In another study, just one acupuncture session a week for four weeks was just as effective for insomnia as nightly doses of zolpidem (Ambien), one of the most commonly prescribed sedatives. “We found both groups improved over time at a similar rate,” the researchers said.2
Reviewing the evidence
Several meta-analyses, where the results of multiple studies are pooled together, have been conducted to determine the overall efficacy of acupuncture for insomnia.
In one of the largest, involving 46 randomized controlled trials (or ‘RCTs’, considered the ‘gold standard’ of scientific testing) and more than 3,800 patients with insomnia, acupuncture was significantly superior to no treatment, fake acupuncture and sleeping pills for boosting sleep quality and duration. What’s more, acupuncture combined with medication was better than medication alone.3
Other ‘studies of studies’ have had similar results,4 with one reporting mean“effective rates” of 91 per cent for acupuncture and 75 per cent for hypnotic drugs.
However, reviewers have been cautious in their recommendations because of the poor methodological quality of most trials. Indeed, a recent review by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that “the current evidence is not sufficiently rigorous to support or refute acupuncture for treating insomnia”.
A plausible mechanism
While more rigorous, large-scale RCTs are needed, there’s certainly enough evidence to suggest that acupuncture can have beneficial biological effects that can promote sleep. An increased production of melatonin, nitric oxide, beta-endorphins and gamma-aminobutyric acid—all of which are involved in sleep—has been observed in studies of acupuncture in both animals and people.5
Safety and side-effects
One of the biggest draws of acupuncture is its safety. According to the British Acupuncture Council, it’s one of the safest medical treatments on offer in the UK. And there’s independent research to back this up.
Two surveys published in the British Medical Journal in 2001—one of traditional acupuncturists and the other of doctors who practise acupuncture—concluded that the risk of a serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than one in 10,000 treatments. When a total of 66,000 treatments were reviewed, only a handful of minor side-effects were reported, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points.6
Similarly, a 2006 UK safety review deemed the risks associated with acupuncture “negligible” and concluded that the treatment is “very safe”, provided it’s administered by competent practitioners.7
In stark contrast, prescription sleeping pills like zolpidem have been linked to a catalogue of catastrophic effects, including amnesia, compulsive repetitive behaviours, delirium, nightmares, hallucinations, overdosing, addiction, falls, cognitive impairment and life-threatening allergic reactions.8
Ironically, zolpidem also appears to cause sleep problems like sleepwalking, sleep-related eating and, most worrying of all, sleep-driving.9
One study found that people taking hypnotic drugs like zolpidem were at least twice as likely—and, with some drugs, up to four times as likely—to be involved in road-traffic accidents.10
This might explain why hypnotics were recently found to dramatically increase the risk of death—even in those who only take them once in a while. According to the researchers, the “meagre benefits” of these drugs—as demonstrated by numerous independent trials—fail to justify their “substantial risks”.11
Getting to the point
With its impressive safety record and the number of positive studies of acupuncture for insomnia so far, we’d say that the TCM technique beats sleeping pills hands down. Nevertheless, no doubt a holistic approach that includes diet and lifestyle changes is the best medicine for tackling insomnia.

https://www.wddty.com/magazine/2016/august/natural-vs-medical-acupuncture-vs-sleeping-pills-for-insomnia.html

What are the causes of insomnia?

From ask.naij.com

Insomnia is a disorder that makes your life tough. The first insomnia fact you should be aware of is that scientifically speaking insomnia is a state of health when a person finds it hard to either fall asleep or stay asleep even after getting some sleep.
Insomnia is usually accompanied by a few of the following symptoms. First, you might experience difficulties when going to sleep. You can spend much time just lying in the bed trying to get some rest, while you just cannot fall asleep. Moreover, the second symptom is that you might wake up in the middle f the night out of a sudden, and not fall asleep afterward. The person with insomnia is more likely very early in the morning no matter how late at night he went to bed. Finally, you can feel tired after you wake up the regardless of for how many hours he was sleeping.
There is not just one type of insomnia. The first one is known as primary insomnia. This kind of insomnia happens to a person that only has sleeping problems only and no other health issues. Meanwhile, the other insomnia type occurs when a person suffers from a health problem or even several ones, and these issues cause insomnia as a result. Among the health problems that can lead to insomnia are cancer, asthma, heartburn, depression, etc. as well as general pain and medication that one takes in the view of certain health problems.
Another insomnia fact you should know about is that insomnia can be either short- or long-term. Short-term insomnia can last from one day to a few weeks, while long-term one is when a person experiences sleep problems from three days a week to even more.
The causes of insomnia are numerous, and they depend on the type of insomnia one has. In the case of short-term insomnia, it can be resulting from a serious stress in one’s life. In case a person cannot control his or her emotions, the central nervous system gets so overwhelmingly tired, that it causes sleeping problems. That is why things like change of place of residence, the death of a dear close person, loss of a job or family issues like divorce or separation can result in loss of sleep or insomnia.

Among the other insomnia causes is a discomfort one feels in an emotional or physical area. If you cannot switch your focus from a thing that steals your comfort and calmness, you are more likely to have insomnia. So be careful about that! The next short-term insomnia cause is a shift in your sleep schedule. This shift often occurs if you move from place to place with a great time difference. This phenomenon is also known as a jet lag. Moreover, if you work night shifts, and you are now switched to day shifts, you are more likely to suffer from the change, and this stress for your body is likely to result in insomnia.
Short-term insomnia can also be caused by the lack of comfortable sleep environment. If you do not have your own room, or you have a new-born baby in the house, you will not get enough sleep without wakening up. This can be a cause for your insomnia. Finally, another cause for insomnia can be taking certain kind of medication that can interfere your sleep either in the day or night.
Long-term insomnia can have its causes. Its causes can be a deep depression. In case you feel depressed and cannot deal with the issue yourself, please make sure to contact a psychologist to get help. Otherwise, the feeling of being stuck in a problem which you cannot solve yourself can cause long-term insomnia when you do not get regular sleep from three to seven times a week. This can be dangerous to your health, as sleep is essential. Moreover, a person that lives in constant stress is more likely to have insomnia. Therefore, watch out to deal with the aspects in your life that lead you to feel constantly exhausted or stressed.
Long-term insomnia can also be caused by uncomfortable sleep environment. That is why sleep professionals recommend having healthy and comfortable conditions for sleep. Choose a more expensive and professional mattress and get special blinds on your windows in order to have complete darkness during the night when you try to sleep. Make sure to sleep in a quiet surrounding. In case you have constant noise at home, get plugs to use them while sleeping.

Other professional state that one of the causes of insomnia is pain experienced during one’s sleep. This pain can disturb you, wake you up or cause discomfort that will make your sleep unhealthy or even cause you having no sleep throughout the night. Consult your doctor if you feel pain; secondary insomnia can be cured in case the source of pain is cured as well.
Taking all said above into consideration, insomnia is a complicated issue. However, do not pains, it can be treated. One of the insomnia treatment secrets is that there is a special sleep hygiene that should be used no matter whether you suffer from insomnia or not.
The first thing you should remember when trying to overcome insomnia is that it is always helpful to go to sleep at the same time every day. No siestas during the day - save the desire to sleep until your night sleep. When you divide your sleep “sessions” between day naps and night sleep, it makes you sleep less during the night. The next thing that will help you deal with insomnia is sticking to healthy lifestyle instead of drinking gallons of coffee and smoking. Both of these things are used to wake you up, therefore, cutting them out of your diet makes you want to sleep less.
Staying in shape is also helpful when fighting against insomnia. Do not be surprised, but your body needs discipline and exercises is one of them. However, be careful and only do your exercises three or four hours before going to bed. Otherwise, your body will be too energized to fall asleep when you decide to have some rest. As a part of this recommendation on how to fight insomnia, specialists also highly recommend not eating fatty or heavy meals before going to bed. Your stomach will not let your brain fall asleep, as it needs time to digest the food you put into your body. That is why you should eat at least four hours before going to bed. Nevertheless, you can have a fruit or something light as a treat.
Do not just rush into bed when it is your time to sleep. You need to take some time and relax and stabilize your emotions that you get throughout the day. You can try reading a book before going to sleep (however, do not choose a detective story or you will get too excited to fall asleep). You can turn on some light music or the sound of nature. It is fantastic to fall asleep when listening to the sounds of sea waves and picturing yourself lying on a beach under millions of stars. Amazing, is not it?
Moreover, make sure to eliminate all the insomnia causes before going to bed. Thus, if you feel pain, take medication. Consult your doctor and see whether the medication you take on a regular basis do not disturb your sleep. Turn off all the sounds in the house or take ear plugs to isolate from the noises all around. Use the blinds to eliminate the light coming from outside. If you feel that the air in the room is too hot, use an air conditioner an hour before going to bed in order to create a pleasant atmosphere for your sleep. In addition, you can try using air humidifier in order to make your sleeping process as comfortable as possible. The air humidifier also makes these calm monotonous noises that can be helpful when trying to fall asleep.

Specialists also encourage people only to use their bedrooms for having sex or sleeping. If you work in a bedroom, you can still associate the room with your work, while you need to use it as a room where you go to relax and have some rest. Do not confuse the main reason this room is in your house.
If you still experience difficulties when making yourself sleep a little bit, you can get up and something monotonous like reading or listening to something, However, these activities should be relaxing and not energizing for your body. Otherwise, you will not reach your goal. And finally, consider having a diary where you will write down all the things you need to do the following way. This will prevent you from thinking over the next day routine and will make sure your brain is not stressed or occupied with things. Your main goal right now is to get enough of healthy sleep, so focus on that.
Looking at everything highlighted above, insomnia can be caused by numerous things like emotional or physical discomfort, pain, uncomfortable sleep conditions, stress, life circumstances, jet lag, etc. Nevertheless, it can be treated by following a special pattern of things also known as sleep hygiene that includes healthy habits that you should learn to do before going to bed and throughout the day. Follow these easy steps to get enough sleep every day instead of feeling exhausted and irritated at the dear and loved ones. Stay healthy!

https://ask.naij.com/health/what-are-the-causes-of-insomnia-i25720.html