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

From observer.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Personality Affects Sleep Quality

From independent.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

From metronews.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to reverse insomnia: A sleep expert offers advice

From stuff.co.nz

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

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

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

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

Insomnia: 11 Steps to a good night’s sleep

From southcoastherald.co.za

If you struggle to sleep, you are not alone!

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

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

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

Dream loss may silently harm health: study

From indianexpress.com

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

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

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

Better sleep for your child

From cdapress.com

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

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

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

Why Women—More Than Men—Can't Sleep

From courant.com

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

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

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

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

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

From metro.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are You Binge-Watching Your Way to Insomnia?

From thealdennetwork.com

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

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

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

Treating Insomnia Can Ease Anxiety, Depression Study Says

From ebony.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From menshealth.com

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

Sleep Saboteur: Taking sleeping pills

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

Sleep Saboteur: Messing with your melatonin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep Saboteur: Having a nightcap

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

Sleep Saboteur: Counting sheep

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep Saboteur: Looking at the clock

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

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

Can't Sleep? Your Insomnia May Be More Serious Than You Think

From menshealth.com

A poor night’s sleep isn’t just draining your energy—it might be messing with your ticker, too: People with problems sleeping may be at greater risk of heart attack, a new study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress suggests.
In the study, researchers recruited nearly 13,000 adults and quizzed them about their sleep habits. Then, they asked how many had ischemic heart disease—either heart attack or angina, a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart—or stroke.

All in all, “poor sleep”—which was defined as low ratings on a variety of measures, including subjective sleep quality, a long time falling asleep, a short sleep duration, sleep efficiency, waking up frequently, using sleeping pills, or feeling sleepy during the day—was linked to a 71 percent increased risk of ischemic heart disease and a 45 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those who slept better.
Then, the researchers analysed each sleep factor separately. They found that people who took 30 minutes or more to fall asleep at night were 52 percent more likely to have ischemic heart disease and 48 percent more likely to have suffered a stroke than those who nodded off sooner. What’s more, people who woke up frequently at night were nearly twice as likely to have ischemic heart disease.

“Disturbed or poor-quality sleep can lead to increased heart rate, blood pressure and the release of chemicals linked to inflammation of the heart—all of which put it under strain,” Metin Avkiran, Ph.D., associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation told The Telegraph. “Although the odd restless night is not harmful to our health, it could be a sign of something more serious if this becomes the norm."

If you find yourself struggling to get shuteye on the regular, it may be time to loop in your doctor. But if you’re just having occasional issues, try to clean up your nighttime routine by avoiding the 7 worst things you do when you just can’t sleep.

http://www.menshealth.com/health/sleep-problems-heart-attack