Sleep Anxiety Remedies

Sometimes just having a hard time getting to sleep may be a sign or a deeper concern.  Here is a great look at some sleep anxiety remedies.

Over 40 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep anxiety. The inability to get a thorough night of rest can lead to physical, mental, and emotional problems. Clinically referred to as insomnia, characteristics include:

• trouble falling asleep
• difficulty staying asleep
• waking up throughout the night
• waking up too early
• still feeling tired or unrefreshed after sleeping

It may be difficult to establish what came first – the anxiety or the sleep anxiety. Every day anxiety leads you to sleep less. Your desire to sleep causes you even more anxiety, and the cycle continues.

Excessive anxiety results in surges of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. This results in an increased heartbeat, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep. The key is to recognize the sources of your anxiety, minimize them, and if possible, rid yourself of the anxiety completely.

Outside sources of anxiety

Perhaps you are working in a hostile work environment. Maybe your home is cluttered. In cases that you may not be able to control, think optimistically. Find the positive things that you like and focus on them. If it helps, think of a “worst case scenario,” and realize that that will more than likely not happen. If you can control the source, such as a messy home, take the time to remedy it. Some people may prefer to spend a full day towards the issue while others may need to spend a few hours here and there to complete it. Find which method works for you – the last thing you want to do is allow your resolution to become another source of anxiety. From there, recognize your progress and realize how much better you will feel once you reach your goal.

For some, an exact source of anxiety may not be easy to pinpoint. For others, even the tiniest inconvenience can cause great anxiety. Although there are many prescription drugs available to treat sleep anxiety, many people can see great success in small changes that can be easily accomplished. These methods are without the risk of drug side effects and are often free.

Meditate

Some people can do quite well by taking the time to perform some conscious relaxation. Meditation can be as simple as sitting in a quiet room, closing your eyes, relaxing your muscles, and slowly inhaling and exhaling. Some like to have soothing sounds in the background, such as falling rain or rain forest sounds. Meditation can also be helpful during an episode of anxiety. It is important to realize your feelings of anxiety and to deal with them immediately. Meditation can be performed in bed as well, right before sleeping. Conscious relaxation and imagining a calm place or the achievement of a goal that you have set for yourself can help you sleep.

Exercise

You do not need a gym membership for this one. Even a simple 15-minute walk several times a week would be extremely beneficial. For those suffering from chronic sleep anxiety, exercise should be a daily commitment. A brisk walk, jog, or hike will increase heart rate and blood flow. Exercise can also be fun, such as a bicycle ride with the family around the lake. Additionally, exercise is a form of meditation. The quiet, concentration, and attention to breathing will help release excess energy and relax muscles, allowing you to sleep more soundly.

Diet

Processed foods and take-out meals are just as unhealthy for the body as they are for the mind. Foods that are ridden with sodium, excessive sugar, and preservatives often are not fulfilling and devoid of the vitamins and nutrients that we need to function. Sleep is as much a function as are walking and breathing. Pay attention to your diet and try to eat balanced meals of whole, fresh foods, with a particular attention to fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

There is no sure-fire way to solve your sleep anxiety. Just as there are many causes to it, there are many solutions to it. The key to resolving this issue is to take a multi-faceted approach. Find out what is bothering you and from there, try many methods to fix it. Progress is always an achievement, even if it is taken in small steps.

Original Article Here

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Nathan says: I hope this was helpful to you, would you recommend any other remedies.  Have you ever dealt with sleep anxiety?  How did you overcome it?

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Alternative Remedies For Sleep

There have been some times when using traditional remedies haven't worked out too well for getting a night's sleep.  Here are some additional ways that I recently discovered.

Although most forms of meditation have spiritual associations, they can also be used very successfully as a form of relaxation therapy. From a spiritual point of view, the purpose of the basic meditation practice (whether it is a form of breathing or the repetition of a mantra or the visualization of a particular shape or scene) is to focus and clarify the mind so that it becomes open and able to receive wisdom, inspiration or enlightenment. Now, if the mind is truly focussed, there is no room for extraneous thoughts, so this can be a powerful way of calming the mind. However, it may take a great deal of practice.
The two forms of meditation that are, perhaps, the most suitable for the treatment of insomnia are breathing techniques such as the Buddhist anapanasati (or mindfulness of breathing) or the repetition of a mantra.

Anapanasati (Mindfulness of Breathing)


The effectiveness of this technique in inducing sleep can be demonstrated by the frequency with which people who are using this as a meditation (rather than a relaxation) technique tend to fall asleep while using it if they happen to be tired. One of the jobs of the head monk in a Zen meditation hall is to make sure that the other monks stay awake!
In order to use this as a relaxation technique, it is necessary, first of all, to be comfortable. The actual position doesn’t matter – you may be lying on your back or your side or even your front, if that’s the position in which you most usually manage to fall asleep. You may have your arms by your sides or crossed or even above your head. Your legs can be bent or straight. What is important is that no part of your body feels strained.
Once you’ve found this position, become aware of your breathing. Don't try to change the rhythm or the rate or the depth. Just be aware of how you are breathing in and out. And then start counting the breaths, counting either the in-breaths or the out-breaths but not both. When you get to ten, start again at one. And while you are counting, keep your mind clear of all other thoughts. If you are distracted, just start again at one. And keep going . . .
It takes practice but, once it starts to work, you should find that it becomes more effective the more regularly you use it.

Mantras


A mantra is simply a word or phrase which is repeated over and over again in order to put the mind into a certain state. In some cases the goal is to arouse religious fervor or a sense of spiritual awareness. Life coaches teach mantras (often referred to as affirmations) to their clients as a way of building self-confidence.
Whereas some mantras may be several syllables or words long, a relaxation mantra needs to be short and easy to repeat in the mind without the necessity of having to remember something complicated. A single syllable may be used such as "mee" or "soo" which can be repeated in rhythm with the out-breaths. You can either repeat it out loud (if you sleep alone) or in your head.
Dr. Shen Hongxun, who teaches Taijiwuxigong (a form of exercise associated with spontaneous movement) and Buqi (a therapy based on it) has developed his own mantra, Menm Tshh, which will combat insomnia. To quote from his book Spontaneous Movement for Health and Happiness (2004): "When you pronounce the sound ‘Menm’ , you breathe out while keeping the mouth closed . . . When you pronounce the sound "Tshh", you breathe out but you can have your mouth slightly opened . . . In the beginning use a low but clear voice to recite the sound. The more you recite it the softer your voice becomes, the slower and the lower the sound is pronounced. After a while you become more and more relaxed; you are only slowly whispering the sound and you will fall asleep."

Visualization


One could say that visualization falls midway between meditation and hypnosis because it’s a technique that’s used by both. When it’s used in a spiritual context in meditation, the visualization is likely to be of a religious object, person or deity. However, in hypnosis it’s used as a relaxation technique, taking the hypnotized person deeper into the trance. And used by itself, even without a hypnotic induction, it can be a very valuable relaxation tool.
What’s your favorite way of relaxing? Lying on a beach? Walking in the country? Sitting in a garden? Whatever it is, when you use visualization as a relaxation technique, you need to take this scene and make it even better. So, for example, if you choose lying on a beach, it’s not just any beach that you picture in your mind. It’s a deserted beach with fine white sand that stretches for miles, a clear deep blue sea with tiny waves breaking softly, sea birds calling up in the unclouded sky, a light breeze and warm sunshine, and perhaps an umbrella to keep you cool. Try to hear the sound of the waves and of the birds, feel the warmth of the sun and the breeze on your skin . . .

Similarly, if you visualize yourself walking in the countryside, there must be no one else around – perhaps the odd rabbit or other small animal, a stream trickling over stones, glorious views, warm sunshine and a little breeze. . . And if you’re in a garden, imagine beautiful flowers – try to smell their fragrance, hear the sound of a little fountain and birds singing in the trees . . . Whatever your scene, always to try incorporate all your senses into it – not just sight but the feel of the breeze and the sun, the smell of the sea or the flowers, the sound of the water and the birds. The more you can lose yourself in the scene, the more relaxed you will become and the more likely you are to fall asleep.

Original Article Here

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Nathan says: I have to admit these are pretty new to me, what do you think?  Any other recommendations?

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Quick Tips For Sleep

In such a hurry up and go society it can be even more difficult to find the information you need quickly.  For just that reason here are some very quick tips for getting a good night's sleep.

Are you the person who is stuck in bed not being able to get to sleep? You’re not the only one, many people around the world have problems getting to sleep in a timely fashion. This article will help you learn 10 different ways that will help you get to sleep faster at night and increase the quality of sleep you get at night.

Working Out – Regular exercise such as walking, biking, or swimming can be a great way to stay healthy and improve your sleep quality because it helps regulate your sleep/wake cycle. However, you should try to work out earlier in the day because the stimulation you get after exercising can actually make it harder for you to get to sleep at night.

Lower Temperature – Maintaining a cooler temperature in your bedroom will lower your body’s temperature, which initiates tiredness. Try setting your temperature around 65 degrees, you can always adjust it after that depending on what you like.

Ditch the Pets – A recent study done by Mayo Clinic proved that 53 percent of people have a hard time falling to sleep quickly at night because of disruptions from their pets. Keep your pets off the bed or even in another room when you’re trying to sleep, this will help you get to sleep faster.

Keep Day Job at Work – A study of 2,300 adults from the United States showed that employees who were stressed at work, and brought their work home were more likely to have troubles getting to sleep and sleeping peacefully at night. Try leaving your work related problems back at the office, and focus more on having fun and spending time with family in the evenings. You will be surprised how much this will help you get to sleep faster at night

Appreciate Your Surroundings – Take time at night before bed to think about the things that you are appreciative about. A British study has proven that appreciative people had a greater chance of getting to sleep faster than people who were not.

Stretch – A recent study has shown that adults who stretch their lower and upper body at least four times a week for 20 to 30 minutes a time helps improve their sleep quality up to 33 percent.

Turn Electronics Off – Gamers and people who are on their computers for more than seven hours a week get less sleep at night. It can be hard for some to stray away from electronics especially if your day job requires you to use a computer; however, try to minimize your time spent playing video games or using your computer if you want to get to sleep faster and sleep better at night.

Cherry – This fruit is rich in melatonin, which helps control your sleep cycle. Eating the fruit or drinking tart cherry juice is proven to help reduce insomnia and get you to sleep faster at night. Try consuming two eight ounces of cherry juice, it should help you out at night.

Turn Lights Off – Some of you may like having a night light on while you’re sleeping, but this could be causing you from getting to sleep and staying asleep at night. Making your room dark helps your brain fully relax and recover from the long day. If you have electronics in your room, shut them off as well. Some electronics have blue lights that are left on all night so you may have to unplug the television or computer.

Carbs and Protein – Consuming carbohydrates help your brain use one of the most important amino acids for causing sleepiness called tryptophan. When you consume proteins, it helps make tryptophan in your body. Combining carbohydrates and proteins are a great way to get to sleep faster at night so if you are hungry try eating a peanut butter sandwich before you go to bed. I do not recommend eating every night or eating a lot before bed because it could give you a reverse affect and may keep you up all night.

These are ten great tips that you can try to get to sleep faster at night. You may find that some will work well for you and some may not have an impact on your sleep at all. I recommend starting with one technique and trying it for a week or so and see if it helps you. If it doesn’t move on to the next, eventually you should find one that works great for your body.

Original Article Here

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Nathan says:  always good to have a reminder on quick ways to get some much needed sleep.  Would you add anything else to this list?

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Sleep Disorders and Children

Usually when you think of sleep disorder adults come to mind.  The fact is many children undergo sleep disorder as well, here is a great way to stay informed.

Sleep disorders in children have been reported to impact on children’s performance in school as well as social-emotional adjustment. Psychologist put an estimate of about 30 percent of children suffering from sleep disorder somewhere in their childhood. It is therefore prudent for parents to be aware of the sleep patterns that are normal in children, the type of sleep disorders and the available remedies for such. Normal patterns of sleep in children has been categorised into two broad classes namely rapid eye- movement (REM) sleep and non rapid-eye movement (NREM) sleep.

Common Sleep Disorders in Children

The rapid eye movement sleep is the one in which our eyes are in rapid movement under the eyelids and the both the heart beat and breathing becomes irregular. In addition, the body temperature control becomes unusual such that shivering is not there when it gets cold and sweating at high temperatures is not evident. The nerves impulse responsible for nervous messaging is inhibited making you somehow paralyzed and it is at this level that dreaming occurs. In the non rapid eye movement sleep, drowsiness characterises the initial stage of the sleep. Here waking is easy. At the deeper levels of the sleep waking becomes challenging and one can be confused and disoriented on waking up. Our muscles are more active during the NREM although they cannot move since there are nerves signal sent from the brain to the muscles to initiate movement.

These two sleep patterns are there even before birth. After birth, infants tend to sleep almost invariably. As they develop the sleep becomes less during the day and sleeping is longer at night. For instance, at the age of 6 months, infants sleep for 13 hours a day on average. By the time the children are two the sleep period reduces to about 12 hours and by 4 years they are doing between 10 to 12 hours of sleep. The drop in sleeping hours that becomes more significant during the adolescent stage is associated with biological reasons.

Some sleep disorders in children are quite common, mild and easy to remedy while in other cases the problem may become more severe indicating signs of underlying physical problems and if not treated they may yield long-term consequences. Consulting a paediatrician or a sleep specialist my help you in diagnosing sleep disorders. School psychologist too might give valuable input in identifying and dealing with the problem. In diagnosis of sleep disorders in children will involve evaluation of your child’s sleeping patterns, normal bed and wake time for school days and for the weekends and vacations, problems of falling asleep and the frequency of sleep. Variation in attention and concentration and change of behaviour in children may be a sign of sleep disorder.

There are a number of ways available for dealing with sleep disorders in children. In the case that your child suffers from night terrors, it is advisable to keep them as comfortable as possible. Instances of night terrors during sleep mostly occur when the child is in NREM stage of sleep mostly for children aged between 4 to 8 years. If the night terrors proves to be persistent it is vital to seek medical involvement.

Bedwetting is another recipe of sleep disorder. Bedwetting is common for children between the ages of 6 and 12 which are mostly to do with primary enuresis which is associated with lag in development, low capacity of the bladder, and hereditary reasons and this should not be alarming. However, secondary enuresis, which involves a notorious recurrence in bedwetting even after a year or more after children achieves bladder control, is a sign of emotional distress and remedy is thus called for. The remedies in such case include bladder control, reinforcement and responsibility training. Finding out any cause for emotional distress for your child and dealing with it might also be very helpful. This might involve counselling. There is also medication that can be administered to alleviate this cause of sleep disorders in children and visiting your child’s paediatrician would be vital.

Children may experience difficulty in falling asleep due to them having worries and fears. This condition is called the sleep-onset anxiety and may be as a result of trauma and other stressful events during the day. This sleep disorders in children can be dealt with by making use of calming bedtime habits, reassuring the child and even therapy for behavior and assisting the child deal with their worries and anxiety. Delayed sleep-phase syndrome is another sleep disorder. This problem involves the inability of the child to go to sleep during the normal sleep hours. This disorder may be corrected by light therapy, chemotherapy and adherence of a consistent schedule for the child’s sleep. Use of sedative therapy might also be of assistance. Sleep walking is also a symptom of sleep disorder. Awakening your child on a habitual schedule can address such events of sleep disorders in children

Original Article Here

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Nathan says: many times it can be easy to dismiss a child not sleeping well a night or two, but anything more needs to be looked at much more closely.  Have you dealt with any child sleeping disorders?

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Is Too Much Sleep Possible?

I am well acquainted with not sleeping enough, what happens if you sleep too much?  Let's take a closer look...

If you find yourself sleeping a lot, you may be wondering: Can too much sleep make you
tired?

The average adult needs about seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per 24 hour
cycle. Of course, this is under normal circumstances and applicable to normal, healthy
adults. Occasionally, certain adults will need fewer hours of sleep to be able to function
properly. Some adults need up to nine hours. For most healthy adults, eight hours is
enough.

There are exceptions to this rule. If you experiencing physical ailments, surgery, sickness,
or any other physical issue, you will need more sleep for healing. An increase in physical
activity or participating in endurance sporting events can create a need for more sleep as
well.

Emotional trauma such as the death of a loved one or a divorce can cause the need for
an addition hour or more of sleep, as can an upheaval of some sort like a major move or

Understanding Insomnia

Insomnia drives me crazy for so many different reasons.  One is simply the feeling of detachment that comes after not getting enough sleep...

Everybody struggles with insomnia at some point or another in their lives. For most people, it is fairly short-lived and only happens occasionally. For others, sleeplessness is a constant battle. For those people, a good night’s sleep is a commodity which is hard to come by. They may have tried everything from herbal teas to prescription drugs in order to get the rest they need. Whatever form of sleeplessness you may have suffered from, it is almost always miserable. There is nothing worse than staring at the clock, counting how many hours’ sleep you will get if you fall asleep right then.

One of the chief complaints doctors hear in their offices is poor sleep. Insomnia drives more patients to doctor’s offices than colds do. With that being said, sleeplessness is not usually considered a medical problem–rather most doctors view it as a symptom of something else. Once you can find out what is causing the insomnia, you can then proceed with treating it so you can try to get a better night’s sleep. In most cases, the causes of a bad night’s sleep are anxiety or depression. It could be minor anxiety, but even minor anxiety can wreak havoc on your sleep patterns. You may feel like you cannot turn your mind off once you get into bed. You may rehash the day’s events, or spend hours tossing and turning trying to figure out the details for the next day, week, or even month. While it is often simple to give a diagnosis of anxiety, treating it can be difficult. If the anxiety is chronic, antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed. If it is merely

Why Do People Snore

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Dear Fellow Insomniacs!
Nathan here, it's a comedy classic to hear someone snore in a movie or cartoon, but dealing with it each night in your own bed is no laughing matter...
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Have you ever been awakened by loud snoring? The other night, I lay in bed wondering how long it would take until I could fall back to sleep. Then I started asking myself, “Why do people snore?

The truly disturbing fact is that most people don’t know how serious their snoring problem may be. There are many health problems associated with snoring. Some of these may include:

• sleep deprivation

• drowsiness

• irritability

• lack of focus

However when you dig deeper, it turns out that loud snoring is also associated with more serious problems like heart attack and stroke. It turns out that untreated sleep apnea can be as dangerous to your heart as diabetes, obesity, and smoking. 1

What Causes Snoring?

Around 30% of people snore. Researchers aren’t sure what the exact number is because of unreported cases where people go untreated. It doesn’t matter whether it is you or your partner, if one of you is

Why Sleep Is So Important

We all know without sleep, we can't live, just that simple, the problem comes when we miss out on sleep so much that we continue to the point sleep deprivation.

Sleep, as all of us already know, is quite a significant activity, which our body is supposed to carry out on a regular basis. It keeps other activities functioning in the best possible manner, as they get the opportunity to relax for a while. You have a good night sleep, when you sleep for an amount of time, which is standard for a normal human. Irrespective of how hectic your schedule is, you should not allow it to come in between you and your sleep. Once you have it for a considerable length of the time, the results will start appearing.

Importance of a Good Night Sleep Includes:

• You always start your day in the best of your health. Since each and every system in your body has been served with the required relaxation, they perform at their best. In turn, it gives you the required energy to take care of all the regular tasks with the best of your ability.
• Other than relaxation of your body systems, you will also find yourself concentrating on things better. Thus, analytically, you will get stronger and your ways of solving different problems are

Is Lavender a Cure for Insomnia?

I've heard many good things about how lavender can help with relaxation and sleeping better.  Let's take a look!

Lavender is one of the oldest traditional remedies for insomnia as its soothing aromas consistently help a person to relax and get the rest that is needed every night. Natural and effective solutions to sleep struggles are always welcome to people who are used to lying awake at night and unsuccessfully waiting to drift of, or who are continually waking up.

In the case of lavender, this is an especially appealing insomnia remedy because it is cost-effective, it doesn’t come with side effects, and it can really work for a good night’s sleep. It works best for people who struggle to fall asleep due to problems with de-stressing and releasing anxiety.

There are many different ways to use lavender to help you to sleep. They can include the following, as well as many more:

Essential oil – simply dripping a couple of drops on your pillow every night before bedtime can help to release enough aroma to have the soothing aroma therapeutic effect you need to regain your calm and fall asleep once more. If you don’t want to drip it directly onto your pillowcase, a few drops on a cotton ball on your nightstand

Diffuser – if you’d rather not have the essential oil directly next to your head at night, then adding the lavender to

The Sound of Sleep

It's amazing how much sound can affect quality of sleep, here is an interesting article on just that.  Enjoy!

Is there anything as annoying as trying to sleep when loud noises won't leave you alone? Probably not. Traffic, the phone, your sleep-mate watching television... the list goes on and on. While most people would agree that a quiet environment is essential to good sleep, few take proactive steps to ensure that their sleep environment is quiet.   

Step one. Perform an assessment of your frequent annoyances and take action. Is the bedroom phone a culprit? Turn off your ringer or buy a new phone with that option. Birds chirping in the morning? Keep the window closed even if it's nice outside. Is your sleep-mate a loud snorer? Send them to the physician to be evaluated for sleep apnea. Is your sleep partner's loud TV or music keeping you up? Buy them a wireless headphone set if they insist on watching TV or listening to tunes in bed. You get the picture. Its time to make silence a high priority in your sleep environment.

Step two. Consider background sound to mask any disruptive noises you can't control.  Fans and air purifiers work well

Sleep Patterns and Risk

I am no stranger to waking up several times during the night, the problem is it can possible lead to more serious problems....

The ability to sleep through the night is something we may take for granted, but what happens when we purposefully disrupt this pattern?

As an example, many people break their consolidated sleep period into shorter spans. You may fall asleep in the easy chair in the evening for several hours, wake to watch a favorite late-night television program, grab a snack, and then go to bed for the remainder of the night. Alternatively, you may wake up early in the morning, go to the bathroom and read your book, and then fall asleep for several more hours before finally getting up for the day.

These divided sleep periods may have important consequences, equivalent to chronic sleep deprivation