Three Common Sleep Disorders

With so many different types of sleep disorders we all hear bits and pieces of often too much information. Here is a quick look at three of the most common sleep disorders to help clarify.

Sleep is one of our most fundamental needs as humans and yet almost all of us will experience some kind of sleep disorder during our lifetime. Sleep deprivation can lead to a number of serious medical conditions and even reduce your life span. Sure everyone has a bad night’s sleep, but a consistent pattern of poor sleep may indicate an underlying sleep disorder that requires attention. Here are the signs and symptoms of the three most common sleep disorders.

1. Insomnia

Is insomnia the real reason you’re not sleeping? While insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep it doesn’t always work alone. Insomnia is both a disorder and a common symptom of many other sleep disorders like sleep apnea or snoring. Sometimes a person with insomnia is experiencing insomnia as a secondary issue and should address the primary cause of their inability to sleep. A person with insomnia can have trouble sleeping anywhere from a few days to several months. It’s the reason for this inability to sleep that’s the real cause for concern. No matter how long, you’re not sleeping, and this can lead to functional impairment, a compromised health and could require treatment.

2. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea involves the inability to breathe normally while sleeping. It can be caused by inadequate respiratory effort, called central sleep apnea or by a physical blockage, called obstructive sleep apnea. According to the National Institute of Health, a person with sleep apnea can have abnormal pauses in

Is there a sleep apnea and diabetes link?

There is so much research about sleep and the many different ways that it affects our bodies.  Here is a great article about sleep apnea may be linked to diabetes.

New research adds more evidence to the link between sleep problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes.

Moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea are predictors of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2012 International Conference.

The researchers also found that the sleep condition and night-time hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) were linked with levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), associated with diabetes.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep condition that occurs when a person stops breathing during

Beauty Sleep and Looking Your Best

We've all heard how important it is to get our beauty sleep but, the question is, does beauty sleep really exist?  Well, let's take a look.

When you’re sleep deprived, you appear less healthy and less attractive than normal, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal.

To test the theory of beauty sleep, doctors in Stockholm enrolled 23 adult participants and photographed them, first after a night of eight hours of sleep and again after sleep deprivation – 31 hours of wakefulness after a night of reduced sleep.

The photos were then shown in a random order to observers who rated the photos. 65 observers rated each of the 46 photographs for factors such as:

• Attractiveness
• Health
• Tiredness

The result found subtle differences, but the sleep-deprived participant photos were rated as less healthy, more tired

Sleep Positions and Back Pain

Sleeping with back pain can be a real challenge.  Here is some great advice if your looking for relief.

Sleeping can be hard when your back aches. You toss and turn, and it hurts.

Try to sleep with your back in a neutral position-not arched a lot, but not flat either. This takes pressure off your spine. These two positions can help:

• When sleeping on your side, place a pillow between your knees. Try to keep your top leg from falling over your bottom leg. You also can put a small, rolled-up towel under your waist.
• When sleeping on your back, place a pillow under your knees. You also can put a small, rolled-up towel

Not enough sleep can kill you

Getting a good night's sleep is so much more important than just trying to avoid being tired..... it could also add or take off years on your life....

U. WARWICK (UK)—People who sleep for fewer than six hours each night are 12 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who get the recommended 6-8 hours, according to a research review.

"Modern society has seen a gradual reduction in the average amount of sleep people take, and this pattern is more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift-work," says lead researcher Francesco Cappuccio. (Credit: iStockphoto)

The study, published in the journal Sleep, also suggests that consistently getting too much sleep (more than 9 hours a night) could be a cause for concern. While it does not in itself increase the risk of death, sleeping too much can be a significant marker of potentially fatal illnesses.

The researchers examined the relationship between the level of habitual duration of sleep and mortality by reviewing 16 prospective studies from the U.K., U.S., and countries in Europe and East Asia. The study included more than 1.3 million participants, followed up for up to 25 years, with more than 100,000 deaths recorded.

The study points to evidence of a direct link between both short (fewer than 6 hours sleep a night) and long (9 hours or more) duration of sleep and an increased chance of dying prematurely, compared to those who sleep 6-8 hours a night on average.

“Whilst short sleep may represent a cause of ill-health, long sleep is believed to represent more an indicator of ill-health,

Athlete's and Sleep

It's amazing how much work athletes put into improving their bodies, whether its time in the gym or the right diet, but to skip on sleep...... that can hurt more than we know....

Athletes require at least eight hours of quality sleep each night to allow for maximum recovery. Proper sleep induces the body to release Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which in turn stimulates muscle growth and strength development. In addition, a good night of sleep improves alertness, mood, energy and overall performance.

However, evidence shows that even if you are out cold for a solid eight hours, you might not experience the uninterrupted, quality sleep you need as an athlete. Any source of light or electromagnetic fields in your bedroom can disrupt your circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle your body operates on in terms of biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes. This disruption, which can come from any electrically-powered device, can prevent your body from releasing melatonin and other hormones that are crucial to your sleep cycle. Once the cycle is disrupted, the performance-enhancing benefits of sleep are cut drastically.

Get the most out of your sleep by ensuring your bedroom provides the best environment for disruption-free snoozing. Make sure the room is completely dark, and turn off and unplug all electrical devices such as computers, phones, TVs and even your cell phone charger. Make sure that any appliances or devices on the wall opposite your bed are unplugged as well. If you absolutely need an alarm clock or phone charger plugged in, position it as far from your bed as possible—ideally six feet or further—to ensure the best night's sleep possible.

Original Article Here
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Nathan says, so eat, sleep, and exercise.... sounds like a good plan to me!

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Strategies to get a good night’s sleep

Always on the look out of some good sleep tips and strategies!  Here's a great find on just that!

There are a hundred different ways we try to fall asleep – including counting to 100 – but those restless nights are serious and if ignored can have take a major physical and emotional toll on a person’s well-being.

“We live in a society that emphasizes efficiency, and in order to be efficient, we have to sacrifice something, which often ends up being sleep,” says Dr. Jacqueline Sze, Psychiatrist at The Scarborough Hospital. “However, we must put greater emphasis on the importance of sleep for our physical and mental health.”

She adds that generally people with existing mental health issues such as depression or anxiety are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders, but everyone experiences stressful periods, which can affect the quality of our sleep. Whether you have a problem with falling asleep, staying asleep or interrupted sleep, the lack of rest can be detrimental to our overall health.

Short-term effects include irritability, difficulty paying attention, headaches, pain and nausea, while long-term, it can increase the risk of developing a mental health issue and even lead to mortality.

Some strategies suggested by Dr. Sze to improve sleep include:

• Rule out any medical problems such as sleep apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, bladder issues and other physical

Sleep deprivation and Australia

When thinking of Australia I always think of a wonderful vacation and relaxing beaches.  The reality is that many Australians are suffering from sleep deprivation.

According to a recent study, Australian's are filing for more than five million prescriptions for sleeping pills each year.
Busy lifestyles, juggling work and family stress, and even technology are to balme for the lack of sleep the average Australian recieves a night.
The number of prescriptions for sleeping pills has risen by almost nine per cent since 2001.
The CEO of Rexconnexion Gwenda Cannard said sleeping pills are being overly prescribed; 'there is a problem that GPs see someone with a problem with sleep for a whole range of reasons ... and they will