Technology And Sleep Patterns

Often, it is not just the quantity of sleep that we get as it is the quality. When the quality is lacking, we wake up feeling poorly rested as if we slept little or not at all. Interestingly enough, most people do not do the few simple things it takes in order to sleep well (and thereby improve the quality of their sleep). According to an array of data available, in order to have a good, quality night of sleep, it is important that we keep our sleep area neat, organized and free of distractions. Here are the three most common distractions that most people bring to the bedroom with them:

Television

Watching television in the hour before falling asleep or, worse, falling asleep with the television on very often leaves you feeling less rested, even if you use a sleep timer. The obvious distraction here is will have to wake up to turn the television off. However, there is more to it than that. Like a child who should fall asleep in the same place where they wake up, young and old adults should also be the ones to leave their bedroom in its "sleeping" state. In the process, they are turning off the lights, not only to their room, but to their day. Instead of television, try reading an old-fashion book. The difference in how well you feel the next morning will need less than a week.

Smartphone

More than half of the people who have smartphones will bring them to bed with them. While some will use them for their alarm clock feature, the vast majority will still text and send e-mails using their smartphone within the hour of falling asleep. As with the television, this type of activity does not provide the mind with the quantity and quality of time of it needs to let you feel refreshed in the morning; don't take my word for it; a staggering 67% of bedtime texters admit that they feel un-refreshed according to last year's National Sleep Foundation survey.

Laptop Computers

Understandably, some people will indeed "draw the line" at bringing their phone to bed. But regardless of age group, the majority of people will actually bring their computer to bed with them at least once per week. As with the active involvement of using a smartphone to text your BFF goodnight, using a laptop, even in a passive manner, leaves most people feeling drowsy the next day.

How To Improving Sleep

There are many reasons people will use these distractions so soon before falling asleep. The first is to unplug their brain from the day, yet at the same time they are plugging in to other issues. To truly unplug, it is recommended that you engage in a relaxing activity. In addition to reading, simple meditation works well. You can also amplify your results by opting for complete silence.

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Sleep Apnea Symptoms, Or Are They?

We seem to be living in a world that increasingly has to diagnose everything as an illness that needs expensive professional help, special equipment and possibly medication. It is good to have a reality check on your sleep apnea symptoms.

Yes, you might find this article a little politically incorrect, but read on! Difficulty breathing and waking in the middle of the night can be a result of many different things - not just sleep apnea. Here are just two of them, with recommendations related to each one. Firstly, being overweight is a huge (excuse the pun) factor in sleep apnea. And yes, you might not want to be told that you are overweight, fat, chubby and large - but I know that some of you reading this are exactly that.

Trying to avoid those facts, and wanting to remain that way is not going to make your sleep apnea disappear. Making a bit of yourself disappear, now there's a different approach! If you think that losing weight is impossible, you're either kidding yourself, or hanging out with the wrong people - because it is absolutely possible. There are many people who can help you do this, many organizations, dieticians, exercise, etc.

But again, you don't have to 'over prescribe' your situation. Start walking every day for about 40 minutes. You don't have to run, you don't have to subscribe to a gym, and you don't have to punish yourself in any way - you just have to start moving your body more. If you aim to walk for 40 minutes every day, you will (hopefully) actually walk 40 minutes for 4 days or more a week (there is rain, an unexpected appointment, etc). What's more, it is a known fact that sleep apnea is associated with depression, and that exercise will help alleviate depression. In fact, exercise is thought by many experts to be the number one strategy around depression.

Another place I recommend for help losing weight is Weight Watchers (and no, I'm not being paid to recommend this). My personal experience with this system is that it helps people know how to manage exercise, portion size and subscribing to a good, balanced diet (which includes lots of fruit and vegetables). The trouble with 'brought in food' as a diet program is that you are left clueless as to how that system actually works. And another common problem is too much alcohol.

You need to empower yourself with the information and disciplines around a good healthy lifestyle. Losing weight will be the result of that. Having a body that is the correct weight will benefit you in many ways apart from sleeping better: you will have more energy, feel better, feel happier, improve your self-esteem, look better, change other people's opinion of you and improve all areas of your health. There are documented cases of people who no longer show sleep apnea symptoms and do not snore because they have lost a significant amount of weight.

Secondly, investigate if you have food allergies and/or food intolerance. Sleep apnea symptoms are very similar to the symptoms that manifest with certain food allergies and food intolerances. There are over 50 food additives and colorings that effect sleep, stuffy noses, difficulty breathing, restless sleep, waking in the middle of the night, light and broken sleep, snoring, etc.

A food allergy is a different thing to food intolerance. You need to know the difference. Food intolerance is a little harder to ascertain, as the symptoms can often show up much later, even days after a certain item (artificial additive/food coloring etc) has been eaten. You might have an intolerance to perfumes even, or naturally occurring substances (such as salicylates and amines) in normal healthy cooking and fruit and dried fruit.

To find out more about sleep apnea symptoms and food items visit the Food Intolerance Network's website. And finally, to cover myself here, if you do have sleep apnea symptoms you DO need to go and seek excellent professional advice because it does affect your health in significant and important ways. And you need to do it as a matter of urgency.

Elizabeth Shannon has been researching sleep and sleep disorders and sleep apnea symptoms for over 10 years. She interviews experts and reviews successful case studies to identify and report on natural solutions for insomnia. Totally without the use of drugs.

At Sleepless No More, http://www.sleeplessnomore.com, find information and natural solutions on topics from grief to tinnitus.

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Symptoms of a Sinus Infection

How do you find out if you are having a sinus infection? It is important to know so you can treat this painful condition in time. Generally you will have at least one or more of the symptoms listed in the article below.

Sinuses are hollow, air-filled cavities situated in the skull. The four pairs of sinuses are connected to a space between the nasal passage and the nose. They help protect you from viruses and allergens. They also offer protection to the skull and lessen its weight. Sinus infections occur when the glands are swollen and do not function normally due to the presence of viral bacteria or fungus. Generally, common colds cause inflammation of the nasal passage and restrain drainage of sinuses resulting in an infection. Apart from that, viral influenza, flu, and allergic rhinitis are also causes of sinus infection.

Symptoms - How Do You Know If You Have Sinus Infection?

In order to control the infection, it is important to identify the symptoms and treat them. Here are some general symptoms which you can look out for:

Snoring Isn't Normal

Sadly most people at some point in their life are affected by snoring. If it is not you, it will be a close relative such as a partner or parent. If it's your partner then it will affect you more than you quite considerably. People living with snorers often report the condition can be extremely distressing. The stats say that snoring affects approximately 25 percent of people at any given time. The majority of these people are men.

Snoring happens when the soft tissues at the back of the throat vibrate. This vibrating could be caused by a number of things including age, sleep position, over weight and drug use. When I say drug use I also mean the most popular and widely accepted drug alcohol. Also the size and shape of the hard palate and obstructed nasal airways can be a reason why someone snores.

The important thing to realise is that snoring can be a serious sign of a potentially life threatening breathing disorder known as sleep apnoea. This is when a person wakes up frequently in the night gasping for air. They may or may not be conscious of doing so and some many not actually breathe for an extended period of time. At this time oxygen levels are low which can put a strain on the heart and cardio vascular system. This is why it is so important for anyone who snores to visit their doctor and get a diagnosis of their condition. If you do suffer from apnoea your doctor will advice you how to treat the condition.

More often than not the reason someone snores is down to life style or the position we sleep in. Sadly many of us are overweight, use drugs before sleep (I include alcohol here) and don't exercise enough. If however you are not overweight, do plenty of exercise and don't drink alcohol or use any other sedative drugs then your problem could be your sleeping position. If you sleep lying on your back, this makes the base of your tongue and soft palate to collapse to the back wall of your throat. This then will cause the snoring sound when you sleep. Sleeping on your side may help prevent this.

Below are some facts about sleep and snoring which you may not know:

• Snoring is common not normal.
• Some people can nap with their eyes open and not even realise it.
• The 3 main reasons for snoring are: being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol.
• The record for the longest sleeping period is 18 days.
• The louder you snore, the more likely you are to be overweight.
• Snorers are 3 times more likely to suffer adverse health conditions than non-snorers.
• Teenagers need about 10 hrs sleep while those over 65 only need about 6.
• Over one third of couples report disharmony within the relationship due to snoring.

Snoring is not a normal condition and it means you have something not right. Doing nothing about it could be very serious. If your relationships are suffering due to your snoring problem this should be reason enough to get the issue looked at. If you don't, you could end up sleep alone. Research has shown that partners of snorers have just 3-5 hours sleep per night. This leads to all sorts of problems. You only have to read some of the articles on sleep deprivation on some of the top medical websites to realise this is a serious issue. So if you snore, stop ignoring it and do something today.

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Symptoms Of Narcolepsy - Top 9 Symptoms Of Narcolepsy

ByDaniel Tukavkin

The following Top 9 Symptoms Of Narcolepsy will help you identify if you or someone around you is living with undiagnosed narcolepsy.

There are many symptoms of narcolepsy, some are worse than others. In this article I'm going to share with you the top 9 that will be most apparent.

Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder caused by a reduction in a protein in the brain called orexin. There is strong evidence to suggest that narcolepsy is actually an auto-immune disease.

Symptoms Of Narcolepsy - Top 3 Worst Symptoms

These symptoms will be the most pronounced and cause the most problems in a narcoleptics life.

1. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)

At its core this is what narcolepsy is - being tired all the time. EDS will continue even if a full nights rest is had.

2. Cataplexy

Cataplexy is loss of motor muscle control. You may experience sudden loss of motor control even while awake. This can be brought on with high emotions like crying.

3. Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a symptom where you are unable to physically move at the beginning and/or end of your sleep.

Symptoms Of Narcolepsy - Next 3 Bad Symptoms

These next 3 symptoms will also contribute to lifestyle difficulties in narcoleptics.

4. Automatic Behaviour

This is where you continue to function when you are asleep, and when you awaken you have no memory of the event.

5. Microsleeps

A microsleep is when you go to sleep for a short time without warning and usually not recalling you where actually asleep.

6. Hypnagogic hallucinations

These hallucinations are vivid, dream experiences and can occur anytime you are sleeping, dozing off, microsleeping etc.

Symptoms Of Narcolepsy - 3 More Symptoms That May Go Missed

These last 3 symptoms will be less pronounced in the life of a narcoleptic however may contribute to difficulties.

7. Quick entry into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep

Narcoleptics are unique in that they can enter REM sleep at the beginning of their sleep, without having to wait the usual 90 mins a normal person would take to enter REM sleep.

8. Nighttime Wakefulness

It's almost an oxymoron that Narcoleptics, who are falling asleep all the time, would have a problem with wakefulness. But in some cases you may have extreme periods of alertness at odd hours in the night.

9. Irregular Brainwave Rhythms

Normally when you are awake your brainwaves show a regular rhythm, however narcoleptics often have irregular brainwaves due to entering and exiting sleep cycles spontaneously.

The top 9 symptoms of narcolepsy discussed today are really the crux of the symptoms any narcoleptic will experience. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms then there may be a good chance that person has narcolepsy. Consider getting medical advice.

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The Effects and Treatment of Sleep Deprivation

ByWendy Lau

Sleep deprivation is considered by most people as a simple problem that will not cause any damage to the body and that can be treated by sleeping in when they have the time. However, it is actually more than that, for it has effects that can be detrimental to your health.

For the body to recuperate from the stress and all the activities that it does in a day, it needs to rest and that is done through sleeping. An average adult needs about six to eight hours of sleep daily for the body to fully recuperate. However, there are instances when the amount of sleep that you need is not met and if this happens constantly, it will lead to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation when simply defined is the lack of sleep. This is a rampant problem that affects about 25% of the entire population of the United States.

There are several causes of sleep deprivation. It can be caused by sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, sleepwalking, snoring, sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. It can also be because of chronic health conditions which can include obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and depression. For most people, the high paced lifestyle that they have today is the cause of sleep deprivation. Most people spend more time at work than at home, giving themselves only a few hours of sleeping and then going back to work again. There can also be environmental factors that can lead to developing sleep deprivation and these include coffee intake before going to bed and an uncomfortable sleeping area.

What will happen if you continuously deprive your body of sleep? There are actually a lot of physiological effects that will continue to worsen if you do not manage it well. Your body's immune system will weaken, making you at risk for developing different diseases. Headaches are also common as well as memory loss that can affect how you function at work or at school. Eye bags or periorbital puffiness is also a common effect as well as having blood shot eyes. Other effects include hand tremors, body malaise, muscle aches, depression, being sensitive to cold and irritability. It can also cause an increase in blood pressure and an increased risk for developing diabetes and fibromyalgia.

With the effects of sleep deprivation, it is important that it should be managed as early as possible. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause of this disorder. If you have a high paced lifestyle where you spend too much time at work or going out at night, you need to manage your time carefully so that you can have more time for sleeping. If your sleep deprivation is caused by sleeping disorders, you will need to be evaluated properly by a physician to correctly diagnose the type of sleeping disorder that you have. You may be given medications to help you but this will depend on the physician's evaluation of your condition.

If you are suffering from sleep deprivation, you have to manage it properly so that you will not suffer from the effects that were mentioned above. It would be better to have it treated earlier than having regrets later on.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Apnea Treatment.

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How to Recognize Sleep Apnea Symptoms

ByWendy Lau

Sleep is a necessity since this is the time when the mind and body are able to rest and recuperate from all the activities that you have been doing while you were awake. However, not everyone can have the needed amount of sleep everyday such as in the case of sleep disorders. Learn about the different sleep apnea symptoms so that you will know if you are having this problem or not.

Sleep apnea is a condition that is characterized by the interruption of breathing during sleep. The interruption in breathing can last for about 20 to 30 seconds and it can happen throughout the night. This is a very common disorder but it is not often treated because it is often mistaken as just simple snoring. This is a rare condition for children as it commonly occurs in adults. When you have this condition, you will have less time for deep sleep or otherwise referred to as restorative sleep since this is the one needed to be mentally sharp and energetic the next day.

Sleep disorders have three types and these are central, obstructive and complex. Obstructive is the one that is the most common and this happens when there is a blockage in the airway such as when the soft tissue located at the throat relaxes when you are sleeping. Central sleep disorders happen when there is a problem with the central nervous system, when the brain is not capable to send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing. Lastly, complex sleep apnea is a combination of these two types.

Sleep apnea symptoms can be hard to identify especially if you do not have a medical background. However, if you notice these manifestations that happen every time you or another person you know sleeps, then you should consult your doctor for proper evaluation. The major sleep apnea symptoms are chronic and loud snoring, gasping and choking while sleeping, long pauses when breathing and sleepiness during daytime. Other sleep apnea symptoms are having a sore throat or dry mouth upon waking up, headaches in the morning, restlessness during sleep, insomnia, frequent trips to the bathroom at night, waking up feeling out of breath, being forgetful and moody. For children, it is difficult to recognize this disorder. Aside from the major sleep apnea symptoms that are manifested, you can also observe children to be hyperactive, inattentive, there is a decrease in their school performance, irritable, hostile and they breathe through their mouth instead of the nose.

The treatment of sleep apnea symptoms will depend on the underlying causes. If you are obese, then you will need to have a balanced diet and you will need to lose weight. Smokers and those who have regular intake of alcohol and sedatives should avoid these. Caffeine intake is not recommended as well as having heavy meals just before bedtime since these can lead to sleep disorders. It is also recommended that you should maintain a steady sleep schedule so that your body will get accustomed to it. These will not cure this disorder though, so it is but important to consult a doctor for other treatment methods.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that should not be ignored since sleep is important for physiologic functioning. When you know the different sleep disorder symptoms, then you will be able to identify if you are suffering from this disorder.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Sleep Apnea Treatment.

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