Understanding Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders (CRSDs) are sleep conditions that affect or are affected by your circadian rhythm - what is essentially your body's internal clock. Among other things, this body clock tells you when it's time to go to bed and time to get up. Your sleep and circadian rhythms are very closely connected. In normal, healthy sleepers, their body clock tells them to go to bed sometime between 10pm to 12am each night and wake up 7-9 hours later between 5am - 7am. People suffering from CRSDs, however, don't function on the same sleep schedules - their body clocks are out of whack and that makes it difficult for them to get regular sleep.

CRSDs can be classified into two groups - extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal). Extrinsic types are when something external causes your sleep problems. These include jet lag and Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD).

Jet lag occurs when travelling across different time zones and the body's clock thinks it's a different time than it actually is. And people suffering from SWSD have abnormal working hours and therefore go to bed and wake up either at different hours each day or opposite to when healthy sleepers wake and sleep.

Intrinsic types of CRSDs include:

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) - going to bed and waking up later than "regular" people

Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS) - having trouble with both remaining awake during evening hours as well as remaining asleep during morning hours.

Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome (Non-24) - going to sleep at least an hour later than the night before, never being able to develop any type of sleep schedule.

Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm - sleeping at odd times throughout the day - including naps - but overall sleeping the same amount of time as healthy sleepers.

To combat certain CRSDs, some doctors recommend bright light therapy. People undergoing bright light therapy are exposed to bright lights that manipulate the body's clock, helping them adjust to a new sleep time or a new time zone.

CRSDs are very dangerous as they can lead to accidents in the workplace or while on the road. It is thought that the accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and the Exxon Valdez oil spill were attributed to night-shift workers' fatigue. Another "cure" includes the use of melatonin supplements. Since melatonin is a naturally produced hormone which makes us feel sleepy, taking these supplements at optimal times have proven to be effective in helping people affected by circadian rhythm sleep disorders find sleep.

Reese Richards is a former sleep apnea sufferer and chronic snorer. After researching sleep strategies for more than a decade, he has perfected his own personal sleep recipe and is now able to sleep soundly through the night. To help others get the sleep they deserve, he wrote about effective sleep strategies in the 55-page sleep ebook titled "Get to Sleep Now! 39 Ways to Guarantee your ZZZs"

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Overcoming Fatigue - How to Overcome Being Tired All the Time

Tiredness and exhaustion are major players contributing to our overall well being. When we feel tired all the time, then our resources are soon depleted and our emotions can swing all over the place. There are many elements which contribute to maintaining healthy energy levels, most of which I am sure you are well aware of: getting enough sleep, feeling relaxed, eating a healthy diet with organic fruit and veg on a daily basis, drinking plenty of pure water, exercising etc etc. Sometimes energy levels are affected by illness such as hypothyroidism or ME, so if you are suffering from long term low energy, check with your doctor to see if there is a medical reason for your tiredness. What I want to share today is another possibility as to why you feel tired all the time.

We are part of the natural world, and in temperate climates we are well aware of the 4 seasons through the year and of the symbology associated with each season:

Spring: new life

Summer: high energy, abundance

Autumn: slowing down and harvest time

Winter: quiet stillness, dormancy

We are happy to relate the seasons to the activities of the animals around us: babies in springtime, and hibernation in winter. Everything works in a natural cycle, and yet, do we allow ourselves to be part of that natural cycle? There is expectation in our workplace and society that we should have abundant energy levels at all times. Yet this isn't the case. We too have our seasonal adjustments and when we stop paying attention to our bodies we can end up becoming very depleted.

In practical terms, listen to what your body is telling you: it knows more about its needs than your mind! When I do this, I notice that by body rhythm is very much in tune with the seasons. Through the summer, I have lots of energy to work, to go out and enjoy the long evenings. As autumn approaches, I feel my body begin to change, the energy levels begin to slow down, and I feel myself wanting to go to bed earlier. I reap what I sow during the summer, gathering the resources to see me through the next few months. By winter, I am sleeping a lot more than in the summer. I go to bed earlier and sleep longer in the morning. I enjoy the stillness of winter, the turning inward and processing and assimilating all that happened that year. And by the time the snowdrops are poking their heads up above the earth I am beginning to awaken again, to begin thinking of the days lengthening so that when the daffodils are dancing, I am back out in the sunshine, walking and ready to take on new things in my life, filled with exhilaration, energy and excitement for what the year ahead will bring.

When we honour ourselves by listening to our natural energy levels in this way, we find ourselves resourced for the whole year. When we plow on regardless of what our body is saying because we are feeling pressured to achieve something (either for ourselves or for someone else), that's when we get tired. Winter is the time for stillness. If we start new projects at this time, we will have a tough journey ahead. New projects take a lot of energy and our bodies are wanting to slow down. If we push through this, then we will find that we aren't resourced enough by the time it comes to spring, and it can take months to catch up energetically just because we didn't rest enough for a few weeks.

Where there are so many external expectations of us it can be difficult to truly honour ourselves. What I would recommend is that during the autumn and winter months only focus on what absolutely must be done. Use your personal time for resourcing yourself and manage your personal time so that it does fit with your natural body rhythm.

If you are finding that you are already exhausted, then simply start paying attention to your body and begin working at your own pace. It may take a while to feel fully resourced again, and if you begin the process today, then you will soon begin to see the benefits. As you pay attention to your body rhythms, then you will automatically become more aware of them, and each year you are likely to see that your own body rhythm is more and more alighed with the seasons where you live.

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The Wonder of Sleep

Most of us learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the 7th or 8th grade. You remember seeing the pyramid that starts with the most basic physical needs and progresses on to love/belonging, esteem and finally self-actualization. When we think of basic physical needs we usually think of breathing, food, water and shelter but we rarely give thought to the requirement of adequate sleep.

The concept of sleep has fascinated me for a long time. It is a subject near and dear to my heart and is something I love to do. It is a subject with which we are all intimately acquainted yet, to this day, it is still not completely understood by scientists. Let's review the basics.

Webster's Dictionary defines sleep as: "The natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which bodily powers are restored." Wikipedia states sleep is, "The recurring state of relatively suspended sensory and motor activity with total or partial unconsciousness and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles." OK, we know what it is but what does it accomplish? Why is it a vital necessity of life, included on Maslow's list of basic physical needs?

Sleep is controlled by our internal Circadian "clock" or cycle and is regulated by the neurotransmitter adenosine. This chemical gradually builds up in our brains throughout the day and when the levels are high enough, it induces sleep. The average need for adults is 7 to 8 hours per day and is regulated genetically. Those with a mutation on a particular gene typically sleep 2 hours less than normal. That certainly does not apply to me! But I digress.

Sleep aids in wound healing, boosts immune function, helps in cellular regeneration, allows for growth and rejuvenation of the nervous, skeletal and muscular systems. It also consolidates and organizes the brain's neural connections formed during learning and daily experiences. Those deprived of sleep for as little as 24 hours begin to suffer irritability, cognitive impairments, memory lapses, impaired moral judgment and decreased reaction time and accuracy. Further deprivation can even lead to increased heart rate variability, tremors, aches, impaired immune system, hallucinations and even a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that rats kept awake develop skin lesions, loss of body mass, hypothermia and eventually fatal blood poisoning. Poor things!

However, I'd like to explore the spiritual side of this. It seems to me that, among other things, God made us with the desperate need for sleep to show us how weak we humans really are. After all, on average, people spend approximately 1/3 of their lives in an unconscious state!

We run around on this earth thinking our thoughts and plans are so important; that we are in control of our lives and destinies. Even world leaders, with their pomp and ceremonies strut around in front of their people, meeting in summit talks with other rulers, all vying for domination. However, the Bible states that God looks down from his heavenly throne and busts out laughing. Psalm 2: 4 states, "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision and in supreme contempt He mocks them."

You see, God has no need for sleep. He is in total control of all that is happening on earth, down to knowing each of our thoughts and motivations. He holds the universe together by his Word yet is aware when a sparrow falls to the ground. Psalm 121: 3-4 says, "...He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel (and now, all who accept Christ) will neither slumber nor sleep." Wow! What kind of awesome, powerful Being must He be? He is the ultimate multi-tasker!

It is so comforting to know the One who created me constantly has His eye on me and never needs to take a break. I'll never have to leave a message or have Him paged when I need Him. He's always available and I have His full attention when I talk to Him. Nothing slips by Him.

So when you see egomaniacal world leaders and hear their threats of nuclear attack and terrorism; when you worry about the decline of America in the eyes of the world and the moral corruption of society in general remember the real power lies with an Almighty God who needs no rest. Frail humanity however, no matter how big or small our station in life, must put on our jammies every night and succumb to the overwhelming demand of our weakness. Blessed, humbling sleep.

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How Much Sleep Do I Need?

To answer the question "how much sleep do I need", would be very difficult without knowing a little more information about your particular situation. The quantity of sleep someone requires each night to function properly the next day depends on a variety of factors, maybe the biggest factor being age.

Most experts agree that older people tend to need less sleep than their younger counterparts. Toddlers normally require somewhere in the neighbourhood of 16 hours of sleep every 24 hour period. And teenagers, whether they get it or not in today's fast-paced world, need an average of about 9 hours of sleep. For adults, the numbers begin to skew a bit. For many, something between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night seems to work best for them. However, there are many people who function quite well on as little as 5 hours per night or upwards of 10 hours each night.

Then there are other factors that come into play. If a woman is pregnant, for example, her first 3 months of pregnancy will require that she sleeps more than normal. If you have been deprived of sleep in previous days, your body will try to "catch up" on that sleep the next time you allow yourself to stay in bed.

Because everyone's situation is different - from their schedules to their lifestyle choices to their individual health problems and subsequent medications - the sleep needed for each person each night will therefore vary. So answering the question - How much sleep do I need - becomes a little more involved than just spitting out a number.

The best way to figure out how much sleep you need is to listen to your body. Try staying up one night until you are very tired. Then, notice the time that you go to bed as well as the time that you first wake up in the morning. Try getting out of bed at that time. You may be tired and feel a little groggy at first but wait to see how you feel throughout the day.

If you feel like taking a nap during the day and you're able to, go ahead. If not, force yourself to stay awake and see what time you get tired and want to go to bed that night. Again, make note of the time and get up when your body first tells you it's time to get up. The point of this exercise is that no one knows the answer to the question "how much sleep do I need" better than your own body. If you listen to your body, it will tell you the right amount of sleep that you need each night. Sure, you may feel a little bit drowsy or groggy the first night or two but eventually you'll settle into a routine and you will have found your ideal amount of sleep.

Keep in mind that oversleeping has some of the same effects as not sleeping enough. If you don't listen to your body and you force yourself to stay in bed longer than your body wants to, you'll end up sleeping too much. This in turn, will make you sleepy during the day - the same as if you hadn't slept enough.

Either way, you'll end up feeling like you don't have enough energy to carry you throughout the day.

So, make sure you go through the exercise above so that you can finally answer the question - how much sleep do I need - for yourself.

If you have trouble sleeping at night and go through the day feeling like a zombie, it doesn't have to be that way. Reese Richards has suffered with sleep apnea and chronic snoring most of his adult life. He has now found his perfect sleep recipe and sleeps great. Find your perfect sleep recipe with his new sleep ebook.

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Is Your Biological Clock Ticking Out of Time?

What time do you naturally like to go to bed or wake up? Do you feel that you're at your best when you go to bed late and sleep until noon? Or do you love waking up to watch the sunrise? What many don't realize is that every individual has a biological clock, which is called the Circadian Rhythm, and whenever possible, it's important to embrace it.

Disruptions in your clock can cause sleep deprivation and problems with your health. This was the topic of M. Okawa of the Shiga University of Medical Science in Otsu Japan in his address at this month's Educational Symposia on Sleep and Biological Rhythms, and is published in the 2011, Japanese Society of Sleep Research Report, Sleep and Biological Rhythms.

By looking at biological rhythms in children with brain damage, much useful information of the development of the circadian system has been gleaned. Blind children as well were studied and it was found they tend to show a higher rate of rhythm disorders than sighted children. The study also examined elderly patients and determined they have a reduced tendency to sleep at night and difficulty staying awake during the day, especially those with dementia. They discovered several reasons, from sensory deprivation and low light levels, to lack of social stimulation and physical and mental exercise.

Traditionally, night owls - those whose minds are alert through the wee hours of the night and sleep in through the morning - have had more difficulty conforming to the typical American 9am to 5pm schedule, whereas "Morning Larks" had no problem. But besides the struggle of waking up to an early alarm clock, the health consequences from sleep deprivation due to a biological clock disruption can be severe. It can lead to obesity, hypertension, depression, diabetes, and even an increase in risk for dementia.

According to another study from Sydney University/RPA Hospital in Australia, 16% of Austrialians who work shifts are affected by biological clock disorders, and 30% of frequent flyers experience jet lag. The concern is that today, circadian rhythm sleep disorders are becoming more and more common and they believe it's due to our 24/7 society, citing the statistic that at least a third of developing country's work force are now needed for 24 hour a day, 7 days a week work shifts.

If you feel that you may be suffering from a disruption in your biological sleep clock, it is important that you get it diagnosed. Schedule an appointment today for a sleep test at REM Sleep, the diagnostic branch of Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center.

David Volpi, M.D., P.C., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified otolaryngology surgeon with Ear, Nose and Throat practices, Otolaryngology Associates, on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side and is a staff member of the best teaching hospitals New York City. Realizing that there is a lack of information on the part of the public about the potential severity of snoring, he founded The Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center to be a place where snoring patients can go for expert information, diagnosis and treatment. As a recognized authority throughout the country for his work in snoring disorders, he is also the author of the definitive guide book on the diagnosis and treatment of snoring: Wake Up! You're Snoring...

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