Sleep apnea and depression

Little is known about why we sleep. What is the purpose of sleep? In spite of centuries of searching for the answer to this question, research into the phenomenon of sleep has produced only theories. There is no conclusive answer available. On the other hand, a great deal is known about the effects of not getting enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation is associated with physical as well as mental and emotional maladies. Sleep apnea cessation of breathing during sleep is a specific type of sleep deprivation that has received a great deal of attention is the recent past. Physical consequences of sleep apnea include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, headaches, and male impotence. Mental capacity is adversely affected which is indicated by difficulty in concentrating and impaired memory.

There is also a connection between sleep apnea and depression. One confounding factor in this relationship is that sleep apnea and depression share several symptoms. Fatigue, low motivation, and irritability are common complaints of individuals diagnosed with both sleep apnea and depression. According to Dr. Maurice Ohayon of the Stanford University School of Medicine, his research demonstrates that an individual who suffers from depression is five times more likely to also have a sleep disorder.

Controlled scientific research provides important data that is needed to diagnose and appropriately treat medical disorders such as sleep apnea and depression. As a polysomnographic technologist, or sleep tech, I have witnessed first-hand the relationship between sleep apnea and depression. Preparing a patient for a sleep study involves placing belts around their chest and abdomen, electrodes on the scalp for sensing brain waves, and several other probes and sensors. The process of placing all of this hardware takes about 45 minutes. That time is usually filled with conversation. Of course I explain to the patient what I am doing and what the night will be like, but there is also much small talk. On rare occasions, patients are resistant to being engaged in any exchange. On this particular night, I had such a patient, who I’ll call Wendy.

It had been previously determined that Wendy did, in fact, have sleep apnea. My assignment was to determine the appropriate treatment for Wendy. One common treatment for sleep apnea involves placing a tight fitting mask on the patient and applying continuous positive pressure to the airway. This is known as CPAP. This pressure stabilizes

From A Nurse: Get Rid Of Insomnia Or Other Sleep Disorder Now

Insomnia or lack of sleep can have a big effect on your judgment, memory, hand-to-eye coordination, well-being, and your reaction-time. And disturbed sleep is a type of sleep disorder which means the disruption of normal sleep. Some sleep disorder symptoms include feeling sleepy or irritable in the daytime, difficulty staying awake in the evening while watching television or reading and being told by others that you look tired all the time.

Make sure to see your sleep specialist as soon as possible if you think you might have sleep apnea or if your spouse or partner says you stop breathing during sleep. You must take them seriously and get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible. A partially blocked airway is what causes the sleep loss in sleep apnea. Sleep disorder treatments usually include the use of medical devices that help force air into the mouth while sleeping or a mechanical dental device to help keep the mouth in the right position in order to breathe properly. Sleep apnea can be life threatening; this problem is usually accompanied by heavy and loud snoring and causes the person to wake up sometimes as much as a hundred times during the night without remembering being awake.

Many people say they survive nicely on four or five hours of sleep at night and others say they need at least nine or even ten hours. It’s reported that the average adult needs about nine hours of sleep, but many studies and people dispute this. Reports have a wide range – from four to ten hours a night. Many people who get (but not need) only four hours of sleep take daytime naps.

Generally there are about three types of sleep disorders: lack of enough sleep, sleep disturbance, and too much or excessive sleep. Some sleep disorder symptoms can be a cause for concern like falling asleep while driving and having slow reactions along with emotional outbursts. In the excessive sleep disorder types, the most well-known is narcolepsy.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is the involuntary movement of arms and/or legs while asleep. Sleepwalking is the engaging in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness, such as eating or getting dressed, which may include walking; all without the conscious knowledge that you are doing it. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is the irresistible urge to move one’s legs while sleeping and often accompanies Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD.)

If going to sleep is a continuing problem for you, check your mattress and pillow and see if they are too hard or too soft. Your pillow may make you feel as though you’re lying uphill or downhill and if it’s too hard may press into your head uncomfortably, reducing the chance of your falling asleep. Some say that sleeping with your head facing north helps you fall asleep because your body is better aligned with the earth.

Actually applying some of the insomnia tips you’ve heard in the past may put your mind at rest long enough to allow you to go to sleep. Although many experts say not to watch television, others say they fall asleep fast when they set their television timer for 30 minutes or so with all other lights off, then watching a late night talk show. They say it works because it doesn’t require a lot of thinking keeps one from distracting thoughts and may even make you laugh, which helps you relax. Do try to focus on anything pleasant, long enough to distract you from any worries that may be keeping you awake.

Avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine, which is often used for its ability to keep you alert during the day and, if possible, don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. After eating your evening meal and/or snacks, try to allow at least 2 ½ to 3 hours o pass before you go to bed. The digestive process can take up to five hours and can interfere with sleep.

It may be through relaxation exercises in bed or through meditation or prayer, but whatever it takes to make the mind clear and keep it clear will help reduce stress as well as insomnia. Some doctors may offer sleeping medications as a short-term solution along with insomnia tips, but you want to try to solve it naturally if you can. They should be able to help you find the underlying cause of the sleeplessness though and treat the cause instead of the symptom. Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe sleep medication unless it becomes absolutely necessary, which may be in the case of anyone suffering from an injury that is accompanied by severe pain and not resolved any other way.

Make sure to check out the obvious like your mattress to see if it’s too hard, too soft or lumpy. If you can go without sleeping pills try to do so. It’s always up to you to make the right best decision for you about your body.

You always have the right to refuse any suggestion from any health professional that doesn’t feel right to you. Finding the solution to your sleeping problems or serious sleep disorder will be worth the investment in your time. A sleep clinic or sleep disorder center will have numerous ways to test a patient, for a variety of sleeping disorders, whether one is an adult, child or infant and come up with a sleep treatment plan. But don’t give up. Many people have resolved their sleeping problems and you can do it too.

Five things you can do to stop your migraine headache.

This is a summary of what I try to tell my own patients about treating migraine. Most of this is in your own hands. The problem is that there is no guarantee that any treatment for migraine will actually work. However the following do have science behind them, even if it looks like commonsense. I estimate that if you can successfully implement these changes you could cut the amount of migraine you have by over 50%.

Migraine Treatment: Step 1 – Sleep
Sleep has long been recognised as a treatment for migraine. Many people with migraine take to their bed, as it is the only way to get comfortable. Sleep will inevitably follow, and it is a common experience to waken with your head feeling a lot better – if not completely gone.
An irregular sleep pattern and sleep deprivation can trigger migraine attacks. If you are able to do so, try and improve your sleep hygiene – wind down before bedtime, have a milky drink, make sure your day is active enough that you feel tired, avoid stressful situations before going to bed and make sure that you allow sufficient time to sleep. A recent research programme showed that doing these things to improve sleep pattern could reduce migraine severity by up to 30%.

Migraine Treatment: Step 2 – Water
Dehydration is a lack of water in your body. Many people with migraine will deliberately increase the amount they drink, as they know that if they get dehydrated a migraine will certainly follow. The exact amount which is best is not known. A cup (100ml) every 1 to 2 hours during your waking day may be more than enough for most people. There is a famous case of an engineer who took great care to record his water intake and the frequency of his migraine attacks. He realised (when he did the statistical analysis!)that regular water drinking reduced his migraine frequency by about 50%!. Please note if you have kidney trouble you may not be able to be free to increase your fluid intake by this amount – check with your doctor if you are unsure). In warmer climates or during periods of hot weather the amount you drink may need to increase.

Migraine Treatment: Step 3 – Exercise
It is a commonly accepted fact that exercise causes naturally made painkillers (called endorphins) to be released into your brain. Regular exercise will contribute to a sense of well being. When you feel fit, headaches are less likely to occur. A problem is that migraine people can sometimes cause headaches by exercising too much, especially if tired or dehydrated or if exercising in bright sunlight. I’d suggest starting with gentle exercise such as walking half to one mile a 3 times each week, then builiding this up until you enjoy walking 2 or 3 miles at a time. Walk interesting routes, go with a friend, anyhting to make you stick to the routine. You do not have to train to run a marathon! Regular exercise, like walking, I’m sure, is a big help. There are studies of gym-based activities such as rowing, cycling or stepping. In one study doing these activities for up to one hour 3 times a week did reduce migraine frequency by between 30 and 50%. However, another more recent study using exercvise cycles did not show such a strong response. Exercise should, however, be p[art of your migraine reduction programme.

Migraine Treatment: Step 4- Diet & Weight Management
There is no end to the amount of information written about diets. A lot of people talk about triggers such as coffee or chocolate. If you find that a specific food always produces a migraine, then it makes sense to avoid it. However, if you analyse a trigger food, you may find that when you ate the chocolate you were a bit underslept, had missed your lunch, were under a bit of stress or it was a warm day when you hadn’t had much to drink. No wonder when you took that mid-afternoon snack of chocolate you ended up with a migraine! My advice is this – eat regularly, try to avoid missing meals. When you eat – enjoy it! Better to enjoy your food and relax than get stressed over what is supposed to be one of life’s simple pleasures.
It is now known that being overweight is strongly associated with recurrent severe migraine headache. If you do happen to be overweight, reducing your weight through a planned calorie restriction and exercise programme can reduce the amount of headache you have. People with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 are up to 6 times less likely to have severe migraines, than those who are severely overweight or obese.

Migraine Treatment: Step 5 – Stress avoidance and Biofeedback
This is hard. You are a young mother, holding down a job, your partner works long hours, you have deadlines, need to keep the house running, children or parents to sort out etc etc etc. This sort of common stress can take its toll. More major stress will also provoke headaches. Learning to deal with stress is difficult. However, I often find that people who get stressed are usually very bad at looking after themselves – when did you last take a few hours off just for yourself? Stress avoidance is helpful. Biofeedback is a technique that allows you to feel more in control of your pain. If you can learn this, it is said to be very effective at reducing the frequency of migraine headaches. Stress management can reduce migraine frequency by up to 50%.

So that’s it – 5 things you can do to treat your own migraine – this is exactly what I try to tell my patients. Note that a lot of this is within your own control – sleep, exercise, water intake, diet, stress avoidance. It is a powerful thing to feel in control. Medicines will help, but unless you look after youself, medicines are not the whole answer.

Please note, this information assumes that your diagnosis is correct, and this article is not a substitute for proper medical care. If you are not sure of your diagnosis or have symptoms that concern you, you are advised to speak to your doctor.

Sleep Disorders – Types of Sleep Disorders

An overview of sleep disorders in adults – Part 11

Sleep Disorders: The causes and effects of sleep disorders and who can help

Introduction

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word. Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird won’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring (Author & date unknown).” Remember that lullaby? As parents place their infants in the comfortable position for an infant to sleep, this lullaby as well as Rock-a-bye Baby and Who Would Imagine A King, are helpful to parents in aiding an infant’s sleep. However, singing a lullaby to an adult may prove more difficult. Millions of Americans complain of sleep difficulty as a primary condition or in accession with other primary conditions such as intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders and physical disabilities. Since there are a tremendous number of disabilities and medical conditions, that are primary conditions resulting in sleeping dysfunctions, a concentration will focus on psychiatric disabilities which interrupt sleep patterns causing sleep disorders. These disabilities include, intellectual disabilities, major depressive disorder, and restless leg syndrome. There are many sleep disorders. Within this review, insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome are mentioned.

Sleep disorders show no preference and have an effect on various age groups and their employment performance. Within the contents of this report, individuals aged 18 and over will be discussed as well as older persons above the age of 65 who may wish to continue employment and how a rehabilitation counselor or other counselors may assist individuals with a sleep disorder. Throughout this review, sleep dysfunction will be described and discussed as well as some of the causes of this disorder. Additionally the paper will explain different treatments, how the disorder is discovered, and how sleep disorders could affect an individual personally and within the public population.

Sleep & Sleep Dysfunction: The Prevalence, Definition & Description of This Disorder

Sleep is defined as the natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which bodily powers are restored (Mish, 2004). Normal sleep, for most individuals, requires 6.5 to 8 hours of sleep each night (Resnick, Shaughnessy, & Simpson, 2005). Sleep patterns have five stages. Non rapid eye movement (NREM) is the first stage when light sleep is exhibited. The second stage is as eye movements stopping causing the brain waves to slow. The third and fourth

What You Should Know About Sleep Disorders

Everyone suffers from an occasional nightmare or sleepless night, but millions of Americans suffer from extremely severe sleep disorders that can negatively affect their health if left untreated. In fact, ninety-five percent of people suffering from such a disorder remain undiagnosed.

This staggering number means that a huge population of people aren’t getting the treatment they need. In this article, we’ll talk about sleep disorders to help you decide if you need medical help.

There are over one hundred different types of its disorders that can be classified into four categories. Insomnias include difficulty falling and staying asleep. Narcolepsy and apnea are examples of disorders that prevent people from staying awake. People suffering from jet lag or those who have trouble sleeping because of shift work are having a disturbance in their sleep/wake cycle.

People who experience sleepwalking or enuresis are experiencing interruptions associated with behavioral problems. Any condition in which your sleep doesn’t follow the typical phase cycle or doesn’t stay in each cycle for a sufficient period of time is a disruptive disorder.

Those who have disrupted sleep tend to not experience “restorative sleep.” Sleep deprivation can make you irritable, tired, have less focus, a lower frustration level, and can lead to exhibiting behavior that’s more emotional and impulsive. One dangerous fact about sleeping disorders is that they weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to other diseases like diabetes, cancer and even the common cold.

It is not uncommon for people who suffer from its deprivation due to disorders such as apnea, narcolepsy and insomnia to also suffer from other problems including diabetes, asthma or a second sleep disorder.

When gaining insight about sleep disorders, you will find that no one is immune. Many elderly people suffer from insomnia and often have to be put on medication for the condition. Some of the common disorders that affect children include night terrors, nightmares and bedwetting. Nearly seventy percent of women report that they suffer from some type of sleep disorder.

Similarly, over forty percent of women admit that daytime sleepiness disrupts their daily activities. Although menopausal and pregnant women are far more likely to suffer from such a disorder, women are two times more likely than men to experience a malady of this kind.

A restless night can result in more than just daytime sleepiness, so it’s crucial to seek medical attention if you aren’t sleeping for an extended period of time. Your doctor can provide a wealth of treatment options or refer you to organizations that know more about sleep disorders. No matter which course of treatment you choose, your quality of life will definitely improve once you start getting some quality shut eye.

To Sleep Perchance to Dream is What our Body Needs

Sleep is the state in which activity of the brain proper appears to be naturally and temporarily suspended. Dreaming, sleepwalking and other sleep related phenomenon show that some activity of the mind is possible and does occur, even during sleep.

All parts of the body, which are the seats of active change, require regular periods of rest. In the case of the brain, it would be impossible that there should be only short periods of activity and repose, that is, of consciousness and unconsciousness. Hence the necessity for regular periods of sleep.

Sleep is a condition that is a remarkably perfect example of what occurs at varying intervals in every working portion of our bodies. Sleep, therefore, affords the body the interval during which energy that is expended during the day is renewed.

The influences of personal habits, ago, temperament and occupation have much to do with the duration and quality of sleep in different individuals. Years ago it believed that sleep without dreams was best. The thinking was that dreaming meant the sleeper was not in a deep sleep and would be prone to sudden waking. Today, many medical professionals believe that we need periods of rapid eye movement sleep or REM sleep, which is the period during which we dream.

Among sleep disorders, sleepwalking is one of the most curious. Somnambulism is a state where, while sleeping, a person moves and acts as though conscious. Walking during sleep is the most common manifestation of somnambulism. The sleeper may perform many apparently voluntary actions. The sleeper may perform all manner of different tasks, and to the casual observer may seem completely alert and awake.

The sleeper may get out of bed, get dressed, go outdoors, and perform other tasks. In some cases the sleeper may carry engage in conversation. On waking in the morning the subject may have absolutely no memory of the event or may feel the experience was a dream. Early explanations of sleepwalking included some very bizarre theories, including demonic possession or other paranormal phenomenon.

A myth that continues to this day is that waking a sleepwalker is dangerous. Given that the subject is not awake, it may in fact be more dangerous not to wake them. Later research has concluded that somnambulism can be successfully treated.

Shakespeare understood all to well that dreams are more than mere trains of ideas, which present themselves to the mind during sleep. In dreaming there is no voluntary control of the current of thought and the principle of suggestion has unlimited sway. Usually there is no coherence in the images that appear, but the most extraordinary contradictions excite no surprise in the dreamer.

Occasionally however, intellectual efforts are made during sleep that would be difficult to surpass in a waking state. It is said that Coleridge composed Kubla Khan, a beautiful fragment of a poem, while he was asleep. It is said that that similar occurrences have been recorded by other people.

Dreams arise from very natural causes and are merely the result of mental processes stimulated in the same way as are out thoughts during the daytime. A sensation of cold may cause one to dream of snowstorms and freezing while a ray of light may incite one to dream of a fire. It was said that a case of indigestion or eating a heavy meal too late at night might have brought on nightmarish dreams.

Years ago it was thought that dreams may in a general way indicate the condition of a person’s health or mental wellbeing and was the frequent accompaniment of some forms of disease.