Most common sleep disorders
Beating Insomnia With These 7 Tips
Insomnia can range from mild to chronic. Mild insomnia can happen if you’re feeling stressed about relationships or if you’re having problems with finances or trouble on your job. An emotional trauma can also cause a mild case of insomnia, but this type will pass.
Insomnia that’s ongoing and continues to prevent sleep needs to be evaluated. Sometimes, insomnia is brought on my taking a new medication with sleeplessness as a side effect – but insomnia can also be health-related.
Whatever type of insomnia you might have or the reason behind it, you need a good night’s sleep in order to be able to function the next day. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to poor ability to function at home or work and it’s been linked to numerous health problems.
Following these seven tips can break the cycle of sleeplessness and get you back on track so that you get a good night’s rest.
First, shut off your thoughts. We’re so busy during the day that it’s easy to push aside thoughts of things that weigh on us. But at night, when our body is still, our mind often gets busy fretting about whatever’s going on in our lives.
If anxious thoughts start, don’t entertain them. Imagine yourself shoving all the worries into a closet and barring the door. If that still doesn’t help, get out of bed and meditate. Do something that relaxes you – but don’t watch anything on television unless it’s something boring.
Second, avoid eating a heavy meal right before you go to bed. Overeating can cause you to wake up throughout the night.
Third, make sure your room is a sleep haven. Have a comfortable bed. Keep the room dark and block out any noises that might disturb you. Keep your room temperature at a level that you find comfortable to sleep in.
Fourth, do exercise – but not right before you go to sleep. Exercise can stimulate and invigorate your body – the opposite of what you want before bed.
Fifth, set your internal clock by maintaining a bedtime schedule. Go to bed at a set hour. If you do this regularly, your body will begin to crave sleep at that time.
Sixth, avoid alcohol and caffeine before bed – and don’t smoke, either – because nicotine is a stimulant that will keep you awake or cause you to wake up once you’ve dozed off.
Seventh, have a warm, relaxing bath before bed. Soak in the tub and listen to relaxing music while the water massages your muscles.
How a Good Sleep Pillow Can Help You Rest Better
You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Good sleep isn’t missed until you suddenly don’t have it anymore. You might have heard about how important it is to have the right bed in order to sleep well.
But you might not know that each part of your bed is crucial for helping you get a good night’s sleep. It’s true that having the right mattress will help you get rest, but having the wrong kind of pillow can derail any good that a mattress can do for your sleep.
The good news is that having the right pillow is an easy fix if yours isn’t helping you sleep well. When you lie down on the bed, the way your bones are supported is important.
Your spine can twist into and remain at the wrong angle without the right pillow. This misalignment during sleep can cause a host of aches and pains. You need a good pillow for proper neck support.
Without it, you end up with a stiff and aching neck and stiff, painful shoulders, too. Without the best pillow for your body, you can toss and turn and have your sleep cycle broken. It can even interfere with your blood circulation if you choose the wrong pillow.
We all have our favorite ways to sleep. Because not everyone falls asleep in the same position (some are back sleepers, while others sleep on their side or on their stomach), you need a pillow designed for your specific sleep style.
Not only should your pillow cushion your head, but it should support your neck and help keep your spine aligned straight. Having the wrong pillow can cause you to have headaches from the strain on your muscles and spine.
What criteria should you base your pillow selection on? Your selection should be based on two factors – how you sleep and what kind of filling you prefer. For those who like to sleep on their side, there’s a gap of space between the head and the shoulder.
That gap has to be filled in with support from a pillow to avoid muscle aches and misalignment of the spine. Choose a pillow, such as a feather pillow, that will allow you to manipulate it to fit that gap.
If sleeping on your back is your preference, remember not to use a fluffy pillow or sleep on more than one pillow because this makes your neck crooked and puts pressure on your spine.
If you have to sleep with your head elevated, it’s best to elevate the head of your bed rather than using extra pillows. For those who sleep on their stomach, using a thin pillow is a good choice to keep the bones aligned and the blood circulation flowing.
Diagnosing Your Sleep Disorders
There are many different sleep disorders. You can have sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or sleepwalking. You can also have insomnia or a work schedule sleep disorder. Some disorders can be mild or temporary – such as your body’s natural sleep clock getting thrown off by Daylight Savings Time.
Not being able to sleep can happen to anyone. It’s even common to struggle with bouts of insomnia that come and go. What’s not so common is where a sleep disorder is chronic or life-altering. Trouble sleeping isn’t supposed to be ongoing.
The problem with a sleep disorder is that you lose things other than sleep. You lose energy, feeling tired, and often too exhausted to get everything done that you want to do. Sleep disorders take a toll on more than sleep. Having a sleep disorder can negatively affect your health.
You may begin to experience periods of extreme irritation or even outbursts of anger in response to minimal stress. If you struggle to fall asleep or your sleep is disrupted and it happens often, that’s a sign of a sleep disorder. Being tired during the day is a sign that you’re not getting enough refreshing sleep.
There’s a checklist you can look at for signs that you might have a sleep disorder. Ask yourself if you feel a desire to nap during the day. Do you have to force yourself to pay attention during meetings and while driving because you’re so sleepy? Do you fall asleep during afternoon television shows? Is a lack of sleep affecting your work performance? Are you often moody for no definable reason?
Sleep disorders can cause you to get the raccoon to look around your eyes. You’ll have dark circles and puffy eyelids. Your body’s immune system won’t work as well and you can catch a virus much easier.
There is more than one way to diagnose a sleep disorder. First, if you’re having trouble sleeping or if you’re waking throughout the night or experiencing sleepiness during the day, start writing down what’s going on.
Write what time you went to bed and what symptoms occurred. Did someone wake you up and tell you that were snoring? Did you wake up gasping for air? Do your legs move about in your sleep? Do you feel pins and needles in your arms or legs?
After keeping a record of your sleep troubles, you’ll have more clues as to what could be going on with your lack of sleep. You can also share your record with your doctor, who may recommend further testing – including an official sleep study. Usually, with some simple changes, you can start enjoying a good night’s sleep once again.
Choosing the Best Bed for a Good Night’s Sleep
Many people make a mistake that robs them of getting enough sleep. While keeping your bedroom quiet, dark, and clutter-free is important to your quality of sleep, none of that will make a difference if you have the wrong kind of bed.
Size does matter. You need the right size bed so you have to room to sleep at night without feeling like you’re being cramped or confined to a small space. Quality matters, too – in every component of your bed.
Starting with the frame, if you have a poorly constructed frame, it won’t support your box springs or mattress correctly. Your frame should not bow, have cracks, or be warped anywhere. Your box spring is the base or foundation that keeps your mattress in good shape.
A poor box spring will cause your mattress to lose firmness and can contribute to the developing of worn places. You need quality in your mattress and your mattress cover. The wrong mattress cover will give you an uncomfortable night’s sleep because it won’t keep away moisture and you’ll wake feeling hot and sweaty.
The right mattress cover can cut down on allergens, too. Your pillows and blankets should also be top quality. Everything needs to be optimal in order for you to achieve a deep slumber.
Beds aren’t supposed to make noise when you turn over or shift your weight. If a bed does this, it’s not the right one to buy – and if you have one that’s noisy, it’s time to replace it.
For the number of hours that you have every day to get a comfortable night of sleep, to put up with less than the best bed is a mistake. Your bed is the key to how you’re going to function in your waking hours.
It’s the key to good back and muscle health. It’s also the key to looking and feeling rested. How can you know if it’s time to replace the bed? If your mattress is older than 10 years, it’s time to start looking for another one.
The reason that mattresses have a certain number of years on the guarantee is because graduating up to that timeframe, a mattress slowly starts to wear and then gives way to worn places, broken springs, and more.
Having a mattress that’s poor quality or too old is the reason they sag. If your body dips on the mattress when you lay down and you can get up and still see a sunken-in spot, it’s time to replace it. If your mattress has lumps, you need a new one.
When you’re choosing a bed, ignore the price and the hype associated with any of the names on the mattresses. You want to choose a bed based on how it suits you and don’t take a salesman’s word for it. Feel the material if you’re buying from a store. If you’re ordering online, pay attention to the reviews.
Some of the most common sleep disorders include:
Insomnia.
Snoring and sleep apnea.
Parasomnias.
Sleep paralysis.
Restless legs syndrome.
Circadian disorders.
Narcolepsy.What are the 3 most common sleep disorders?
3 Most Common Sleep Disorders – Revere Healthreverehealth.com › live-better › 3-common-sleep-disorders
…https://reverehealth.com/live-better/3-common-sleep-disorders/3 Most Common Sleep DisordersInsomnia and Narcolepsy. Insomnia, or the chronic inability to fall or remain asleep, is by far the most common sleep disorder. … Sleep Apnea. Less common than insomnia but potentially more severe in some cases, sleep apnea involves breathing that frequently starts and stops during sleep. … Restless Leg Syndrome. Oct 24, 20163 Most Common Sleep Disorders – Revere Healthreverehealth.com › live-better › 3-common-sleep-disordersreverehealth.com › live-better › 3-common-sleep-disorders search for: What are the 3 most common sleep disorders?
What are the 5 major sleep disorders?
How to Diagnose & Treat the 5 Most Common Sleep Disorderswww.aastweb.org › blog › how-to-diagnose-treat-the-5-m…
…https://www.aastweb.org/blog/how-to-diagnose-treat-the-5-most-common-sleep-disordersThankfully, there are treatments available that you can talk to your patients about for the five most common sleep disorders: Insomnia. Sleep Apnea.Narcolepsy.Restless Legs Syndrome.and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.Jul 24, 2017How to Diagnose & Treat the 5 Most Common Sleep Disorders…www.aastweb.org › blog › how-to-diagnose-treat-the-5-m…www.aastweb.org › blog › how-to-diagnose-treat-the-5-m…Search for: What are the 5 major sleep disorders?
What is the most dangerous sleep disorder?
Sleep Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosismy.clevelandclinic.org › 11429-common-sleep-disorders
…https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11429-common-sleep-disordersSleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the more common of the two. Oct 20, 2013Sleep Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosismy.clevelandclinic.org › 11429-common-sleep-disordersmy.clevelandclinic.org › 11429-common-sleep-disorders search for: What is the most dangerous sleep disorder?
What is Sexomnia?
Sleep sex – Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sleep_sex
…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_sexSexsomnia, also known as sleep sex, is a distinct form of parasomnia, or an abnormal activity that occurs while an individual is asleep. Sexsomnia is characterized by an individual engaging in sexual acts while in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Sleep sex -… Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sleep_sexen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Sleep_sexSearch for: What Is Sexsomnia?
Can sleep disorders be cured?
Therapy for Sleep Disorders – HelpGuide.org…www.helpguide.org › articles › therapy-for-sleep-disorders
…https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/therapy-for-sleep-disorders.htmWhy therapy for sleep disorders and not medication? When you’re desperate for sleep, it can be tempting to reach for a sleeping pill or an over-the-counter sleep aid. But sleep medication won’t cure the problem or address the underlying symptoms—in fact, it can often make sleep problems worse in the long term. Apr 16, 2020Therapy for Sleep Disorders – HelpGuide.org…www.helpguide.org › articles › therapy-for-sleep-disorders…www.helpguide.org › articles › therapy-for-sleep-disorders search for: Can sleep disorders be cured?
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