Battling Sleeping Disorders

October 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sleep is an ordinary routine for us all. It is an essential part in living as it contributes both to our physical and mental state. However, for those with sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, sleeping doesn’t come as easy as it normally should. There are treatments to counter sleeping disorders. Battling sleeping disorders, though, take time and patience.

Sleeping disorders may occur because of anxiety, physical pain, or a change in lifestyle (shift work change). Environmental noise can also contribute to sleeping poorly. Medications and drugs can also be factors. Sleeping poorly will lead to sleep debt, which is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep. Sleep debt can cause mental and physical fatigue, and may ruin your personal and professional life.

To battle sleeping disorders, it is important to understand the cause of the disorder and to understand what sort of treatments you have to take. Sleep disorders vary in nature and degree. The worst of the sleeping disorders are dyssomnias or insomnia, hypersomnia (disorders of excessive sleepiness), and parasomnias or having abnormal behaviors during sleep.

Treatments for sleeping disorders also varies, from changes in your life style to taking in different medications. There is one thing that matters when treating all sleeping disorders, though, and that is to stick to a routine for sleeping. This routine will basically cover the following tips:

- Going to bed only when you get sleepy

- Sleeping time and waking time should be routinary and constant

- Don’t drink alcohol, or drinks with caffeine in the evening

- Exercise daily and improve on your physical activities

- Take a break and relax from time to time

- Condition your bedroom that it would be comfortable for you to sleep in (bed, room temperature, etc.)

- Close windows, remove distractions, and don’t bring in work in your bedroom to have a quiet sleep

- Take a hot or warm bath before going to sleep

- Eat early in the evening and don’t eat too late at night

- Take a night stroll or do some stretching exercises to relax your muscles

- Drink warm milk or some herbal teas

- Have a massage to get your body to relax

- Take calcium and magnesium supplements before bedtime

Stick to whichever tips from the list above and perform them on a daily basis. Making them routine in your life can contribute to a routine sleep in the future.

Many health organizations maintain that a person has to sleep around eight to nine hours to achieve optimal sleep benefits, including alertness, memory enhancement and problem and solving, overall health improvement, and a reduction in risks of accidents. Studies have shown that sleeping less than eight hours results in a decline in cognitive performances. There is also a study concerning a person’s mortality rate wherein experts insist on sleeping six to seven hours each night.

More studies show that either the lack of sleep or too much of it can contribute to cardiovascular diseases, weight issues, and death. Weight gain, hypertension, diabetes are some of the problems associated with sleeping less and more than six to seven hours every night.

Keeping in mind these simple tips and information, battling your sleeping disorder is possible. Even with the amount of time needed for it to be treated, the end result is that you will be able to finally sleep without any trouble.

Filed Under: Eating Disorders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sleeping Medications: Do You Know the Latest Warnings on Their Labels?

October 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

You would have been bombarded by television commercials and print ads about the wonders of the new sleeping medications.  However, you wouldn’t have been confronted with strong warnings either of their potential risks.

Multiple adverse reports have emerged ever since the introduction of the non-benzodiazepines (NBZ) class of drugs in the 1990s. These include the highly advertised Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Remeron. Although the NBZs eventually replaced the older class of drugs as the first line treatment of insomnia, they seem just as likely to cause amnesia and erratic behavior. It appears that reports of sleep-eating and sleep-driving on Ambien are reminiscent of problems nearly 20 years ago with Halcion, which was banned in some countries.

As of last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers to not just include strong warnings in the labels but also develop warning guides for distribution with virtually all hypnotic sedative sleeping medications. These Patient Medication Guides are handouts given to patients, families and caregivers when the sleeping medication is dispensed.

“There are a number of prescription sleep aids available that are well-tolerated and effective for many people,” said Steven Galson, M.D., MPH, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, after reviewing the available post-marketing adverse event information for these products, FDA concluded that labeling changes are necessary to inform health care providers and consumers about risks.”

The warnings are about the following potential adverse events:

- Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction).
- Angioedema (severe facial swelling).
- Sleep-driving.
- Preparing and eating food while asleep.
- Making phone calls while asleep.

Allergic reactions can occur as early as the first time the sleeping medication is taken.

The sleeping medications that are the focus of the revised labeling include the following 13 products:

-Ambien/Ambien CR (Sanofi Aventis)
-Butisol Sodium (Medpointe Pharm HLC)
-Carbrital (Parke-Davis)
-Dalmane (Valeant Pharm)
-Doral (Questcor Pharms)
-Halcion (Pharmacia & Upjohn)
-Lunesta (Sepracor)
-Placidyl (Abbott)
-Prosom (Abbott)
-Restoril (Tyco Healthcare)
-Rozerem (Takeda)
-Seconal (Lilly)
-Sonata (King Pharmaceuticals)

The problems that arose were worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for International Drug Monitoring received 867 reports from 24 countries of people encountering amnesia, often coupled with confusion, agitation and other behavior disturbances, while taking the new sleeping medications, like Lunesta and Ambien, through March, 2007.

A graphic artist in New London, Wis., said she thought she was sleeping well on Ambien but woke to find her wrist broken, apparently in a fall while sleepwalking, she wrote in an e-mail exchange. There were others who have gone on eating binges like the case of a woman who gained 23 kilograms over seven months while taking zolpidem. “It was only when she was discovered in front of an open refrigerator while asleep that the problem was resolved,” according to the report.

Others have driven their cars and engaged in other activities that they later cannot remember.  The Wall Street Journal relates one story of a woman who painted her front door in her sleep, and in some cases, people have had serious car accidents and even set fire to their homes while in the seemingly-hypnotic state sometimes caused by the drugs.

Although all sedative-hypnotic sleeping medications have these risks, there may be differences among products in how often they occur. For this reason, FDA has asked that the drug manufacturers conduct clinical studies to investigate the frequency with which sleep-driving and other complex behaviors occur with their respective products.

Filed Under: Eating Disorders Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Useful Information On Sleeping Disorders

September 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Anyone suffering from a related sleep disorder condition can find an immense amount of important information on sleeping disorders which can help them become familiar with their condition or that of a loved one’s condition. For sleeping disorders the information is practically endless and essential for anyone who wants to be educated on the subject.
Main Types of Sleeping Disorders
The different types of disorders that are out there is the most important information on sleep disorders that you can learn. The most common disorders today are: sleep apnea, sleep walking, parasomnias, night terrors, sleep eating, restless leg syndrome, bruxism, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement disorder, delayed sleep phase syndrome, hypopnea syndrome, jet lag, insomnia, rapid eye movement behavior disorder, shift work sleep disorder and sleep paralysis Soundsleeping Disorder.
When occurs physically during some of these more commonly experienced types of sleeping disorders is another important piece of information on sleeping disorders that is significant. A person with insomnia for instance experiences the inability to fall asleep or even rest for a decent amount of time. Typically it is considered that insomnia is as a result of emotional issues such as stress, fear, anxiety and nervousness. Insomnia can also be caused by an overactive mind or even physical pain. A negative situation isn’t necessarily the cause – sometimes overexcitement can keep a person from getting a good night’s sleep.
Clenching and grinding of the teeth during sleep is a disorder known as bruxism. This can results in chips in the teeth in addition to wear of the biting surface, along with fractures and cracks in the teeth. Before sufferers are actually aware of their condition, the effects of bruxism may be quite advanced which unfortunately means that by the time the condition is recognized significant dental damage is done.
Brief interruptions of breathing during sleep is the primary characteristic of sleep apnea. During these interruptions, several entire breaths can actually be skipped which are referred to as apneas. A common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea and it may result in upper respiratory infection that causes nasal obstruction or swelling of the throat including a case of tonsillitis that can temporarily produce enlarged tonsils.
A neurological condition is the basis for the narcolepsy sleeping disorder which is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. Cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnologic hallucinations and automatic behavior are the main symptoms of narcolepsy Medical Conditions.

Filed Under: Causes for Eating Disorders Tagged With: , , , ,

Warning: Synthetic Sleeping Pills Can Put you to Sleep Permanently

September 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

With the increasing incidence of insomnia, it is no wonder that sleeping pills can be found in most medicine cabinets across the country. Many people have become dependent on these sleep aids. Countless people think that they cannot have a good night’s sleep without taking any sleep medication.

Apparently, the manufacture of sleeping pills is a $5 billion industry in the US alone. The staggering figures suggest that Americans have come to accept that these drugs are a vital component in their everyday lives. But are sleeping pills really safe and effective? Do these products really make you sleep better and longer? Do you really need these synthetic sleeping aids just to ensure that you will have a good and restful sleep?

The Real Deal About Synthetic Sleeping Pills

The results of a study backed by the National Institutes of Health actually cast a doubt on the effectiveness of sleeping pills, on both the old and the newly released forms of these drugs. Research participants who took the new sleeping drugs slept for an average of only 13 minutes earlier than those who took placebo. Furthermore, the ones who took the newly released sleeping pills only snoozed 11 minutes longer than those who are on fake medications.

The same is true for the participants who took older formulations of sleeping pills. Those who took the placebo sleeping pills slept for an average of only ten minutes later and 32 minutes shorter than those who took the older drugs. The results of the study showed that Americans paid about $4 per sleeping pill to be able to sleep for about 30 minutes longer and around 10 minutes earlier than usual. Is the amount of sleep you get from popping these drugs into your mouth really worth the hard-earned money you spend on it?

The Hidden Dangers of Synthetic Sleeping Aides

Despite the many adverse effects linked to taking sleeping pills, the prescriptions for such drugs in the US actually increased to 50 million in 2006, which is a 30% increase from previous years. The most common side effects of frequently taking sleeping pills include headaches, allergies, facial swelling, dizziness, and addiction.

One potentially dangerous drawback of taking these pills is the development of one or more sleeping disorders, such as sleepwalking, sleep eating, and even sleep driving. People who are suffering from sleep disorders can potentially harm themselves or other individuals, especially the ones they love. Many reports have confirmed that a number of people taking synthetic sleeping aids have gained weight because of unstoppable eating during their sleep. In fact, some people have actually cut and burned themselves by using knives to cut meat and cook food while they were sleeping.

Natural Sleep Helpers

Nevertheless, you can still catch that elusive restful slumber through natural means. Before you reach out for that pill, you should first find ways of resolving your sleeping woes through changing your habits, eating healthier diet and taking supplements.

The first thing you should do is to let your mind rest from work at least three hours before your target sleeping time. For example, if you want to sleep at 10 pm, you should stop thinking about work and doing things that are work-related, such as using the computer or reading reports, by 7 pm at the latest. Minimizing your television viewing at night can also help improve your sleeping habits. Exercise and a healthy diet are also important factors that can help you go to bed early every night. Try reducing your intake of caffeine-filled drinks, such as coffee and sodas, and other stimulants, such as alcohol.

Lastly, your body needs vitamins and nutrients to promote good sleep. However, eating healthy is sometimes not enough to ensure that you get the daily dose of vitamins and minerals that will help you get to sleep. Thus, you need to take natural supplements to remedy your problem. One product that will surely help you achieve a rejuvenating nightly slumber is Sedamine. Know more about this product by visiting www.Sedamine.com.

Filed Under: Eating Disorders Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,