Sleep disorders

                                                 Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders are problems faced by most of us at some time or the other in our lives. Many of us face depression at some point in our lives which keeps us awake at night. It could also be tension or stress for academic reason or at work. It could also be problems at the domestic front or in a relationship. Usually sleep is a time when all such thoughts crowd our minds. If we are unable to keep them away and sweep them aside, these thoughts trouble us and keep us awake at night. While for some sleep disorders may be temporary, for others it might become a regular affair. At such a point in time, the sleep disorder will have a negative impact on the health and other aspects of one’s life. While the cause of sleep disorders could be several, one needs to realize the symptoms and seek intervention to stop such sleepless cycles.

Causes Of Sleep Disorders

The causes of sleep disorders could be several. One needs to go through the details of the different causes and identify the one cause which could be applicable for one:

• Insomnia – insomnia is a common form of sleep disorder. Here one is unable to get sleep, at least the amount that is necessary in order to wake up feeling refreshed. That is a common complaint that most insomniacs have. It could be brought on due to lifestyle choices, medications taken and other reasons
• Sleep apnea is another common sleep disorder. Here the breathing stops temporarily due to a blockage that forms in the upper air passageways. As the pauses in breathing interrupt the sleep, one may be waking up every hour or more through the night. This disorder is a life threatening one and hence, needs to be addressed after the right symptoms are recognized
• Restless legs syndrome is another form of sleep disorder where the person experiences a tingling or irritable sensation in the legs and an urge to move the legs or arms.
• Narcolepsy is another form of sleep disorder where one may suffer from attacks of acute day time sleepiness. One may fall into heavy sleep or even start dreaming before they are fully asleep.
• Other causes of sleep disorders are brought on by jet lags, different shift timings at work, delayed sleep phase disorder

Symptoms Of Sleep Disorders

There are many symptoms of sleep disorders and they vary as per the causes:

• When one is suffering from insomnia they will face problem falling asleep at night
• They will find their sleep to be light, fragmented and suffer from low energy and sleepiness throughout the day
• When one is suffering from sleep apnea, they might not remember running out of breath and waking up several times during the night but they will feel tired and exhausted throughout the day
• Other symptoms include legs feeling restless through the night, sleeping at odd times during the day, falling asleep at work and so forth

Best Home Remedies For Sleep Disorders

It is important to keep in mind that, sleep is a barometer of good health. In order to function at our optimal levels and stay the peak of health, we need to have restful sleep. If we have disturbed and restless sleep at night, w will end up being irritable, sleepy, exhausted and function at low levels of productivity at work. Hence, the following home remedies can be resorted to for ensuring a proper sleeping cycle.

1. Seek Relief From Pain

If you have pain or discomfit then you will have problem falling asleep. Thus, no matter what the cause of your pain is, if you are taking medication for it, ensure:

• That you take it an hour or two before you go to sleep
• Do not consume caffeine after or before such medication

2. Take A Warm Bath Before Going To Bed

If you have trouble falling asleep or you wake up during the night, you could take a warm bath before bedtime. It would help you to:

• Relax
• Soothe the muscles and release tension from the body

3. Doing Stretches

When you have had a hectic or tiring day you need to stretch and loosen the muscles. If you went for a jog or a run in the evening, it is imperative to cool down and do stretching exercises. That will help to ensure:

• The body is not overworked
• The muscles are relaxed

4. Try Yoga

Yoga is known to have wonderful effects on the body and mind especially to relax.

• Yoga is known to improve blood circulation
• It helps to tone and relax the different parts of the body
• It puts the mind to ease and helps to address anxieties and tension

5. Losing Weight

One needs to put in effort to lose weight if they are suffering from sleep apnea:

• When sleep apnea arises it is mainly due to the lumps of fat making the air passageways small
• When one loses weight the air passageways open up more, the throat muscles are more toned

These efforts will help one to find much relief from the disorder of sleep apnea

6. Change The Medication You Take

You might be taking some prescription pills that are interfering with your sleep:

• Seek advice of doctor to change the medication
• Put a stop to medication that is interfering with your sleep cycle

7. Overcoming Jet Lag

When you have traveled from one time one to another, your body will take time to adjust itself to the sleeping time in the new zone. Hence:

• you need to allow yourself to sleep at the time when you feel sleepy
• allow the body to get adjusted to the new time zones and the sleeping cycle will be restored

8. Stop The Midnight Snacks

You should not consume food late at night as that will interfere with the sleep cycle.

• When one consumes food late at night the system gets engaged in digesting the food
• The surge in blood sugar levels will keep one awake at night

9. Reduce Intake Of Caffeinated Drinks

One should reduce the intake of caffeinated drinks. That will keep one awake longer in the night:

• They will have more difficulty falling asleep
• Dehydration might make one get up to drink water

10. Alcohol Drinks To Be Limited

While most people drink late in the evening or at night, it actually interferes with their sleeping pattern.

• One may feel the need to urinate more often
• They might not be able to sleep soundly

11. Music Could Help

It would surely help to listen to soothing music if one is trying to fall asleep:

• The music will help one to relax
• The music should not be loud or fast but soft and melodious
• It should be comforting and relaxing to one’s mind

12. One Needs To Avoid Nicotine

Tobacco is known to work as a stimulant for the nervous system. Thus:

• One should not smoke too late into the evening
• They should avoid smoking too much as there are adverse effects of smoking that makes the body restless in general

13. Keep Up The Iron Content

There are many who face sleep disorders that stem from the restless legs syndrome. For them, it is best that iron levels are increased in their diet to keep the restless leg syndrome at bay:

• Have more of spinach
• Red meat in moderation
• Increase intake of whole grain foods which will help to address deficiency in vitamin E

14. Keep The Bedroom Atmosphere Peaceful

One needs to keep the bedroom a peaceful place where one does not conduct active activities.

• One should avoid watching loud television while falling asleep
• They should not listen to loud music or have others having loud conversations in the same room

The bedroom should be used only for sleeping and intimate moments.

15. Make The Bed Comfortable

Ensure that the bed is right for you to fall asleep easily:

• If the bed mattress is worn down and hard, then get it replaced
• If the pillows are too light and not spongy enough, one might not feel comfortable around the head or neck area

16. Maintain Sleeping Patterns

One should keep their sleeping time fixed or within a certain limit:

• A regular sleeping pattern will ensure that you fall asleep and wake up at same time of a day
• It will ensure that you get adequate eight hours of sleep at least

17. Have A Bed Time Ritual

When children have trouble falling asleep, you need to establish a ritual which will help them sleep more easily:

• Give them a warm bath
• Read them bedtime stories

18. Try Melatonin

It is a hormone that is known to control our biological clock and sleeping patterns. You could try different ingredients that help to boost the level of this hormone in our body:

• You could take up valerian to up the hormone levels
• Other natural supplements which promise to raise these levels and help you sleep better