SLEEP DISORDERS

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Disorders

Few people realize how important sleep is! Sleep is not just a form of rest it can make a big difference in how you feel and think. A good night of Sleep helps you cope with stress, solve problems, or recover from illness. Today's fast paced life styles can make getting a good night's sleep seems like a waste of time but it is truly a need. A lack of sleep can have a negative effect on your cognition, mood, and memory. By not getting enough sleep we are increasing daytime drowsiness, concentration, irritability, increased risk of falls, accidents and lower productivity. Restorative sleep requires more than hitting the pillow at night and waking up in the morning (Saisan, Benedictis, Barston, Segal, 2008).

Sleep is affected by internal body clocks, sensitive to light, and time of day. A body's natural instinct is to sleep during the dark hours, this makes having a quiet dark space the best for sleeping. Keeping the bedroom a place for sleep only can help the sleeping habits. A TV in the bedroom is not a good idea, the flashing light can stimulate the brain and this tends to keep you awake. A typical night's sleep follows a REM (rapid eye movement)/NREM (not rapid eye movement) cycle.

* We start out by a state of drowsiness where we are easily awakened.

* We then move into light sleep where our heart rate slows down and our body temperature decreases.

*We move into a deeper sleep where there is more difficulty waking. This stage allows the brain and muscles to restore energy for use during waking hours. This is also when our immune system functions at a higher level to fight off illness.

*REM sleep is next where our bodies' process emotions retain memories and relieve stress. This is also the stage of dreaming. The first REM sleep lasts about 10 min and each recurring stage lengthens until the final one lasts up to an hour (Sonne, 2007). You will usually go through 3-5 of these stages each night.

Getting a few extra hours of sleep here and there can help the sleep deprived feel better but will not make up for a daily routine of quality sleep. A good routine should include following:

* Regular timed schedule not only with sleep but also with exercise.

*Being careful about what you eat such as avoiding foods and drinks that might interfere with sleep (such as coffee and soda high in caffeine).

* Not drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes

* Create a quiet, dark and well ventilated, comfortable room to sleep in.

* Do the same thing each night before bed

* Use the bedroom only for sleeping.

Being sleep deprived can cause you to have impaired memory and thought processes. Signs of being sleep deprived are:

* Hard to get up in the morning because you are still sleepy

* Drowsy at school or work

* Drinking lots of coffee or soda to stay ...