By Lee Perry
Lack of sleep is more than
a nuisance. It could be
killing you. Sleep experts
report that some of the health
effects associated with a lack of
sleep include:
• Increased risk of heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Rapid aging
• Obesity
• Mental sluggishness and
poor concentration, which
effects learning and memory
• Depression
• Alcohol abuse
• Low energy levels during
the day
• Stress on the immune system
(insomnia keeps infection-fighting
hormones from
being released during deep
sleep)
And you're also more likely
to be in a car accident if you're
driving when drowsy. In
2005, over 103 million people
admitted to falling asleep at
the wheel, according to a poll
taken by the National Sleep Foundation.
The two kinds
of insomnia
Insomnia is defined as a
condition of having trouble
falling asleep or waking up
and then having trouble falling
back asleep. Some people with
insomnia drift off quickly but
wake up and toss and turn all
night. Others have difficulty
getting to sleep in the first
place.
There are two kinds of
insomnia.
The first, known as
secondary insomnia, effects
more than 80% of those with
insomnia. It's called secondary because it's a side effect of
other health problems such
as heart and lung disease…
breathing difficulties…chronic
pain…heartburn…headaches…
and restless leg syndrome.
Secondary insomnia can also
be a side effect of medications
or substances like alcohol,
tobacco, or caffeine.
Another kind of insomnia is
called primary insomnia and
it usually occurs for periods
of at least a month or longer.
Primary insomnia is not
triggered by medical issues but
more often by life conditions.
These include emotional
trauma, work schedules, travel,
major stress and anxiety about
things like bills or jobs, and
poor sleep habits.
Getting a Good Night's Sleep
May Help With Weight Loss
A study reported in the December 7, 2004 issue of the Annals of
Internal Medicine suggests that people who sleep well have better
management of their weight. The young men in the study who
were sleep deprived craved calorie-packed foods such as candy,
cookies and cake.
And researchers from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in
Norfolk, who published a study in Archives of Internal Medicine,
came to this blunt conclusion: If you are sleep deprived, you'll
gain weight. But if you do get a good night's sleep every night,
you have a far better chance of staying thin.
Many times natural
supplements are found to be
very helpful for these types of
sleep disorders by helping you
relax and be calm, so that you
can get a good night's rest.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common
and serious sleep disorder
that can lead to major sleep
deprivation. Although you
may associate sleep apnea with
snoring, not everyone who
snores has sleep apnea. In sleep
apnea, there is actually silence.
That's because breathing
stops for up to 10 seconds at a
time. Typically what happens
is that the throat muscles relax, the jaw moves backwards, which
narrows or blocks the airways.
This in turn prevents air from
getting through the mouth or
nose and into the lungs.
When the brain senses it's
not getting enough oxygen, it
signals an alarm. The person
may begin to snore loudly,
gasp for breath, and then wake
up. This can happen a couple
hundred times throughout the
night and prevents staying in
REM (rapid eye movement)
sleep, the deepest and healthiest
sleep.
Most people are not even
aware they have this breathing
and snoring problem unless told
by a bed partner. But because the
health effects of sleep apnea are
so severe, it's important to see a
health care professional if you've
been told you snore often. |
