Steps To Minimize The Impact Of Sleep-Marauding Hormones

Welcome to the signs of approaching menopause. In addition to hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, women report difficulty sleeping. Although some 40 percent of premenopausal women reports sleep problems, this percentage can double from the onset of perimenopause (the transition into menopause, beginning as early as the late 30s for some women) through post menopause. That's a lot of women missing out a good nighttime sleep. During this transitional time, the ovaries gradually decrease production of estrogen and progesterone (a sleep-promoting hormone). Hot flashes, typically accompanied by a surge of adrenaline, can result. And when they happen in the middle of the night, a woman may find it very difficult to settle back into slumber land. In order to improve the quality of your sleep, consider some of these simple solutions to minimize the impact of sleep-marauding hormones. * Stay Cool. Keep a damp cloth or a bucket of water nearby to cool yourself quickly if you wake up feeling hot and sweaty. * Lighten Up. Avoid heavy bedding. Choose breathable nightclothes: light cottons, sheer materials. * Consult Your Physician. If you have difficulty sleeping after age 35 because of hot flashes, night sweats, or other perimenopause symptoms, ask about the possibility of taking low-dose menopause medications to stabilize estrogen fluctuations. Your physician may also consider short-term use of hormone replacement therapy or HRT to help alleviate menopause-related symptoms. Note that HRT is not for everyone; ask your doctor if it is right for you. To see if your sleep improves, your doctor may also suggest a prescription sleep aid for a short period of time. * Prevent Pain. If aches and pains prevent you from sleeping, try taking a mild, over-the-counter pain reliever before going to bed. Just be sure it does not contain any stimulants. If you have trouble sleeping for more than a few weeks, or if sleep problems interfere with your daily life, speak with your physician or contact a board-certified sleep specialist.

Getting The Sleep Measure From The Roots Of Insomnia

Anyone can have a sleepless night or two, but when it happens night after night for more than a weeks it is characterized as chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia can be broken down into 2 types: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is diagnosed when there are no contributing physical or psychological conditions at the root. This type of insomnia is likely to be brought on by poor sleep habits, or what they call "sleep hygiene." Problems such as low-level anxiety and stress, poor sleeping environment, alcohol consumption, or the use of stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine can sit at the core of primary insomnia, laying siege to your inner clock and robbing you of sleep. Secondary insomnia, however, is sleep deprivation occurring in conjunction with a medical or psychological illness that aggravates a person's sleeping patterns; or sleeplessness brought on by internal factors such as medication, environmental catalysts, or physical issues. Some physical conditions contributing to insomnia include arthritis or chronic pain, diabetes, hot flashes, and hormone imbalances, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory problems, restless leg syndrome, mineral deficiencies, sleep apnea, urinary incontinence and perimenopause. Generally the treatment for secondary insomnia involves a two-prolonged approach: one that focuses on the primary health concern, while also treating the ensuing insomnia. The roots of insomnia are individual and often run deep, but your daylight activities can frequently affect your ability to sleep at night. It is a good idea to work with a healthcare professional to look at your whole health picture, not just the element of sleep. It may also be helpful for you to track your sleep habits with a sleep log for a week or two, the more you pay attention to it, the better you will sleep. Common factors you may want to investigate include: * Specific foods consumed and times of day in which you eat * Caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants * Alcohol consumption * Medications, both prescription and over-the-counter * Vitamins, minerals, and food supplements * Level of stress and anxiety * Exercise routines * Menstrual cycle patterns * Stimulating bedtime behavior * Time to bed * Bed partner’s behaviors * Room environment (temperature, light, noise, bedding) Look to these factors first when you can’t sleep. Nowadays it might seem easier to turn to the medicine chest, but while a pharmacologic sleep aid can be a reasonable last resort, it should never be your first-line choice for beating insomnia.

Treatments Available For Sleep Disorders

Based on your sleep evaluation, your doctor or sleep specialist may recommend individual treatment options. It is important to remember that there are effective treatments for most sleep disorders. If you are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, your doctor may suggest specific treatments. You should ask for information to find out more about your condition and ways to improve your sleep. There are a number of therapies available to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. You may want to try limiting excessive noise and/or light in your sleep environment. Or, you could limit the time spent in bed while not sleeping, and use bright lights to help with circadian rhythm problems. Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour internal body clock that is affected by sunlight. Some specialists believe sleep aid medications also can be useful early in your treatment, and if necessary, you can use them from time to time if you have trouble falling asleep. People who are diagnosed with sleep apnea should try to lose weight if possible but often they may need other treatments as well such as colon cleanse weight loss. Adjusting your body position during the night may benefit you if you experience sleep apnea more often when you lie on your back. The most effective and popular treatment for sleep apnea is nasal continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. This device keeps your air passages open by supplying a steady stream of air pressure through your nose while you sleep. To use the CPAP, the patient puts on a small mask that fits around the nose. Air pressure is delivered to the mask from a small, quiet air pump that sits at the bedside. The patient not only wears the mask at night but also during naps, since obstructions can occur during these times as well. If you have a mild case of sleep apnea, sometimes a dental device or appliance can be helpful. If your condition is more severe and you don't tolerate other treatments, your physician may suggest surgery to increase the airway size in the mouth and throat. One common surgical method removes excess tissue from the back of the throat. Very often, people who suffer from movement disorders during sleep such as restless legs syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder are successfully treated with the same medications used for Parkinson's disease. People with restless legs syndrome often have low levels of iron in their blood. In such cases physicians often prescribe supplements. Medications can also treat people with REM behavior disorder. If there are reports of dangerous activities such as hitting or running during these episodes, it may be necessary to make changes to the person's sleeping area to protect sufferers and their bed partners from injury. Many sleep problems will improve with changes that you can make on your own. You can often sleep better by simply following the practices of good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene consists of basic habits and tips that help you develop a pattern of healthy sleep. There are also easy ways to make your bed and your bedroom more comfortable.

What You Can Do To Sleep Better During And After Pregnancy

Many changes in sleep occur during pregnancy. Physical, psychological, and hormonal changes that occur during the 3 trimesters all affect your sleep. These changes also occur at birth and during the postpartum period after birth. Hormone levels change dramatically during pregnancy. Some hormones cause sleepiness and others cause poor sleep. Also, pregnant women may have any of these new symptoms: Awakenings, Disturbed sleep, Napping, Sleepiness, Fatigue, Snoring, Restless legs (the urge to move your legs at night), Leg cramps, Back pain, Frequent urination, Reflux (heart burn), Nausea/vomiting, Breast tenderness, Breathing changes, Nasal congestion, Worrying or anxiety about the pregnancy and the baby’s health. Some women have vivid dreams and sleepwalk. These symptoms vary from woman to woman. Symptoms also vary through the three trimesters, at birth, and after the baby’s birth. However the good news is that there are few things you can do to sleep better during and after pregnancy. * Many women experience awakenings, disturbed sleep, and sleep loss. It is good to nap to catch up on any lost sleep. * Stay healthy and eat good foods. Go for your scheduled prenatal visits. Take prenatal vitamins as directed by your doctor. Some women develop anemia that may increase restless legs symptoms. * Follow a regular schedule and practice good sleep hygiene. This will improve your circadian rhythm to sleep better at night. * Make yourself comfortable with extra pillows to help any back or leg discomfort. * Elevating the head of your bed may help with reflux (heartburn). Do not eat meals before bedtime. * Drinking fluids is good, but try to avoid drinking large amounts of fluid before bed. This will keep you from waking up to go to the bathroom at night. * As the pregnancy progresses, many women sleep on their left side for comfort. This can also improve blood flow. * If you have any known medical or psychiatric disorders, make sure to tell your doctor. It is important to continue good treatment of your medical disorders during pregnancy. Also your doctor may want to change some of your medications. Some medications can affect the growth of the fetus. And if you are using an anti aging skin care product that contain an active ingredients, consult your doctor for it might as well affect the fetus. * If you have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, make sure to tell your sleep doctor that you are pregnant. Treating sleep apnea is important for you and your baby. This will help you maintain normal oxygen levels as you sleep. Normal oxygen levels are important for the growing fetus. Some women may develop sleep apnea during pregnancy. If you suspect that you may have sleep apnea, see a sleep doctor. Common signs of sleep apnea are loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep. These are some other factors that can be related to sleep apnea: *Obesity or a large weight gain, *An increase in your neck size, *Excessive nasal congestion, *High blood pressure, *Excessive leg edema (fluid), *Unusual headaches, * After delivery, catch up on any lost sleep with naps. Many mothers nap when their babies nap, * If possible, take your baby out for a walk every morning. This will help improve your circadian rhythms, * Discuss any concerns or unusual symptoms with your doctor.

When Pain Disrupt Sleep

During a normal night, you all go through cycles of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This cycle is repeated three to five times a night. Getting enough deep sleep and REM sleep are key to feeling refreshed in the morning. The problem is that pain interferes with this cycle. Sudden severe pain can make you bolt upright from a sound sleep. But even milder pain can cause "microarousals." These are periods when your pain breaks through and bumps you back into the light sleep stage. You may not become conscious, and the next day you won't remember anything about the website design Lexington campaign or worst – you won't remember waking up. But you fragmented sleep can leave you feeling like you didn't get any rest at all. Any pain can interfere with sleep. But some common causes of disturbed sleep are: headaches, back pain, TMJ pain (which is pain in the temporomandibular joint of the jaw), arthritis, fibromyalgia (which can cause pain throughout the body's muscles, ligaments, and tendons, neuropathy or nerve pain and premenstrual cramping. Acute injuries, surgery, and more serious diseases, like cancer, can also cause pain and sleeplessness. It is not just the intensity of pain that can make it hard to sleep. Pain varies - that is worse some days than others - is often the most likely to cause sleeplessness. It makes sense, therefore, if you have constant pain for 6 months, you figure out how to cope with it. But if the pain level goes up and down, if it is unpredictable, you can't get used to it and it can really interfere with sleep.

How Hormones Affect Your Sleep And Weigh More

Lose weight while you sleep. It sounds like something you would hear on a late night infomercial - just around the time you are reaching for that bag of cookies you've received from a friend days ago - which so far is the best gift ideas for Christmas - because, well, you cannot sleep. But as wild as the idea sounds, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating connections between sleep and weight. Researchers say that how much you sleep and quite possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite. While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, it was not until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence a person's appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influence by how much or how little you sleep. In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin. Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full. So what is the connection to sleep? When you do not get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you do not feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food. The two combined can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.

Solutions For The Top Two Sleep Deprivation Culprits

What are the leading sleep-deprivation culprits? Many exhausted sufferers routinely point their fingers at needy kids and snoring spouses. The good news: There are solutions for these top two shut-eye robbers. The Parent Trap. About one-half of all parents have their sleep disturbed an average of twice a week because their child awakens them during the night. In a baby's first year of life, a parent can lose up to 200 hours of sleep. How can you balance the late-night mommy or daddy beat with your slumber needs? First, learn how to take shifts so you are not always the one tending to children in the middle of the night. If you are a morning person, take the 3 o'clock shift onward, and go to bed a bit earlier (say, 9 to 10 pm if possible), while your late-night partner takes the 9 pm to midnight shift. (Everyone should be asleep from midnight to 3 am; if not, then split this up, too.) If your sleep is consistently disrupted because you have to put an older child back to bed several times each night, then it is OK to consider letting him or her into your bed but for a limited time. During the following few weeks, reward your kids for staying in their bed longer and longer. Until Sleep Do Us Part. Nearly 25 percent of partnered adults frequently choose to sleep alone. Whether your partner snores loudly, tosses and turns, or simply has a different shut-eye schedule, dealing with a bad bed partner can be a challenge. To improve your sleep and possibly help boost your marriage, while you are at it, keep a few "buffers" on hand, such as eye covers and ear plugs. These will help drown out any light or noise caused by your partner. You can find snoring-relief kits online with a very good SEO campaign or at your local pharmacy. Do you like it hot, but your partner likes it cool? The ideal bedroom sleeping temperature is between 65 and 72 degrees. To split the difference and boost comfort levels for both of you, consider the best blanket for only one side of the bed, or a quilt that is half down and half cotton. Or just toss it in - your mattress, that is. A wide array of high-tech, adjustable-side options mattresses are now available, allowing each of you to custom-set your comfort levels. Some companies will even tailor-make mattresses based on the individual specifications of you and your bed partner. These tried-and-true shut-eye solutions should help you track down the culprits that are keeping you awake at night.

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