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Overview
Sleeping Well: Treatment, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects
What is Sleeping Well?
Sleeping well is a condition which affects the quality of waking life of people. It directly affects the mental and physical health of the person. People who don’t sleep well have negative impacts on their health by affecting hormones, brain function, and performance in exercise. In many cases, it is seen that poor sleeping also cause weight gain and increased disease risk. For a good sleep, all a person needs to do is to make simple changes in their daytime routine and bedtime habits. Sleeping well leaves you feeling mentally sharp, all day full of energy and emotionally balance in a person.
What will help you sleep?
Sleeping well is extremely important for one’s health. It helps the brain to function properly and relaxes the body as well. Many people have no problem in falling asleep, but there are many peoples who face sleeplessness. Which lead to a negative impact on people brain and body. In such cases, people can adapt few things which might help them to sleep better.
- Get on a schedule - it is important for a person to have seven to nine hours of sleep at night. People with schedules sleeps and wakes on a time. Have food and work on time as well.
- Meditation & exercises - people who have stress schedules or lifestyle are more tended to sleep less. In such cases, it is important for them to meditate and practice yoga or exercises to make them stress-free.
- Avoid day naps - people who sleep for hours in a day are keen to face sleeplessness in nights. It better to avoid naps during the daytime.
- Eat healthy - it is a key to many things, but for a good sleep food is a key which can help you. All you need to do is to keep an eye what you eat. Avoid eating heavy food during dinner and eat it in the late evening.
- Music can help - studies shows that listening to relaxing music can help you with better sleep.
- Low room temperature - some people don’t get comfortable with a temperature of their room. In such a condition, it’s been better to set a lower temperature of the room, which can help you to sleep better.
What causes restless sleep?
Restless sleep is a sleeping difficulty in which affected person gets uncomfortable during sleep. In such cases, patients can have sensations in legs, which could be tingling or pain. This difficulty of sleep is also known as restless leg syndrome.
Apart from that, rapid eye movement sleep disorder also could be a reason for restless sleep, in this disorder affected person act out their dream by walking, hitting and punching. It could also lead to parkinson disease as well.
There is one more cause which is called obstructive sleep apnea - in this condition frequent gasp and loud snoring like interruptions in breathing throughout sleep. In severe cases it could lead to disease such as cardiac, restless sleep and diabetes.
How can I get deep sleep in short time?
Anyone affected by sleep syndrome can do few things to get a deep sleep in short time. Which are -
- Scheduling things - it is necessary to have schedule things. It is important to have a fix time to sleep as well as a fix time to wake up. Make sure you are taking a sleep of seven to nine hours.
- Meditation and exercise - people affected from sleeplessness can add yoga and different exercises in their schedules. It helps people d-stress themselves as well as good for good and deep sleep in a short time.
- Not to look at clock - it is normal to wake up in the middle night. People who didn’t fall asleep back are not advised to see the clock. It might cause anxiety and sleeplessness in people.
- Say no to day naps - people who take day naps are intended to wake at night. Which also affects the lifestyle and schedule of the people. It’s always better to wake during day time.
- Keep an eye on what you eat - it is the most important thing to remember. People should avoid heavy or junk food in dinner. They should eat their dinner by the late evening.
- Listen relaxing music - it is been observed among people that music plays an important role in their deep sleep. So if you want a deep sleep then listen relaxing music.
- Exercise during the day - doing physical activity is considered for healthy sleep. It also decreases the stress hormone level in the people body. Exercise during morning or day improves quality and quantity of sleep.
Does wearing socks help you sleep Well?
At the time of winter, people face many during sleep such as cold feet, which could be a reason for restless sleep. Due to cold feet, people face problems such as swelling or pain. Apart from that wearing socks before sleep has few benefits such as - in women, it prevents them from hot flashes. It also improved cracked heels if you moisturize before wearing socks, increases potential orgasms and it also prevents feet from swelling as well.
What is the treatment of restless sleep?
Restless sleep is a common condition nowadays, it could be due to an unhealthy lifestyle, stress or diet, which could be drinking caffeine or alcohol intake before bedtime. Apart from that, it could also be a sign of following severe conditions which are treated by -
Restless leg syndrome - in this syndrome patients urge to move their legs during sleep, which lead to restlessness for the affected person. When it comes to treatment of it, use of ice packs, leg massage or you can wrap your foot to put pressure on certain muscles in the foot. In case of severe pain, you visit a doctor. On the basis of the clinical condition, the doctor will prescribe iron supplements or medications such as anti seizure drugs, dopaminergic agents etc.
Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder - in it affected person act in their dreams, he/she walks or moves in their dreams. In such condition, the doctor will prescribe you medications such as melatonin or clonazepam to treat this disorder.
Obstructive sleep apnea - in this condition affected person snore or gasp loudly. It also includes symptoms such as headache, sore throat or dry mouth. To treat this condition doctor will prescribe lifestyle changes, more physical activity so that a patient can lose weight.
Popular Health Tips
When you hold your new born in your arms for the first time, you will count him or her as the greatest blessing of your life. This is also the time when you are burdened with the responsibilities of another human. The sleep patterns in new-borns are erratic and you will never see them follow any pattern as such. They sleep off just about any time of the day and you will not see any pattern until about your angel is about 6 to 7 weeks old. After that age, they get quite adaptable and you will be able to get him or her adapted to certain patterns. This will make things very easy for you and your partner.
So why won’t your baby sleep?
1. Your baby is too excited to fall asleep
Babies are a powerhouse of energy. Activities like tossing him in the air or giving him an exciting bath full of fun and frolic will probably do the opposite of winding him down. It will make him more excited and he will not want to go to bed thinking he would miss out on the other fun activities that are in store for him.
Solution: Replace the fun tickles with other activities like comforting massages or story time and lullabies. Dim the lights, cosy up the room. Make it a routine and you will find your baby easing into a deep slumber in no time.
2. Your baby is too sensitive to the external or internal environment
Every baby is not a sound sleeper. Some babies may jolt awake with just a simple nod, others may dose off amidst noise and screams as well. If your baby is of the first kind, then you may face a bunch of troubles to keep your baby calm and cosy. You may bother your baby’s sleep if your phone starts to ring around her or by the constant honking of cars outside.
Solution: Keep her surroundings as warm and comfortable as possible. Keep her in a room that is away from the bustling noise of the cars, if possible or sound proof her room. Start by dimming the lights and getting her comfortable clothes that will keep her free when she is sleeping. Keep her sheets and pillows clean and ensure they do not remain wet.
3. Your baby snacks in the middle of the night
As it was mentioned before, babies have erratic schedules. They can get hungry or cranky just about any time of the day. Mid-night snacking is probably numero uno reason as to why your baby will not fall asleep at night. If you feed your baby to sleep every time, he or she might associate it with nursing.
Solution: It is okay to train your baby to comfort itself in the middle of the night. Whenever it may think it is hungry, he or she will cry and expect you to nurse him to sleep. Put him in the nursery when he is relatively sleepy to allow him to fall asleep all by himself. You may stand by till he does, but do not swaddle him. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Pediatrician.
An estimated of 10 percent or more children snore for more than 1 night. Snoring results from the obstruction of breath when the air makes its way through the mouth. The air passage of the throat through which the air goes in and out causes the tissue to vibrate causing snore. The sound of the snore totally depends on the amount of air passing through the mouth and the frequency at which the throat is vibrating. Children above the age of three years tend to snore when they are deep in sleep.
Primary and secondary snoring:
Children who are otherwise healthy should not have a snoring problem unless there is some health disorder. However, if loud snoring is observed in otherwise a perfectly healthy kid, seeking medical help is a wise thing to do. In general, primary snoring is defined as a condition which is not associated with other sleep-related disorders such as lung disorder, OASS, inability to sleep for a longer duration etc.
Other possibilities:
It is estimated that close to three percent of the children suffers from breathing problem while sleeping. OSAS is a condition which is characterised by pauses in breathing and gasps along with loud snores. There could be instances where a kids’ muscle relaxes way too much obstructing the air to pass through. The body and the brain are both alerted at this stage. As soon as the brain sends a signal, the body wakes up. Thus, most kids suffering from this disorder are not able to sleep well and tend to feel tired throughout the day.
Common causes of sleep apnea:
Sleep apena is a major cause of snoring. It can be caused because of allergies, obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) etc. In children sleep, apnea can also be caused by tonsil. Since the tonsil size of children less than 7 years of age tends to be bigger than adult individuals, it causes snoring related problem. Swollen tonsils not only obstruct air but creates other health related problems as well.
Symptoms of sleep apnea during the day and night:
- Loud snore
- Snorts, gasps, pauses during sleep
- Heavy sweat during sleep
- Social and behavioural problems
- Failure to get up in the morning
- A nasal voice
- Easily irritated, cranky and aggressive
Relief measure:
The first thing a that a doctor does is a physical exam followed by observing the symptoms of a kid. Primary snorting can be addressed by physical exercise, counselling and breathing exercise. Problems related to apnea are addressed through medicine, counselling, and exercise. Certain dietary restrictions also needed to be followed during this time. However, apena is completely treatable within a certain time frame.
Hyper somnolence or hypersomnia is a condition that leads to constant daytime fatigue and drowsiness as well as prolonged night time sleeps. In this condition, the patient will usually go through repeated bouts of sleep, which he or she will not be able to resist without proper treatment and intervention. This condition makes patients take naps throughout the day even after a long and unhindered sleep throughout the night. Patterns of excessive drowsiness will begin to set in at the most inopportune times including meal times and even in the middle of a conversation. While there is no scientifically or medically proven cause for the onset of this ailment, it is known to affect adolescents more than adults. Read on to know more about the symptoms and treatment of this condition.
Symptoms: The patients suffering from this condition will experience a variety of other symptoms in addition to the constant state of drowsiness. These symptoms include anxiety, which may even go to a severe level if it is not treated properly and on time. Also, the patient may experience restlessness and a sense of increased irritation even in the most normal, everyday situations due to a perceived lack of sleep and constant state of drowsiness. Loss of appetite and hallucinations may also begin to plague patients who suffer from this condition on a chronic and prolonged basis without proper treatment. Slow thinking and slow speech are other symptoms that will start to set in with time as well.
Social Situations: In many social and personal situations, the patient may begin to lose basic functionality because of the constant urge to sleep. The patient’s interactions on a social platform may begin to deteriorate due to the lack of coherent thinking and speaking as well as the sense of irritability and restlessness displayed.
Medication: In most cases, it is best to go about this condition by treating the symptoms with medication prescribed by a doctor. The doctor may prescribe stimulant medication that will help in keeping the system awake for longer periods at a time. The doctor will also stress on the time of the day when these must be ingested so that nighttime sleep is not affected in any way. These medicines include amphetamines, which are usually prescribed for patients suffering from ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This medicine is usually given in controlled doses so as to keep the patient alert for longer periods of time. Other medicines include clonidine, antidepressants, bromocriptine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and levodopa.
Therapy: Behavioural therapy is also known to make a marked difference in such cases, which helps in regulating and normalizing the sleep patterns. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.
Chronic nightmares are caused by a lot of internal as well as external factors. It can cause sleep disorders and can affect your overall health. Some of the key reasons that contribute to chronic nightmares are mentioned below:
- Stress and anxiety: Anxiety can come in many forms. It can happen due to simplest of reasons such as moving to a new place to joining a new job, suffering from trauma to losing a close one in the family, etc. Stress as a result of these can lead to bad dreams and chronic nightmares.
- Media: Suspense shows or scary movies are also known to cause nightmares. Recalling visual imagery from a recently watched horror movie during sleep can appear in the dream without any intervention. The brain can create a sequence and produce imagery based on one’s recent thinking process.
- Depression: A Finnish Study showed that more than 28 percent who suffers from depression get nightmares at night. A negative mindset coupled with poor self-confidence can lead to chronic nightmares resulting in sleep disturbances.
- Traumatic experience: Any recent experience of surviving a natural disaster, violence in the relationship, major vehicle accident, are frequently linked with nightmares. More than 50 percent of the people with PTSD suffer from nightmares reveals the National Center for PTSD, USA.
- Drugs and Medications: People coming out from recent medication such as barbiturates, narcotics and antidepressants often suffer from hyperactive neurotransmitter leading to nightmares. Withdrawal from alcohol and recreational drugs are also known to be responsible for chronic nightmares.
- Snacking Before Bedtime: Often eating before sleeping triggers the metabolism and signals are sent to the brain to be more active than usual. Junk foods and spicy meals should be especially avoided to refrain from chronic nightmares.
- Inability to Relax: Inability to relax gradually builds up a basic level of underlying arousal process which later contributes more in further reaction towards stress.
- Conflicting Material: Any conflicting material which we are not aware of might lay embedded in our subconscious mind, which might contribute to repeated nightmares.
So basic idea is to learn some relaxation technique and practice those. If the condition persists then it will call for a detailed assessment and may be some medication besides Psychological measures.
How to get rid of nightmares?
- Treat the underlying symptoms: It is important to identify the cause of the nightmares. Often stress, PTSD, anxiety and depression can cause nightmares. Once the cause is identified, medical help or self-help techniques can be employed to overcome it.
- Exercise: Exercise tires the body and relaxes the brain. From dancing to rock climbing, running to rowing, hitting a gym to brisk walking, one form of exercise should be daily practised to make sure you get sound sleep during the night.
- Talk to your doctor: If you are undergoing any medication that involves withdrawal, anxiety, narcotics, you should immediately consult a doctor about the effects of medicine. A doctor can either reduce the dosage of medicine or change the medicine altogether to address the problem
- Stress Reduction: Stress can be reduced by practising yoga and meditation. You can also take a hot shower before going to sleep to calm yourself down. A relaxed mind goes a long way in ensuring sound sleep during the night.
Depression is a psychological condition, which can develop in men and women of any age. No one can identify the cause of depression. It can be excessive stress, failure in relationships, academic pressure and various other issues of these sorts. But depression in itself is a serious condition and needs to be treated as soon as possible, lest it aggravates.
Before trying to deal with depression through medicines and counselling, it is important to recognise the signs and symptoms of this condition and try as much as possible to come out of it on your own. There are certain natural remedies, which work during the initial stages of depression. It is only when these fail or it aggravates that the patient must be rushed for immediate counselling. Here are certain natural ways of treating depression.
- Sleep well: A sign that you are suffering from depression is lack of sleep. One does not get sleep no matter how hard he/she tries. Even after having sleeping pills, one does not get the correct amount of sleep that he/she requires. This triggers insomnia, thereby causing other health problems to develop. Thus, sleeping is mandatory. If needed, you must force yourself to sleep.
- Eat well: It is often said and seen that depression leads you to binge eat or over eat. Overeating would include indulging yourself to too much chips, chocolates, junk food and the like. This would unnecessarily make you gain extra pounds and can trigger obesity. Alternately, it has been seen that the patient lacks the desire to eat anything. This too can lead to adverse effects as the body balance gets disturbed.
- Exercise: Regular exercise helps in diverting your mind to something else for a little while. It also helps in keeping you fit and healthy. In case you do not like to exercise, you can opt for jogging or running or even simply taking a walk out in the open. Going out and inhaling fresh air, makes you focus on positive thoughts for a while. A daily dose of positive thoughts can do wonders for you.
- Experiment with yourself: Try something new each day that you have not tried ever before. This might include cooking, knitting, riding a bike and the likes. This keeps you busy and keeps your mind off the negative thoughts. What’s more, you might discover some of your hidden talents.
These are some of the natural remedies that you can opt for to fight depression before consulting a psychologist for the same.
Popular Questions & Answers
Table of Content
What is Sleeping Well?
What will help you sleep?
What causes restless sleep?
How can I get deep sleep in short time?
Does wearing socks help you sleep Well?
What is the treatment of restless sleep?