Sleep Apnea - An Extremely Common and Dangerous Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea refers to a sleep disorder characterized by the interruption of breathing during sleep, such that respiration stops for ten or more seconds, cutting off valuable oxygen supplies to the brain. This interruption of the body's breathing cycle can recur hundreds of times each night, with potentially fatal results. Even more alarming, sleep apnea, the most dangerous of all sleep disorders, also represents one of the most commonly identified sleep disorders, affecting as many as eighteen million Americans each year.

This condition can be divided into two primary categories. "Central sleep apnea", caused by a neurological malfunction in which the brain somehow disrupts the normal signal to breathe and "Obstructive sleep apnea", characterized by the excessive relaxation or the collapse of muscles around the windpipe, which in turn causes windpipe obstruction. Both forms involve the frequent cessation of breathing and the temporary suspension of the oxygen supply to the brain, putting sleep apnea sufferers at a significantly greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

\"sleep Apnea\"

Diagnosing sleep apnea can be difficult. Snoring, one of the most common symptoms associated with sleep apnea (resulting in many people referring to this as "the snoring disease"), often leads to an erroneous diagnosis of the condition. In fact, snoring can be associated with a variety of other sleep disorders and conditions unrelated to sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea - An Extremely Common and Dangerous Sleep Disorder

When the brain senses a lack of oxygen, as a result of an obstructed windpipe, it reacts by waking the suffer sufficiently to start breathing again, often causing snoring or sometimes coughing. As a result, sleep apnea suffers enjoy a very poor quality of sleep and wake up feeling even more tired than before they went to bed.

Feelings of exhaustion, fatigue and an overwhelming desire to sleep during the day, known as excessive daytime sleepiness, characterize sleep apnea; especially if seen in conjunction with other symptoms such as morning headaches, noticeable lethargy, loss of interest in sex, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.

The ongoing exhaustion and physical fatigue brought on by undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea can also lead to the onset of serious psychological symptoms such as depression, irritability and changes in mood and behavior.

If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea, you should seek immediate medical guidance and, if necessary, arrange the appropriate tests.

There are a variety of effective treatments available for both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Most patients benefit significantly from one or more of these treatments, which primarily involve simple behavioral adjustments like changing or modifying your sleeping position. Sufferers of mild obstructive sleep apnea as a result of persistent nasal congestion may simply require a course of decongestants, while more severe sleep apnea may need the use of an oxygen mask to stimulate consistent breathing while asleep. In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, certain surgical procedures can help to restore effective and consistent respiration during sleep, although sufferers should proceed down this particular route with caution, as surgery can often lead to added complications.

One important point to note is that, because of the risk of potentially fatal respiratory arrest, sleep apnea sufferers should refrain from taking sleeping pills or artificial sleep enhancers because of the associated respiratory dangers.

Natural sleep remedies provide an effective complement to medically prescribed treatments and can certainly help sufferers to enjoy a better night's sleep. Herbal remedies designed to improve the quality and duration of sleep can assist patients in managing and even reducing the excessive daytime sleepiness otherwise brought on by sleep apnea.

Similarly, the use of aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help to reduce the anxiety and insomnia sleep apnea patients experience as they learn to manage their sleep disorder.

Sleep Apnea - An Extremely Common and Dangerous Sleep Disorder

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including: "Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques".
For further details please visit http://help-me-to-sleep.com

Schizophrenia Treatment - 10 Natural Ways to Overcome Schizophrenia Disorder

There are many ways to overcome or to minimize the schizophrenia negative and positive symptoms. Here are listed ten natural ways to avoid those symptoms in an active manner and as an addition to the antipsychotic drugs treatment:

1) Therapy

\"sleep Well\"

Go to a Psychologist and talk about your routine. The therapist's room is a protected environment where you can cope with sore things that are taken from your daily routine or from your past. This is the exact place to speak and deal about past negative experiences.

2) Do exercise

Get out of the house and walk for 45 minutes each day for a start. Doing exercise is a great way to get in shape, reduce your bad cholesterol level in your blood and reduce your blood pressure. It also makes you feel better with yourself and sleep well at night.

3) Develop your social life

Make new friends and hang out with them, go to visit your parents or loved ones from time to time. An active social life is a great way to bother yourself with different things beside your mental illness. It lifts up the spirit and brings new opportunities to your life.

4) Find your mate

Get a boy or a girl friend. If you are alone, the best way to fight loneliness is by getting to know and hang out with someone you really care for. Don't be shy; try to find your own piece of relationships in the world. Couples can cope with any aspect in life in a better way than doing that on your own.

5) Entertainment

Go and does any activity that makes you feel good. Read a book or a magazine, watch the TV, go to the cinema, and develop your hobbies. Just do or find what makes you feel good and busy in your spare time. Entertaining yourself is a great way to stop thinking about your mental illness and also develop other skills in life.

6) Find a steady job

Having something that forces you to get up in the morning and start your day's routine is the greatest way I am familiar with in order to get better. A job also provides you with a steady amount of money that can pay your bills and buy you stuff you like. It is also a crucial ingredient in your way of getting your independency.

7) Diet

Take control of what you eat and put into your mouth. Psychiatric medicines are known for being the number one reason for gaining weight. Therefore, you have to take control of what you put into your mouth and don't deny the possibility to go to a professional dietetic professional in order to help you doing so.

8) Don't exaggerate

Balance your activities in life. On the one hand don't overdue things that make you feel bad or you dislike, and on the other hand avoid from doing only things you like and avoiding from doing what you must. Moderation is an important habit.

9) Develop skills

Developing skills such as your social skill or learning a profession is a great way to contradict your illness symptoms. Skills can be easily acquired and be thought in order to deal with your life in a better way and as another step towards your independent.

10) Avoid

It is a great opportunity to make a stop or to avoid having or doing bad things that could demolish everything you are working for. Quit smoking, don't use bad drugs, don't heavily drink, don't isolate yourself, avoid pornography, and above all balance between all of your activities.

Schizophrenia Treatment - 10 Natural Ways to Overcome Schizophrenia Disorder

If you are looking for the newest and effective kind of treatment for schizophrenia that was developed in the recent years by a world class expert sufferer - Ronen David, then why not reading more about it? Ronen is the author of the "Coping With Schizophrenia Package". Didn't hear about it?

Visit his web site and learn about the best available Treatment For Schizophrenia

My Links : Natural body spa Exercise Workouts What is Detox

The Worst Sleep Disorder

Sleep is a Necessity, Not a Luxury

Millions of people suffer from chronic and pervasive sleep disorders. But what you are about to read is not about traditional sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, night terrors, restless leg syndrome, or narcolepsy. For information on those conditions, I ask you to check with a professional source in that area. What I am providing for you here is the most preventable type of sleep disorder and problem; self-imposed sleep deprivation.

Sleep

What happened to us? When did things begin to change regarding one of our most basic and necessary functions for health and wellness? When did sleep become frowned upon and why? Was it the Industrial revolution? Was it the Technology age? Who did the brainwashing?

When did sleep become a bad habit, a sign of laziness and, pardon me, a luxury?

Well, finally the research is out. But sadly, it seems that no matter how much information is put out there with statistics and fancy research results, many people are NOT heeding the call to sleep. The worst of it is that we are not listening to our own intuition and biological clocks. Well this is your "wake-up" call asking you to sleep more and sleep better.

How Sleep Deprivation Harms You

Did you ever hear or say the phrase "I'll sleep when die"? Well, guess what? Lack of sleep will catch up to you and cause you overall and long-term harm which could actually lead to premature death, or at least have you looking like a zombie!

Here below are the most common effects of the lack of proper sleep:

• Fatigue and exhaustion.
• Irritability and foul mood.
• Your physical appearance is affected adversely, meaning people who don't sleep enough look unhealthy, sunken in, older than their physical age-have you heard of beauty sleep?
• Increased risk of diabetes.
• Increased risk of cardio-vascular disease.
• Pre-mature aging.
• Weight gain.
• And possible increased cancer risk.

Purpose of Sleep and Its Benefits-From Sleeping Beauty to Beauty Sleep

Sleep is most assuredly a biological, mental, emotional and spiritual necessity. Just like we need air to breathe and food for sustenance to survive, sleep is a required activity, and not an optional habit. Here are some of the documented benefits of sleep:

• Biological: While you sleep, there is restoration and recovery of your cells, muscles and organs, including your biggest organ-your skin. Human Growth Hormone and Melatonin are released while you sleep and that is essential to healthy skin, hair, nail growth and anti-aging benefits. There is also the release of antioxidants and increased immune system strength. With enough sleep there is increased energy, and we can all use more of that during our waking life.
• Mental: With more sleep, you can expect a sharper mind, better concentration, and increased memory. A more intelligent world is a better world.
• Emotional: Forget being crabby. With restorative sleep you will have better and balanced mood, less irritability, higher optimism.
• Spiritual: Two of my favorite reasons to sleep are to "work things out" and increase in natural intuition. We are only beginning to understand and explore both the physical and the metaphysical benefits of sleep. From personal experience and the research I have conducted, I can tell you that when you sleep at your body's optimal level, your intuition and psychic ability are increased. You may also tend to remember your dreams more clearly and with more detail and that provides invaluable insight into your life issues, challenges and desires.
• Physical: Sleeping works above and below. The result is literally increased beauty by increasing your overall health and giving you a refreshed appearance everyone will notice.

Your Sleep Process

How many hours do you sleep? Do you feel it is more productive to sleep less and work more? Are you feeling vital and energetic?

I say "your sleep process" because each person's sleep cycle is. There is no cookie-cutter sleep recipe. The amount of sleep you need varies from anyone else's in your life. Even if you sleep the same amount of sleep as someone you know, the way you drift off, your style of sleeping, the sleep position in your bed, your dream life, kind mattress or pillow you need, etc. is all your own. But more often than not, the amount you need to feel refreshed, alert and healthy will be somewhere between 7 and 9 hours. There are also factors like your age, phase of life and general health condition that affect how much sleep you need. However some people need less and some, like me, need as much as 11 or 12 hours sometimes to feel rested.

Most people do not get nearly as much sleep as they need out of guilt or the conditioned belief that sleep is a bad habit. But in the process of sleep certain biological, mental and spiritual necessary processes occur. It may take time to find the amount of sleep that works for your highest health benefit. So make that time for yourself-you are worth it.

What the Heck is Sleep Hygiene-Creating a Sleep Conducive Environment and Banishing Sleep guilt

I don't know who came up with the term "Sleep Hygiene" but it sounds like, cleaning your sheets, or a showering before bed kind of thing. That is obviously not what it means. I believe the term does not accurately represent what it is trying to portray which is what I call, creating a Sleep Conducive Space (SCS).

Some sleep experts claim to restrict your bedroom, (assuming you sleep in a traditional bedroom) to sleep and sex only. But this is simply not realistic. But what is doable is to create the most conducive environment for yourself as possible. This process begins outside and into your bed. General useful considerations are:

• Watch your caffeine intake, alcohol intake or medications.
• Do something that lowers the temperature of your room to the cooler side.
• Gentle stretching and certain gentle yoga poses.
• Darken your environment (whether or not you are a day or night person).
• Quiet a restless mind by having note pad and pen and list quickly all that's on your mind to deal with another time then RELEASE it.
• Try to use soft and pleasant scents like lavender sleep sprays.
• Try soft nature sounds, or you respond to silence and there is a lot of noise around you use a white sound machine to block out unpleasant noise.
• Ask a doctor or other professional about supplements like Melatonin, or Valerian root etc.

In the end, the way you choose to create a sleep conducive space, will again, be unique and customized to you. If you do the research, reacquaint yourself with your natural biological clock, and trust your intuition, you will no longer succumb to the myth the less sleep is better. You can count on being on your way to better overall health. For a healthier, youthful and more beautiful you, go ahead, slumber Away.

The Worst Sleep Disorder

For more information and resources check Working Things Out

See Also : Massage The stress no more