More Attention Should Be Given to Sleep Disorders. While sleep disorders are quite common they are very likely to be under reported by people. Furthermore, physicians can make the problem worse by misdiagnosing certain sleep disorders. This can put further strains on the health care system. Those who have sleep problems are more likely to require medical care, in some cases hospital care. But how common are sleep problems, actually?

Data from a recent survey shows that they are indeed quite common. When 2000 adults, both men and women, were asked about their sleep, 99% reported that they had at least one problem with their sleep.

The most common complaints were: feeling of not getting enough sleep (54%), snoring (45%), daytime sleepiness (45%), trouble falling asleep at night (37%). Now that these figures are available, it is time for both patients and medical professionals to start taking the problem of sleep disorders seriously. Even minor sleep problems could result in further medical complications down the road if they are not addressed.

“People with sleep problems are significantly more likely to require health-care treatment, including hospitalization, according to findings from an analysis of sleep data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national survey that is conducted annually and covers a range of health and nutrition topics.” Source at http://blogs.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/2011/08/do-you-talk-to-your-doctor-about-sleep.html

Waking Up at Night Affects Your Memory. According to information collected from a new study done at Stanford University, frequently waking up at night can have a negative impact on your overall memory. While it has been known for some time that insufficient sleep can lead to trouble remembering things and affect concentration in general, frequently waking up during sleep can have the same effects. This is the case even if you still get the recommended amount of hours of sleep each night.

Stanford University researchers have used mice in order to determine how interrupting their sleep had an impact on their memory. The study activated the neurons which are associated with waking up, therefore fragmenting sleep, without actually affecting the intensity or the length of the sleep. Mice who have been subjected to such treatment could not remember things that they have been taught the previous day.

What can you do about this? The main thing is to eliminate any potential trouble sources that could wake you up at night. If you are having trouble finding the source of the problem, consider consulting a medical professional, as this could be a sign of sleep apnea.

Read more about this “New parents may want to jot more things down rather than relying on their memory until their children can sleep through the night.” http://www.bnet.com/blog/health-fit-tips/waking-up-a-lot-it-is-hurting-your-memory/1314

Snoring Can Be More Than Just a Medical Issue. Snoring is far from being a rare problem. In fact, according to certain studies, an estimated 50% of the population snores at least occasionally during sleep. The thing with snoring is that many people do not realize that they do it if they sleep alone. However, if you share a bed with someone else, this can become quite a problem and even cause a strain on a relationship. This can especially be made worse if the snoring is loud enough to disrupt your partners’ sleep.

The first thing to do would be to openly communicate with your partner about snoring. However, you should not be judgmental or try to attack him or her. However, there is some good news if you are stuck with someone who is snoring. There are efficient treatments available which can eliminate, or significantly reduce incidences of snoring. Also, as loud and frequent snoring could be a sign of more serious medical problems, snorers are encouraged to consult with a medical professional about the issue.

Read more from “There’s a freight train in my bed” http://www.xtra.ca/public/Vancouver/Theres_a_freight_train_in_my_bed-10608.aspx

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Snoring Can be a Sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Snoring is often seen as an annoyance for those who have to endure the sound of someone in their house snoring loudly. But it can turn out to be dangerous for the health of the snorer as well. One of the most common signs of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, commonly called OSA, is loud snoring. OSA happens when a person stops breathing during their sleep. While the actual apnea only happens for a few seconds, some sufferers of OSA experience as much as 300 incidences of sleep apnea a night. This can have some serious health consequences in the long term, as the amount of oxygen which reaches the brain is reduced in that case.

OSA happens due to an airway collapse which prevents air from reaching the lungs. It can disrupt sleep, leading to increased daytime fatigue, combined with the health consequences that this could bring, such as a lack of energy and a less efficient immune system.

More to read at http://www.theunion.com/article/20110809/NEWS/110809744/1053&parentprofile=1

Is There a Connection Between Sleep and Weight? One question that is often asked in health related online forums is: “Is there a connection between sleep quality and a healthy weight?”. While there is no clear cut, definite answer to this question, there are some studdies which suggest that lack of sleep can make a person more susceptible to gaining weight. This can be made worse in people who have an unhealthy diet or get very little exercise. The mechanism of action for the link between sleeping and weight involves the hormones leptin and grehlin. These hormones are found in both fat cells, as well as in the digestive tract.

Too little sleep can cause a decrease of leptin levels, which could encourage a person to eat more even if they are full. Insufficient sleep has also been shown to increase levels of ghrelin, which acts as an appetite stimulant. The solution is simple, however: getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night can restore the levels of these hormones to normal amounts.

Snippet from source “Each year, readers of Consumer Reports pose hundreds of questions. One common query: What’s the connection between sleep and weight?”   http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2011/07/sleep-more-weigh-less.html

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How to Prevent SIDS. Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is what causes babies to die in their sleep for no apparent reason. It is also sometimes called crib death or cot death. While there are many theories on what could increase the chances of SIDS, a recent NPR investigative report links many infant deaths that are attributed to SIDS with sleep practices that are not safe. Some practices that are not recommended include putting the baby to sleep on a surface that is too soft, or lying on its stomach.

The Sleep Safe campaign, which has a goal of cutting down on unsafe sleeping practices, recommends the ABC approach. ABC stands for Alone, Back, Crib. A baby should sleep alone, lying on the back in a crib. Using bedding that is too soft in a crib, however, should be avoided. Stuffed animals, as well as bumper pads are also a bad idea, as they have been seen in many cases of SIDS.

Just a snippet from source “Alone. Back. Crib. That’s an important ABC for new parents to learn, to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Few possibilities are scarier to parents than the threat of SIDS, when babies die mysteriously in their sleep.” http://news.consumerreports.org/baby/2011/08/sids-rethinking-safer-sleep-for-babies.html

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Some Healthy Things to Do After You Wake Up. Everyone knows that getting a good night’s sleep is important to staying healthy. But what about the actions that you take after waking up? Some of them can have impacts on your health as well, though many people seem not to realize this or pay too much attention to this fact.

Doing some light exercises, such as stretches can definitely be helpful for the muscles and joints. In order for them to be beneficial for you, you will need to execute the stretches in a series of slow movements. Certain yoga positions could also be very helpful for this. Basically, stretching in the morning will help “wake up” your muscles and joint, which will prepare them for the day ahead.

When you sleep, your body uses up the water that it has stored during the day. By re-hydrating your body when you wake up, you will help stimulate your digestive system and nervous system when you wake up.

“Before going to bed to reach good quality of sleep, better doing stretches for the muscle and joints. But we also need some light exercise after wake up, by doing stretches slowly” http://prasetio30.hubpages.com/hub/A-Healthy-Way-To-Wake-Up-in-The-Morning

Sleep talking is a condition that is sometimes referred to as somniloquy. Many people have had some instances where they have talked, screamed or laughed during their sleep. While this may be quite a concern for those around you, professional guidance should be sought if you suffer from repeated instances of sleep talking.

There are still some studies done as to what exactly causes sleep talking. It can be triggered by a change in a person’s emotions, such as feelings of anger, sadness or happiness that has occurred recently. In these cases, the sleep talking should stop within a few days. However, there are also other things which can trigger this disorder. Mental health problems, substance abuse, as well as some prescription medications have been shown to have the potential to trigger sleep talking. Some may even believe that it is caused by visitation from spirits or other super natural forces, but of course there is no credible scientific evidence to corroborate this theory.

More on this at “It has been several years since I’ve been asked about this particular condition, known as somniloquy or sleep taking.” http://pattyinglishms.hubpages.com/hub/Sleep-Talking

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Sleeping at the Wheel Can Be Deadly. Of course, anybody knows that falling asleep at the wheel is a major road safety hazard. There are thousands of accidents each year that are caused by driver fatigue. However, a large amount of these accidents are not caused by the driver falling completely asleep at the wheel but rather by entering what’s called a microsleep. This occurs when someone is tired, but is fighting off the effects of fatigue and tries to stay awake. In this case, the driver will nod off for a short period of time, between 2 and 30 seconds. They often do not even notice that they had been asleep.

When driving a car, these microsleep periods are quite deadly. A car that travels on a freeway at 70 mph will have traveled 200 meters in just 6 seconds. These 6 seconds are more than enough to send you off the road or into oncoming traffic. The best solution to prevent this: get enough sleep before driving and stop for a break should you begin to feel sleepy.

More on this topic “Head-nodding occurs when someone nods off to between two and 30 seconds, often without realising that they have been asleep.” http://www.carnewsportal.com/car_article8570.html

Connections Between Dementia and Sleep Disorders. While they were previously brushed to the side, sleep disorders are now the subject of various scientific studies and research. This all happened due to the fact that a link has been discovered between dementia and sleep disorders, with most of the people who are affected being the elderly. There are a few sleep disorders that have a link to dementia.

Most notably, we have rapid eye movement sleep disorder, which has been linked to dementia by Michael J. Breus, Ph.D in a 2010 article. Rapid eye movement sleep disorder happens when someone does not go through normal sleep patterns and does not experience the sleep paralysis during REM sleep. In this disorder, people often experience dreams that are violent and will react by screaming, jumping out of the bed, kicking or punching. Rapid eye movement sleep disorder is more prevalent among elderly men.

Read more at “Sleep disorders have moved to the forefront of scientific study and are no longer being pushed aside as they have been in earlier times.” http://jennapope.hubpages.com/hub/The-Sleep-Disorder-and-Dementia-Connection