Narcolepsy

Snoring

Insomnia

Sleep Walking

There are some people who have problems with their sleep. Some have insomnia, narcolepsy, snoring, and some other have sleepwalking which is also known as somnambulism and noctambulism.

Sleepwalking, although it is not always harmless, it can also be very dangerous.

Sleepwalkers walk in their sleep. Or, they even do other actions as if they are awake such as taking a shower, eating. And, sometimes they can get out of the house. This is the dangerous part, especially because they cannot control their actions. Some sleepwalkers might also carry a knife or worst, walk in the nude.

If you see someone walking on his/her sleep, you’d better take him/her back to bed or wake him/her up gently. Most sleepwalkers would not remember what they did while sleeping. So, it would be wise not to make fun of them after they wake up.

What actually is the cause of this sleeping disorder?

In children, sleepwalking might be a result of fatigue, prior sleep loss, or anxiety. In adults, it is normally related to overtiredness, mind disorder, reactions to drugs and alcohol, or certain medical conditions. In aged people, it could be a symptom of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) behavior disorders or an organic brain syndrome.

It may also be genetic. Sleepwalking parents often have sleepwalking kids.

Here are some tips that you can try to avoid sleepwalking:

• Relax at bedtime by listening to soft music or relaxation tapes. Since one of the causes of sleepwalking is stress, it would be best for sleepwalker to try to get as relaxed as possible before going to bed.

• Have a regular sleep schedule and stick to it. Regular sleeping helps sleepwalker learn the rhythm of sleep. This can help preventing them from walking on their sleep.

• Make sure there is no noise that might sound annoying to you while you try to close your eyes.

• Avoid alcohol or drugs before going to bed for those are also causes of sleepwalking.

It has been projected that 10 percent of all people will experience sleep walking at some time in their life! So, make sure that you are not one of those 10 percent by trying those above tips.

David W Richards is a happy father of two boys. He has a big interest in health and parenting. So, he shares all he knows about it to everyone who wish to find out how to deal with their health or parenting issue.

There are also some other of his interests, such as Match88 News, Match88 Links, and Match88 Info.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is basically a disorder where a person stops breathing in their sleep. It can be very frightening when you wake up out of breath and do not know why.

Sleep apnea does not affect only adults it also affects children. It has been proven that premature babies are more likely to be born with this disorder. Often, if there are no other complications, the baby will be sent home with an apnea monitor. This is a special piece of equipment that monitors the baby’s breathing when he or she is sleeping. If the baby has an apnea attack, a very loud alarm will sound. This is usually enough to bring the baby out of the attack and he or she will start breathing again. There are times however when infant CPR is necessary to save the baby.

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder, and can be fatal. If the person suffering from it does not wake up and breath, it will be fatal. There is also equipment for adults who suffer from sleep apnea. Cpaps, masks, breathing machines and headgear are all medical equipment that is used for sleep apnea.

There are many things that can cause sleep apnea, both physical and medical. One of the physical causes of apnea is when you sleep on your back; the muscles in your mouth and neck relax to the point where your tongue folds in the back of your throat cutting off air to your lungs. After a few minutes, your body’s reflexes take over and you wake up gasping for air. It is recommended that those who suffer from apnea sleep on their back or stomach. Another physical causes of apnea is weight gain. When a person gains weight, it is not all in one place. The face and neck gain weight and when this happens, it can affect your breathing especially at night during sleep. Special equipment was designed to fit into the mouth and keep the tongue from folding therefore reducing the chance of an apnea event.

Studies have indicated that the size and shape of the head may have a direct link to sleep apnea. The shape of the head and neck are formed in a way where the muscles are forced to close over the airway when laying down.

A medical cause for apnea is large adenoids and tonsils. These organs can also block air to the lungs when the victim sleeps on his or her back. In most cases, apnea symptoms disappear when the tonsils and adenoids are surgically removed.

It is important to get treatment as soon as possible if you think you are experiencing sleep apnea. The longer it goes untreated the more dangerous it becomes. Untreated sleep apnea can affect every part of your body including your heart.

Sleep Hygiene

If you are one of those that toss and turn on their bed at night unable to get to sleep no matter how hard you try, you are experiencing what 100 million people in the US are going through. Insomnia is a serious issue in a global scale. Its a worldwide health concern especially prominent in more developed countries where the stress level is higher.

Fortunately, there are some tips that can help us sleep better just by taking a few simple steps and perhaps adopting a new kind of healthier lifestyle. By knowing and practising good sleep hygiene, it is likely we can improve our quality of sleep significantly.

What is Sleep Hygiene?
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While personal hygiene is known to be that thing we all do in order to keep clean and fresh smelling and dental hygiene involves keeping our teeth clean, healthy, and in our mouth, sleep hygiene is about those things that you can do in order to have a healthier and more restful sleep life.

Sleep hygiene encompasses all of those things that you can do which can help you to get ready for a restful nights sleep. It involves getting ready for bed, and preparing to easily fall asleep and stay asleep.

Improving Sleep Hygiene
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1. Establish set times to go to sleep and get up every morning.
Oh I believe this is a well known fact that majority of us are aware of, but few actually understand the importance of it and put it to practise. Of course we try to :) Unfortunately, there are many nights in which we get caught up trying to catch with the things that did not get taken care of during the day and we force ourselves to stay up later and later. But, this really does not solve the issue since by doing this we began to create a sleep deficit. Without a set time for you to go to bed and wake up it's hard to get your body in the habit of sleep.

2. Relax yourself before you go to sleep
You cant be jumping into bed after some strenuous exercises for example. Allow your body some time to relax, through means like meditation, listening to soothing music, or just keep quiet and stop thinking about things.

3. Forget about your worries and concerns
Leave them to the following day. It does not help to worry about things in the first place. Worry and thinking about your concerns will heighten your anxiety level and stimulate your nervous system, which means you become more alert and unable to go to sleep.

4. Go to bed once you feel weary and tired
After doing some of the above, when you are relaxed enough and weariness slowly sinks in, its time to go to sleep :) Have a good night :)

Do's
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1. Drink some milk
It helps you to sleep better.

2. Exercise regularly
Exercising keeps you healthy that goes without saying, it also helps you to go to sleep later at night. Try working out around 4 times a week, 20-30mins a day, go for a jog or a swim, it really doesnt take you that long to exercise :)

3. Take a hot bath before you go to sleep
It sooths your nerves, and people tend to be able to sleep better when the environment temperature is considerably cooler relative to their own body temperature. While taking a hot bath does not really keep your body temperature higher after the bath, it does have a psychological effect to that effect.

4. Environment
It should not be packed with stuff that reminds you of the things that you will have to do tomorrow, things that will set your mind thinking about stuff. That'll keep you awake. Just keep your bedroom clean and comfy. It might be the arrangement of your furniture, you can try rearranging your bed to a position where you may feel more relaxed and at ease. Some call it feng shui. But yes, personally I feel it works wonders :)

Don'ts
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1. Don't Smoke
Cigarettes contain Nicotine, which is a stimulant that activates your metabolism, and makes it more difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.

2. Don't consume alcohol before you sleep
Although consumption of a fair amount of alcohol makes u weary and drowsy, it might not be wise to consume alcoholic beverages a few hours before you sleep, or even use it as a sleeping aid, as it can interrupt your sleeping pattern and sleeping hours.

3. Don't consume excessive caffeine
Many people consume caffeinated drinks to forceably keep themselves awake, and needless to be said, you are actually interrupting your sleeping pattern as well.

4. Don't take heavy meals before you sleep
Ever heard your grandmother said that you'd get nightmares if you eat too much before you sleep? Well, indigestion will interfere with your normal sleeping cycle, and who knows there might not be concrete prove of that you'd get nightmares, but your grandma might be empirically correct from experience :)