"We are woken not by the sun at the time that suits our biorhythm, but by the remorseless bleeping of gadgets. On the way to work, caffeinated drinks jolt our sluggish brains into action. On the way home, electronic devices interrupt us with supposedly urgent messages, preventing us from shifting our minds away from the workplace" – Dominic Knight Sleep is vital for every human being’s survival. The average person invests approximately 25 years of their life in sleep… that’s one third of your life you spend unconscious! But despite this, sleep and dreams are the most under researched and overlooked topics and issues in our society and remains a mystery to many.
Why do we sleep? Why do we dream? Why can some recall their dreams more than others? What starts or ends REM sleep? What impacts the quality of our sleep? We live in an increasingly unprecedented online world of 24 hour news cycles and incessant instant updates. Much of our lives revolve around a single handheld device that wakes us up in the morning and often puts us to sleep at night. It is important now, more than ever, that we take time out from technology and develop healthy, regular sleep habits. Why? Because humans literally cannot function without sleep. Lack of sleep can impact your mood, memory, alertness, productivity, capacity to learn and ability to think clearly. By the time an infant reaches the age of two they’ve developed 90% of their adult brain, which is developed during sleep. According to the US Center for Disease Control, sleeping fewer than seven hours continually can increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, and all-cause mortality. So why is it that up to 30% of the population reports feeling sleep deprived, sleeping less than six hours a day? Or more alarmingly … one in three Aussies report having mild insomnia. Sleep Sense is here to explore these questions and generate insightful discussions with sleepers, experts and sufferers. So to get the ball rolling, may Sleep Sense ask... How did you sleep last night?
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1) Resist the Midnight Snack
Never sleep on a full or empty stomach and always avoid alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, caffeine and rigorous exercise before bed 2) Avoid All Screens Looking at screens before going to sleep exacerbates sleep disruptions so do avoid television, laptop and smartphone screens in the evening. For those addicted to their news feeds... continue reading... 3) Turn on ‘Night Shift’ In the last century, artificial light has substantially altered sleep timing among humans and other species in many areas of the world. White light strains your eyes and makes it difficult for your body to unwind into sleep mode. Solution? Enable ‘night shift’ in your iPhone settings for a soft, warm screen on your eyes at night. 4) Relaxation is Key For the best zzz's, get into the habit of unwinding before bed. Adopt your own individual methods of relaxing. This could be listening to soft music, reading a book, meditating or getting someone to give you a gentle massage. 5) Beware of the Nap Trap The afternoon siesta, widely common in South America, has been proven to significantly reduce health risks. For a quick boost in alertness, power nap for 10 - 20 minutes .. but any longer than half an hour can disrupt your night's sleep. 6) Just like Clock Work Whether you’re a night owl or early bird, a teen or an adult, it’s crucial to have a regular sleep pattern and get a minimum of seven hours sleep. Get yourself into a regular sleep pattern so the biorhythms of your body can be in sync. Without a solid sleep, your body is unable to repair, restore, grow and nourish. The secret to living a long, healthy life is giving your body a good night's sleep on a regular basis. Narcolepsy is a debilitating condition characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the day. In other words, REM sleep involuntarily takes over both the brain and the body without warning. These episodes or 'sleep attacks' usually last between just a few seconds or a number of minutes long. This is an under recognised and under diagnosed condition, which is the focus of much medical research.
People who suffer from narcolepsy often also experience episodes of cataplexy, where emotional triggers such as laughing, joking, surprise, fear or anger causes a dramatic reduction in muscle tone and the sufferer falls unconscious. Symptoms - excessive day time sleepiness - cataplexy - frequent episodes of sleep paralysis - hallucinations The condition is life long, with symptoms beginning in early childhood, approximately age 5 - 10 years. Symptoms can occur later in life. Treatment Although narcolepsy cannot be cured, excessive sleepiness can be helped considerably with medications. Treatment for narcolepsy usually involves a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. Top Tips for Narcoleptics - Wear a medical bracelet to identify your medical condition - Ensure a regular sleep schedule - Notify family, friends and employers of your condition - Schedule several short naps each day (10 - 15 minutes) to improve alertness and reduce the likelihood of 'sleep attacks' during activities - Avoid sleep depreviation (E.g. late nights out or shift work) - Avoid jobs/activities that involve operating heavy machinery or excessive driving - For severe cases, have someone with you who is aware of your condition when you are in public places If you suffer from narcolepsy or experience symptoms similar to this, we'd love to hear from you. Comment below with any questions, stories or thoughts you'd like to share. |
AuthorSleep Sense educates its audience about sleep health through research and opinion from medical experts and sufferers. ArchivesCategories |