The American Sleep Association has declared the week of February 1, Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Week. This initiative is incredibly important in bringing awareness to a condition that keeps millions of people awake at night.
Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Week
What is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)?
According to the American Sleep Association, this condition is a sensory disorder causing an urge to move the legs or arms. ASA explains, “The urge to move is often due to unpleasant sensations in the limbs that occur while at rest. People with RLS often describe the sensation as tingling, burning, or creepy-crawly. They experience brief, temporary relief by moving the limbs. There may be reversible causes that contribute to RLS. There are several treatment options available for the treatment of restless legs syndrome.”
Why does RLS interfere with sleep?
Those that suffer RLS experience the urge to move throughout the day and night in order to avoid the uncomfortable fluttering feeling they experience in their legs and arms. Due to the fact that RLS never rests, this unfortunately causes those with RLS to never rest as well. While most of us are tucked into bed comfortably only to move when turning about during the night, RLS patients get up and out of bed numerous times in order to find relief from the disorder. This constant moving about keeps them from falling asleep, and staying asleep. The unease that RLS patients experience is actually increased in moments of rest – making bed time an active, uncomfortable time.
What treatments are available for RLS?
The first step in treating RLS is to uncover any underlying illness that may be causing the disorder. According to medicinenet.com, something as simple as an iron deficiency can give rise to RLS. Aside from medicinal therapies, RLS can be alleviated by healthy lifestyle and diet choices. Regular exercise, eliminating smoking and alcohol, and cutting back on caffeine can all help with RLS symptoms. Doctors have a host of medications to choose from when treating RLS patients, that effectively control the disorder and allow patients to live a more normal, restful life.
If you are experiencing any uncomfortable feelings in your arms or legs and it’s interfering with your daily life – do not hesitate to visit your physician! There are many therapies and solutions that will help you to live more comfortably, and to rest throughout the night. Spread the word about Restless Legs Syndrome week – awareness is the first step in delivering relief and support to friends, family and loved ones who don’t have to suffer throughout the night.
The striking correlation between texting and sleep was recently discussed by sleep specialist Dr. Chris Seton, from the Sleep Disorders Clinic at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He stated that the effects of social media and cell phone usage are creating new sleep problems for young children and teens.
Dr. Seton comments, “Texting is worse than talking on the phone because kids stay awake waiting for the next message. Although we don’t have good figures on this in Australia, a study of 13-year-olds in the US that included checking mobile phone records, found that 45 per cent of them used their phones after 3am.”
What does Seton encourage parents to do to help their teens get the proper amount of sleep? Parents should be more assertive about keeping computers and TVs out of children’s bedrooms, and making it a rule that cell phones stay in the family room or kitchen until morning. More and more evidence is showing that sleep problems can have a detrimental effect on children’s academic performance, and can even cause behavioral disorders. It is also concerning that children are learning bad sleeping habits that they will likely carry on through their adult years, setting the stage for a lifetime of sleep problems and insomnia.
Habits – both healthy and unhealthy – start at a young age. We must remember that teaching kids the importance of sleep at an early age will benefit them greatly in the future. So make the rules and stick to them – no cell phones or computers at night. Your kids will thank you later!
Get those sheets ready, the third annual World Sleep Day is quickly approaching! On March 19, people across the world will unite by calling to attention the issues surrounding sleep, insomnia, treatments and research. The slogan this year? “Sleep Well, Stay Healthy.”
The World Sleep Day Federation even has a message, and has published an official declaration:
- Whereas, sleepiness and sleeplessness constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality of life,
- Whereas, much can be done to prevent and treat sleepiness and sleeplessness,
- Whereas, professional and public awareness are the firsts steps to action,
- We hereby DECLARE that the disorders of sleep are preventable and treatable medical conditions in every country of the world.
Spread the word about this amazing initiative and encourage those around you to educate themselves and others on the benefits of sleep and how it can impact your health and quality of life. And of course, be sure to clock in some great sleep on this international day of sleep!
If you’ve traveled across the sea or crossed a time-zone or two in your lifetime, you will know first hand how brutal jet lag can be. The effects of jet lag are wide-ranging, with the most significant impact being the change in internal daily rhythms of the body (circadian rhythm). Considering the fact that sleep patterns strictly follow this oh-so-important circadian rhythm, you can bet that any extensive traveling will result into some sort of sleep disorder.
Though traveling may not always be avoidable, it is possible to lessen and avoid the effects of jet lag. When fighting the effects of jet lag, there is one main piece of advice to follow: Stay hydrated. Yes, it’s as simple as that.
According to Molly Ogorzaly, PhD, the humidity in the confines of a plane is only 15%. This is actually comparable to the driest locations on the planet! In fact, the humidity levels in Atacama Desert in Chile hovers around 16 percent. Most experts recommend you drink at least 8 ounces of water every hour when traveling, but such a schedule only replaces the water you’re losing from the surface of your skin. You really need more.
Dream Water is actually a safe bet when trying to beat jet lag. With it’s sleep and relaxation inducing ingredients, it will keep you hydrated while helping your body to prepare for sleep. Dream Water also has a convenient 2.5 oz formula that is designed to pass safely through airline security and fit in your carry on baggage. If you’re planning a bit of sky travel, be sure to pocket some Dream Water – you will thank yourself later!
Menopause brings about a host of uncomfortable symptoms, and millions of women experience these life changing effects on a daily basis. The change in horomone levels during menopause causes fairly drastic effects that impact quality of life and require a lot of readjustment in order to cope.
One of the most significant effects of menopause is insomnia, and it is quite shocking how many people are unaware of this side effect. Horomones play a major role in the functionality of many systems within our bodies – the sleep system is no different, as it is mainly regulated by a steady level of horomones and amino acids. When this delicate balance is interrupted, the sleep system tends to fail and can cause a lot of miserable, sleepless nights.
When women hear that menopause is just another phase of life and to just ‘get over it’, they are left feeling helpless with this sudden shift and may not be able to cope as well as expected. Dealing with menopause and the many changes associated with it requires a wealth of education on the topic and a lot of support from loved ones.
Dealing withh insomnia during menopause is not a losing battle. There are several ways that this horomone-induced phase can be readjusted, allowing for a more regulated, high-quality sleep cycle. It is important to discuss with your physician any sleep-related problems you are experiencing during menopause, so that he can better assess what your body is seeking in order to regulate the issue itself. Every one is different, and every woman experiences menopause differently. But know this – You are not alone in this battle! There are many effective treatments for the sleep problems you are experiencing. Knowledge is key, and there are things you can even do at home to battle insomnia.
So don’t give up, and don’t feel as if you are alone in this change. Take relief in knowing there are solutions, and that you don’t have to suffer!
The age old advice of counting sheep at night to help you fall asleep may have some validity after all. The method requires two effective components, which actually help your mind and body settle into relaxation and eventually into full-fledged sleep mode.
Counting sheep at night (or shoes, banana trees, clouds..) involves both visualization and mental clearing. When you are lying in bed and begin to visualize sheep in a serene outdoor setting, you are removing your concious state from the pesky, worrisome thoughts that tend to keep you awake and stimulated at night. This is where the mental clearing comes into play as well. When the counting begins (whether you count by multiples of two or just use a simple count-down from 100), you reset your mind by focusing on the simple task at hand. The worries of housework, relationship woes and that nasty email from your boss tend to dissipate and slide away. Visualizing the sheep as you count, jumping over fences or drinking from a bubbling brook, will help the stress melt away. With this exercise, your body and mind slip into a more peaceful state – thus, helping you fall asleep with greater ease.
When you find yourself lying awake at night with a mind full of ruminations, simply visualize your lovely flock of sheep and take to task the countdown. Pretty soon the countdown will not only lead to an inventory of sheep, but a night full of peaceful dreams as well.
Want to learn exactly how to count sheep? Take a look at this handy guide from wikiHow!
If you struggle night after night to keep your young child in bed, you are not alone!
Studies published by the National Sleep Foundation show that 47% of families with children under 3 claim at least one of their children will wake at least once a night and need help to get back to sleep. The reasons vary from potty breaks, feeding times, nightmares and generalized mischief. Though mischief it may not be – fact is, all people (adults and children) go through about 5 cycles of sleep per night, and thus wake up at varying degrees between each of these cycles. For toddlers, these in-between stages pass by with more heightened stimulation, leading them to a more aroused and awakened state. This awakened and stimulated states during the night can actually increase when the child is in the process of mastering a challenging task – like reading or walking.
So don’t feel that all hope is lost when your little one hops out of bed every night. It is all part of the natural process of growing up, and quite frankly means they are developing well. Maintain your patience and find a routine that works for both you and your child. And remember, this too shall pass!
It’s no stretch to say our society is addicted to ageless beauty. The boom of botox, fillers and plastic surgery fuels the millions of women who frantically aim for the youngest and best looking bods in town. Despite our reckless search for superficial perfection, it will amaze most of you that beauty doesn’t have to involve a consultation with your local dermatologist or surgeon. True beauty, as we were taught in the grass roots days, is attained from the inside out.
When it comes to the benefits of sleep and beauty, you will be happy to learn that being the “best you can be” is only a dream away. The Huffington Post recently posted a blog by well known dermatologist, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, who calls sleep the rejuvenation hours. Though Dr. Perricone surely banks pretty well on womens’ obsession with youth-shortcuts, he is doing us all a service by unveiling a commonly overlooked secret of beauty. This secret is as you guessed – sleep.
Dream your way to beauty!
When it comes to sleep’s potential in slowing the aging process, Dr. Perricone says, “Getting sufficient sleep is critical to the healthy-aging regimen, because, as mentioned, our cells undergo a process of repair. In addition, when we look at the hormone parameters during sleep, we find that growth hormone is released during sleep — and growth hormone is the youth hormone.” He goes on to say, “Sleep also turns down the negative effects of cortisol and the “bad” neurotransmitters, like epinephrine and norepinephrine that can be elevated during stress. During the waking hours, stress can play havoc with our skin; it is only during the hours of sleep that we can undue the harmful effects.”
Need more proof that you really don’t need that $125 bottle of face cream? Numerous studies performed in the medical field are all coming to the same conclusions, and show that a solid, consistent night’s sleep is key for rejuvenation by giving our bodies the fighting chance to repair and rebuild. Look no further than your own pillow for that youth elixir – and remember, beauty is just a dream away!
