The Ferber Method - Is It Right for Your Child?

Are your child's sleep habits keeping you awake at night?

If so, you've probably heard about Ferber sleep training. This method is designed to get children to fall asleep on their own, without being soothed to sleep by their parents. It works by having parents progressively withdraw from their children over a period of several nights. Here's an outline of the typical procedure.

o Night One: Put your child to bed (while he's still awake) and leave him alone for 3 minutes. During these 3 minutes, ignore your child's cries and protests. After the 3 minutes are over, you can check on your child. But keep your visit brief--no more than 30 seconds. Don't pick him up or hold him, because doing so will "reward" him for crying. At the end of your visit, leave your child again--this time for 5 minutes. Perform another quick check, and then leave him for 10 minutes. Repeat this cycle (briefly checking on your child and then ignoring him for 10 minutes) until your child finally falls asleep.

o Subsequent nights. Continue the procedure outlined above, but each night increase the time between checks. For example, on Night Two, wait 5 minutes before your first check, 10 before your second check, and 12 minutes before all subsequent checks. After a few nights of training, intervals between checks might stretch to 20 minutes or more.

Is the Ferber method right for your child? Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut answer to this question.

On the positive side, scientific studies show that Ferber sleep training is an effective way to reduce bedtime tantrums. Ferber "graduates" are less likely to awaken their parents at night, and parents report improvements in their own stress levels and mood. For a sleepless parent at the end of her rope, these benefits are extremely important.

But on the negative side, the training process can be very distressing. During training, children may become so upset that they vomit. Some parents may find this intolerable.

More importantly, no one yet has studied the long-term effects of Ferber training on a child's personality, stress-response system, or emotional development. This lack of information - and the fact that "crying it out" is a very unusual parenting practice when viewed cross-culturally - persuades some people to reject the method.

But regardless of the controversy, there are some points on which the experts agree:

o The Ferber method is NOT appropriate for young babies. Young babies need to feed at night, and their sleep patterns are still immature. For these reasons, researchers recommend that parents avoid Ferber sleep training for babies less than 6 months old.

o The Ferber method is NOT appropriate for kids who have a conditioned fear of being left alone in their beds or who have a conditioned vomiting response.

o The Ferber method is NOT appropriate as a treatment for most child sleep problems. For instance, if your child suffers from separation anxiety, or sleep apnea, or a circadian rhythm disorder, Ferber sleep training isn't going to cure these problems. In fact, it might make things worse. For these reasons, it's important to identify and treat your child's specific problems before you try sleep training.

o The Ferber method does NOT teach kids how to fall asleep. During Ferber sleep training, kids are left to work things out for themselves. If you really want to help your child fall asleep on her own, you need to teach her specific relaxation techniques.

o The Ferber method isn't the only sleep training program available. A recent review by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that other, less distressing methods are equally effective.

The bottom line? Before you attempt the Ferber method, consider your child's age and temperament, and screen her for pre-existing sleep problems. It's also a good idea to check out alternative training programs. After "shopping around," you'll be in a better position to choose the best approach for your child.

Copyright March 2008

Gwen Dewar

Sleep Problems - Can't Sleep - The Over Tired Myth

Sleep problems, the inability to sleep or to get a good and refreshing night's rest, plague millions of people in the United States and many more millions around the world. Children as well as adults are affected by insomnia, in fact, even infants may have sleep problems.

One term that is often used is overtired, or over tired. This is a misleading description, to say the least. Is it really possible to be too tired to sleep? Let's think about that for a minute. First of all, if you were too tired to sleep, if it was really possible to get too tired to sleep, then once you reached that point, it would be impossible to ever fall asleep again.

If being a little tired helps you to sleep, and being a little more tired than that helps you to sleep even more, why wouldn't being very tired help you to sleep? Of course, the answer is that it does. Many times children are labeled as over-tired, but what they really are is over stimulated, or just plain stimulated and therefore, find it hard to relax.

While relaxation and sleep are two different things, it is necessary to relax in order to sleep. It is one of the stages to sleep. Therefore, in order to go to sleep, an adult or child, even an infant, must relax. One part of the relaxation process is physical and one part is emotional or intellectual.

By physically relaxing, it is possible to trigger powerful neurotransmitters that relax the mind. By relaxing the mind, or slowing it down, it is possible to drift off to sleep. That is why relaxation techniques are so beneficial for people who experience sleep problems

Relaxation techniques for adults often focus the attention on different parts of the body or engage the mind in repetitive tasks. Children's bed time stories work well especially those that make use of subliminal suggestions that gently guide a child into sleep.

Whatever method is used to gently guide the mind and body into natural sleep, there is no such thing as being over tired or too tired to sleep. It is possible to be stimulated and therefore unable to relax, but that can be dealt with using proven methods.

Separation Anxiety and Moms - Five Steps to Overcome Worry About Children

Have you have ever felt separation anxiety when your child is away? You are not alone. Millions of mothers worldwide worry about their children. Moms care about how their children's health, feelings and well being. Nearly every mom has built-in intuition that tunes into her child.

So what is separation anxiety and how does it affect mothers? Separation anxiety for moms involves the fears, thoughts and worry that something bad may happen to their children should they leave their mother's side.

The situation is even more difficult for mothers with only one child. Those moms have poured all of their love, attention, energy and time on their one-and-only child. Now, as their son or daughter leaves home, moms plagued by separation anxiety can't stop thinking about them and wondering if they are safe.

Moms are involved with their child from the first days of pregnancy to the last days on earth. And there are plenty of situations and events that can cause worry, from taking those first steps to the first day of school, to trips with friends, going off to college or relocating to a different part of the country for a new career. When that child dies, the grief is overwhelming and the world seems to end for every parent, but especially for a mother who loves her child.

If the condition of separation anxiety bothers you, here are five steps to remove worry and renew your peace of mind.

1. Instead of planning a "going away" party, hold a "going ahead" celebration.

Let's face it, separation anxiety often imagines the ending a continual physical presence. Re imagine the outcome. Train your thoughts that your a child is "going ahead" to a life that is even better. Your child will return to a more mature and meaningful friendship with you.

2. Surrender your desire to hold on.

Look at nature. Mother birds teach baby birds to fly, often by pushing them out of the nest. Then, they catch them as they fall. When baby birds can fly on their own, they leave the nest and can soar to new heights. Look on with pride and thanksgiving.

3. Remain in touch - with self control.

Counselors and psychologists warn about "s-mothering" a child. Too much attention pushes a child away. Very young children who cannot feed, protect or clothe themselves, need regular contact and monitoring. When children get older, they need to learn how to fly as adults.

As a teenager or young adult departs for school, a job or to travel, make contact on a consistent, respectful basis.

4. Hold up your children in prayer.

Nearly every major world religion that has stood the test of time, represents God as a loving, protecting and wise Parent who cares for all people. Connect with God through prayer and experience deep peace and hope even when life conditions are difficult.

5. Understand that you and your child have connected for life.

For some moms, separation anxiety may begin at birth. Every mom that gives birth to a child started that life in her uterus. Every unborn baby is connected to its mom by a lifeline of the umbilical cord.

A typical umbilical cord is comprised of three strands of life - a vein and two arteries. Every nutrient, all oxygen and blood nurture the fetus through the arteries. Waste is eliminated through the vein. As the baby grows, a larger amount of life flows through the umbilical cord to your baby.

When your baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut, but you can now be connected to your child by three new strands - love, faith and hope. This new connection can remove your separation anxiety and last for eternity when you understand that your child is here with you.

Acid Reflux and Sleep Apnea

Many people suffer sleep apnea and acid reflux at the same time. In Latin, apnea means 'without breath'. Sleep Apnea is a disorder where the person sleeping involuntarily stops breathing for approximately ten seconds. It can also last as long as a minute. During an occurrence of apnea, the muscles of the lungs do not move, this occurs several times throughout sleep. The typical symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, constant tiredness and morning headache.

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a digestive disorder where the stomach acids enter the esophagus and cause damage to the mucus membrane. The burning sensation in the chest is the major symptom of the presence of stomach acid in the esophagus.

A link between chronic heartburn and sleeping disorders has existed for a long time. However, which comes first is unknown. There was a recent study done in Germany that found acid reflux symptoms develop in people that suffer sleep apnea three times more frequently than in normally healthy people. According to this study, it would appear that sleep apnea is that cause and heartburn is the side effect. Other experiments have shown that once the acid reflux disorders have stabilized, the symptoms of sleep apnea fade away completely or at least reduce considerably.

The burning, choking feeling as the stomach acid rises from the stomach up the esophagus. This is a feeling that will certainly keep you awake at night. In this case, it would be obvious that treating the acid reflux would go a long way in improving the quality of the sleep.

Sleep apnea more frequently occurs in older overweight men. Sleep Apnea also occurs in many infants, who suffer from these same symptoms. In order to avoid acid reflux symptoms it is a smart idea not to eat spicy foods and not to eat large meals especially two to three hours before bedtime. If you are hungry and must eat in that 2-3 hour range before bed then try fruits like pineapple or papaya. Crackers and a glass of warm milk are good for the digestive system as well.

Sleep apnea and chronic acid reflux are both associated with obesity. A diet that is heavy in sugar, fast food and fat will cause obesity. A proper healthy diet will go a long way in preventing both sleep apnea and acid reflux.

Do not let stomach acid cause inflammation of the throat and larynx. If you avoid acid reflux then you just could be avoiding sleep apnea.

Lack of Sleep Causes More Than Just a Tired Body

While most people will agree that a lack of sleep causes us to be tired the next day, many don't realize there are other effects on the body as well. While some of these problems might not seem too severe, others can prove to be far more dangerous than simple items to look over. In fact, we will touch on some of the dangers you might encounter, if you aren't sleeping.

One of the most common things that a lack of sleep causes is anger issues. While you might think that you are simply cranky naturally, the problem could be from a total lack of sleep. Studies have shown that this also causes impatience and sudden mood swings as well. In some cases, you might find that it changes your overall personality.

In addition to this, your immune system will begin to suffer as well. While you are losing sleep, your body can't regenerate and refuel parts of your body. This causes your immune system to continue working in overdrive and soon, you become more susceptible to the flu and other illnesses you might have normally would not have gotten.

Your eating cycle will be another item that a lack of sleep causes. When this happens, you might find that you are always hungry, even when you've just eaten. Your body is unable to determine what needs it actually has and soon you are consuming abnormal amounts of food that a little sleep could help to offset.

Of course, we also find that there is another issue that comes up. That is the fact that sleeping right can help to curb both depression and anxiety as well. When you don't sleep enough, it can begin to wear down on your emotional state as we mentioned earlier. But along with that, some psychologists suggest that both this problems can be significantly reduced if a person begins to get the prescribed normal sleeping hours for their age bracket. Which in most cases are 7 - 10 hours each night.

Getting to Sleep and Staying Asleep - What to Do If You're Having Trouble

As we all know, getting enough sleep is important to our good health and good frame of mind. Nothing is more refreshing than a good night's sleep; on the other hand, nothing can be as debilitating as any type of insomnia. If you're having trouble getting to sleep at night or sleeping through the night, try these simple tips:

- Don't drink caffeinated beverages or eat caffeinated foods before bed. This includes coffee, tea and chocolate.

- Don't use nicotine products. If getting to sleep or staying asleep is an issue, the stimulant effect of nicotine could be a factor.

- Develop a regular sleep time. By retiring at a regular time each evening your body will soon get the message that it's time to sleep.

- If you work from home, try to avoid using the bedroom as a workspace. If there is no other option, don't use your bed as your seating area. Limit your use of the bed to sleep time.

- Some people use reading in bed to make themselves tired. If you do, use a dim, highly focused light. Our bodies are naturally conditioned to sleep when it's dark and wake when it's light so avoid a lot of light.

- Try a workout before bed. Exercise works well for many people to help them sleep. If exercising before bed has the opposite effect on you, try a vigorous workout earlier in the day.

- Try listening to soft music, ocean sounds or white noise.

- Try Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body that helps regulate the sleep cycle. It's sold over the counter and a 3 mg tablet or capsule helps many people fall asleep and stay asleep.

- Avoid alcohol. It may make you drowsy, but it has the opposite effect on some people. It also dehydrates you so, even if you do fall asleep, you are likely to need water in the middle of the night.

- Use deep breathing to relax. Take deep, relaxed breaths and focus on your breathing.

- Avoid stressful activities in the evening. For some people this is discussing problems, for others it's paying bills. You know what it is for you.

- Some people have good results using an herb called Valerian root. You can get capsules, tablets or tea. Sometimes the soothing nature of the tea also helps on its own.

- Breathing the scent of aromatherapy candles or extracts like lavender help some people. A good health food store or the internet will have useful information.

- Women having issues with hot flashes keeping them awake can try Black Cohosh extract.

If not being able to sleep is a one-time or periodic occurrence, it will most likely pass if you don't let yourself get too stressed out about it. If it becomes a persistent condition, see a doctor or alternative medicine practitioner. Sleep difficulties, especially those that involve not being able to stay asleep, can sometimes be due to medical factors that include conditions like sleep apnea, a potentially serious problem if left untreated where an individual actually stops breathing while sleeping.

Top Four Anxiety Symptoms In Teenage Girls

Puberty can be devastating among teenage girls. Not only does a young girl have to worry about fitting in at school, shaping their identity, and dealing with hormones, they may often have issues at home as well. Anxiety symptoms in teenage girls are traits that are commonly expressed between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. In this article, you will see how to easily detect and identify the top four symptoms of anxiety of girls within this age group.

The first symptom to look for is going through things in cabinets, drawers, and other storage areas. They may not be looking for anything in particular. When asked why are they rummaging through things, most of the time, their answer is "I don't know." This is an outlet for them to get through their anxiety. The need to rummage somehow calms their anxiousness. This is analogous to when a drug addict searches for money to support a drug habit, which can cause them to literally tear a house apart, just so they can get their next dose.

The second symptom is more obvious and involves constant shaking and pacing. Most teenage girls will shake their feet and legs in a rocking motion, often doing this all day. Some may even eventually rock themselves to sleep in the process. When they are anxious about things in general, many times you will see them just walking back and forth, pacing the floor. Shaking, on the other hand, usually comes from being anxious about certain events. For example, let's say a young girl's boyfriend promises to call her at a certain time. This can cause her to shake impatiently until she receives the call. Another example is if someone promises her something very special but later is unable to deliver. She may then shake to try to prevent herself from having an anxiety attack.

The third anxiety symptom in teenage girls to notice is verbal attitude. When a young girl become bored, often the need to do something, anything, can become extremely important to them. They will often resort back to being a 5 year old child again, asking many questions. If the answers are not what they are looking for, temper tantrums can often be the result. You may even find them storming around the house until everyone is unhappy. This attitude can be explosive both to her and to everyone else around her. Many parents simply chalk this up to being rebellious, however, this couldn't be further from the truth. It is usually the outward expression of anxiety symptoms in teenage girls.

The fourth, and less common symptom to be on the lookout for, is the need to be creative. Although this can be a great avenue for expression, it can also be dangerous depending on what is created. Some young girls can create fantasies and get people to believe lies just so they can be the center of attention. This is dangerous because these fantasies are usually manipulative in nature and geared towards retaliation for situations that the young girls have usually gotten themselves into. For example, if a young girl gets a bad grade and is grounded for it, her need to create fables against the discipline are actions that are calming to her. She may be even plot actions just to get even. Many parents often chalk this up to PMS. However, PMS only lasts for a week out of each month, not all year.

You should also pay attention to some of the more mildly creative ways of dealing with anxiety. Many young girls will paint, write, or make photo boards that express their feelings. Pay close attention to all the artwork created by them. They tell stories. Many crimes in this day and age would not take place if parents paid more attention to their child's artwork.

These symptoms can be easily overlooked and simply chalked up to other causes. But they should be recognized for what they are and must ultimately be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately. And of course, there are more than just these top four symptoms of anxiety in teenage girls not being mentioned here, that may also need addressing.

Home Remedies For Sleep Disorder

Next time you are not able to fall asleep, don't just pop up that sleeping pill! They are harmful if taken frequently- you know that! Just follow some natural ways to cure your sleeplessness. Here are some home remedies for giving you restful good night's sleep!

• Don't go by the general theory of ' daily eight hours sleep'. Ayurveda advocates quality of sleep. The quantity of sleep is decided by individual body. It may range from anywhere between 5-8 and even 9 hours. Find for yourself, how much sleep you need to feel afresh!


• Set your body clock by following nature's pattern. Rise when sun rises, even sometime before that, and go to bed no later than 10 pm. Don't let the routine disturbed on weekends too!


• Exercise keeps us fit but do it in the morning. Exercising late in the day or in evenings raises our energy levels and makes us too active to go to sleep. If you can't find time in the morning, make sure you exercise at least 4 hours before your bedtime.


• Avoid rich diets for dinner. Ayurvedic diets favor lighter meals at night which is taken at least 3 hours before going to bed.


• Have a glass of warm milk before going to sleep. Add some nutmeg to milk for Vata body type, cardamom for Pitta body type and dried ginger for Kapha body type. Know your body type before using any of the spice with milk. Taking wrong one can even hamper your sleep.


• Get your lower limbs massaged with some non-staining oil like sweet almond or jojoba oil. For more relaxed sleep, mix few drops of  lavender oil. Massage your lower legs, from knees to toes, and your lower arms, from elbows to fingertips, with easy up-and-down strokes with small quantity of this mixed oil.


• Make your bedroom relaxing with clutter free and quiet atmosphere. Wear comfortable clothes. Do not watch TV or read anything just before going to sleep. You may listen to soft relaxing music.


• Avoid alcohol or caffeine beverages, especially before going to sleep. Nicotine also leads to sleep deprivation, so quit smoking.


• Avoid sleeping during the day. If you can't, make it as short as possible. Twenty minutes daytime nap is rejuvenating enough to recharge you for the rest of the day.


• Do meditation for helping you deal with day-to-day stresses and worries. Stress is the worst enemy of sleep.


• Poppy seeds, jatamansi, Indian Valerian and the essential oils of rose, lavender and sandalwood are relaxing and calming. They are helpful in getting restful sleep. Use them in ways you can.


• At bedtime, rinse your eyes with rosewater, add a drop of ghee (clarified butter). Shut your eyes and go to sleep.


• Combing hair before retiring is also a good practice for good night's sleep.


• If married, make love to your partner. Its relaxing and helps you in getting a good quality sleep.

Sleep Or Die - Sleeping Disorders That Can Cost Your Life

Millions of Americans are suffering from many forms of sleep disorder. And often, sleep problems at night become more than just tossing and turning on your bed and having dark circles or eye bags the following morning. The implications linked to sleep disorders can seriously affect your mental and physical capabilities; in some cases, sleep disorders can even cause death.

One glaring example where sleep problems can become lethal can be found in motor vehicle accidents. From 1997 to 2002, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association recorded that there were around 1.3 million traffic accidents caused by people who were sleepy or had fallen to sleep while driving; which in turn, is caused by sleep deficiency. And this is just one sleep disorder. There are other sleep problems that can wreak havoc in the lives of so many people.

Insomnia

Perhaps, the most well-known sleep disorder is insomnia. Many people think that they suffer from it whenever they have difficulty getting to sleep during one particular night. But actually, insomnia happens only if your inability to sleep has been going on for a prolonged period of time, like a few days, weeks, months or even years.

This sleep disorder is brought about by a number of factors that can be either personal or environmental. If you are having a lot of stress or you are suffering from mental problems and alcohol addiction, the chances that you will experience insomnia can be high. Also, your inability to fall asleep can become worse if you are living in a very noisy or brightly-lit neighborhood,

Insomnia is not normal. If your inability to sleep starts to thwart your capacity to perform your work and other functions, it is best to consult with a sleep therapist before your insomnia results to more serious health conditions.

Periodic Limb Movement Syndrome

This sleep disorder is more connected to factors like lung diseases, diabetes and anemia than to sleeping itself. However, the symptoms that this disorder brings can take their toll on one's ability to sleep. People who suffer periodic limb movement syndrome often experience lack of sleep during the night because they get awaken by sudden involuntary muscle movements in the legs and other parts of the limbs. The overall effect is excessive drowsiness during the day.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a relatively uncommon sleep disorder compared to insomnia. But this sleep problem can have fatal effects on someone who suffers from it. Basically, narcolepsy is present in people who have extreme sleepiness during daytime. It is also characterized by a never-ending inclination to sleep and a general feeling of weariness; people who suffer from narcolepsy can fall asleep unexpectedly and unaware, like literally dropping dead.

Some form of narcolepsy can even make you lose control of your muscles and can cause you to collapse. Other narcoleptic symptoms include sleep paralysis, which can block the capacity for movement and speech even when one is completely awake and conscious. Lastly, drowsy hallucinations that can include dreamlike scenes or phantasmical apparitions and impede one's muscle control can also hound sufferers of narcolepsy; this symptom is often dismissed as a mental problem instead of a sleep disorder, which is why many sufferers of narcolepsy go on with their lives improperly medicated.

Indeed, narcolepsy can be dangerous. Imagine if you are driving your car to work and you had a fit of this sleep disorder? What if you had a hallucination that ultimately turns into a crime like stealing or murder? If you are suffering from this sleep disorder, you must know that there is no cure for it; but with proper management and remedies, you can still live normally like everyone else.

If you find it hard to get quality sleep, you can try sleep-enhancers like Sedamine. For more details about how you can stop tossing and turning at night, visit http://Sedamine.com/.

How Massage Therapy Helps With Sleep Disorders

Many people suffer sleep disorders and they are very common. Most of them take medications and they don't realize that one way to help improve their sleep is massage therapy can.

How Can Massage Help You Sleep?

It is a mother instinct that if your child couldn't sleep, you would probably pat rub their back or stroke the child's head and s/he fall asleep. Massage is a natural way to calm and relax us.

Massage helps us relax

We all have an autonomic nervous system consists of two parts and they are the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The parasympathetic is the one who balances the sympathetic thus, when you receive a massage, the parasympathetic is stimulated and therefore allows our body to relax. When stress hits you, the sympathetic nerve is activated and this is the instance that you feel the urge to fight or escape. So if you are not sleeping very well because of stress and tension, you might be glad to know that massage therapy can improve your sleep patterns. You will experience after having a massage that you feel very sleepy or sometimes you will fall asleep.

What are the common sleep disorders?

Any sleep disorder can critically affect your health and quality of life, whether you are suffering from sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, or the most common one, the insomnia.

Massage Therapy and Sleep

Several researches have shown that massage therapy is not only decreased headaches and lower back pain, but also helped individuals lessened their depression and anxiety and sleep better. Also, studies showed that patients were experienced improved quality and quantity of sleep patterns unlike those who are only into relaxation exercises.

REM Sleep - What Age Group is Affected the Most?

While REM sleep is most often associated with the subject of dreaming, there is much more to this all-important stage of sleep than dreams.

As the brain regions specific to learning are stimulated during REM sleep, this is one factor which makes this particular stage of sleep so important. In infants, whose REM stage is significantly more pronounced, the simple act of sleeping greatly contributes to the child's brain development.

Do not make the mistake of concluding that this factor in REM sleep is not relevant to older youth and adults, however, as being deprived of adequate REM sleep lessens the person's ability to learn and recall various types of mental skills.

During REM sleep, changes occur in one's physiological states. While the muscles undergo a temporary paralysis, the vital signs such as breathing and heart rate increase.

As a person becomes older, the percentage of his sleep that is REM sleep lessens. In addition, many people tend to sleep fewer hours in their older years. However, neither point should be taken to mean that sleep in general, nor REM sleep specifically, is no longer important simply due to a person's aging status.

Elderly persons not only need an adequate amount of sleep in order to keep their physical health and mental capacities in peak condition, but they need the quality of all of the stages of sleep. While an elderly person may not have the brain-development needs of a youngster, REM sleep continues to be essential even throughout the elderly years.

There are a few important keys in making the most of your REM sleep. The best way to ensure that you have quality REM sleep is for your sleep to not be unnecessarily interrupted. REM, as well as your other stages of sleep, is most likely to proceed smoothly if you are able to fall asleep easily. When you have difficulty falling asleep, your sleep will not be as comfortable, and you will not be as well-rested when you awaken. So, make sure your sleep environment is peaceful. Block out noise, wear a sleep mask and take a nice warm bath to put you in a relaxed state of mind.

If you want the sparkling good health and pleasant disposition gained from a habit of restful sleep, you can have these and sweet dreams as well. When you give yourself the time to make a good night's sleep a regular part of your lifestyle, you will soon see that this priority is one of the best decisions you can possibly make.

REM Sleep Disorder - OTC Sleep Aids Are Not the Answer

No one likes to experience the extreme discomfort that a sleep disorder may yield. This is because when you are unable to get the proper rest, your body does not recuperate in the manner it needs to in order to maintain its proper function. Remember, the body requires sleep to heal injuries, develop lean muscle mass, relax the mind, and restore respiratory harmony. However, mere sleep alone is not always helpful. Simply dozing off may not deliver the intended effects needed. That is why it is critical to fall into a deep REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep. This will ensure that the body is properly rested and recovery is made more possible. Unfortunately, this is not always possible as an REM sleep disorder could prevent the deep sleep you should always hope to experience.

REM refers to the extensive movement of the eyes back and forth while sleeping. When a person enters into the REM stage, their body is able to enter into its most relaxed stage of sleep. When rapid eye movement sleep is impeded, the individual may wake up the next morning in a completely exhausted state. This is because the REM sleep disorder has made it impossible for the individual to truly rest. In a way, the sleep disorder figuratively cut the benefit of sleeping in half. This can lead to a great wear down of the physical body. When combined with other sleeping problems such as insomnia, an REM sleep disorder can become even more serious.

In addition to the many physical problems associated with an REM sleep disorder, there are psychological problems that may develop as well. Namely, disrupted REM sleep patterns can lead to nightmares, night terrors, and other several sleep pattern issues. This can literally turn a good night's sleep into something that must be completely dreaded.

Of course, those that suffer from a sleep disorder will need a cure. As such, many people will reach for over the counter (OTC) sleep aids in order to overcome their REM sleep disorder. This is not the most beneficial option to seek since OTC sleep aids do not contain any of the ingredients needed to put someone into the REM stage of sleep. In fact, they may contain ingredients that PREVENT a person from entering into the REM stage. As such, OTC sleep aids are not the most recommended of products to deal with an REM sleep disorder.

The best way to deal with the problem of REM sleep is to schedule an appointment with a physician. Often, the treatments offered will be prescription medications that will promote a calm, deep stage of sleep that will restore proper harmony. However there is always side-effect issues you need to consider. And many times you find yourself returning because you still are not achieving the rest you need.

There are other things one can do to overcome such your lack of sleep. Changes in diet and activity levels could have a reliable effect on the problem. Yes, there are many options available to those looking to deal with the problem. This alone provide much hope to those looking to alleviate their problematic situation.

Long Term Effects of Anxiety Disorders in Children

Any person who has experienced a clinical anxiety disorder can attest to the toll it can take over time. Anxiety can interfere with so many aspects of daily life-sleeping, eating, shopping, the ability to meet family and financial responsibilities, getting to and from work, dealing with deadlines, meetings and public presentations at work, coping with social events, travel, and other health problems-the simplest and most essential tasks can become overwhelming. Anxiety disorders in children, if not addressed in early years, can lead to some very unhealthy long term effects.

The potential long-term consequences of uncontrolled anxiety disorders are well documented. People with phobias and panic attacks often find themselves unable to go to certain places and do many things for fear of encountering a trigger or experiencing an attack in public. Some people are unable to fly on a plane, drive a car, go out to dinner, or even hold a job. People with extreme social phobia may live in pretty much total isolation. Even people who manage to cope outwardly with their disorder may never actually be able to relax and enjoy life. Understandably, many anxiety sufferers develop clinical depression as well, and others are prone to develop alcohol and drug dependencies.

Now imagine suffering these feelings from childhood, and multiply the consequences by the number of years victims of childhood anxiety are likely to suffer with no awareness that they are not alone, not freaks, and that their feelings are actually an illness that can be treated.

Children who have anxiety disorders are at high risk for early educational problems that they may never be able to overcome. Some develop an avoidance of school that can cause them to fall behind their peers. Although many children who suffer from anxiety have above average intelligence, absenteeism and the inability to participate and perform actively in the classroom can interfere with their ability to learn. Their inability to speak out and perform in class may lead teachers and counselors to underestimate their potential and track them into less challenging courses.

Consider how many of our essential social abilities are first learned and practiced in the classroom and on the playground. Children with social anxiety disorder and social phobia are likely to be isolated from a very early age and never learn how to perform even ordinary social interactions, much less form lasting supportive relationships. They may find themselves perceived as social oddballs and be at risk for taunting and bullying. They are all too likely to grow up with low self-esteem and to develop substance abuse problems at an early age.

Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder also can find their school performance handicapped. Their compulsive thought patterns and behaviors can make it impossible for them to focus and concentrate in the classroom or on their homework. Their compulsive behavior patterns may expose them to hostility or ridicule from their peers, hampering their normal social development.

Long-term anxiety disorders can also contribute to the development of disabling physical problems over time, including heart damage, ulcers and other digestive tract disorders, high blood pressure, obesity, and chronic headaches. In the most extreme cases, anxiety disorders are serious risk factors for suicide in children as well as adults.

In fact, many people who are diagnosed with anxiety disorder as adults have probably had the condition since they were young. Anxiety symptoms left untreated may sometimes disappear, but they are equally likely to worsen over time.

For children who suffer from anxiety disorder, if their problems are not recognized and they do not receive the assistance and support they need in order to cope with their disorder, their chances of growing into productive, emotionally competent adults may be sabotaged from the start.

If You Have Sleep Disorders, Ask Yourself These Questions

Do you find yourself dragging through the day because sleep disorders are keeping you up at night? It may not seem fair, but the people you deal with during the day may not be willing to endure the mistakes or moods that sleep deprivation may be causing. You have a choice: you can muddle through the way you're going and blame your bad luck, or you can take action to diagnose your sleep problems and do what's necessary to start getting a good night's sleep. Sleep disorders are not your cross to bear, they are usually connected to simple health issues that can be remedied. Let's look at some of the questions you should ask yourself if you suspect you're suffering from a sleep disorder.

Is your sleep restless every night?

This question may seem simplistic, but it's really about being able to find a stable sleeping position. Most people who have developed a sleeping disorder have trouble settling into one spot. If you have memories of tossing, turning and shifting your body without much sleep, then there may be something triggering this restlessness. For example, you may have difficulty breathing. Once your body senses a lack of oxygen, it forces a shift in your position in an attempt to remedy the situation. You may be at risk for snoring or sleep apnea.

Are you sleepy throughout the day?

Almost everyone gets sleepy in the afternoon. This is not indicative of a sleep disorder, but is related to the circadian rhythms that are genetically determined. But if you're sleepy all the time, and tend to fall asleep at any point during the day, you may want to investigate the possibility of narcolepsy.

Do you snore while sleeping?

Excessive snoring, especially if it's punctuated with periods of silence or non-breathing, can be an indicator of sleep apnea. There may be something obstructing your airway when you are in a sleeping position. The constricted passageway for air causes your throat tissues to vibrate, resulting in snoring. In some varieties of sleep apnea, your brain simply "forgets" to signal your body to breathe. All types of sleep apnea can lead to sleep deprivation and foggy-headed, clumsy days.

These are a few of the questions you should ask yourself if you think you are developing one or more sleep disorders. In many cases, there are several natural solutions that will put you back on track for a good night's sleep. But things won't get better if you ignore the problem. Answer these basic questions, and then you'll know if you need to dig a little deeper.

Sleep Deprivation Effects and the Symptoms of Not Getting Enough Sleep

Possible Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Not many people realize that the effects of sleep deprivation on their brain and body can be much more detrimental than they initially seem. Sure, you may be able to do your work and live your life normally after sleeping for only 3 or 4 hours the previous night but if you constantly subject yourself to this gross lack of sleep, you may find yourself suffering grave sleep deprivation effects in the long run.

During the day, your brain works nonstop from the moment you wake up to the time you go back to bed at night. Even when you feel like you are not doing anything - just sitting at your desk or eating a meal - your brain still functions continuously nevertheless. The only time that your brain has a chance to recharge is when you are fast asleep at night, and if you are unable to get the needed hours of sleep, you can experience a plethora of unpleasant and unhealthy sleep deprivation effects.

Typical Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

If you haven't had enough sleep for even one night, you will immediately feel sleep deprivation effects the following day. The typical symptoms include dizziness, forgetfulness or blurred vision. When the lack of sleep goes on for several days, you will notice even more severe symptoms such as rapid weight loss, hallucinations or even mental problems or heart disease.

The severity of these sleep deprivation effects should be enough to serve as a wakeup call to most people as to the importance of getting enough sleep at night. Since we were children, we have been told that 8 hours is the body's required amount of sleep. While that is still the ideal length of sleep, if you can even get at least 6 hours on a regular basis, that will be enough for your brain to recharge and get ready for a brand new day of continuous work.

The problem these days is that many people have too many activities to do every single day and find it hard to get the required number of sleeping hours. What you can do is to simply find a way to reorganize your schedule and make time for sleep. Cut down on your workload if you need to because there is no point in working too much when you are just making your brain suffer in the process.

You Need To Get Better Sleep

Certain sleeping disorders like insomnia, narcolepsy or sleep apnea may also lead to sleep deprivation effects. In this case, you will have to consult with a doctor so that you can get longer and better quality sleep. It is very important that you solve the problem of not sleeping, before the sleep deprivation effects are serious.

There are natural sleep aids that can help you to get better sleep and help relieve the feelings of stress, which allow you to relax and get the rest you need.

American Sleep Disorder Association: Groups that are Available to Help

For those with sleep disorders, there are groups out there, like the American Sleep Disorder Association, that are interested in helping you. They do so by researching the causes of sleep disorders, researching cures to sleep disorders, and offering support for people afflicted with sleep disorders. If you are interested in joining one of these groups, you should search online for them. After all, sleep problems affect many people and those affected should have a place to go to get help. Here are the benefits to sleep disorder associations.

Finding Causes

Finding the cause of sleep disorders is problematic. The challenge is to figure out the reason why a person has the problem that they do, and how it is consistent with all of the other people who suffer from the problem. For this purpose, you can actually help sleep disorder researchers by being a patient for them. Let them know exactly what your symptoms are and, possibly, allow them to run tests on you to see if they can pinpoint the cause. Additionally, you can help them by supporting their research financially. Because most of these groups are not-for-profit, they rely on donations to pay for the research they do. The more actively involved you are, the higher the chance of these organizations finding the causes. Once the causes are found, they can begin finding cures.

Finding Cures

Finding cures to sleeping disorders can be a great challenge. When causes are unknown, it is difficult to find a solution. Some diseases, like sleep apnea, are very challenging to find cures for because a person can't necessarily take a drug to cure a physical ailment. It is difficult to simply find a sleep apnea symptom (until it is too late). Then, there are also sleeping conditions, like psychological insomnia, that doesn't have a physical cure: it is purely a problem in a person's mind. The best thing a person can do is, again, to participate in an organization like the ASDA and assist them in finding cures to sleep problems.

Offering Support

Because sleep is so crucial to a healthy human being, losing sleep can cause more than just restlessness. There are many sleep-related problems, such as day dreaming, that can be crippling to a person working full time. When you don't get enough sleep at night, your brain has a harder time performing neural synapses, you are more prone to stress and depression, your body has less opportunity to eliminate toxins, and your eyes are overly stressed from allowing too much light in without sleep. Therefore, it is nice to be able to go to a group that will allow you to discuss your problems in a friendly, confidential environment.

Additionally, it is especially beneficial because all of these people share your problems, so they can not only relate to you, but they can potentially offer you advice. Finally, it is a great opportunity to make friends and acquaintances.

Sleep Disorders Hinder Healthy Aging

Sleep disorders seem to increase as we age. Common expressions like, I'll sleep on it, suggest that people understand how important a good night's sleep is to our emotional well being and overall health. Yet a recent Gallup poll that was given to senior citizens produced some disturbing results. 80 precent of the survey takers reported that they understood how important adequate sleep was to their health. However, 53 percent of those people who reported sleep problems to their doctors, said that they never got any treatment. The study raised concerns that the medical community does not take sleep problems seriously.

The International Longevity Center (ILC) reported on the study. I am not affiliated with that organization, but you can find their website at ILCUSA.org. That organization is concerned with the quality of life, as well as extending life. They promote the idea that a good night's sleep can allow the body time to heal and reduce anxiety, which all contribute to better health and shorter recovery periods.

One thing you can do is seek treatment from a medical provider. However, solutions may even be simpler. Have you tried a warm bath at bedtime, a cup of hot, herbal tea, or a glass of warm milk? These old standbys may be all a person needs to relax enough so the sandman can be invited in. If you do not have a problem with drinking a half a glass of wine, that can also be the soothing reward at the end of the day that will make your bed seem inviting.

Tissue salts are natural minerals which are found in everybody's body. As we age, and eat imperfect diets, our bodies can lose the balance of these minerals. The mineral difficiency can actually cause some of the inability to relax, or even aches, that contribute to sleep loss. Some people have had a great experience curing their sleep problems by using natural and inexpensive tissue salts. A lot of people who have health conditions that prevent them from taking other medications, can take the natural tissue salts because they are simply minerals that are found in good diets and our bodies anyway.

If you do have problems sleeping, please consider the fact that it may be contributing to other health conditions, and even emotional imbalances. You should take steps to help yourself get to sleep, either through natural means, changes in your routine, or with the help of a medical professional who will listen to your problems.

Biting Teeth in Sleep - The Not So Obvious Solution

Are you or someone you know suffering from biting teeth in sleep? Have you been losing sleep because the person next to you grits their teeth? Or maybe sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of you gritting your teeth.

Biting teeth in sleep may not be a major health issue but it can cause conditions like broken dentures, missing teeth, as well as face, mouth and jaw problems. For such cases to be addressed properly, it is very important to visit your dentist so you can prevent any more problems that may develop in the future.

This condition, which is also known as sleep bruxism, although believed by doctors to be caused mostly by stress, can be common in children too. Although parents may find this disturbing, they can outgrow the habit of gritting teeth while sleeping. However, this being the case, you should still have a dentist take a look at your child's teeth. A common cause of gritting teeth is the misalignment of teeth with each other. For children, their baby teeth will be replaced by the permanent ones eventually so their teeth should become more aligned by then. Hence, their teeth gritting habits will soon disappear. For adults though, since their teeth are already permanent, there's not much to do to change them. There are however a few not so obvious remedies for controlling teeth biting while you sleep.

For misaligned teeth, your dentist may prescribe the use of splints, mouth guards and other similar dental devices that can be worn at night. There are mouth guards you can get over the counter but be careful when choosing this option. Sometimes they might not fit well and there's a possibility that for it to dislodge. So it's advisable to have your dentist customize one for you. Although it doesn't cure teeth biting, it reduces any further damage to your teeth. You can also ask your dentist to have your "high spots" filed down. These are the teeth that interfere with an aligned bite.

There is an exercise you can do that can help reduce biting teeth in sleep. Some people who suffer from this condition practice clenching their teeth hard for several seconds at least three times a day. This helps your muscles get used to the feeling of being relaxed. You can also use a warm, damp cloth on your face before going to bed. Put the cloth on your face for at least 10 minutes to help relax the jaw muscles. Other relaxation techniques you can try before going to bed are meditating, stretching and taking a hot bath. It can also help if you reduce your alcohol and coffee consumption.

Other procedures can include dental surgeries and behavior therapy. Surgery can be performed to reconstruct or reshape one's teeth should you have difficulty in chewing food, but can not guarantee that teeth biting will stop altogether. Behavior therapy is basically a series of therapy sessions that concentrates on tongue practices and proper jaw and mouth positioning. For more severe cases, you might need regular medication like muscle relaxants to treat teeth biting. No matter how minor your condition may be, it is still best to consult a physician for the most effective course of action for you.

Sleep Disorder Natural Cures - Curing Sleep Disorders From Home

Sleep disorder natural cures have had a lot of research done into this subject, as chemical medications are simply far more trouble than they are worth. To force the brain into certain sleep patterns through chemical means as akin to swatting at a fly with a Howitzer. Moreover, their addictive qualities coupled with their loss of effectiveness after only a handful of weeks' use just amplifies the risk of dependency on these chemicals.

There are however less intrusive means to combat sleeplessness using natural cures to rid ourselves of any sleep disorder problems. Methods which are used to train the brain to learn how to let go the constant chatter of the mind over daily doings, numbers and deadlines, and allow the proper brainwave activity that is conducive to sleep. These are among the types which utilize audio therapy.

One breakthrough in the past in this field is known as binaural beat therapy. Two specific sets of pulses and tones at frequencies just lightly out of sync with each other are each one sent to each ear using stereo headphones. These then produce the desired brainwave activities to induce sleep when the brain processes these as one signal. The only drawback with this technique was the discomfort of sleeping while wearing a stereo headset without knocking them off during sleep.

The latest breakthrough in sleep disorder natural cures research is the use of isochronic pulses which induce the proper brainwave activities most conducive to sleep without the need of any stereo equipment. Insomnia sufferers find sleep in as fast as 15 minutes into a session.