Battling Sleeping Disorders
When sleeping gets tough... how do you battle sleeping disorders?
Sleep is an ordinary routine for us all. It is an essential part in living as it contributes both to our physical and mental state. However,
for those with sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, sleeping doesn't come as easy as it normally should. There are treatments to counter sleeping disorders. Battling sleeping disorders, though, take time and patience. Sleeping disorders may occur because of anxiety, physical pain, or a change in lifestyle (shift work change). Environmental noise can also contribute to sleeping poorly. Medications and drugs can also be factors. Sleeping poorly will lead to sleep debt, which is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep. Sleep debt can cause mental and physical fatigue, and may ruin your personal and professional life. To battle sleeping disorders, it is important to understand the cause of the disorder and to understand what sort of treatments you have to take. Sleep disorders vary in nature and degree. The worst of the sleeping disorders are dyssomnias or insomnia, hypersomnia (disorders of excessive sleepiness), and parasomnias or having abnormal behaviors during sleep. Treatments for sleeping disorders also varies, from changes in your life style to taking in different medications. There is one thing that matters when treating all sleeping disorders, though, and that is to stick to a routine for sleeping. This routine will basically cover the following tips:
- Going to bed only when you get sleepy
- Sleeping time and waking time should be routinary and constant
- Don't drink alcohol, or drinks with caffeine in the evening
- Exercise daily and improve on your physical activities
- Take a break and relax from time to time
- Condition your bedroom that it would be comfortable for you to sleep in (bed, room temperature, etc.)
- Close windows, remove distractions, and don't bring in work in your bedroom to have a quiet sleep
- Take a hot or warm bath before going to sleep
- Eat early in the evening and don't eat too late at night
- Take a night stroll or do some stretching exercises to relax your muscles
- Drink warm milk or some herbal teas
- Have a massage to get your body to relax
- Take calcium and magnesium supplements before bedtime
Stick to whichever tips from the list above and perform them on a daily basis. Making them routine in your life can contribute to a routine sleep in the future. Many health organizations maintain that a person has to sleep around eight to nine hours to achieve optimal sleep benefits, including alertness, memory enhancement and problem and solving, overall health improvement, and a reduction in risks of accidents. Studies have shown that sleeping less than eight hours results in a decline in cognitive performances. There is also a study concerning a person's mortality rate wherein experts insist on sleeping six to seven hours each night. More studies show that either the lack of sleep or too much of it can contribute to cardiovascular diseases, weight issues, and death. Weight gain, hypertension, diabetes are some of the problems associated with sleeping less and more than six to seven hours every night. Keeping in mind these simple tips and information, battling your sleeping disorder is possible. Even with the amount of time needed for it to be treated, the end result is that you will be able to finally sleep without any trouble.