Let's Talk About Sleep

Homeopathic Sleep Aids

2008-06-14T23:35:00.001-07:00

by Anne Rivera

When sleeping difficulties hit you hard, you will have to find a way to relieve yourself of it. When most would go for the conventional sleeping pills and other prescription drugs, some like it a bit more natural for a change. Such people see homeopathic sleep aids as the better alternative to a source of anxiety and irritation. These types of remedies bring benefits without the adverse side effects and are seen as not merely quick fixes, but as long-term cures.

Formal medical science doubts their effectiveness, but a lot of people say otherwise. These remedies have been around for most of human history and their benefits have been documented. These homeopathic sleep aids come in many forms and are not always taken orally. Some are in form of either topical application or just a medical technique. Numerous claims have been made to prove effectiveness of each treatment theory, but so far, a handful stand out. Here are some of them:

Hydrotherapy

This treatment aims to induce relaxation for the patient. A soak in a warm Epsom salt bath in 20 to 30 minutes can soothe muscles and nerves, subsequently promoting sleep. Soak nightly as needed. Acupuncture A traditional Chinese technique, acupuncture has surged in popularity in the recent decades. With the use of needles, an expert can stick them into pressure points to release endorphins, which can relieve pain, remove muscular tension, and soothe the patient. Regular sessions can help with sleeping problems.

Acupressure

If needles are too much to handle, then acupressure is an alternative that can be utilized. By pressing on the appropriate pressure points, endorphins can also be released, as well as massage the body. This relaxes the muscles and releases tension for the patient, helping him/her sleep better.

Herbal Remedies

A common option as a sleep aid, herbal remedies are sought after by multitudes of sleep-deprived people who are looking for a cure. Some good examples are chamomile, valerian root, hops, Californian poppy, rosebud, and many more. Some can be infused and brewed into tea, while others can be taken directly. Dosages are upon the patient’s discretion and moderation is advised.

Yoga

The ancient Hindu practice of yoga has taken the world by storm, helping millions to develop healthy habits and prolonging their life spans. Basically a set of stretches and breathing techniques to help soothe muscles and calm the mind, yoga can also help with sleep deprivation.

Meditation

One of the most well-known relaxation techniques in the world, meditation is seen as a practice that does best in calming one's mind. By meditating for at least half an hour everyday, one can ease tension and get rid of anxiety, which helps in promoting sleep, as well as improving concentration. It does take some getting used to, but it is absolutely worth it.

With these options amongst many others, one can put all reservations about homeopathic sleep aids to rest and take away the disadvantages of being sleep-deprived. These are best done together instead of just individually as their effects can collectively improve your chances in getting some sleep. As long as proper procedures are followed, then you will be sleeping in no time.

Sleep Apnea And The Power Of Tea

2008-06-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

by Anne Rivera

As with most cases of snoring, sleep apnea leaves sufferers unaware that they actually have it until someone actually tells them due to the fact that they're fast asleep whenever it happens. This condition can cause serious complications, including death as the worst case scenario. While there are the conventional methods for treatment, there are some alternative methods like relaxation techniques and tea. While most people wouldn't buy the idea immediately, there is no denying the relationship between sleep apnea and the power of tea.

Of course tea isn't really the ultimate panacea for sleep apnea and snoring since most teas contain caffeine, which isn't the best thing to ingest before bedtime. But there are certain tea varieties that help with relaxation and stress relief, thus promoting sleepiness. If you have less trouble with falling asleep, you can get more sleep, even if sleep apnea is present.

There are tea varieties out there that can serve as natural sleep aids. They aren't exactly the holy nectar from the gods, but given a few weeks to work their magic and your patience and diligence will be rewarded. Just make sure to visit your doctor as well to make sure. Here are some examples that show you the link between sleep apnea and the power of tea:

Chamomile Tea
This plant's sleep-promoting properties have become legendary in recent years. Many have endorsed the consumption of this brew due to the fact that it is actually quite effective in doing its job. It can be drunk directly before bedtime. Sugar can be replaced with all-natural honey for better taste and added health benefits. However, some people do have allergies to chamomile, so beware.

Valerian Tea
Another coveted ingredient, valerian root is mostly familiar for insomnia patients who look for homeopathic ways to cure their condition. Due to this, it can be consumed for sleep apnea as well. It may not taste like strawberries and candy-coated goodness, but it definitely is effective in calming one's nerves.

Hops Tea
Most people know hops as the bittering agent used in making beer. While its properties in bringing flavor to alcoholic beverages are legendary, it is a less-known fact that hops can also be used to make tea. This type of tea is good for relaxation. With an ounce of hops added to a pint of boiling water, the resulting brew can be consumed three times a day to bring in peaceful slumber.

Catnip Tea
While it makes most cats act weird, catnip is actually good for a good night's sleep. With a teaspoon of dried catnip to a cup of boiling water, you can drink your worries away right before bedtime.

Sleepytime Tea
If you are looking for a product that is guaranteed to soothe your tension and bring you to slumber, then Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime Tea is just for you. With a mixture of chamomile, spearmint, and many other ingredients, it is a drink suited for people of all ages who need help in getting some sleep.

With these options, you can finally get a night of sleep without being bothered. This is something that you can try out for sleep apnea and the power of tea.

Alternative Therapies That Can Help With Sleep Apnea

2008-06-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

by Anne Rivera

As sleep disorders go, insomnia is probably the best known of all. Insomnia may have well earned its share of a bad reputation but there is another culprit out there, its less popular cousin sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a medical condition wherein while asleep, you intermittently pause breathing. It may be diagnosed as the more common type - obstructive sleep apnea which means that the path of the airflow is being obstructed and thus not working properly. On the other hand, there is the more rare type of sleep apnea – central sleep apnea, this condition happens because there is a delay in the brain’s stimulation of breathing. Both types usually go unobserved and may only be noticed by a bedroom companion. There are conventional methods of treating like the use of drugs and surgery. However, medication is not highly advisable since some drugs have various negative side effects. There are alternative therapies that can help with sleep apnea that may complement your medication (if you choose to take it) or may stand alone as your sole form of treatment.

Not-So Unconventional Cures

There are certain changes in behavioral practices that you can do to help cure your sleep apnea. Since a significant percentage of sleep apnea’s victims are classified as obese, a healthy balance of eating right and losing weight is necessary. Those extra pounds may be constricting your airway and losing a seemingly insignificant 10 pounds can mean less snoring or sleepiness for you. A form of exercise that is really good for treating sleep apnea would be yoga. Yoga is ideal for weight loss, hitting two birds at once since it also includes proper breathing techniques into the routines. Losing weight also means that you should start watching what you eat so go for food low in fat and stay away from those sweets. The same goes for alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs. These have a negative impact on your body’s level of oxygen and therefore should be avoided like the plague. As far as sleeping habits go, do try to sleep on your sides as lying on your back may cause your tongue to block your airway and obstruct your breathing. As much as possible, do use those pillows on your bed, they’re not just for decoration. These alternative therapies that can help with sleep apnea may actually seem more like common sense practices than alternative ones but there are those who abide by it. The next section draws attention to some more interesting suggestions.

More Options You Can Choose From

There are more alternative therapies that can help with sleep apnea, some you might want to try out, and others you may not believe in. Before you reject these, continue reading on, you might just get swayed. First on the menu is an amino acid that helps increase the body’s serotonin levels. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) will help your body produce the right amount of serotonin it needs so that your breathing is not disturbed through the night. It is a natural supplement that is taken orally and may be bought without prescription. Another option you can choose is to go for flower therapy. The essence of vervain reportedly helps calm people and relaxes in a way that would eventually lead them to sleep better. Other herbal remedies of a more radical nature includes homeopathy which calls for a homeopath to prescribe a treatment coinciding with the patient’s personality. Homeopathic treatments include lachesis – usually prescribed to talkative patients who seemingly are afraid of sleeping, opium – best for those who give in to sleep during the day, and sambucus – for those who have asthma and feel suffocated at night. Acupuncture is also cited by some as a possible way to treat sleep apnea.

A Dosage of Concern

Although these suggestions may seem more appealing on account that they are for the most part, non-invasive and usually less expensive, you should still consult suspicions of sleep apnea with your physicians. The alternative therapies that can help with sleep apnea do work to a certain extent but its effectiveness does not come as readily as that of conventional medication. On the other hand, intake of doctor prescribed drugs is usually not without risks. So do yourself a favor and have a feel for what type of treatment works best for you while at the same time keeping an open mind. There are certain small changes you may affect in your life that can help you ease the symptoms of sleep apnea and hopefully cure it in the long run.

Sleep Deprivation and Diabetes

2008-06-14T05:41:00.001-07:00

By Anne Rivera

Are you so busy with work that you regularly spend the whole of your nights awake trying to get that project finished on time? Well, you probably should think twice about trading these hours of sleep for work because you just might be giving away your health along with it. Sleep deprivation causes the body to lose its resistance to many diseases and prevents your body from recovering from the many stresses it faces. And according to a study, sleep deprivation and diabetes, which is a very deadly disease, go hand in hand.

A research was conducted to see how sleep deprivation and diabetes might be related. The scientists tested for the effects of sleep deprivation to the body's ability to deal with the glucose or sugar that it takes in. The results have shown that a lack of sleep causes a person's body to be more tolerant to insulin. Insulin is the substance that the body produces to bring down its blood sugar levels and thus, with a higher tolerance to insulin, blood sugar would be much higher than normal, thus, the body has to release more insulin to regulate the blood sugar. However the body does not compensate for this need for added insulin so the extra sugar is not processed by the body well. This sugar is then turned into excess fat by the body.

The bad effects of having the levels of blood sugar caused by sleep deprivation would be comparable to your body being twenty or thirty pounds overweight. Think about it; you might be in your ideal weight and you might exercise often but due to a regular lack of sleep, you're just as healthy as someone with thirty pounds more fat than you. And all that can easily be avoided by giving yourself just enough time to rest every night.

Abnormal levels of high blood sugar can cause a person to develop type two diabetes, a leading cause of death in many countries. Diabetes leads to a lot of other sicknesses like heart disease, mental problems and complications in many of the other organs of the body. Another common symptom of diabetes is blurriness of vision. In time, if the diabetes progresses, extreme retinal damage could be the result and this leads to blindness.

Scientists have also found out that it is not just the amount of sleep deprived that can lead to diabetes. Deprivation in the quality of one's sleep also has the effect of making the body more tolerant to insulin. In experiments, they introduced some sounds into the test subjects' sleeping environment while these subjects were in the middle of sleep. They found out that these subjects ended up not processing their blood sugar as well as they usually could.

The result of these studies is clear: sleep deprivation and diabetes are very much related to each other. That is why it pays to properly prioritize the rest you are supposed to be getting every night. With such a simple things as making your sleep environment as comfortable as possible and scheduling your work so as not to interfere with sleep, you could be defending yourself from a very dangerous disease.

Chamomile Tea as a Sleep Aid

2008-06-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

by Anne Rivera (also published in Ezine)

Upon coming home from a hard day's work, you unwind and try to relax only to find out that you actually can't sleep. You do all you can, but to no avail as you toss and turn on your bed throughout the majority of the night. In this case, you may want to try chamomile tea as a sleep aid.

Chamomile is an annual plant belonging to the sunflower family Asteraceae. It grows mostly in Europe and temperate Asia and has been introduced to temperate regions in America and Australia. Its seeds require open soil to grow and survive, it is usually found near roads and landfills, posing as a weed. Its other names include Wild Chamomile, Hungarian Chamomile, and Scented Mayweed. The stem is erect and smooth and grows up to fifteen to sixty centimeters. Its long and narrow leaves are either bipinnate or tripinnate.

The word chamomile comes from the Greek word chamomelon - "earth-apple", from chamai - "on the ground", and from melon - "apple". This is because of the plant's scent, which is akin to that of apples. Its flowers bloom in early to mid summer.

However, its long-reputed effectiveness in promoting sleep has been debated in the scientific community. Despite the dissent, chamomile is definitely among the top five choices of remedies for sleep difficulties. Its effects are anecdotally popular and there have been nearly no reports of adverse side effects. While it may have medicinal properties, it can also be reputed to placebo effect. As it is taken as a tea, it may have promoted relaxation and ease of tension more because of its preparation.

If you do give chamomile tea a try, then it is best to prepare it as a tea that is to be taken at half an hour to an hour before bedtime. This, along with other preparations, will bring you eventually to sleep. Measures like taking away distractions and stimulators such as the television and other people, as well as doing whatever is possible to relax can help maximize the effect of chamomile tea as a sleep aid.

Chamomile tea has been shown to work as a depressant that can soothe one's nerves and bring in relaxation, which can lead to sleep. As most people in the work force are fueled by caffeine and stress, chamomile can alleviate the gradual deconstruction of one's digestive system due to caffeine, which usually leads to stomach upsets at nighttime when in a reclining position.

Chamomile's possible side effects relates to it being a relative of ragweed, which means that it can cause allergies in individuals with ragweed allergies. It is also a coumarin and should be avoided by those who are currently taking blood thinners. Also, in extremely rare cases, very large doses can lead to nausea and vomiting. However, moderation can keep these things from happening.

It can be said that chamomile tea as a sleep aid may not be the total cure, but it is an invaluable option for curing insomnia and relieving stress. As long as it is taken in moderation, then it can work its magic.

Children Sleep Aids

2008-06-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

by Anne Rivera (also published in Ezine)

When your child starts losing sleep because of something you can't really put your finger on, then remedies must be utilized to relieve them of their ailment. However, sleeping pills and other such medications aren't exactly made for children, so you will need alternatives that will work for them. Children sleep aids are all about natural methods that have been proven effective throughout time.

Children sleep aids aren't rocket science and shouldn't be treated as such. They are simply ways to raise your children in the best way you can by letting them get adequate amounts of sleep during their developing years. Here are the most effective methods known so far:

Bedtime Routine

The most important factor to sleep for a child is a bedtime routine. This is something that must never be neglected for the effects of doing otherwise can be observed immediately. A child's body is not prepared to take the abuse of sleep deprivation, so it is important that a set bedtime is ingrained into him/her. This will help prevent any bouts of sleeping difficulties in the future.

Milk

Certain things may have to be done like having the child drink a warm glass of milk for him/her to sleep better. Making the child comfortable before sleep is crucial, and warm milk has been proven to soothe a kid's nerves, making him/her relax and fall asleep faster.

Nightlight

Some children can't sleep if there isn't any light on as it disorients them and gets them too scared to even think about sleep. With that, a good nightlight is a good investment for your child. While most models will do, some expensive ones have music players included to lull your child to sleep.

Thumb Sucking

This behavior is mostly acceptable as it comforts the child while sleeping. However, it can lead to dental problems as the child grows up, so it may not be as good in the long run. Thumb sucking is usually a way for infants and toddlers to soothe him/herself, so as long as the behavior is moderated, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

No Medicine

A child's body is not developed enough to receive the chemical torture of taking medicine, so avoid sleeping medications. It is absolutely not good and can potentially harm the child. Also make sure that the kid has no access to such medications so there won't be any accidents.

Comfort

As parents, it is your job to make sure that your child is as comfortable as possible before going to sleep. If he/she feels tense or scared, you can hug and cuddle to ease the stress. With love and compassion that only a parent can give, you are making sure that your child can sleep tight.

These are a few children sleep aids available at your disposal. By using what is available, parents can rest easy after tucking their kids to bed. Sleep is something that is absolutely crucial to a child's growth, so it must never be neglected and requires specific attention.