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Sleep aid tips about sleep wear for information and remedies for your
Sleep Mask Why would you need a sleep mask? What is a sleep mask? Where would you even find a sleep mask? Are sleep masks expensive? If you’re already having trouble sleeping, would you do any better while wearing a sleep mask? These are all very good questions, however before answering any of these questions about a sleep mask we need to go back to the original question. Why would you need a sleep mask? Why would you need a sleep mask? Well, there are a number of different reasons someone could need to use a sleep mask. If you live in a noisy area you could use a sleep mask with ear muff pads. Or you may live in an area that is in a city or just a brightly lit area you may need a sleep mask. You might also be a light sleeper, where even the smallest amount of light will wake you up, you could use a sleep mask. Those are just a few reasons why you would need a sleep mask. A sleep mask is a covering that you wear to bed to block out all light from possibly getting in to wake you up. Some sleep mask even come with ear muff protection to muffle out noise as well as light. As far as where to find a sleep mask, the easiest way to locate a good supplier of sleep mask stock is to ask your health care provider. Sleep masks vary in price, however the more comfortable sleep masks are going to be more expensive. Personally I believe if you’re having trouble sleeping already that putting a sleep mask on your head is only going to cause more sleep problems. I also believe that one of the best ways to get some much needed sleep is the good old reliable sleep aids.. We will be doing more research on appropriate sleep wear to ensure a sleeper’s comfort in both looseness, of clothing, and temperature comfort levels. Sleep wear must be unrestrictive in nature and design. Avoid stiff laces that are scratchy on the skin, and only wear flannelette if you don’t mind sleeping with some pilling of the fabric next to your skin. Most people will sleep better when kept at a cool temperature. If you feel hot, it can be a massive improvement to get into the habit of sleeping with your feet outside the covers. Sleep socks raise the body temperature too much, and that will make you sweat and create a less restful sleep cycle. Light covers are better than being smothered in heavy quilts and blankets. The rule of thumb is to sleep with the lightest / coolest covers you can tolerate. If your head and hands feel a bit chilly, try sleeping with a night cap or “beanie” on your head to keep raise your skull temperature. If you suffer from leg spasms in the night, it is best to sleep in Pyjamas rather than dress or nightshirt, as there is less chance of “tangling“ your legs in your clothes. Bedding is best loose doona rather than tightly tucked in sheets that can restrict your leg movement and cause you to wake up “kicking the sheets” ON THE MOVE A discussion of movement disorders affecting sleep brings us to PLMD (note the L) and RLS. The L stands for legs, the limbs most affected in these disorders. In PLMD (periodic limb movements disorder), periodic leg movements disrupt the sufferer's night: Legs jerk repeatedly, kicking every 20 to 40 seconds through the night. Not surprisingly, these leg kicks trigger frequent arousals. The end result? Daytime sleepiness and nighttime insomnia. While PLMD may be diagnosed infrequently by primary care physicians, the disorder is all too common among the elderly. In one study, approximately 45 percent of the elderly had at least a mild form of PLMD. As with sleep apnea, evaluation at a sleep disorders center is the first step. Drug treatment can be very successful, with anti-Parkinsonian drugs (e.g., carbidopa-levodopa) controlling the majority of cases. Other medications include dopamine agonists and sedative-hypnotics (calming, sleep-inducing medications). Patients should be monitored closely during treatment for side effects or adverse reactions. Achieving the proper dose of the most effective medication may take time. ARE YOU A NIGHTWALKER? RLS, or restless legs syndrome, is less common than PLMD. The distinction between the two disorders is that in RLS, the leg movements occur continually when the body is at rest. The movements of PLMD occur in sleep. RLS symptoms include an uncomfortable sensation in the foot, calf or upper leg that feels like something is crawling or moving inside the limbs, or tickling or aching deep inside them. This sensation is yoked with a compulsion to move the legs. Movement resolves the symptoms, but the syndrome is unrelenting. Within seconds or minutes, the sensations return. If the legs are not moved, they frequently jump involuntarily. Since rest brings on symptoms, and walking offers relief, sufferers are often called nightwalkers. Symptoms are always worse at night and sometimes only present nocturnally. If individuals do manage to fall asleep, leg movements lead to frequent awakenings or near awakenings. Next-day fatigue is endemic. Although the precise cause of RLS remains a mystery, in some cases, RLS may be due to iron deficiency, dialysis, pregnancy or peripheral neuropathy. Iron deficiency is a common and eminently treatable cause. Pregnancy, of course, is time-limited. In some cases, polysomnographic evaluation may not be indicated. However, there are other cases, particularly if there is accompanying neurologic disease, or if the movements have an aggressive or generalized quality to them, that may require a polysomnographic evaluation. Treatment can begin immediately with the same range of medications as indicated for PLMD. DO YOU ACT OUT YOUR DREAMS? One sleep disorder combines dreams with movement: REM sleep behavior disorder. Most sleepers are virtually paralyzed during REM or dreaming sleep; people with REM sleep behavior disorder do not have this motor inhibition and literally act out their dreams. They may crash into furniture, break windows or fall down stairs, leading to self-injury or hurting others. Such sleep is hardly restful! Most sufferers are men over 50. Drug treatment with clonazepam can eliminate the dream disturbances and improve sleep for sufferers and those who live with them. IS YOUR TIME OF DAY THE NIGHT TIME?
NIGHT OWLS & MORNING LARKS Those suffering from advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) and delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) sleep and wake at inconvenient times. Individuals with ASPS sleep earlier than their desired clock time, while DSPS sufferers find sleep elusive for hours after their desired clock time. Trying to sleep when their bodies are alert, or rise when their bodies are sleepiest, can lead to insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. Individuals may rely on sleeping pills or alcohol to manipulate their sleep schedules. DSPS patients may appear to be suffering from insomnia, especially if they insist on trying to sleep at a "normal" bedtime. One distinguishing characteristic is that in other types of insomnia, sleep problems include that of maintaining sleep throughout the night. DSPS sufferers have no problem sleeping...if they observe their own schedules. Another distinction is that most chronic insomniacs experience a variability in their nighttime experiences. This is not the case for DSPS patients. Treatment of DSPS requires "resetting" the biological clock by using bright light exposure, medication or chronotherapy. Chronotherapy involves delaying bedtime by three hours progressively each day until the desired bedtime is reached. Although difficult to accomplish, this approach can work if individuals can alter their schedules daily and protect their sleep from interruptions. Exposure to bright light early in the morning (six to nine a.m.) induces a phase advance, leading to an earlier sleep onset that evening. However, patients must avoid bright light exposure during the evening as this would tend to delay sleep onset. Medication is another option: Hypnotics and melatonin may help, but many questions remain about their duration of use and the long-term safety of melatonin. ASPS may be confused with depression. While ASPS appears to be a rare condition, it is more common in seniors. Complaints of difficulty staying awake in evening social situations are one marker of ASPS. Insomnia at the end of the sleep period is another. Treatment for ASPS includes bright light therapy and chronotherapy. The three-hour phase advancement of chronotherapy is implemented every other day. The bright light exposure is scheduled for late afternoon or evening.
DEMENTIA-RELATED SLEEP PROBLEMS Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia are characterized by frequent sleep disturbance, both for those so diagnosed and their caregivers. In fact, many caregivers cite sleep disturbances, including night wandering and confusion, as the reason for institutionalizing the elderly. Once institutionalized, these elderly residents' sleep disturbances don't cease. Two-thirds of those in long-term care facilities suffer from sleeping problems. While tranquilizing drugs may be the drugs of choice at many institutions, these drugs can further confusion and increase the risk of falls. Monoaminergic drug therapies, such as modafinil, are under investigation and may improve behavior along with sleep disturbances in these patients. Other categories of medication - including neuroleptics, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and beta blockers - have shown positive effects in some cases. Sleep problems should be evaluated in all patients. Depression may be mistaken for dementia, as may the effects of certain medications, malnutrition and alcohol abuse. Many elderly patients suffer from undiagnosed apnea, drug interactions and excessive drug use or dependence. In fact, the elderly use both prescription and over-the-counter medications far in excess of their proportion of the population. Alcohol interacts with many of these drugs. It also may exacerbate dementias not caused by alcohol abuse. Some experts advise elderly people to have no more than one alcoholic drink per day, even if they are taking no drugs and have no medical contraindications. That drink should not be taken before bedtime.
THE WORD ON DRUGS To make matters worse, older people are more likely to take a number of medications that may adversely affect sleep. Common medications, such as antidepressants (prescribed for depression) and antihypertensives (prescribed to control high blood pressure), may have a negative impact on sleep. Caffeine taken too late in the day (in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate) may lengthen sleep latency, the amount of time it takes one to fall asleep. Alcohol may speed sleep onset but leads to disrupted sleep later in the night. Nicotine, too, has been linked to sleep problems. In one study, smokers were much more likely than nonsmokers to report problems falling, and staying, asleep along with daytime sleepiness. Another study found that smokers are four times as likely as nonsmokers to suffer from sleep apnea. Nicotine withdrawal, too, can lead to short-term sleep problems - namely, increased awakenings Ń along with a shorter period to fall asleep. Increased daytime sleepiness may follow. Use of a skin nicotine patch may also be associated with early morning awakenings and reduced total REM sleep, still another study suggests. Once the patch was removed, the length of time before REM sleep - and the percentage of REM sleep - were reduced.
SLEEP & TRAVEL If freedom to travel is one of the silver linings in the "cloud" of old age, jet lag may well be akin to the rain that must fall. For jet lag is the price we pay for crossing time zones. And with age, we appear to pay a heftier price. One study found sleep disruption and daytime sleepiness to be longer lived in the elderly than in younger subjects. Jet lag resolves with time, but short-term use of sleep-promoting medications, sleeping at local time and rising at local time, morning light when traveling west, and avoiding morning light when traveling east, can help reset the biological clock. Melatonin is also being studied in this context. TIPS FOR SAFE DRIVING Get a good night sleep before hitting the road.
BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD It's important to remember that falling asleep at the wheel is a very real and deadly consequence of driving when fatigued. If you're tired, don't drive.
WHAT'S AHEAD? The good news? Sleep knowledge is growing in leaps and bounds, and sleep research is expanding. Research into the use of melatonin and growth hormone continue; these approaches may prove promising for older adults with sleep problems. At publication time, however, these hormones remain experimental and caution is in order. However, new medications for many sleep disorders are under study, with some nearing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
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