Overcoming Sleep Disorders Naturally , livre ebook

Turner Publishing Company - Laurel Vukovic

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88 pages

English

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Description

This book explains, in easy-to-understand terms, the numerous (and sometimes complicated) factors that influence sleep and wakefulness. Although sleep deprivation is so commonplace in our stress-filled society that it is taken for granted, "sleep debt" is actually very costly. This title will help readers regain the ability to sleep well and improve overall health. This book also provides a handy guide to selecting and purchasing natural sleep remedies and lists additional resources for finding sleep-related information and products.

Sujets

Santé et bien-être

Bien-être émotionnel

Diététique

diététique

Fitness

Sleep

Health

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	01 août 2005
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781591205784
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0750€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

The information contained in this book is based upon the research and personal and professional experiences of the author. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other healthcare provider. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should be done under the direction of a healthcare professional.

The publisher does not advocate the use of any particular healthcare protocol but believes the information in this book should be available to the public. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book. Should the reader have any questions concerning the appropriateness of any procedures or preparation mentioned, the author and the publisher strongly suggest consulting a professional healthcare advisor.

Basic Health Publications, Inc.
28812 Top of the World Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949-715-7327 • www.basichealthpub.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vukovic, Laurel.
Overcoming sleep disorders naturally / Laurel Vukovic.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59120-578-4
1. Sleep—Popular works. 2. Insomnia—Popular works. I. Title.

RA786.V85 2004
616.8'498—dc22
2005007431

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

Editor: Kate Johnson
Typesetting/Book design: Gary A. Rosenberg
Cover design: Mike Stromberg

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Contents
Introduction
1. Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Essential for Your Health
2. Insomnia and Its Primary Causes
3. Other Sleep Disorders and Sleep Problems
4. Diet and Nutrition for Restful Sleep and Optimal Energy
5. Mild Herbs for Stress and Insomnia: Chamomile, Hops, Lemon Balm, and Passionflower
6. More Powerful Herbs for Stress and Insomnia: Valerian and Kava
7. An Herb for Sleep Problems Associated with Mood Disorders: St. John’s Wort
8. Special Supplements for Specific Sleep-Related Problems: Melatonin and 5-HTP
9. Simple Behavioral and Cognitive Strategies for a Better Night’s Sleep
10. Exercise and Relaxation Techniques to Benefit Both Sides of the Sleep/Wake Cycle
11. Meditative and Sensory Techniques to Help You Sleep or Wake You Up
12. Sleep Medications and Why You Should Avoid Them
Conclusion: On the Path to a Better Night’s Sleep
Glossary
Appendix: Choosing and Using Herbs, Nutritional Supplements, and Essential Oils
Selected References
Resources
Introduction
I
f you’ve picked up this book, chances are you have trouble sleeping. Perhaps you have difficulty falling asleep. Or, you might fall asleep easily but then awaken during the night and find it impossible to get back to sleep. You might even think you’re sleeping a sufficient number of hours but still wake up tired and groggy in the morning. Any of these situations indicates that you may have a sleep disorder. The most familiar sleep disorder, of course, is insomnia.
If you do have trouble sleeping, you’re certainly not alone. More than one third of adults in the United States experience occasional insomnia and at least one out of ten American adults suffers from chronic insomnia. As you know if you’ve suffered even one night of insomnia, the consequences of sleep impairment or deprivation also affect your waking hours. A lack of restful sleep causes mood disturbances, impairs mental and physical performance, wears down the immune system, and ages you more quickly. It’s all too easy for a sleep disturbance to become a recurring problem. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to break this exhausting cycle.
In this book, you’ll learn about the underlying causes of insomnia as well as other sleep disorders and about the environmental, lifestyle, physiological, and psychological factors that play roles in sleep enhancement and disruption. You’ll also discover a variety of nutritional and herbal supplements that provide safe, effective alternatives to the drugs that are frequently prescribed as sleep-aids. Learning about your sleep problem is an important first step toward resolving it; the information you find here should be everything you need to help you get a good night’s rest.
Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is Essential for Your Health
S
leep is a curious physiological phenomenon. Although there’s no question that sleep is essential—as necessary to our health and survival as food, water, and air—scientists still don’t know exactly why we sleep, even after decades of high-tech research. It’s no secret, however, that sufficient sleep is necessary to feel physically energetic and mentally alert. In addition, sleep appears to help restore proper levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and to play a role in emotional well-being. Some scientists theorize that the process of dreaming helps us to organize and preserve memories.
Despite sleep’s enduring mysteries, one thing is clear: we need a good night’s sleep to feel and be at our best. In this chapter, you’ll learn about normal sleep patterns and requirements, problems of sleep disruption, and the costs of sleep deprivation.
THE GROSS ANATOMY OF SLEEP
Carefully conducted studies have shown that most adults seem to need about eight hours of sleep in each twenty-four-hour period. Most people are naturally active during the day and sleep at night and it’s also normal to experience a period of sleepiness at midday, which in many cultures is sanctioned with a siesta. The cycle of sleeping and waking is determined by an internal biological clock that sets circadian rhythms (“circadian” means “about a day”). In addition to regulating the sleep/wake cycle, this internal clock controls the timing of hundreds of metabolic and other bodily functions.
The light that enters the eyes plays a key role in setting circadian rhythms. Light travels from the retinas as electrical signals through the optic nerves toward the center of the brain and reaches the hypothalamus, the body’s master clock, which contains a tiny cluster of nerves called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). As daylight wanes each day, the SCN signals another structure in the brain, the pineal gland, to produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes the onset of sleep. Conversely, at sunrise, the pineal gland is signaled by the SCN to decrease its production of melatonin, thereby promoting wakefulness. The hypothalamus coordinates the sleep/wake cycle with a host of other circadian rhythms, like the rise and fall of body temperature and the release of various other hormones, throughout every twenty-four-hour period.
Various other internal and external factors can impinge on these rhythms and the resulting circadian disturbance may be most noticeable for its impact on sleep. For example, hormonal shifts (such as those of menopause) can wreak havoc with the sleep/wake cycle; traveling across time zones is well known for turning normal sleep patterns upside down; and even light exposure at the wrong time—whether from a full moon or an artificial source—can disrupt sleep by incorrectly resetting the internal clock.
The Stages of Sleep
It’s helpful to understand the progression of normal sleep in order to gain a better understanding of why sleep disorders are so disruptive to health and well-being. Since the 1950s, scientists have used polysomnography, which is the simultaneous recording of electrophysiological and other data during sleep, to probe the activities of the sleeping brain and body. Five distinct stages occur during sleep and each plays an essential role in helping you to feel well rested and alert when you awaken. Four of these stages are classified as non-REM (or NREM) and the fifth as REM sleep. REM, as you may already know, stands for rapid eye movement.
Light Non-REM Sleep
Stage one, also called the hypnagogic state, is a light non-REM stage that is the transition between wakefulness and sleep. During stage one, external stimuli fade into the background and your thoughts become unfocused as you drift in and out of consciousness. Your muscles relax and your body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate slowly begin to decrease.
Brain waves in stage one are rapid and irregular. The majority are theta waves, at a frequency of 4–7 cycles per second. Intermittent alpha waves, which have a frequency of 8–13 cycles per second and indicate relaxed wakefulness, can also be seen on the polysomnographic recording. Levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that enables communication between nerve cells and acts as a natural tranquilizer, begin to increase in the brain during this stage.
For most people with healthy sleep patterns, stage one sleep lasts only for a few minutes. When stage two of non-REM sleep takes over, relaxation deepens. Brain waves in stage two become larger and show erratic bursts of electrical activity such as sleep spindles and K-complexes, which are waveforms named for their characteristic appearance on the polysomnograph. Although not much happens in the way of physical restoration during stage one sleep, some physical repair processes begin during stage two.
Deep Non-REM Sleep
It’s more difficult to awaken a sleeper during the deep sleep that follows stages one and two. As you move into non-REM stages three and four, brain waves become very large and slow and are called delta waves, with a low frequency of ½–4 cycles per second. In general, between 20 and 50 percent of the brain activity recorded in stage three consists of delta waves; during stage four, more than 50 percent is delta waves, with the remainder theta waves.
Although a sleeper in one or the other of these stages appears simply to be breath