| The treatments for sleep disorders today can be | | | | hard liquor, or any other alcoholic beverage at |
| generally grouped into three categories: behavioral or | | | | bedtime; alcohol is a central nervous system |
| psychotherapeutic treatments, sleep medications or | | | | depressant and it will interfere with your REM (rapid |
| drugs and treatments that don't fit into the other | | | | eye movement) sleep and cause other problems you |
| two categories. The excessive sleep disorder | | | | might not be aware of. Some health experts suggest |
| narcolepsy will cause most patients to have | | | | that contracting then relaxing all your muscles starting |
| unexpected periods of sleep throughout the day for | | | | with your toes and proceeding upwards as you lie in |
| as little as a few minutes to as long as half an hour | | | | bed can help you relax. In bed do try to focus on |
| at times. | | | | anything pleasant, long enough to distract you from |
| There are generally three types of sleep disorders: | | | | any worries that are keeping you awake. |
| lack of enough sleep, sleep disturbance, and too | | | | Some people say that sleeping with your head facing |
| much or excessive sleep. The person suffering from | | | | north helps you fall asleep because your body is |
| a sleep disorder may have difficulty getting to sleep | | | | better aligned with the earth. Concentrating on some |
| at night or staying asleep as well as having difficulty | | | | of the insomnia tips you've heard in the past may |
| staying awake through the day; they may also | | | | put your mind at rest long enough to allow you to go |
| experience different types of behaviors that prevent | | | | to sleep. Your pillow may make you feel as though |
| them from staying asleep during their normal sleeping | | | | you're lying uphill or downhill and if it is too hard may |
| hours. One type of sleep disorder, lack of sleep, is | | | | press into your head uncomfortably, reducing the |
| also commonly known as insomnia and is what people | | | | chance of your falling asleep. |
| usually have rather than a more complex sleeping | | | | In some sleep tests they used a flashlight to shine |
| disorder. | | | | light on the back of the knee and tested the reaction |
| Sleep apnea can be life threatening; this problem is | | | | of the brain on the sleeping centers and the light was |
| usually accompanied by heavy and loud snoring and | | | | detected; your body knows when there is a light |
| causes the person to wake up sometimes hundred | | | | shining on the back side of your body. Make sure |
| of times during the night without remembering ever | | | | that you don't have any light on in the bedroom, |
| being awake. In the excessive sleep disorder type | | | | including the red light on digital clocks, night lights or |
| the most well-known is called narcolepsy. Finding that | | | | any other light, even a small flicker; any light at all can |
| you need coffee, colas or other caffeine drinks | | | | stop the production of melatonin which is produced |
| throughout the day to stay alert or awake can also | | | | when it starts getting dark enough in your bedroom |
| be a hint that sleep disorder treatments need to be | | | | but may shut down if even the smallest light is |
| investigated. | | | | glowing. You need to produce melatonin for a good |
| There are number of sleep disorders that appear in | | | | nights sleep. |
| different people and even those with similar sleep | | | | If you lie in bed struggling with the day's stresses |
| disorders often display different symptoms. Many | | | | and worries, try some of the insomnia tips you've |
| people say they survive nicely on four or five hours | | | | heard over the years such as counting sheep or |
| of sleep; others say they need nine or even ten | | | | visualizing a blank screen. Some doctors may offer |
| hours. The sleep disorder narcolepsy can have | | | | sleeping medications as a short-term solution along |
| complications such as cataplexy and hypnagogic | | | | with some insomnia tips, but will seek to find the |
| hallucinations; cataplexy is the weakness or complete | | | | underlying cause of the sleeplessness and treat the |
| paralysis of the muscles, and hypnagogic hallucinations | | | | cause instead of the symptom. Among the many |
| are vivid dreams that happen during the stage of | | | | insomnia tips provided by doctors and other health |
| sleep between being awake and being asleep. | | | | professionals, the most important tip is the ability to |
| Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is a sleep disorder of | | | | get physically relaxed enough to fall asleep. |
| circadian rhythm, characterized by the inability to | | | | Finding the solution to your sleeping problems or sleep |
| wake up and fall asleep at the desired times, but not | | | | disorder will be worth the investment in time. Your |
| by the inability to stay asleep. Periodic Limb | | | | doctor or sleep specialist may be able to recommend |
| Movement Disorder (PLMD) is the involuntary | | | | support groups to you. Consider going to a sleep |
| movement of arms and/or legs during sleep. | | | | disorder center because they provide the newest |
| Narcolepsy is the sleep disorder of falling asleep | | | | research for the many issues that involve any sleep |
| spontaneously and unwillingly. | | | | disorder. |
| Don't get into the habit of drinking a glass of wine, | | | | |