Lack of sleep and dreams can create problems

There are two theories on sleep function; the conservation theory and the restoration theory. The conservation theory proposes that we basically need to sleep in order to preserve our energy for our daytime use. When our use of energy amount is considered in terms of the rate of metabolism, slow wave sleep especially the first four stages spends merely 5 to 25 % of the amount we use during day, and slow wave sleep is strongly "associated with conservation of energy". Another theory, the restoration theory, holds two hypotheses, the whole body restoration and the neurological restoration. The whole body restoration hypothesis suggests that sleep functions as a process of "anabolism" with respect to protein as well as a release of more hormones. The neurological restoration hypothesizes that brain is the one that needs to sleep. In addition, each stage is responsible for the partial brain restoration and that is why people need to repeat several non REM and REM sleep cycles throughout the night. Some researchers even hypothesize that these two theories might be both correct, and the sleep function is still a myth.

Why do we sleep in the first place? What triggers to fall asleep is not a single source. For example, it has been said that the hypothalamus, located in the center of the brain, collects messages from certain cells and carry the signal to the pineal gland in the brain. This process causes to produce the "hormone melatonin" which helps the body temperature to go down. Also, another example is raphe nuclei, located in the part of the brain which is in charge of "unconscious activity" such as walking and eating, sends an order to nerve impulses to shut down the brain system. Therefore, falling asleep is not merely a single process but a collective event

Many researchers have been trying to find out the functions and symbols of dreams. Though there are many theories, researchers have not exactly found out the reasons we dream and whether the contents of dreams have directly something to do with our everyday life. The first theory came up by a psychologist, Sigmund Freud. Freud explained that what is in our dream is the "repressed longing": the suppressed thoughts and desires that we are usually unable to express socially. Carl Jung also supports Freudian ideas especially the origin of dreams, but except for one important principle. What Jung sees different is that dreams enable us to see ourselves as well as solve our problems. The third theory, "activation-synthesis hypothesis", proposed by Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in 1970's takes a very different view compared to Freud and Jung. They claim that dream consists of random images which are stored as a memory in our head. These random images, dreams, are created by "nerve signals sent out during REM sleep from a small area called the pons" .Though there are many theories to solve the representation of dreams, the recently study in 1997 by Mark Solms using fMRI and PET seem to lean toward Freudian theory. Solms studied people with a brain damage, and concluded that the most active place during sleep was the part which controls emotion regardless of the differences in brain damages. Though many researchers including Solm do not necessarily see Freudian ideas as completely valid, they do believe that unconscious thoughts may be projected on our dreams.

REM sleep and dreams are related, but what is important about them? In the study by William Dement at Stanford University School of Medicine, participants were awaken when they were about to go to REM sleep stage, and Dement concluded that many participants had a psychological problem such as anxiety and irritability. According to this theory, REM seems like an essential sleep stage for humans. Jerry Siegel, director of UCLA's center for sleep research explains that "REM sleep may have evolved for physiological reasons" considering that Non REM and REM behave like the automatic temperature change which a lot of animals do. Siegel also see dreams as a kind of "epiphenomenon" of a sleep product. The importance and function of sleep and dreams are controversial; some researchers claim that sleep and dreams are essential for health whereas some claim that they were a necessary development for human.
Although there has been many researches and theories on sleep and dreams, we still have not found why we actually sleep and what exactly the importance of this activity. After all, sleeping can be accepted as a fact that we all have to do everyday in our life regardless of the puzzles in reasoning. Because of the technological advancement, our scientific discovery has been much more rapid. Someday, some research might be able to find out the definite answers for sleep and dreams, but until then, the myth of sleep and dreams remains with us.

 

Trazodone, The medication that help patients with insomnia

In some cases of insomnia, Trazodone is prescribed by your doctor.  Especially if your insomnia is caused by chronic pain or if you have restless leg syndrome.

There are over 100 different types of sleep disorders. Insomnia is the most commonly reported one.

Insomnia may mean you have a hard time going to sleep or that you have a hard time staying asleep. Usually, you will know if you are experiencing insomnia because you will remember tossing and turning or being awake at night

Restless Legs Syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by uncomfortable, tingly, or creeping sensations in your legs, which create an uncontrollable urge to keep them moving. RLS is not necessarily confined to your sleep time.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by an inability to sleep and/or inability to remain asleep for a reasonable period. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time.
Insomnia can be caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression, or other mental conditions and sometimes occurs for no apparent reason. An overactive mind or physical pain may also be causes. Finding the underlying cause of insomnia is usually necessary to cure it.

The most commonly-used class of drugs prescribed for insomnia. Includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam.

Includes drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta. These drugs have a cleaner side effect profile than benzodiazepines but do appear to cause psychological dependence and physical dependence.
A hormone that has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.
Many of these sleep aids use the antihistamine diphen¬hydramine. The effectiveness of these aids often decreases over time and next-day sedation is common.

Sensations such as creeping, crawling, tingling or pulling – they can be painful or just uncomfortable.  Irritating sensations in the legs, Getting up and moving around can relieve the discomfort when experiencing this sensation, Overwhelming urge to move around.
Discomfort tends to increase when sitting or lying down and during the evening or night.
Increased discomfort in different positions and at different times of the day.  Pain killers. These drugs are addictive and should be used only in low dosages.

Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

Anytime Trazone is used for any condition, it is well to remember how very addictive it is.

 

 

 

what exactly is sleep apnea

What is sleep apnea? In sleep apnea, with each period of breathlessness (as many as twenty in an hour) the carbon dioxide level in the blood rises and there is a corresponding decrease in the blood oxygen levels.  This, along with the stress and the struggle to draw breath, puts a strain on the heart. 
Central apnea is caused by the temporary cessation of the message from the brain that tells the diaphragm to breathe.  When a person suffers from a combination of obstructive and central apnea, it's called mixed sleep apnea, and is by far the most difficult to treat and control.

 In pure central sleep apnea, the brain's respiratory control centers are imbalanced during sleep. Blood levels of carbon dioxide, and the neurological feedback mechanism that monitors it does not react quickly enough to maintain an even respiratory rate, with the entire system cycling between apnea and hyperpnea, even during wakefulness. The sleeper stops breathing, and then starts again. There is no effort made to breathe during the pause in breathing: there are no chest movements and no struggling. After the episode of apnea, breathing may be faster (hyperpnea) for a period of time; a compensatory mechanism to blow off retained waste gases and absorbs more oxygen.

While sleeping, a normal individual is "at rest", as far as cardiovascular workload is concerned. Breathing is regular in a healthy person during sleep, and oxygen levels and carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream stay fairly constant. The respiratory drive is so strong that even conscious efforts to hold one's breath do not overcome it. Any sudden drop in oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide (even if tiny) strongly stimulates the brain's respiratory centers to breathe. In central sleep apnea, the basic neurological controls for breathing rate malfunctions and fails to give the signal to inhale, causing the individual to miss one or more cycles of breathing. If the pause in breathing is long enough, the percentage of oxygen in the circulation will drop to a lower than normal level (hypoxia) and the concentration of carbon dioxide will build to a higher than normal level (hypercapnia).

In turn, these conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia will trigger additional effects on the body. Brain cells need constant oxygen to live; and, if the level of blood oxygen goes low enough for long enough, the consequences of brain damage and even death will occur. Fortunately, central sleep apnea is more often a chronic condition that causes much milder effects than sudden death. The exact effects of the condition will depend on how severe the apnea is, and the individual characteristics of the person having the apnea.

In any person, hypoxia and hypercapnia have certain common effects on the body. The heart rate will increase, unless there are such severe co-existing problems with the heart muscle itself or the autonomic nervous system that makes this compensatory increase impossible. The more translucent areas of the body will show a bluish or dusky cast from cyanosis, which is the change in hue that occurs due to lack of oxygen in the blood ("turning blue").

Overdoses of drugs that are respiratory depressants (such as heroin, and other opiates) kill by damping the activity of the brain's respiratory control centers. In central sleep apnea, the effects of sleep alone can remove the brains' mandate for the body to breathe. Even in severe cases of central sleep apnea, the effects almost always result in pauses that make breathing irregular, rather than cause the total cessation of breathing.

Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, depression, heart problems and in some cases sudden death.  If you thing that you or anyone in your family has sleep apnea, a visit to your family physician is highly recommended.

 

what can i take to help me sleep

This article will go over a few things that you can take to help with sleep.

About ten percent of the population are constantly getting too little sleep. Sleep deprivation is more common with women than men.  Most people need between six and nine hours of sleep per day and on average adults sleep eight and a half hour if they are allowed to sleep as much as their body needs.  Sleep is very important, for body, mind and our general well-being. Long term sleep problems often contribute to a lowered quality of life.
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, a sleep specialist can confirm if your suspicions are correct – and make a careful and detailed medical evaluation to find the source of your sleep problem.

Insomnia is usually the most common sleep disorder and it means you have a hard time going to sleep or that you have a hard time staying asleep. Usually, you will know if you are experiencing insomnia because you will remember tossing and turning or being awake at night.

Insomnia can be caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression, or other mental conditions and sometimes occurs for no apparent reason. An overactive mind or physical pain may also be causes. Finding the underlying cause of insomnia is usually necessary to cure it.

Medication that can be taken for insomnia are both prescriptions and over the counter.

Benzodiazepines - The most commonly-used class of drugs prescribed for insomnia. Includes drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam.

Non-benzodiazepine prescription drugs -Includes drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta. These drugs have a cleaner side effect profile than benzodiazepines but do appear to cause psychological dependence and physical dependence.

Melatonin - A hormone that has proved effective for some insomniacs in regulating the sleep/waking cycle.

Over-the-counter sleep aids - Many of these sleep aids use the antihistamine diphen¬hydramine. The effectiveness of these aids often decreases over time and next-day sedation is common.

There are several herbs that are known to be beneficial for people having sleeping problems.  One common herbal sleep aid is Valerian which has been recognized for years in Europe as being helpful with insomnia. It is sold in the United States as a dietary supplement.  There is no agreement on how this sleep aid works, but studies have shown that it does help with insomnia, as well as stress, and often as an aid in helping people who are trying to discontinue the use of benzodiazepines (a class of prescription medications for anxiety and panic attacks).  There are side effects that have been reported, so before taking this herbal aid, a person should discuss taking Valerian with a pharmacist, especially if they are taking any prescription medications.  The root is the part that is used in herbal sleep aids, and side effects of headaches and night terror, have been reported.  The oil of this root is reported to have the odor of cat urine, so the most popular way to take Valerian is as a pill, rather than a tea made from the liquid.

Sleeping pills or aids should never be taken before speaking with your doctor about your sleeping problems.

Information of Insomnia and how the human body respond

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems  falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It  is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.

It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.

Important hormone production is regulated during sleep; in children, human growth hormone (HGH) is released during deep sleep. Insufficient sleep can affect hormonal balance in adults as well. Getting enough deep sleep and they do know that people can go longer without food than without sleep.  During sleep the subject’s Sleep metabolic rate and energy consumption are reduced.  The cardiovascular system also slows down during sleep as blood pressure drops as well as

Insomnia can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired psychomotor performance - are similar to those of sleep deprivation. If this form of insomnia continues to occur from time to time, the insomnia is classified as intermittent.
Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
Chronic insomnia lasts from months to years.  Insomnia occurs 1.4 times more commonly in women than in men.

If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, a sleep specialist can confirm if your suspicions are correct – and make a careful and detailed medical evaluation to find the source of your sleep problem.
A doctor or a sleep specialist can diagnose your sleep disorder based on a number of factors, including:
• A description of your symptoms
• Your age
• Your gender
• Your psychological history
• Your medical history

Insomnia can be caused by the following habits and conditions whick risk factors for developing a sleep disorder:
• Poor sleep environment (e.g., too noisy, too brightly lit, too hot, or too cold)
• Excessive use of caffeine, alcohol, or certain medications and drugs
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Illness
• Obesity
• Anxiety, depression, or another mood disorder
• Stress, such as the death of a loved one or job pressure
• Unhealthy or irregular sleep routine
• Early or late-night bedtimes
• Traveling between time zones
• Daytime napping
• Shift work with a rotating schedule

 

 

How To Remember To Take Your Medication Every Time Without Having An Elephant's Memory

If you've ever been given medication to take then you know the problem. Your routine has changed. For a short while, you'll probably be fairly good at remembering to take your medicine. Or, almost as likely, you'll start twitching wondering whether or not you've taken the right pills at the right time.

It would be easy if all medications were designed to all be taken at the same time. Slim chance. {Some need to be taken an hour before food}. {Others need taking at with food}. Yet others should be taken well away from meals. Some medications are to be taken first thing on waking. Others last thing at night. And seemingly at other random times.

It's not easy to remember exactly which tablet needs to be taken and precisely what time to take it. Just one pill a day when you wake up? That's fairly easy (at least when you're at home) - place the tub of tablets alongside your toothbrush.

Four pills just before you go to sleep - that's likely reasonably simple also.

But two green tablets twice a day, that overpackaged "thing" once a week, the strange tasting pill with your evening meal each day? You're going to need a secretary to remind you!

And then just when you're getting used to everything, your doctor decides you need something new or different to try instead or as well.

One way is to get a nifty little device that holds all your current tablets and some labels to tell you when to take them. All you need to do then put it somewhere prominent where there's enough opportunities to see it during the day to remind yourself and you're all set.

A different method is to train your mind to remember to tell you to take your pills. Chances are you're now thinking you can't remember anything at your age. But the good news is that it's a technique that doesn't rely on your conscious mind to do anything at all.

Discover how easy it can be to remember to take your medicine here.

Learn about How the human body works and solve your insomnia

How does a person get insomnia?  For most people it is just bad sleep habits.

A person who works night shift and then doesn’t have a regular sleep period during the day, can develop insomnia.

Watching TV in your bedroom or have a computer or your office, in your bedroom and you don’t keep a regular sleep period because of these toys, can cause insomnia.

Insomnia can also be caused by stress either at work or at home, clinical depression, too much light in the room, eating a heavy meal right before bedtime, drinking alcohol, drugs, muscle tension, too much caffeine, lumpy bed, pregnancy or any number of reasons.  Insomnia can also be the symptom of a more serious medical problem.  That is why most literature on this subject, recommends that if you suffer from insomnia for two or more weeks, you should see your family physician to see if some other medical problem isn’t going on.

Women with children often don’t sleep well – at least I noticed that when my children were young.  I seemed to always be half awake with one ear open in case there was something wrong with one of my children.  I would notice that when my mother would visit and I knew someone else was watching the kids, I could not get enough sleep.  Sometimes I would miss my mother’s whole visit because I was sleeping.  The same thing would happen when we would go to visit her – I slept through the whole visit because Grandma was watching the kids.

So, there are a million reasons on what causes insomnia – some are easily overcome and some are more serious.  Lack of sleep can affect your whole body and cause all types of medical problems.  I worked nights for 4 years and I have since developed medical problems that can be traced back to the fact that my sleep cycle has never reset itself.

Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) makes sure that people with sleep problems get the best medical care. The AASM accredits centers and labs that treat people who have sleep problems. In 1977 the AASM accredited the first sleep disorders center. The AASM also certifies behavioral sleep medicine (BSM) specialists. These doctors help people improve their sleep by changing how they think and behave.

Most studies show that a person gets insomnia mostly by having poor sleep habits.  It is for this reason that children should be raised with a regular bedtime as this will help their sleeping pattern throughout a lifetime.

 

How to understand Insomnia and the causes

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic problems  falling asleep, staying asleep or only sleeping for several hours and being wake unable to fall back to sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.

It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.

Insomnia that last for over 6 month is considered chronic insomnia.

Because so many people suffer from sleep disorders, Sleep medicine is a recognized medical subspecialty. Doctors who specialize in sleep medicine help people who are unable to sleep well. Sleep doctors are able to detect and treat both common and rare sleep disorders. Some common sleep disorders are insomnia, jet lag, sleepwalking, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Over-the-counter sleep aids or supplements may help when stress, travel or other disruptions keep you awake. If you have chronic insomnia, though, a better approach is to remove the cause — most often, by changing your lifestyle.

Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months. Chronic insomnia lasts from months to years.  Insomnia occurs 1.4 times more commonly in women than in men.  Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. In research studies, rats normally live two to three years, but if rats are totally deprived of sleep, they only live about five weeks. They also develop sores, their immune systems do not work well and their body temperature drops. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems.

You've followed all the tips for getting enough sleep — sleeping on a regular schedule, avoiding caffeine and daytime naps, exercising regularly, and managing stress. Still, a good night's rest remains out of reach. You may be thinking about over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids or other sleep supplements. OTC sleep aids are effective for an occasional sleepless night. If you're considering sleeping supplements, it's important to understand that much is unknown about their safety and effectiveness.

Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it's important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.

 

 

Why Alternative Acid Reflux Treatments Are Better

When most people think treatments they think prescription drugs that they would get from their doctor. To some people treatments may mean drugs that they can buy off the shelf at their local pharmacy. What most people don't realize is that there are many alternative acid reflux treatments available to them.

Were going to look at a few of these alternative treatments and compare them to some of the normal medications being used to treat acid reflux.

Why Alternative Treatments May Be Better

Many of the medications on the market to treat acid reflux help your stomach reduce less acid. At first this makes allot of sense. What most people don't know is that acid reflux is often caused because your stomach is not producing enough acid. This means that many medications do the opposite of what is really needed. This is where alternative treatments can be more effective.

Treatments That Help Your Stomach With Acid Reflux

There are a number of products that can help your stomach produce the right amount of acid that it needs. Here are a few to help you get started.

Vinegar: 1 tablespoon may be enough to give you the relief that your stomach needs.

Orange peel extract: Orange peel helps food move through your stomach faster. The faster the foods moves through the stomach the least amount of acid your stomach will need.

Green tea: Green tea is good for your health in general. For acid reflux green tea will help sooth your digestive system.

Other Treatments

Now were going to take a look at some of the more common acid reflux treatments that can be found in pharmacies or recommended by doctors.

Nexium: Nexium is one of the more common recommendations that acid reflux sufferers get from their doctor. This is a well tested drug, but you still may get some side effects. Some of the more common side effects are headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Aciphex: This drug simply blocks acid production. This won't get you anywhere if you beleive that heartburn is caused by your stomach not producing the right amounts of acid. Aciphex doesn't cause to many side effects for most. You may get a headache or some flue like symptoms.

Protonix: This is another drug that blocks acid. Works great if this is the real cause of your acid reflux. Like any other drug it does come with some side effects. Headaches and diarrhea are the most common side effects.

As you can see many of todays medications only block your stomach from producing more acid. This is something that could create a bigger problem rather then fix anything at all. Many people suffer from acid reflux simply because their stomach is not producing enough acid for it to digest foods correctly.

The Importance of Pathologists In The Detection of Your Medication Problems

pathology services

In many instances doctors need some help in finding out the specific issues and conditions of their patients. When doctors want to be more sure about the medical condition of their patients, they take body fluid or tissue samples from them and forward these samples to the pathology consultants.

The pathology service is a very specialized niche in the medical field.

Pathologists or pathology consultants are professionals on the detection of diseases. The patients rarely see them because they only work in the laboratories. These pathology consultants also have a medical degree and are qualified doctors themselves. Their role is to become the "doctor of doctors" as they assist in pinpointing the actual condition of the patients.

Through the samples that are handed to them for analysis, the pathologists or pathology consultants can determine if the patient is sick or not. If he is sick, the pathology consultants can go further to determine what kind of disease does he have and how extensive the disease already is.

Pathologists can be working in the hospitals or in separate laboratories of their own. Aside from anatomical and clinical pathology, which are the two main branches of their profession, the pathologists can also work in the forensics field.

What is the difference between anatomical pathology and clinical pathology? How do we differentiate between the two of them?

Well, to put it simply, anatomical pathology is involved with the diagnosis of a disease based on the inspection and analysis of various organs, tissues, and whole bodies. Clinical pathology, on the other hand, is examines bodily fluids like blood and urine.

A medical doctor won't be able to properly treat his patient if he does not know for sure what his patient's illness is. This is why the role of pathology consultants is very important in process of treating patients.

Are you in need of a professional pathology service that you can rely on? Pathology Legal Consultations offer you in depth medical analysis that helps you understand what your body is going through. Check us out at http://www.pathcounsel.com to find out how you don't have to suffer in silence when you are afflicted with asbestos related disease.