For many years, this question has circulated among diverse communities – including established pairs, new parents, people opting to stay single, young workers buried in their job tasks, and dedicated single careerists – “Do I really need a box spring for my bed?” If you’re tossing and turning, struggling to fall asleep, it’s unlikely that this question is the cause of your insomnia.
However, it is very likely that you need a box spring to be more comfortable in bed. Box springs add more comfort to your bed and give you a better night’s sleep. However, before you make the purchase, there are things you need to know.
Modern mattresses come with complete support, and they do not necessarily need the help of a box spring to offer complete comfort. A box spring or a foundation is the base component that can provide optimum support to the mattress. This protects them from wear and tear for long periods of time. People sometimes manage to use the same mattress for more than a decade.
A survey shows that families who manage to preserve the integrity of their mattresses for extended periods of time usually opt for the right box spring while installing the mattress. Any good box spring provides a buffer zone between the bed frame and the mattress. Direct contact between the soft outer cover of a mattress and the wood or metal of the bed frame can increase the wear and tear over the next few years. The presence of a box spring structure can help spread out the impact and absorb the pressure evenly across the entire area.
Any traditional box spring design usually includes a wooden frame and steel support rings. However, modern box springs rarely make use of the springs inside wooden frame designs for the same purpose. Several box springs use heavy gauge wire coils and added steel reinforcements within the wooden grid to improve the support. The top cover of the mattress is usually skid-resistant fabric that can act as a dust-proofing for the mattress and the foundation below. Au contraire, a semi-solid grid box spring consists of a wooden frame and a stiff metal grid that acts as the mattress support.
Many modern manufacturers no longer use real springs in the designs. Many modern designs hold a candle to the old engineering concepts that worked together with the mattress design to provide complete support. They consist of pre-bent birch or beech slats that join the opposite ends of the wooden frame with flexible rubber sockets or shoes. The number of slats dictates the support for the mattress. The closer they are, the more support they provide. These foundations are perfect for memory foam mattresses and latex mattresses. Experts usually refer to the modern box spring designs as foundations as they are more aptly the base of a mattress rather than the shock absorption grid system they used to be.
Most manufacturers can consider a warranty void if the buyer does not use their new mattress with a box spring. In many cases, the warranty papers and instructions for mattress maintenance does not come with explicit directives to use it with a box spring but coupling it with one always ensures that you get the best warranty services. It provides better support to a sleeping body, and at the same time, the presence of added springs can make a stiffer mattress seem softer.
Another huge advantage of using a box spring is the added height that the mattress receives with the box spring to boost it from below. This makes removing, cleaning and placing the mattress on the bed a much easier task. The biggest advantage of using a dedicated traditional box spring design is the extension of the mattress’ longevity. Buying a costly, ergonomic mattress becomes an investment rather than a recurring expense with the purchase of a traditional, shock absorbent box spring.
Many users believe that modern mattress designs do not need box springs to function. You should consider a box spring if you use a both-sided innerspring mattress. When the coils of the box spring move with the springs inside the mattress, it can effectively spread out the pressure on the mattress while a person sleeps.
As per expert opinion, a single-sided innerspring or no-flip coil mattress does not last as long as box springs on the bed. At the same time, they also state that if you were to use latex mattresses, you could directly use them on a box spring irrespective of your bed height and type. Nonetheless, latex mattresses are not popular for the preservation of their integrity, and your mattress could sag prematurely if you were to put them directly on box springs.
Both the mattress types we have mentioned here perform much better with a little help from foundations or platform beds. Platform beds do not require a box spring to support latex, memory foam gel or no-flip mattresses.
Currently, almost all mattress and box spring manufacturers address the personal need of their customers. They design box springs and foundations as per the individual necessities instead of mass producing them like in the past.
As a result, they are always available in pairs for the best fit. Manufacturers always construct them as per mattress specifications. They usually have the same size as the mattress for optimal support. In case, you want to order or pre-order your box spring set, you should refer to your mattress manufacturer’s size chart.
Here is a general idea about the average size chart of box springs or foundations for your mattresses –
Size | Width (inches) | Length (inches) |
King | 76 | 80 |
California king | 72 | 84 |
Queen | 60 | 80 |
Full | 54 | 75 |
Twin | 38 | 75 |
Twin XL | 38 | 80 |
A lot of customers are interested in split box springs for split mattresses for the king, California king or queen beds. Experts state that the general bedspring designs for King, California king, and queen beds are ideal for split-style mattresses as well as regular mattresses.
Those who are thinking about using their old box springs for new mattresses need to read the next part. Consumer services state that old box springs can contribute to substantial amounts of wear and tear to your new mattress. This usually happens due to uneven pressure on the old springs over the last few years. If you are ready to invest in a new mattress that will give you comfort and support, then you should also be ready to invest in a box spring fresh from the mint to protect your mattress. Nonetheless, it can help you save a lot of money on mattress maintenance and reconstruction.
The price of a bedspring will depend on the size of the mattress, the hardness of the mattress (the support it needs) and the manufacturer or brand value. While shopping for a box spring, it is, of course, wiser to find one from a reputable retailer. Experts and reliable consumer reports will tell you to choose a box spring from the mattress dealer you have been shopping from for years. The right box spring may set you back by a good couple of hundreds, but you will not have to worry about your mattress or your back for the coming decade!
Box springs have been around since time immemorial. In the US, the UK, and other European countries, the design has been consistent with the eponymous wooden grid structure and steel springs since the mid-19th century.
Gradually, the use of coil spring mattresses coupled with bedsprings has spread to other countries in the east like China, Japan, India, and Singapore. Box springs offer significant benefits that have led to their widespread acceptance and popularity.
However, modern homeowners often prefer platform beds to box springs since the former comes with storage space. This is ideal for apartment living that understandably creates a dire need for storage. You can easily store containers or add drawers under your platform bed without any added adjustments. Additionally, they are also more aesthetically pleasing.
Most modern homes use memory foam mattresses since the provide complete body support and platform beds are quite ideal for these mattresses. Although they are difficult to move around, platform beds are quite suitable for beds with cheaper and softer mattress types.
Every rose has its thorn, and every box spring has its con. There might be several advantages of using box springs for your mattresses, but there are a few drawbacks you must consider before you go ahead and invest in one.
A good marketer will always tell you about the disadvantages of a traditional box spring as well as that of a platform or foundation before you can take your credit card out.
However, platform beds have their share of cons too. They do not provide as much support to the vertebra and getting up from sleep each morning can be challenging for people with back problems and arthritis. In fact, the amount of support and comfort you get from your platform bed depends on the quality of the mattress you pick and not the platform at all! This is in sharp contrast to the box springs that provide the infrastructure of support to the entire bed.
While buying a mattress, wonders about the necessity of the box spring at least once. Do people need to spend the extra cash? How much should the best box spring for your bed cost? Will that help you save more money in the long run?
In reality, most mattress companies consider their warranty void if you do not use a box spring along with it. In fact, you should think about investing in the box spring that comes with the mattress for the ideal protection of the warranty. If your mattress delivers less than optimum performance while within the warranty period, you can confidently walk up to the seller and challenge their USPs.
A new box spring can cost you between $150 and $200. However, the lack of a box spring can revoke your right to ask for post-sales services or replacement in many cases. It is common belief that box springs protect the structure of a mattress and sellers uphold this belief.
Due to the lack of storage and aesthetics, a lot of homeowners and interior designers forego box springs altogether. They often settle for replacements and alternatives that can somewhat serve the same purpose as box springs.
Here are a few alternatives people have been using in place of box springs for years now.
These alternatives and substitutes have been around for quite a few decades. They do not always serve the exact purpose as the box spring for your mattress, but they can fulfill the support necessities of your mattress to a certain degree. In case you want to go for any of the alternatives instead of a traditional box spring design, you should consult your mattress company about warranty requirements.
A mattress warranty usually covers all kinds of physical defects that include sagging. However, this does not mean you can take your mattress back to the seller after two whole years. It simply means that if your mattress sags while no one is on it immediately after buying it or unpacking it, that is a serious warranty issue. Several manufacturers offer a 0.75-inch margin for non-use sags, but the general threshold for mattress sagging is around 1.5 inches for most manufacturers. You will find the fine prints on the warranty papers that you must always double check before leaving the store.
You can measure the level of sagging in your mattress by using a string or a straight line across the surface. Measure the exact level of sag by measuring from the string to the bottom of the sag. You can use a standard ruler for this. Be careful to stick to either the metric system or the imperial system during measurement. This will help you make the correct comparison.
Many customers are not aware of this, but a mattress warranty also covers coils breaking, coils popping from the sides and bunching up of foam at the top. In fact, breaking the seams and other manufacturing defects are also inclusive of the mattress warranty. First, you need to contact your mattress merchant and convey your problem. In case, that does not work out; you need to go to the manufacturer.
A warranty does not cover comfort issues you might be having with your mattress. That means in case your mattress “feels” lumpy or provides uneven support to your body; you might be out of luck. The level of warranty coverage can vary from one manufacturer to another. However, there are several other incidents can void a warranty.
When you are shopping for a new mattress, you are looking forward to spending quite a pretty sum. You should always consider the warranty and the conditions of the same before you complete your purchase. Warranties can cover more than faulty manufacturing, defective parts and structural flaws for mattresses. For enjoying the full perks of the after-sale services from the manufacturers, always read the fine print of warranty conditions very carefully before paying.
Your mattress needs support either in the form of a box spring or an alternative. Either way, you need to research into the advantages and disadvantages of all the prospective support designs you choose before you make the purchase. As we have seen by now, you need a suitable base for your mattress to keep the mattress warranty valid. A perfect box spring can serve you and your bed for decades to come, that’s precisely why you should not think of buying one as an added expense.
Picking the right kind of support for your mattress might seem daunting irrespective of your experience in housekeeping. It is a big expense and a formidable responsibility since it can determine your health and the health of your loved ones too. Now, to find out if your current model of the mattress or your new mattress needs a box spring, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
Answering these simple questions with “yes” and “no” can help you understand if your new mattress at all needs a new box spring or a foundation or a new platform bed.
Is it possible that early risers possess health insights unbeknownst to them? Could it be that these morning people are silently dealing with a chronic sleep condition? Or, are we exaggerating completely common sleeping behaviors by reading too much into them? Interestingly enough, studies have found a connection between our genetic makeup and our preference for going to bed early.
When the bedtime advances several hours to sometime between 6 pm and 9 pm, the person is bound to wake up by 4 am or 5 am. People suffering from this kind of a disorder often wake up rejuvenated in the early hours of the morning. Therefore, scientists have rightly monikered this as the advanced sleep phase syndrome.
We have seen our grandmothers; great grand uncles and several other elderly members of the family doze off on their armchairs during evening family time or doze at the dinner table. They have been the subject of several harmless family pranks and jokes.
Surprisingly, they were also the most active around the house by the time the first rooster cawed, and that has always intrigued the other younger members of the family. People have always wanted to know how the elderly members of the family suddenly became early risers with age. Some attributed this shift in sleep time to age-related insomnia, and some have blamed their diet on the sudden change.
Recent research shows a telltale link between the circadian genes in human subjects and their sleep patterns. The circadian genes control the 24-hour body clock in every mammal. This is what controls our responses to daylight and nighttime. Any alteration in the circadian genes or the body clock genes can cause changes inside the body by altering chemical signals. These signals are usually hormones that the body releases in response to daylight or the absence of it. Changes to the circadian clock cause changes in the circadian rhythm and this can lead to several sleep abnormalities like the advanced sleep phase syndrome.
Several studies involving multiple families exhibiting advanced sleep onset showed that this trait passes down from one generation to another in a dominant fashion. Your sleep-wake cycle depends on clock genes. Current research has zeroed in on two such genes that are responsible for controlling the sleep cycles and phases in people. Interestingly, two independent research groups have isolated two similar genes with completely different properties that affect circadian rhythm in human beings. This further underlines the heterogeneous nature of this disorder and explains why it took scientists and doctors so long to recognize advanced sleep phase disorder-like syndromes as clinical disorders.
A study from the Archive of Neurology involving 32 members of a single family with advanced sleep phase syndrome helped in the accurate measurement of the sleep duration in each subject, their melatonin levels, and the sleep onset-offset times. The study used the Horne-Ostberg questionnaire to characterize the extent of the syndrome in each member cum subject. As per observation and interviews, the members reported the average onset time as 9 pm and the average offset time as 5 am. The unaffected family members usually started feeling sleepy at around 12 am and woke up at around 8:30 am. Further studies revealed that the affected members experienced melatonin onset about 3.5 hours earlier than the unaffected members.
However, just because you have been hitting the hay early for a couple of days does not mean you suffer from advanced sleep phase syndrome. Sometimes, increase in fatigue level causes people to fall asleep earlier than usual for a few days. Those who suffer from ASPS do not experience bad quality sleep. The sleep is normal, but the sleep cycles simply occur at early stages. As a result, the body temperature curve also advances in these subjects. Sleep regulates normal human body temperature.
The rise and fall of hormone levels during nighttime sleep can decrease the core temperature of a human being. Since human beings can regulate their body temperatures without external help, the hypothalamus ensures that the body reaches the lowest temperature at around 5 am. A drop in the core (area containing the vital organs like the stomach, lungs, heart, and brain) temperature starts to drop and facilitates sleep.
Research shows that a higher core temperature induces more alertness in human beings. The core temperature usually fluctuates between 96.8o Fahrenheit and 100.4o Fahrenheit in a 24-hour circadian cycle. Further digging into the matter has revealed that early birds experience an early drop in core temperature. They might experience the lowest temperature dip at around 12 am to 2 am, instead of the more common 5 am or 6 am. They are most alerts at around 5 am or 6 am, when their core temperature reaches its peak.
People suffering from advanced sleep syndrome often report feeling aloof and forlorn. While a lot of doctors used to think there were disjointed cases of depression, modern research shows that the lack of time to socialize in the evenings, the lack of family dinners and hobnobs with friends, may be responsible for these feelings.
Advanced sleep-wake phase is not a conventional effect of depression in human adults. However, the lack of time to socialize due to early sleep onset is a major dampener of adult social life. As a result, people with advanced sleep phase syndrome often report the lack of socialization, participation in family activities, the avoidance of community activities and a serious dearth of social relationships. The lack of a proper evening’s time is one of the major drawbacks of having ASPS.
For the lucky ones, getting a good night’s sleep is regular, and they do not need their lucky stars to align to fall asleep “on time” each night after they get home. Some people close their eyes and fall asleep within 10 minutes of getting into bed. The unlucky ones often have to pray to stay awake beyond 7 pm or stay in bed after 4 am. The problem is much lesser for adults, who live alone. Married couples, especially couples with kids often find it difficult to adjust to aberrant sleep schedules like the ones ASPS causes.
ASPS can not only disrupt social life, but it can also cause a lot of problems within a family. Sleep and sleep schedules often so erratic in families where one or multiple members suffer from ASPS that leaving home, making dinner plans or involving all members in family activities becomes an ordeal. The problem becomes worse due to the lack of awareness about advanced sleep phase syndromes and other related sleep disorders that do not involve the lack of sleep, but the unpredictable hours of sleep.
Is there any hope for those falling asleep incredibly early regularly?
Modern science and medicine have opened new doors that facilitate the treatment of different kinds of sleep disorders. For years, people did not deem advanced sleeping phase syndrome as a sleeping disorder, but right now researchers categorize it as one since it disrupts the normal flow of life for many. They have been exploiting the factors that control circadian rhythm to control and correct aberrant sleep patterns in human subjects potentially.
The circadian pacemaker is present in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) of the human brain. This center responds to both bright light and melatonin levels in the system. Therefore, these two factors provide the best pathways of treatment for advanced sleep phase syndrome in adults.
A rather popular technique that can potentially treat sleep disorders including ASPS is chronotherapy. You could say that chronotherapy is a way to reschedule sleep. This process worked in case of advanced sleep phase disorders and delayed sleep phase disorders. Unlike insomnia or sleep apnea, cases of sleep phase disorders do not involve the lack of sleep or the lack of good quality sleep.
The people suffering from these disorders only experience the onset of sleep at socially unacceptable hours. Therefore, any method that can reset their circadian rhythm can potentially be beneficial for their treatment and cure. In fact, several cases of ASPS report an improvement of their sleep onset and offset timing after accepting chronotherapy. This can be because, contrary to popular belief, children also suffer from ASPS. In most cases, these children inherit the disorder from one or both of their parents who suffer from it.
Doctors often shy away from subjecting children to melatonin therapy or sleeping medication, but results have proved practices of chronotherapy that do not involve the use of hormones or somnolent to be quite effective and devoid of side effects.
You can train your system to adopt a good sleep schedule. A proper schedule for sleep is the only way you can prevent insomnia and keep ASPS at bay. Time training your circadian clock is a proven way of keeping all kinds of existing advanced sleep phase syndrome away for a long time. People who have undergone sleep scheduling chronotherapy have reported long-term improvement in their sleep disorders without any dependency on sleeping medication.
Here is a very simple method even you can try to re-train your biological clock to perform on schedule.
Most people would find it bizarre to pick a sleep pattern that does not involve at least 6 hours of continuous sleep. This is the conventional sleep pattern for most people in the US. This monophasic sleep pattern involves falling asleep by 11 pm and waking up by 7 am for most.
If you find it difficult to stay asleep for continuous hours, you can pick a biphasic pattern. This is common among a lot of people, who have been suffering from advanced or delayed sleep syndromes for long periods of time. A biphasic sleep pattern involves a night sleep of 5 to 7 hours and a siesta of 30 minutes to one hour in the afternoon. Older people or stay-at-home adults will find it easier to practice a biphasic sleep pattern.
Polyphasic sleep patterns also exist among the mammalian kingdom, but the human circadian clock is not ideal for adapting one of the polyphasic sleep patterns. Especially since you are possible here looking for a solution to advanced sleep phase syndrome, adopting a polyphasic sleep pattern may prove to be counterintuitive to your cause.
This is easier said than done! You need to find a time that works for your body and everyone else in the house. You cannot fall asleep at 9 pm because it is easier for you if you are sure that you will have leftover office work every day till 10 pm! You need to find a schedule that accommodates your sleep pattern comfortably. It often helps to do a reverse set up.
First, find out what time you need to be awake each morning. If you need to wake up by 7 am, your bedtime should be 11 pm. No matter what your peers try to tell you, it is normal for an adult body to seek a complete 8 hours rest at night. The lack of proper rest each night can result in compromised cognitive abilities, slower response to stimulus and worsened decision-making abilities. To be alert and productive throughout the day, you need to plan your sleep and wake times carefully.
This is going to be by far the most challenging thing you have done to date. Abandoning a sleep schedule, you have followed for months or even years, and shifting to a new one may seem impossible. Honestly, it will be impossible, if you do not plan it out well enough.
Always remember that the trick is to shift your body clock by 1 hour each day. If you are falling asleep by 7 pm or 8 pm each day, you need to (without the help of caffeine) stay awake one added hour each day. It helps to stay in bed for an added hour each morning either. It sends a message to your body that it is the time to rest and relax, and that the day has not begun yet.
If you have the habit of taking a shower before going to bed or brushing your teeth right before, you should push these activities an hour back to tell your body and mind that it is not yet sleepy-time. It is very normal to feel zombie-ish every day for at least 3 to 4 weeks till you feel settled in the new schedule. You will feel the urge to fall asleep early once a week or so, just for old time’s sake, but you need to overcome this urge. Giving in one day will bring you back to square one, and you will have to reset your sleep schedule all over again.
Calibrating your body clock will help your body make sense of the new timings. You cannot go through life forcing sleep times and wake times on your body. Sleep disorders are a result of myriads of different factors working on the circadian genes and receptors. This means that there is a chance that your body is “misinterpreting” the signs that command the sleep-wake cycle in the human system. Feeling the urge to ask for professional help is completely understandable in a case of sleep training or rescheduling.
Modern sciences have provided several recovery techniques for people suffering from a plethora of sleep disorders. The two most popular ways to adjust sleep schedules or aid chronotherapy are natural light therapy and melatonin therapy.
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Several cases of ASPS have shown that light therapy often works better in combination with strategic avoidance of light, scheduled physical exercises, sleep preventing medication at the right time and sleep-promoting medication before bed.
A thorough study by Auger et al. in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine in 2015 showed that light stimulation in the evening and the final core body temperature delays lead to phase advances. The increase in light intensity directly corresponds to an increase in these phase shifts.
Scientists have known for a few years that an increase in light intensity can lead to the suppression of melatonin levels in the body. Chronotherapy in combination with phototherapy yields the best results for all patients.
The human body clock depends greatly on the external light stimulus. Our brains do not exactly have a 24-hour body clock set since our birth. Just like a lot of other factors, the brain “teaches” itself to process the light and darkness cues. That is the reason why almost everyone experiences jetlag while traveling from one-time zone to another or people shifting to areas of the midnight sun often experience problem sleeping.
The body clock resets itself according to the light from the sun (or any other bright source of light as research shows). Thus, when you expose your body to the sun or any bright source of light at an hour before expectation, it resets an hour early. If you delay the exposure to light by an hour, this delays the sleep response by almost an hour. However, the human body and its circadian rhythm are not as simple. It involves quite some factors including at least two gene products to complete the response.
As a result, scientists now often use light to control the melatonin responses in the human body. Melatonin secretion is responsible for the onset of sleep time, and the stimulation of the SCN with bright light can suppress the production of melatonin for long hours.
The doctors studying the patients suffering from sleep disorders (ASPS) for over three months found it more useful to treat them to a lack of bright light in the early hours of the day. The pretreatment phase coupled with bright light therapy in the evening often yielded better results in patients. Further research shows that the strategic avoidance of light can help delay the onset of sleep with the help of bright light therapy. However, studies fail to recognize an optimal dose of melatonin that the patients should receive in coordination with their bright light therapy for improvement of their ASPS.
Seasonal depression has always been a reality and research showed that people who opted for bright white light therapy experienced relief from their symptoms, including the lack of sleep. This began in 1982 when science was taking baby-steps into the domain of biological clocks in plants and mammals. The basics of wavelength selection for light therapy has changed over the years, and scientists have fine-tuned their therapy procedures over the last few years, but the name “bright list therapy” has stuck.
Modern research shows that light from the visible region of the green spectrum is the most effective in stimulating the circadian systems in human beings. A lot of incredulous sources highlight the effectiveness of blue light for the treatment of ASPS, but research teams from Harvard have recently elucidated the harmful effects of high energy blue light on the retina.
A Stanford Health Care study shows that a light source of 10,000 lux can easily stimulate melatonin suppression in subjects after exposure of about 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Bright light therapy in the evenings (between 7 pm and 9 pm) can delay the circadian rhythm, induce better sleep at night and maintain proper sleep quality. In fact, for people suffering from insomnia like symptoms due to chronic disruption of their sleep-wake cycle can also benefit from the regular exposure to bright light therapy.
It is very necessary for the patients to seek the help of a specialist to push their sleep cycle back to stay awake longer. Some people prefer to continue their phototherapy sessions for life, while others gradually wean themselves off the therapy over a year or so. People have found exposing themselves to phases of bright light for about 15 minutes or so to be helpful in overcoming advanced sleep phase syndrome.
All kinds of phototherapy and chronotherapy work best when melatonin treatment accompanies them. As we already know, melatonin boosts the sleep onset time in individuals. The concentration of melatonin in the system varies daily between sleep hours and the daytime. During wakefulness, people experience the lowest levels of melatonin. This keeps us awake, aware and responsive to stimuli.
The careful administration of melatonin can advance people’s sleep onset, but this hormone has found its way into the treatment of advanced sleep phase syndrome. As per the study by Emens and Eastman in 2015, melatonin stimulation can result in higher levels of the biological compound in the system for hours. This can both stimulate the advancement and the delay of melatonin in the system. Introducing phase delay through the administration of melatonin has been a part of sleep cycle resetting for quite a few years.
This can be a bit confusing for a lot of people. It is after all the same molecule that is introducing both delays and advancement in the phase cycles. How is that possible? It is possible because melatonin cannot act alone. It needs external stimulus in the form of light to act.
Further research into the matter reveals that controlled introduction of melatonin along with exposure to bright light in the evening (4 to 6 hours) before ideal bedtime results in a significant delay of sleep onset. While starting melatonin treatment, you should be very careful to consult a sleep specialist and your general physician.
Melatonin is a natural component of the body, and aberrant dosages can result in some physiological and psychological challenges. Any patient about to undergo melatonin and bright light therapy should take the process and doses very seriously.
Melatonin administration can have side effects like feeling hung-over or drowsy the next morning, sudden onset of sleepiness during the afternoon and feeling of confusion or the lack of orientation the following day. Some people often react in strange ways to melatonin, and they experience vivid dreams and nightmares during the melatonin administration. These are all serious side effects, so the patient has to be very careful while remaining in therapy.
In case you believe your dose to be insufficient for some reason; you should never increase the quantity of intake. You should immediately contact your doctor for an immediate check of the melatonin level in your body. The same goes for people who are experiencing increasing side effects of melatonin therapy. Several countries do not support melatonin therapy. The doctors usually recommend the use of standardized melatonin agonists that look and behave like melatonin for the treatment procedure.
Any advanced sleep-wake phase disorder treatment aims to align the biological clock with the external clock. Advanced sleep-wake phase is usually common among older men and women. This disorder shows no gender bias, and it can occur equally in both men and women. Modern day research shows that adolescents and children may also exhibit cases of advanced sleep onset, but in most cases, physicians or parents dismiss them as results of increasing fatigue.
Several genes are responsible for controlling the sleep-wake cycle in mammals, and research shows that mutation of these genes or the inheritance of mutations in these genes from parents can lead to sleeping disorders in the next generation. Since ASPS occurs mostly in the older population, it is much easier to treat them to phototherapy, monitored scheduling and melatonin treatments.
The causes of ASPS can vary from person to person. There is no fixed age for the onset of this syndrome. As a result, it is difficult for doctors to diagnose the problem within a short span of time decisively. More often than not, adults do not seek medical help as their sleep onset time advances through the evening. The simply rely on coffee, tea, and other caffeinated products to stay alert till it is time for bed.
In most cases, old people in the modern society either live alone or in homes for the aged. As a result, it is very common for a majority of the residents to fall asleep early. It does not strike as odd or a disorder to the other inhabitants, caregivers or resident nurses. We have a hard-set belief that children and the elderly should always go to bed early. So, when grandma dozes off on the couch or grandpa falls asleep at the dinner table, it is no more than a funny incident. Years of not looking at something so common as a syndrome has led to a delay in research and treatment of advanced sleep cycle syndrome in adults.
Finally, with the help of light therapy, melatonin therapy, physical exercises, sleep rescheduling and resetting of sleep routines people with advanced sleep cycle disorders are finding relief from their premature sleep onset. There is again the hope of having a social life for thousands of people out there, who could not manage to stay awake beyond 7 pm at a time. The correct therapy from an experienced medical expert can finally help you become the amiable host, life of the party and the entertaining companion you once were.
Tea has held a central place in various cultures worldwide for more than a hundred years, cementing its position as a globally favored drink. It first emerged in the traditions of East and South East Asia, but the broadening of trade routes brought tea to the attention of Western cultures. The earliest records of tea, dating back to Chinese medical documents from 2737 BC, describe it as a health elixir prized by the emperors. Soon after, it became a cherished beverage among emperors and feudal lords in Eastern regions, enjoyed for its leisurely qualities.
It was the 16th century when this magical brew made its first mark in Europe after traveling the seven seas with Portuguese merchants and priests. After that, it did not take long for tea to become a part of every European household and reach the new colonies on merchant ships. The mildly strong, rejuvenating taste soon won over the entire world with its unique refreshing and healing properties.
Right now, tea is the most popular hot brew in the US and Europe. You can find different kinds of tea all across supermarkets, specialist stores, grocery stores, bodegas and convenience stores. It is ruling the market through one-dip tea bags, loose leaves in limited edition cans, conveniently packaged cardboard boxes, ready-mix bottles and designer mixes in handmade diffusers.
Thanks to the huge variation in the flavor, strength, and effects, different regions of the world have different favorites. Black, green and white teas are the most common variants. However, you will often come across several herbal concoctions that add recognizable regional flavors to the teas along with distinct pro-health properties.
Several countries across the world have associated drinking special brews containing tea leaves and a varied mix of different herbs, roots, leaves, and flowers with therapeutic outcomes. Since times immemorial, people have been drinking green tea to stimulate proper digestion, induce weight loss and release toxins from the system. In ancient Egypt, people used chamomile tea to experience relief from cold.
Many experts state that the first mention of tea and sleep appears together in the ancient Egyptian texts, while others often state that the first juxtaposition of tea and sleep first occur in the ancient Roman texts. Irrespective of which civilization found the relationship between tea and sleep, the truth in the belief still stands strong.
The most famous recent studies involving tea shed light on the relationship between tea and relaxation. Sipping warm tea before bedtime is not a new practice, and that provides us much evidence to substantiate the relationship.
Over the years, a few types of brews have become more famous than the other for their extraordinary ability to improve sleep quality. So, without further ado, here are some of the best sleepy-time tea recipes, secrets and facts that we have collected from around the world, just for you.
There is no adult or child in the country, who has not heard about chamomile tea and its bedtime marvels. This might partially be because drinking this best tea for sleep has been a practice for the last 4000 years or partially because of its recurring mention in popular culture. We have seen the mention of it in popular movies, TV shows, and talk shows.
While some swear by its tranquilizing abilities, others are loyal to chamomile tea for its anti-anxiety and antidepressant abilities. Recent research on the effects of the ingredients of chamomile tea on the human physiology has confirmed its relaxing effects on the human mind and body. It has several ingredients that can relax muscles and relieve the stress accumulated by an entire day’s work.
A 2011 study, by a research team under the leadership of Susanna M. Zick involved two groups. One group was the control, and the other received chamomile extract two times a day for over a month. The group that received placebo doses showed no effect on sleep quality, sleep duration and onset times. However, the one that received the actual extract showed lower levels of stress and better day-time functionality.
A similar study on nursing home residents suffering from insomnia showed that the group that received chamomile extract enjoyed lower levels of anxiety, stress and better sleep initiation. The second study involved a group of 60 patients cum subjects, 30 among them took 400mg of chamomile extract on a regular basis. This study showed that chamomile improved sleep quality in those who take the extract on a regular basis.
Latest research exhibits its safety on post-partum women. Pregnancy can often cause strange sleep disturbances due to hormonal upheavals and general physiological discomfort. The post-partum period is not much different. Another study on post-partum women shows that those who drank tea with chamomile extract experienced more relaxing sleep with up to 15 minutes improvement in initiation time. Most importantly, they woke up less frequently during the night as compared to the ones who did not receive the extract.
Over the years, pharmaceutical companies have been making millions by designing and selling drugs that can manipulate human circadian rhythm or allegedly improve sleep quality. Even today, there is no known research can completely highlight the way in which an anti-depressant works to relieve depression and anxiety. However, human beings have been successfully treating these long-standing problems with natural extracts like chamomile in their nighttime tea.
Natural ingredients in food and beverages often have a lesser impact on health as compared to the chemical ingredients pharmaceutical companies design to induce sleep or hormone (and neurotransmitter) production. People have hailed chamomile through the rise and fall of several civilizations; this gives us more than enough reason to give this magical elixir a try.
There are several ways to make chamomile tea. While some people like to use the dried flowers directly in the brew, others prefer using essential oils only. Which process is more effective? Do you need to add something more to make it more potent? Today, we will answer all the questions with the best recipe for chamomile herbal tea.
You should adjust the level of chamomile in your tea as per your taste or the strength. Several people like to add some wild honey to their tea. Pure, organic honey does not compromise the action of chamomile, so you can go ahead and indulge in some pre-bedtime sweetness if you want.
Long before valerian root became a part of western alternative medicine, people have been using Valerian for its somnolent properties. Several cultures have been using this root for treating nervousness, headaches, and insomnia for centuries. In fact, records from the Second World War mention the use of valerian roots to treat war fatigue, anxiety and stress in soldiers.
This was especially seen in England. Right now, several studies highlight the use of valerian as a sleeping aid across Europe and the USA. In English, people often call it setwall. Its distinctive odor is quite unpleasant, and that is the primary reason it has become a part of the bedtime tea drinking ritual in multiple countries. In fact, Greek medicine experts and philosophers often used the extracts of the valerian plant to treat gastrointestinal spasms and digestive distress.
There have been no new revelations about the mechanism of action of the components of valerian on sleep or anxiety, but the consumption of the root extract along with tea does improve sleep onset time and quality. One of the more prevalent theories states that valerian root extracts can boost the creation of gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA in the synapses. This is a neurotransmitter that promotes the feelings of satiation, happiness, and relaxation. In ways, it acts like the popular anti-depressant Xanax that hundreds of thousands use on a regular basis to combat depression.
In sharp contrast to most of the sleeping pills and anti-depressants that are ever so popular in the market today, valerian roots do not have the adverse side effects. Most of the sleeping medications as well as the anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds in the market tend to make the patients drowsy the next day or to induce a haze in thoughts. Living with anti-depressants or anxiety medication can be very tough even for the strongest of the individuals, but valerian makes this process a lot easier. Transiting from disturbed sleep and nightmares, to sound dreamless sleep with little to no anxiety problems becomes a reality without the price of next-day drowsiness or delirium.
A study involving 27 people showed that almost 89% of the participants experienced better sleep after consuming valerian extract for four weeks continuously. Another larger-scale double-blind study on 128 people shows that the participants who receive 400mg of the extract took lesser time to fall asleep as compared to the ones who did not. In another double-blind study, researchers treated over 75 participants with 600mg of commercial production of valerian extract or 10mg of Oxazepam. This study continued for 28 days, and the results depended on a 4-step rating scale at the end of the process. Each participant receiving the extract showed improvements in sleep, but the ones who received valerian reported fewer side effects.
Sadly, none of these studies show any documentation of data involving heart rate or brainwave activities during sleep. Nonetheless, drinking tea with valerian root helps in , improvement of sleep by increasing GABA activity without adverse side effects.
Valerian root is another one of nature’s powerful somnolent ingredients. You can use the root to brew your tea, or you can buy ready-to-steep valerian and green tea mixes for a quick cup before bedtime.
Word of caution: valerian root is bitter. Some people find it an intriguing taste, while others find it difficult to drink. So, start with a smaller quantity of valerian root in your infuser and do not forget to add a dash of honey.
Valerian and chamomile reign supreme among all sleepy-tea concoctions, but lavender has its charm. First, well, lavender simply smells amazing. There can be no one who can hate this flower and the aroma.
Over the years, people have used lavender in incense sticks, room fresheners, aromatherapy and in cosmetics to induce a soothing effect on the body and mind. The small purple flowers hold a lot of healing and relaxing power.
Lavender has been a favorite of the Romans and the Greeks for its calming properties. They would often infuse their bathwater and bathing oils with extracts from the purple inflorescences.
Right now, getting your hands on lavender extract is very easy. Any health conscious and home DIY lover always has some lavender essential oil within an arm’s reach. What was once endemic to only Mediterranean regions now grows worldwide irrespective of weather and climate. People have taken the effort to cultivate lavender like any other precious food crop due to its widespread positive health effects.
A study from the last decade shows that Taiwanese post-natal women, who took time to appreciate the aroma of lavender from time to time and even drank its tea, showed fewer symptoms of fatigue. This study duration was two weeks and the participants who drank it twice a day showed significantly less stress levels as compared to women who did not. Unlike the studies with valerian root, the one involving 67 women taking lavender extract with tea showed a distinct reduction in heart rate fluctuations.
Scientific research over the last few decades have gone on to prove how lavender has helped in the improvement of sleep quality, induced REM sleep and decreased the incidence sleep-related sleep disorders in participants who consumed the tea on a regular basis.
Making lavender tea is quite straightforward, especially since the flowers are quite delectable and require very little preparation.
Add some wildflower honey or regular sweetener to the tea for added taste.
Many people prefer to use chamomile and lavender together in the brew in a 50-50 mixture. If you are steeping the two together, always steep for about 10 minutes to get the proper extract.
Traditionally, people have used passionflower tea to reduce anxiety levels. Anything that reduces your stress and anxiety automatically contributes to better sleep quality.
Passionflower tea has been around for several centuries due to its calming effects on the body and mind. Native Americans have relied on this natural component for its medicinal effects. It can treat boils, wounds and even cure liver problems.
However, the disease the plagues the modern society most is insomnia. Children, young adults, adults and the elderly suffer from the deleterious effects of chronic lack of sleep due to one reason or another. The increasing stress levels and rampant use of technology with blue light emission often exacerbate the effects of insomnia in today’s society. There has never been a greater need for health-boosting and calming tea as today.
There are over 500 recognized species of passion flower. They belong to the Passiflora family, and almost all the species have several medicinal benefits. The name comes from the resemblance of the passionflower with the crucifix that Spanish merchants and colonists thought were significant among the species Peruvians used for treating several illnesses. Right now, passionflower is a very common flavor in aloe juices, fruit blasts, fruit juices and mocktails all across Europe and the US.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has led several studies that have led to the discovery of the scientific bases of passionflower’s calming effects. This is a soothing concoction that increases the levels of GABA just like valerian. An increase in GABA helps to calm the drinker down and induce a state of tranquility. This is the reason several cultures and historic civilizations including the Native Americans, used extracts from the passionflower in their herbal teas to treat the distressed. In fact, several studies of the ancient culture show the use of this extract in the treatment of stomach problems including ulcers.
A recent study from the Phytotherapy Research shows that people who can drink passionflower herbal tea on a regular basis, can improve their REM sleep and experience lower stress levels. In adults, this flower extract can regulate sleep cycles and regularize sleep hours. Endless night shifts and stress from late night work are the main causes of skyrocketing stress levels among the majority of American and urban European youth. Studies show that people, who choose natural remedies like passionflower herbal tea over chemically synthesized sleep-inducing compounds or tranquilizers, often receive better results with fewer side effects. Passionflower tea often contains other ingredients like chamomile, lavender and rose to create a delectable blend of delicate notes that soothe the olfactory senses and induces a deep harmony with the surroundings before bedtime.
Passionflower flavor is one the most popular ice cream, iced tea and slurpee flavors in several countries now. You could easily mistake it for a fad, but the recipes for passionflower tea and iced tea have existed for centuries. Today, we will give you the simplest recipe that can help you sleep better at night with little to no side effects.
You can always customize your tea according to your palate. You can add honey, lemon balm or mint to your passionflower tea to make the aroma enthralling and soothing at the same time.
Lemon balm does not belong to the lemon or lime family. It does not have a zesty flavor, but it does have a delicate lemony aroma and the eponymous freshness of mint. It belongs to the mint family, and it goes perfectly with all kinds of tea. People have been using lemon balm tea for centuries since it has myriads of medicinal and therapeutic effects.
You will be able to find the mention of lemon balm in herbal tea recipes and medical journals from over 100 years ago. No one knows for sure who discovered the use of it in medicine, but historians have found its first mention in Roman and Greek ancient medicines. If you dig deeper, you will also be able to find the mention of the use of lemon balm spirits in west European folklore that is over a millennium old.
Along with several kinds of research that show the effect of lemon balm tea on stress-induced anxiety disorders, several studies show the use of lemon balm in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. It is a degenerative disorder that is genetic. According to the Georgetown University Medical Center, lemon balm can reduce the anxiety levels in people suffering from different progressions of Alzheimer’s disease.
In people with susceptibility towards Alzheimer’s, it can help keep the brain healthy and the neuronal connections strong by stimulating the right kind of neurotransmitters. Another recent study from the University of Maryland Medical Center shows that it can improve cognitive function among those suffering from the neurodegenerative disease.
Drinking lemon balm tea has a soothing effect on the digestive system, heart, brain, and the muscular system. It relaxes every system in the body. Therefore, it is quite easy to imagine why tea with lemon balm extract in it is ideal for the improvement of sleep. University of Michigan Health System cites a study on the comparative effects of lemon balm extract and Halcion. The herbal concoction was as effective as the triazolam or Halcion in enhancing the sleep quality in participants.
In most of the cases, you will find the researchers have used lemon balm in combination with other compounds like lavender, hops, chamomile, and valerian to achieve the best possible results. Nonetheless, in almost all research from noteworthy institutes and universities, groups have managed to show the benefits of drinking lemon balm herbal tea in human beings.
Just like every other herbal tea blend, you can choose to brew your tea from the dried leaves of lemon balm, or you can use the fresh leaves for the same. Dried leaves have the compounds in a much-concentrated form, so you should always try to take a lesser amount of dried ingredients and more fresh ingredients.
Several people also believe that the best way to enjoy the benefits of a good lemon balm tea on a sunny day is by making Sun Tea.
For making Sun Tea – keep the herbs in the jar and pour cool (not cold) water on it. Place it in the sun for a few hours. Keep the lid of the jar closed; you do not want the delicate aromas to escape.
Now, add honey or some lemon to enjoy!
The magnolia tree has been around for over a hundred million years. It has evolved to adapt to the whimsies of nature, and over the last few million years, it has acquired several compounds that contribute to unique health benefits.
Chinese medicine has been using the magnolia tree for the last few millennia to treat a plethora of common and not-so-common afflictions among people.
Ancient texts on the medicinal properties of magnolia show the presence of Honokiol. It is an organic compound that occurs abundantly in the stems and dried flower buds.
Honokiol modifies the GABA receptors in a likely competitive reaction and increases the concentration of neurotransmitters in the brain. This boosts the release of stress relief hormones that can relieve muscle fatigue and induce sleep. In the last few decades, there has been substantial work on the effects of magnolia bark tea on insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders. There have been several studies on mammalian species that show the direct correlation between an increase in dosage of magnolia bark extract in tea along with a decrease in the time it took to fall asleep.
Preliminary research involving magnolia tree bark tea shows an improvement in both sleep quality and duration in the human subjects. There has been no observation of adverse side effects upon daily consumption of tea made with magnolia bark extracts, provided the process is correct, and it uses the right amount of ingredients.
Magnolia Bark Extract Recipe
You can always find magnolia bark extracts and buds for sale online. You should take no more than 500mg daily in the form of an herbal tea mix. Magnolia bark extract is easily soluble in water.
You can always add other ingredients to the tea to make it less bitter. Try adding lemon balm, lemon, and honey. You can also make delicious smoothies and add the extract to them for an extra health boost.
In modern-day USA, Europe, and East Asian countries, you will find the widespread practice of drinking tea before bedtime. While many believe that a warm beverage with low (to no) caffeine content can stimulate muscle relaxation and induce better quality sleep, others often add several other ingredients like chamomile, ginseng, and valerian to common tea brews to improve the quality of sleep.
There are several popular types and brews that even children of these regions enjoy. In fact, starting this practice early in life often gifts these children with better immunity, better physical strength, and mental acumen. Sleep decides a huge part of our day, and proper sleep can contribute to a stronger immune system. Therefore, people, who encourage the practice of consuming herbal tea before sleep often, show better resistance to viral diseases, lesser susceptibility to degenerative diseases and autoimmune disorders.
Many long-standing studies have often highlighted the strong relationship between regular consumption of certain types of tea with immunity towards tumor progression and different types of cancer. You can be a dedicated tea drinker or a beginner, but you should definitely give these herbal teas a go to see a positive change in your life.
It is a known fact that Americans are desperate for sleep. Millions of Americans are sleep-deprived on a regular basis, and it has a vital impact on various aspects of their lives. For example, the lack of sleep can have an adverse influence on their relationships. The reason for this is simple – being sleep-deprived destroys sex drive, which in turn affects the relationship. Job performance can also suffer a lot because of the lack of rest.
During the night, people recharge their batteries, rest their minds, and get ready for new challenges that await them. When they don’t get a good night’s rest, they are not able to concentrate and be as productive as they should, and this behavior affects job performance. Mental and physical health also suffer a lot because of the sleep deprivation. It can cause a wide variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, memory loss, strokes, and more.
If they want to reduce the negative impact of sleep deprivation, Americans need to focus more on getting enough rest. The United States is one of the countries with the highest rate of sleep deprivation. It is not surprising that more than one-third of people in the U.S. feel they are in need of quality rest and recommended hours of sleep.
According to research, almost 50% of Americans who don’t get enough rest during the night blame it on worry and stress. Many people in the United States have stressful jobs, and they deal with high levels of stress on a regular basis. Something like this keeps them awake at night because they are not able to relax and fall asleep. They simply have too much on their minds. Some of the leading causes of stress include the economy, loss of employment, worries about paying bills, and bad bosses.
As a result of being too tired during the day, Americans can fall asleep at random places. For example, many doze off at work because they are not able to get through the day without a short nap. Another favorite place to take a nap, besides the bedroom, is public transportation. You can often see people sleeping in buses and subways.
However, things become dangerous when sleep-deprived individuals doze off behind the wheel. It is very dangerous as someone can get injured, or worse. Lucky people make it home without napping in random places but are too tired to enjoy their free evening. As a result, almost 5% of Americans have fallen asleep at the cinema.
Many people in the United States have admitted that sleep deprivation is killing their sex drive. It is not a surprise as sleep boosts testosterone levels. Testosterone is what keeps people horny and vitalized. When they don’t get enough sleep, their T-levels are affected. It also impacts their ability to focus and perform different activities, and their bodies also need more time to recover. Not being able to recover properly prevents them from giving their best performance in bed.
It is crucial to be aware that, besides the desire for sex, the lack of rest also has an impact on fertility. According to research, sleep deprivation leads to lower sperm count in men. It happens because, if our sleep cycle is interrupted, and we don’t get enough rest, our bodies release less reproductive hormones than normally, which affects fertility. Finally, another consequence of sleepless nights is erectile dysfunction.
Americans need to start focusing on getting enough good night’s rest because their relationships may be in danger. If the lack of sex drive continues for a prolonged period, it can have a detrimental impact on the relationship. Their job performance is also jeopardized, and that’s why they should make getting enough sleep their top priority.
According to research, many Americans are not getting enough sleep during the night. Consequences of sleep deprivation are numerous, including feeling very tired at work and being at risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. People also often lose interest in sex because of being too sleepy. Sleep deprivation should be taken very seriously. It is important for people to be aware that insufficient sleep can significantly impact their daily activities.
Quality should be as important to us as quantity. Many Americans claim that they wake up tired even when they get a recommended number of hours of sleep. It happens because their rest was of poor or fair quality, and as a result, they don’t wake up feeling refreshed.
Unfortunately, more than 30% of Americans are sleep deprived on a regular basis, and they are not doing much to change that. Most of these adults fall within the age group of 35 to 54 years. Women are more likely to report the symptoms of sleep disorders, such as insomnia, while men are more prone to snoring. They are also less ignorant to the effects of the lack of rest compared to men, and they focus more on the comfort of their bedroom by using comfortable bedding and mattress.
Instead of trying their best to get a recommended number of hours of rest at night, most of them turn to other options. For example, 30% of Americans can’t function without having a cup of coffee in the morning. They also try to make up for the lack of sleep by consuming caffeinated beverages during the day.
The use of healthy methods like going for a walk or taking a nap is less common, whereas the popularity of prescription sleep aids is increasing rapidly.
Many Americans are at risk of developing various health issues connected to sleep deprivation. For example, sleeping only a few hours a night increases the risk of high blood pressure. The lack of rest also contributes to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, memory loss, and obesity.
Mood changes, troubles concentrating, and weakened immune system are also consequences of not getting enough rest. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of the impact that sleep deprivation can have on their lives. The proper rest is crucial to our overall health.
It is reported that sleep deprivation can have the same impact on our bodies as driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. People also tend to be less social when they are tired. The reason for this is simple – their brains have difficulty reading facial expressions, and that’s why they are less likely to engage in social interactions. They can also be short-tempered, quick to judge, volatile, cranky, and they tend to react negatively.
Depression and low perception of self can also occur when a person is sleep-deprived. Problem-solving and decision-making skills can also be affected, and as a result, people tend to engage in risky behaviors.
Learn everything there is about sleep disorder types, causes, risks, symptoms, tests, treatments and support. We are here to help you sleep better!
Many people sometimes struggle to get enough rest. A variety of elements, such as stress or a hectic work agenda, can interfere with sleep. Now and then, factors like sickness, travel, or a temporary change to one’s usual schedule might lead to sleep difficulties. When sleep problems begin to consistently interfere with your daily life, it could indicate the presence of a sleep disorder.
Sleep disorders should be taken very seriously because they can cause much more than daytime sleepiness. If not addressed in a timely and proper manner, they will take a toll on your mental and physical health. Poor sleep can lead to memory problems, weight gain, irritability, and much more. Lack of sleep will also severely impact your energy and mood.[1]
If you have a sleep problem, there is no need to simply accept your fate and live with it. Learn what you can do to get a better night’s sleep and improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Having a sleep disorder means you are suffering from a condition that regularly impacts your ability to get enough shuteye. It is normal to occasionally have a hard time to fall asleep. However, it is not normal if you have regular sleep problems and you wake up every day sleepy and exhausted.
Being sleep deprived can severely affect every aspect of your life. When you sleep badly at night, you will wake up dead tired in the morning, and the little energy that you have left will be quickly drained by your daily activities and obligations. Then, even though you are exhausted, you still can’t fall asleep at night. Before you even notice, you are trapped in a vicious cycle that slowly consumes you and takes a toll on your mood, energy, efficiency, and ability to handle stress.
Sleep problems mustn’t be ignored because they can lead to severe physical and mental health damage. Lack of sleep will lead to weight gain, impaired job performance, memory issues, and so on.[2] Due to sleep deprivation, you won’t be able to focus and stay alert which increases your risk to cause an accident.[3] Your social life may also suffer by putting a strain on your relationships. In order to stay healthy, you need quality sleep. Always keep in mind that quality sleep is not a luxury but a necessity.
Even though you have struggled with sleep problems for a very long time, it is never late to do something about it. In order to sleep better, it is important to track your symptoms and sleep patterns. Implementing healthy changes to your daytime habits, bedtime routine[4] and sleep-wake schedule should also help. If self-help doesn’t work, it is time to turn to medical practitioners who specialize in sleep medicine. A sleep specialist will be able to help you identify the cause of your sleeping problem, as well as way to improve your sleep and quality of life.
Since everyone experience a sleeping problem occasionally, it may be hard to determine if your sleep troubles are just a minor annoyance or a sign of a more serious condition. In some cases, sleeping difficulties can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
If you experience the following symptoms, you should look into your sleep problem more closely.
If you experience any of the above symptoms every day, we have bad news – you may be dealing with a sleep disorder. The more you answered affirmatively, the more likely it is that you have a serious problem.
There are over 96 different diagnosable sleep disorders. However, the most common are insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy.
A disrupted circadian rhythm causes most sleep disorders.[5] Circadian rhythm is our body’s internal clock that is responsible for regulating our 24-hour sleep and wake cycle. Natural light significantly influences our circadian rhythm. When there is less light, a hormone that makes us sleepy, melatonin, releases. In the morning, the release of melatonin is decreased which signalizes our brain that it is time to wake up.[6]
Source: Wikipedia
If your circadian rhythm is disrupted, you will feel sleepy at inconvenient times, disoriented and irritable. Circadian rhythm disruption can be caused due to many reasons and even other diseases such as depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder also known as winter blues.
The ICSD has classifies sleep disorders into six major categories – insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, parasomnias, and sleep-related movement disorders.
Insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep at night. This sleep problem can be caused by stress, jet leg or another health condition. Medications that you take also affect your sleep. Consuming too much coffee and other caffeinated beverages will also cause insomnia. Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety can also cause insomnia.
People who suffer from insomnia have the following symptoms:
Insomnia can be primary and secondary. Primary insomnia is not directly associated another health condition or disease. Secondary insomnia means that your sleep problems are caused by another medical condition such as asthma, depression, arthritis, heartburn, pain and so on.
Insomnia can also be acute and chronic. Acute insomnia is short-term and usually lasts from one night to two weeks, while chronic insomnia is long-term and can least from three nights to a month or longer.
Acute insomnia can be caused by many reasons, commonly due to severe life stress. It can also be caused by physical or emotional discomfort, as well as an illness. Environmental factors such as noise, bright light, or extreme temperatures can also disrupt your sleep. Chronic insomnia, among other, can be caused by depression, chronic stress, and pain.[7]
In order to diagnose insomnia, it is essential to talk to your doctor. Diagnosing this condition requires a physical exam, and checking your medical and sleep history. Keeping a sleep diary and tracking your sleep patterns, as well as how you feel during the day is often required to diagnose insomnia. If you are sleeping with your partner, your doctor may have to interview him or her to find out more about your sleep quality. It is not rare that you will have to visit a sleep center and undergo special tests.
In most cases, acute insomnia doesn’t require treatment. Individuals suffering from mild insomnia can often alleviate the symptoms by practicing good sleep habits.[8] If sleep habits don’t work, your doctor may prescribe you some sleeping pills. Using over-the-counter sleeping pills is not wise because they have many unpleasant side-effects the following day. Keep in mind that taking sleep drugs is not a long-term solution to your problem. As you build tolerance, all sleep meds lose their effectiveness over time.[9]
To treat chronic insomnia, your doctor must determine the underlying cause that is causing it. If insomnia is persistent, your physician may recommend behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy focuses on helping you to change behaviors that can worsen insomnia as well as learning new behaviors that promote better sleep.[10]
Sleep apnea is a very common and treatable sleep disorder. Individuals suffering from this condition wake up frequently during night because their breathing temporarily stops. People with sleep apnea often don’t remember waking up, but they will certainly feel dead tired in the morning and notice a decrease in their productivity. Sleep apnea is a health condition that must be taken seriously, especially because it’s potentially life-threatening. Sleep apnea can be obstructive and central.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens because something is partly or completely blocking your upper airway during sleep. This causes your diaphragm and chest muscles to work harder to open the obstructed airway and pull in air. In these cases, breathing resumes with a snort, loud gasp or sometimes a body jerk.[11] Although you don’t sleep well, you probably won’t be aware of any of this. If obstructive sleep apnea is not treated, it will continue reducing the flow of oxygen to vital organs which may lead to irregular heart rhythms.
Signs of obstructive sleep apnea include the following:
Symptoms in children are different than in adults. They include the following:
Individuals who share their bed with someone are lucky because their partner will probably notice these symptoms. Parents who suspect their children may have sleep apnea should check them overnight.
Right now, the most reliable sleep apnea self-tests are the Epworth Sleepiness Scale[12], the Berlin Sleep Questionnaire[13], and the STOP-BANG test.
The STOP-BANG survey[14] is a self-test that can assess the chances of having sleep apnea. However, to get a proper diagnosis, you must see a doctor. Your doctor will decide if you need further evaluation. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, additional testing will be necessary.
Look out for the following five criteria that increase your risk of sleep apnea:
High BMI: Being overweight or obese doesn’t necessarily mean you will get sleep apnea. However, extra weight significantly increases your risk because it puts added pressure on your respiratory system, and makes it harder to breathe at night.
A Large Neck Circumference: If a man has a neck that is 17 inches or greater in circumference, his risk of sleep apnea is increased. A woman whose neck measures 16 inches or greater are also at risk. Risks are increased due to weight of the neck that pushes on the airway during sleep.
Snoring: Loud snoring should be worrying because it is a first indicator that you are not breathing freely.
Smoking and Alcohol: Since alcohol relaxes throat muscles, they may obstruct your airways easier. Smokers are also at risk because the tobacco irritates and inflames the upper airway.
A Small Airway: If your upper airways are naturally smaller, you may have troubles breathing at night.
As you can notice, you are more likely to get sleep apnea if you are overweight and have a thick and large neck. Also, this condition is more common among men that are more than 50 years old.
It is obvious that you cannot change the size of your neck and airways. However, you can make certain lifestyle changes, such as losing some weight and reducing cigarettes and alcohol to decrease your risk for sleep apnea.
Apart from smaller airways in their throat, nose, and mouth, people with enlarged tonsils, uvula and soft palate are also at hogher risk of OSA.[15] A tongue that is larger than average can sometimes also block the airway. Lastly, a deviated septum can cause obstructive sleep apnea. Apart from the mentioned, other risk factors include smoking, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.[16]
Diagnosing this sleep disorder requires a physical exam, and checking your medical and sleep history. Your bed partner will most likely be asked for more information about your sleep habits. In many cases, a sleep study will have to be done at your home or in a sleep center. A sleep study requires wearing devices that will monitor your air flow, breathing patterns, heart rate, muscle activity, brain activity and similar. The study is necessary in order to determine how many times your breathing was impaired during sleep.[17]
In 90% of the cases, losing some weight will make a difference. People who suffer from sleep apnea should avoid alcohol and sleeping drugs because these tend to cause your airway to collapse during sleep. It is not recommended to sleep on your side. If you have problems with nasal congestion, using nasal sprays is recommended to facilitate breathing.
Standard treatments include positive airway pressure therapy, oral pressure therapy, oral appliances, surgery and behavioral therapy.
CPAP machine is a device that consists of a mask and an air blower. Since the air blower continuously forces air through the nose or mouth, it will prevent your upper airway tissues from falling down during sleep. A similar device to CPAP is BPAP that has two levels of air flow.[18]
People who suffer from mild sleep apnea can use oral devices such as dental or mandibular appliances that will prevent their tongue from blocking the throat. These devices help the airway stay open during sleep.
Surgery is recommended to people who have a deviated septum, a small lower jaw, adenoids that need to be removed, enlarged tonsils, or extra or misshapen tissue that blocks proper airflow through the nose and mouth.
An oral appliance looks similar to a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. This oral appliance can help you reduce snoring and ensure your airways are open during the entire night.
Obstructive sleep apnea is typically treated with continuous airway pressure therapy or CPAP. This type of therapy requires wearing a mask that blows air into the airways to keep them open. The mask is worn only during sleep. However, most people find wearing this mask uncomfortable. If you can’t tolerate CPAP, maybe an oral appliance is more suitable for you.
Oral devices can be prescribed to patients who suffer from mild sleep apnea. These oral devices are custom-made by dentists. Your dentist will show you how to wear and properly clean it. Although oral appliances are not effective as continuous airway pressure therapy, many people prefer using a dental device because it’s much more comfortable and has minimal side effects.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects more than 18 millions of American adults. Since this sleep disorder continuously grows and affect more and more people every day, sleep scientists are doing their best to come up with new treatments that will help patients sleep better and live a better and more productive life. The latest treatments for OSA are hypoglossus nerve stimulation and expiratory positive airway pressure therapy.
This type of treatment for sleep apnea was approved by the FDA in 2014. It includes implanting a small device in the chest that can be turned on and off by the patient. During sleep, the device monitors the patient’s breathing and stimulate the hypoglossus nerve to keep the upper airway open. Since this type of therapy is invasive, it is recommended only when patients are not helped by standard OSA treatments.
The EPAP therapy consists of placing disposable adhesive valves over the nose when you sleep. The device ensures the patient’s airways are open during inhaling and exhaling.
Central sleep apnea is rarer than obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals with this disorder suffer from disrupted breathing during sleep. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, in central sleep apnea, the breathing stops because of the way the brain functions. The brain fails to tell your muscles to breathe for a short amount of time. This type of sleep apnea is often associated with severe health problems and diseases in which the lower brainstem is affected.
Conditions that may be associated with central sleep apnea are congestive heart failure, hypothyroid disease, and kidney failure. Some neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease can also cause central sleep apnea. Damage to the lower brainstem caused by an injury or a stroke may also lead to central sleep apnea. Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are the same as for obstructive sleep apnea.
The most familiar central disorder of hypersomnolence is narcolepsy. These sleep disorders are also known as excessive sleepiness disorders because they are characterized by daytime sleepiness that is not caused by disturbed night sleep or misaligned inner body clock.
Poor sleep habits typically cause excessive sleepiness. In order to handle this problem efficiently, it is recommended to review your routines, schedules, and the environment you’re sleeping in. This way, you may identify a potential problem and make some adjustments to improve your sleep.
The primary cause of excessive sleepiness is insufficient sleep. Sleeping less than the recommended 8 hours per night will lead to irritability, drowsiness, and stress. Sleep deprivation will also cause you to feel moody and underproductive, especially as your slept debt accumulates over time.
If you practice healthy sleep habits such as avoiding caffeine and blue light in the evening and sticking to a regular bedtime schedule, the problem may be in your sleep quality. Poor sleep quality means your sleep is interrupted or not deep enough to have a restorative effect.
If you have a problem with frequent waking up during the night, you should practice relaxation, avoid electronic devices before bed and make sure your bedroom is dark, comfortable and reasonably cool.
If you believe your sleep is interrupted during the night but you still wake up tired in the morning, you may have sleep apnea, which significantly reduces sleep quality.
Excessive sleepiness can also be caused by a change in schedule that is caused by tight work schedules or school responsibilities. Shift workers are the ones that are at highest risk for excessive sleepiness. Since their sleep time is not in hours when it should be, they experience difficulties falling asleep. Our body needs time to adjust to a new sleeping schedule. Unfortunately, sometimes, when their body adjusts, their work schedules change again, and they are back at the beginning. That is why shift workers have so many problems with sleep.
If you’ve tried to improve your sleep habits and still experience excessive daytime sleepiness, you should talk to your doctor or ask for a referral to a sleep specialist.
Certain medications can be used to address daytime sleepiness. Drugs for excessive sleepiness are meant to increase your level of wakefulness and alertness. However, it’s still vital to hold off on driving and doing anything that could be potentially dangerous until you see how the meds work for you.
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is characterized by uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. This sleepiness is caused by a dysfunction of the brain mechanism that controls sleeping and waking. An individual suffering from narcolepsy feels like he is experiencing sleep attacks in the middle of working, talking and driving. The sleep attacks can occur during any time of the day and during any activity.
Normal sleep cycle consists of five stages of sleep. During those stages, a person traverses from light sleep to deep sleep and REM stage. Rapid eye movements or REM sleep typically occurs 90 minutes of deeper sleep stages.[23] However, if you suffer from narcolepsy, your REM sleep will occur almost immediately after you fall asleep, as well periodically during the waking hours. In REM sleep we experience dreams and muscle paralysis, which may explain some of the symptoms of narcolepsy.
This sleep disorder usually begins when a person is between 15 and 25 years old. However, it can become apparent at any age. Narcolepsy often goes undiagnosed and due to that untreated.
The causes of narcolepsy are unknown. Sleep experts have discovered that narcolepsy with cataplexy is caused by the loss of a chemical in the brain called hypocretin. Hypocretin is a chemical compound that is responsible for keeping us awake and alert. It also helps to regulate our inner body clock. Without hypocretin, it is hard or almost impossible to stay awake. The person suffering from narcolepsy also experiences disruptions in the normal sleep-wake cycles. Most likely, narcolepsy is caused by multiple factors that disrupt normal neurological functioning and REM sleep disruption.[24]
Symptoms of narcolepsy include uncontrollable daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hallucinations and sleep paralysis.
Excessive daytime sleepiness occurs on a daily basis, no matter if a person with narcolepsy had sufficient sleep the previous night. People suffering from narcolepsy also report a lack of energy and concentration, memory lapses, a depressed mood and extreme exhaustion.
Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone that manifests as a feeling of weakness and loss of muscle control. Depending on the muscles involved, it can cause a number of issues, from slurred speech to total body collapse. This symptom is often triggered by intense emotions such as laughter or anger.
Hallucinations are mostly visual, but sometimes other senses may be involved. Lastly, sleep paralysis affects temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. It occurs in episodes and lasts a few seconds or several minutes.[25]
In order to diagnose narcolepsy properly, the patient must undergo a physical exam. Medical and sleep history also must be checked. Two specialized tests for narcolepsy are polysomnogram test and multiple sleep latency test. The polysomnogram will help establish abnormalities in the sleep cycle and find out when if REM sleep occurs at abnormal times. The multiple sleep latency test is performed during the day, and it is used to measure an individual’s tendency to fall asleep.
Currently, there is no cure for narcolepsy, but there are medications and behavioral treatments that can relieve the symptoms so affected individuals can lead a normal and productive life. Sleepiness is treated with stimulants based on amphetamine. Abnormal REM sleep symptoms are treated with antidepressant drugs. Pharmacologists have recently developed a drug called Xyrem that helps people who suffer from narcolepsy with cataplexy have a better night’s sleep and feel less sleepy during the day.[26]
Every person has unique sleeping needs. While some need eight to nine hours of sleep to feel refreshed in the morning, other feel great with just six hours of sleep per night. If you sleep more than ten hours every night and have a couple of long naps during the day, and you still feel sleepy and tired, you are probably suffering from idiopathic hypersomnia, otherwise known as extreme sleepiness.
People with idiopathic hypersomnia suffer constant or frequent episodes of extreme sleepiness. Extreme sleepiness is usually caused by another sleep disorder or medical condition such as narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, REM sleep disorder, and so on.
If getting extra sleep doesn’t alleviate your sleepiness, you should consult with a doctor or a sleep specialist about the duration and intensity of your symptoms. You most likely suffer from idiopathic hypersomnia if your symptoms last at least six months, your polysomnography results are normal and if your condition is not caused by another medical or mental disease or a head injury.
The most common treatments for this sleep disorder are stimulant medications. However, these medications are not a substitute for sleep. People with idiopathic hypersomnia often sleep longer than other people, even when they are using such drugs.
Circadian rhythm sleep disorders affect the timing of sleep. People with these disorders are unable to go to sleep and awaken at times commonly required for work and school or other social needs. Among the most common circadian rhythm sleep disorders are non-24h sleep-wake disorder, shift work disorder, delayed sleep phase disorder.
This sleep disorder affects the normal 24-hour regulation and synchronization of our circadian rhythm or inner body clock. Since light mostly regulates sleep and wake cycle, non-24 sleep-wake disorder is a common sleep issue in blind people. Due to the lack of light information received from the eyes, their internal body clock cannot regulate the 24-hour day-night cycle properly.
As a result, their internal body clock returns to a non-24 hour period, characterized by fluctuating periods of good sleep, poor sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. Although this sleep disorder mostly affects blind people, it can also occur in healthy people, but it is typically temporary and caused by stress, hectic schedules and similar.
Shift work sleep disorder occurs when your work schedule and your inner clock are out of sync. People suffering from this disorder have to work night shifts or rotating shifts. The primary problem is that you are forced to be awake when you should sleep and vice versa. A problem develops when you have trouble sleeping or you have trouble staying alert when you are supposed to be awake.
If you are sleep deprived, you may have a hard time struggling with sleepiness on the job. This may also affect your productivity and increase the risk of injury.[27]
The best way to reduce the impact of shift work on your shuteye is to take regular breaks. If possible, try to minimize the frequency of shift changes. When you have to change shifts, request one that is later rather than earlier because our body adjusts easier if we go forward in time. Try to regulate your circadian rhythm by increasing light exposure at work and limiting it when it’s time to sleep.
If you have control over your work schedule, you can do some things to make the adjustment easier. For example, if you often work night shifts, try to keep the same sleep and wake schedule each day, even when you have a day off. This will help you improve your sleep quality and regulate your circadian rhythm. Proper sleep is vital for staying alert at work during your shift.
If you often rotate shifts, rotate them clockwise for easier adjustment. For example, go from a day shift to an evening shift and then to a night shift. Rotating shift the other way or without a pattern will disrupt your sleep. It is also important to adjust your sleep and wake time gradually.
Delayed sleep phase disorder is a health condition characterized by a delayed inner clock. As a result, people suffering from this disorder go to sleep and wake up much later than other people. It is important to have in mind that this is not a preference. It is a disorder that disables you to keep normal hours. People with delayed sleep phase disorder can’t make it to their morning classes and can’t keep a 9-to-5 job. No matter how hard they try, these individuals can’t fall asleep earlier than 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
A very interesting fact is that when they are allowed to keep their own hours (such as during a vacation or a school break), their circadian rhythm is restored. This sleep disorder is mostly experienced by teenagers, and most of them overgrow it with age.[28]
If a person continues to struggle with a delayed inner clock, light therapy and chronotherapy are recommended and mostly helps.[29]
Jet lag is a temporary sleep disruption that occurs when you travel across time zones. Symptoms include daytime sleepiness, fatigue, headaches, stomach problems, and insomnia.[30] Symptoms are more pronounced when the flight is long. Flying east also tends to cause worse symptoms than flying west. Typically, a person requires only one day per time zone to adjust to the new time zone. So, if you have flown from Los Angeles to New York and passed three time zones, you should be fine after three days.
It is possible to reset your circadian rhythm when you travel through time zones. If you are travelling through several time zones, you should adjust your sleep time gradually. Depending on the time zone you need to adjust, you should go to bed half an hour earlier (or later) than usual and also get up half an hour earlier. The next day, go to bed and get up one hour earlier. The day before you travel you should go to bed and get up 90 minutes earlier. On the day of your trip, you should adjust to the new time zone much easier and faster.
Exposing yourself to sunlight should also help tune your inner clock to the new time.[31] If you feel sleepy, avoid caffeine because it will only make your problem worse.
Parasomnias are sleep disorders characterized by an unwanted physical movement, behaviour or action during sleep. The most common parasomnias, also known as abnormal sleep behavior disorders are REM sleep behavior disorder, sleep talking, sleepwalking and nightmares.
The main problem individuals who suffer from REM sleep behavior disorder have is acting out their dreams, which in most cases, leads to self-injuring or injuring another person. What acting out a dream means? For most of us, dreaming is an activity that remains mental, meaning it doesn’t involve any physical movement or talking. Dreams occur in our mind and no matter how vivid and exciting they may be, our body always stays at rest. However, people with RBD physically move their arms and legs or start hitting and punching in bed. While some individuals with RBD often get out of bed and perform different activities that we normally do when we are awake, others talk in their sleep or even shout and scream.
REM sleep behavior disorder is usually noticed when it jeopardizes the safety of the sleeper or his bed partner. Acting out a dream often leads to self-injury. However, in most cases, the bed partner is the one that gets physically hurt, especially if the RBD sufferer kicks and hits in bed.
In order to comprehend RBD, we must be aware that during sleep, we transition between three states – wakefulness, REM sleep, and non REM sleep. Each state and stage of sleep has its own unique characteristics.
REM sleep stage is the most important for understanding this disorder. In REM sleep behavior disorders, the neurological barriers between three main states of sleep break down or misfunction. Due to neurological dysfunction, characteristics of one state invades the other and vice versa. Sleep researchers do not know what affects these neurological barriers and cause them to break down. The neurological barriers between three main stages of sleep are also altered in narcolepsy and parasomnias. Rapid eye movement is characterized by temporary muscle paralysis and associated with dreaming
Since individuals suffering from RBD lack muscle paralysis that normally occurs during REM sleep, they are enabled to act out their dreams. RBD sufferers don’t act out their dreams immediately. Sleep talking or jerking during dreaming can last for years before the symptoms of this disorder fully develop.
Good news for all RBD sufferers is that when the proper diagnosis is set, the condition can be successfully treated. In 90% of the cases, a drug from the group of benzodiazepines, called clonazepam, successfully eliminates REM sleep behavior disorder. The advantage of using this medication is that it doesn’t develop tolerance, even during extended use that lasts for years. If clonazepam doesn’t work, a sleep specialist may recommend antidepressants or melatonin to reduce the violent behavior.
Creating a safe sleep environment is vital to prevent injuries. All sharp or breakable objects from the area near the bed should be removed. The doors and windows in your home should be locked during the night.
Sleep talking is a sleep disorder that is characterized by talking during sleep without being aware of it. Sleep talking can include mumbling, complete nonsense or complicated dialogues or monologues. This sleep disorder is very rare, and in most cases, only a temporary issue. Although anyone can experience sleep talking, it is more common in children and males.
Sleep-talkers are not aware of their speech, so it is not unusual if their voices or type of language sound completely different from wakeful talking. Sometimes, sleep talking can be triggered by conversing with the sleeper. It can also be spontaneous.
When it comes to the content of sleep talking, it may be complete nonsense, or it can relate to past events, and experiences. Sleep experts claim sleep talking is not a product of a conscious or rational mind. Although it’s not physically harmful or dangerous, this sleep disorder can cause embarrassment or annoy a bed partner or a roommate.
Sleep talking is a temporary condition. It may be caused by different external and internal factors, such as stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, alcohol, fever and so on. External factors typically stimulate the behavior. This disorder can also occur together with nightmares, sleep apnea, and REM sleep behavior disorder. In rarer cases, sleep talking is associated with a mental or medical disease.
Signs of sleep talking can be of different severity and duration and can occur during any stage of sleep. In light sleep, speech is more comprehensible, and in the deeper stages of sleep, the speech is more incomprehensible. The number of sleep talking episodes per night, as well as its duration, determines the severity of the disorder.
Based on severity, sleep talking can be mild, moderate or severe, and based on duration; it can be acute, subacute and chronic.
Apart from talking during sleep, other symptoms may appear, such as sleepwalking, nightmares, sleep apnea, nocturnal seizures, REM sleep behavior disorder, and confusional arousals.
Typically, no treatment is necessary for sleep talking. If you experience this problem for a more extended period, it is best to consult with your doctor and look for an underlying medical explanation. In most cases, sleep talking is triggered by stress or by another undiagnosed sleep disorder.
Practicing good sleep habits such as sleeping eight hours per night and sticking to a regular sleep schedule can reduce the frequency and severity of sleep talking. To reduce sleep talking, also stay away from alcohol, heavy meals and stress.
This sleep behavior disorder is characterized by walking or performing other behaviors while asleep. Somnambulism is much common if a person is sleep deprived. Since sleepwalking occurs during stages of deep sleep, the sleepwalker may have difficulties to be awakened. Individuals affected by this sleep disorder do not remember their sleepwalking incidents.
Symptoms of sleepwalking include sitting up in bed and looking around, walking around the house or outside, and even driving.
It is a common misconception we mustn’t wake up a sleepwalker. A sleepwalker should be awakened. Otherwise, we put his safety in danger.
Other symptoms may include sleep talking, inappropriate behavior such as urinating in closets, screaming, violent attacks on the person trying to awake the sleeper and so on. Inappropriate behavior is more common in children while screaming only occurs when in conjunction with nightmares and sleep terrors.
Causes are mostly unknown. However, sleepwalking can be triggered by sleep deprivation, certain medications with a sedative effect, alcohol, and febrile illnesses. Sleepwalking is mainly experienced by children between the ages of three and seven. Bedwetting and sleep terrors also commonly occur with sleepwalking.
There is no specific treatment for this sleep issue. In many cases, practicing healthy sleep habits eliminates the problem. If the problem persists, your doctor may recommend medical therapy such as sedative-hypnotics or antidepressants. Many adults have successfully treated sleepwalking with hypnosis.
Creating a safe sleep environment is vital to prevent injury during sleepwalking episodes. If your child is sleepwalking, it should not sleep in a bunk bed. All sharp or breakable objects from the area near the bed should be removed. The doors and windows in your home should be locked during the night. Install gates on stairways will also help prevent injury.
Nightmares are dreams with vivid and disturbing content that often causes the sleeper to wake up immediately and recall of the dream. Nightmares are more common in children but can also occur in adults. Sleep terrors are considered extreme nightmares, and they are also typically common in children. However, unlike nightmares that occur during REM sleep, sleep terrors occur during non-REM sleep.
Sleep terrors are accompanied by arousal, agitation, and sweating. The sleeper also has large pupils and increased blood pressure. Usually, the child screams in terror and remains terrified for a few minutes. After they relax, they fall asleep again. The child typically doesn’t remember the dream or has an unclear memory of it.
These sleep disorders are characterized by simple, and repeating movements during sleep or wake. These rhythmic movements often disturb the sleep of the patient and his bed partner. Most common sleep-related movement disorders are restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement in sleep and teeth grinding or bruxism.
Restless legs syndrome is a sleep disorder characterized by involuntary rhythmic movements of legs while at rest. The desire to move the legs is often followed by unpleasant sensations that are alleviated by movement or pressure.
Since symptoms of are most severe in the evening and during night, they can severely disrupt a patient’s sleep and daily life. Movements can occur periodically or cluster in episodes that can last a few minutes or even a few hours. Restless legs syndrome is not similar to normal muscle spasms that we tend to experience during sleep or while trying to fall asleep.[19]
The causes of this sleep disorder are still unknown. The issue can be caused by other medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and narcolepsy. Restless legs syndrome can also be caused by antidepressants.
Symptoms include involuntary leg movements. Sometimes, a partial flexing of the ankle, knee, or hip can occur. The movements can cause a partial or full brief awakening. However, patients are often unaware of the movements.
People have difficulties describing the sensations that make them rhythmically move their legs. Sometimes, the sensations are described as “ants crawling through legs” or “soda running through veins”.
If you are worried you may have RLS, answer the following questions. If most of your answers are “yes”, you should further discuss your symptoms with your health care professional.
If you are sharing a bed with a partner, he or she will notice your problems sooner or later. In fact, restless leg syndrome affects the partner more than the person suffering. Proper diagnosing requires having a polysomnogram test that will record all bodily functions during sleep. Blood work may also be necessary to test your iron status, folic acid, vitamin B12, magnesium levels and so forth.[20]
Restless legs syndrome is a treatable condition. Lifestyle changes are the first step towards alleviating and controlling some of the symptoms.
There is no cure for restless leg syndrome. However, anticonvulsant medications mostly treat restless leg syndrome. Benzodiazepines and narcotics also work well.[21] Doctors and sleep specialists recommend using anti-Parkinson’s type of medicines as the first line of defense because they work the best.[22] Using these drugs significantly reduce or eliminate the symptoms of the disorder.
RLS drugs approved by the FDA are Horizant, Mirapex and Requip. all three drugs are used to treat moderate or severe primary RLS. However, since Requip is used to treat Parkinson disease, it must be given at lower doses.
In addition, there are several medications that are not primarily used to treat RLS, but have been shown to alleviate RLS symptoms. Dopaminergic agonists and agents relieve the symptoms, while benzodiazepines and opiates induce relaxation, relieve unpleasant sensations and ensure less disturbed sleep.
This non-pharmacological treatment includes using a specially designed foot wrap at night in order to relieve the symptoms of RLS. The foot wrap applies continuous pressure to targeted foot muscles and signalizes the brain to relax the muscles of the leg, alleviating symptoms of this sleep disorder.
Studies suggest that RLS symptom relief can be achieved by treating varicose veins in the legs with a non-surgical procedure called sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is pain free, and takes about an hour to complete. The patient can immediately walk after the procedure and resume his daily activities. However, this should be done only if your doctor determines that your issue is caused by an underlying vein problem.
In addition to lifestyle changes, a number of self-directed activities can help you manage the symptoms of restless legs disorder. Such activities include walking, stretching, legs massage, hot or cold packs, and similar. Practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga can also help you alleviate the symptoms.
Periodic limb movement disorder is characterized by involuntary movement of arms and legs. The rhythmic movements typically seem like brief muscle twitches or jerking and occur every 20-40 seconds. The symptoms often cluster into episodes that can last from a few minutes to a couple of hours.
The cause of this sleep disorder is unknown. Doctors and sleep specialists believe an underlying cause exists in the patient’s nervous system. This disorder is not considered very serious. However, since it disturbs sleep, it can lead to daily fatigue or insomnia. In rarer cases, PLMS can be caused by severe medical conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes.
Patients usually experience an irresistible desire to move their arms or legs. Individuals mostly have the urge to move their legs. The urge is often followed by unpleasant sensations in the calves or thighs. These sensations may keep you awake at night or even wake you up from your sleep.
People suffering from PLMS sometimes don’t experience symptoms or aren’t aware of them. The patient’s bed partner is usually the first one who notices these movements.
Physicians recommend treating PLMS only when it’s accompanied by RLS, insomnia, and fatigue. If you think you suffer from periodic leg movement disorder, it is best to consult with your family doctor.
Nocturnal tooth grinding, also known as sleep bruxism is a common condition that affects around 8% of adults. Teeth grinding is more common in children, and it is estimated that approximately 1/3 of parents have a child that experienced symptoms of this condition.
Cause of teeth grinding is mostly unknown. Temporary nocturnal teeth grinding is usually caused by stress. Some studies link bruxism with alcohol consumption, smoking, caffeine, snoring, and fatigue. Some medications such as amphetamines can cause nocturnal teeth grinding. Internal factors do not contribute to bruxism. In most cases, the issue is caused by idiopathic reasons or external factors.
Occasional teeth grinding is not harmful. However, if it occurs regularly, it may lead to permanent dental damage, facial pain, and interrupted sleep. Common symptoms of this condition are worn down teeth, headaches, earaches, sore gums, teeth, and jaw. If the symptoms are severe, the patient can experience interrupted sleep.
If you have bruxism, it is essential to take action before permanent dental damage occurs. You can consult with a sleep expert or your dentist. A sleep specialist will teach you how to reduce stress and relax before bed, while a dentist will make an oral appliance that will protect your teeth from damage.
Since stress and anxiety often cause this condition, it is recommended to minimize it. Symptoms in children usually disappear on their own. For persistent and severe cases, a dentist may suggest wearing an oral appliance that will protect your teeth. Jaw-aligning exercises may also help alleviate the symptoms.
The first toward overcoming a sleep disorder is to identify and track your symptoms carefully. It is also important to track your sleep pattern. To keep track efficiently, downloading a sleep app or keeping a sleep diary should be sufficient.
Your focus should be to pinpoint day and nighttime habits that may be contributing to your sleep problems. Keeping track of your sleep pattern will also be helpful if you decide to visit a doctor. Make sure your sleep diary is as detailed as possible because it can reveal how certain behaviors and activities can prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.
Most sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea require professional help. However, there are also ways you improve your sleeping problems and help yourself.
The first step is to improve your sleep hygiene. Proper sleep hygiene consists of keeping a consistent sleep schedule, healthy stress management[32], healthy eating[33], regular exercising and limiting your intake of drinks and foods that can disrupt your sleep. Limiting alcohol and nicotine is also helpful.
Developing a soothing bedtime routine that helps our mind unwind and prepare to sleep is also important. You should also make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool[34], and that your bed is comfortable.
If improving your sleep habits didn’t work, it is recommended to visit a sleep specialist or ask your family doctor for help. Schedule an appointment if the following applies to you:
When visiting a doctor, make sure you provide him information from your sleep diary. In order to determine whether or not you have a serious sleep problem that requires medical treatment, a specialist will have to do a polysomnogram test, as well a series of other analyses, such as blood work. After diagnosis, a sleep expert will design a unique treatment program that will alleviate or completely eliminate the symptoms of your sleep disorder.
Resources and references:
[1] http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdrowsydriving/index.html
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675894/
[5] https://medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html
[6] https://nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14661186
[8] http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3656905/
[10] http://www.sleepeducation.org/treatment-therapy/cognitive-behavioral-therapy
[11] https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-apnea
[12] http://epworthsleepinessscale.com/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433717/
[14] http://www.stopbang.ca/osa/screening.php
[15] https://www.sleepapnea.com/diagnosis/sleep-apnea-risks
[16] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/snored-to-death-the-symptoms-and-dangers-of-untreated-sleep-apnea-2017021311159
[17] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1188764-overview
[18]https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/weight-loss-breathing-devices-still-best-for-treating-obstructive-sleep-apnea-201310026713
[19]https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Restless-Legs-Syndrome-Fact-Sheet
[20] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1188327-workup
[21] https://www.drugs.com/condition/restless-legs-syndrome.html
[22] https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1188327-medication
[23] http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/science/what/sleep-patterns-rem-nrem
[24] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/narcolepsy/
[25]https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Narcolepsy-Fact-Sheet#3201_3
[26] https://www.xyremhcp.com/xyrem-clinical-trials
[27] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4050212/
[28] http://www.sleep.theclinics.com/article/S1556-407X(14)00018-6/abstract
[29] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3020104/
[30] https://www.medicinenet.com/jet_lag/article.htm
[31]https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2016/02/study-finds-possible-new-jet-lag-treatment.html
[32] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538178/
Many of us are used to daylight saving time, but have you ever thought how falling back and springing forward affects children? Although DST is a signal for the beginning of spring, more and more parents report having bedtime battles with children who are kicked out of their sleep routine. Due to a disrupted sleep schedule, kids are sleep deprived while parents are frustrated.
A study about measuring daytime sleepiness in adolescents before and after transitioning to DST, conducted by German researchers ten years ago, showed that kids have more troubles adjusting to the new time and feel very sleepy the day after the clock was set forward. The concerning fact is that the effect of DST doesn’t last only a day or two but up to two weeks.
This means that during these two weeks, children’s cognitive performance is most likely impaired. Due to reduced cognitive performance, kids may have troubles paying attention on class or doing school tests. They may also have difficulties learning new things in the classroom.
Since lack of sleep also leads to mood changes, your kid may feel irritable, nervous or even depressed. Due to this, making everyday decisions, getting along with your friends and family, and handling emotionally difficult events and stress may be harder.
One of the reported goals of springing forward is to increase activity during daylight hours. However, according to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, this one-hour time change has little to no impact on kids’ activity. The research shows that children spend the same amount of time playing before the time change.
If we consider the entire population, we can conclude that the intent of people who invented DST was good, but it doesn’t have an overall positive effect.
No matter whether you believe falling back and springing forward are a good or a bad thing, you should help your children transition to DST easier. Keep in mind that kids’ circadian rhythm is much more sensitive than adults’ and that they may need an entire week to adapt to the new time.
After the time change goes into effect, the goal is to get your child back into his regular sleep pattern. In order to do this, a week before the time change, put your children to bed 15 minutes earlier every night. It will help him adjust to the time change gradually.
It is essential to stick to your child’s bed routine or add new elements (a step or two) if you notice your kid is struggling to sleep. All actions should help your kid relax and unwind. Avoid feeding your children large and heavy meals at least 3 hours before bedtime. Eating close to bedtime or before going to bed may disrupt their sleep. Since daylight saving is a situation you and your kids cannot avoid, your responsibility as a parent is to ensure the impacts of this sudden change aren’t harmful.
Many people who have trouble falling asleep at night often turn to a sleep aid in search of relief. Individuals with minor sleep problems usually opt for over-the-counter options without consulting a doctor. The demands of busy lives and a general lack of time cause many to postpone getting professional help until their situation becomes unbearably bad. Although we might be hesitant about them, sleep medications become the solution we gravitate towards when stress, travel, or other factors keep us from sleeping. In instances where we feel compelled to use a sleep aid as a last option, it’s important to be knowledgeable about the choices available and pick one that offers some level of comfort. Explore how sleep aids work and understand the right conditions and procedures for their use.
Dr. Phyllis Zee, professor of neurology and sleep medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine says that we should never forget that sleep pills are a bandage and not a cure for our sleep issues. Taking sleep drugs is the same as using Tylenol for fever every day without ever knowing what is the cause of it. Insomnia is in 90% of the cases a symptom of an underlying issue or another medical condition. Insomnia can be caused by depression, stress, too little exercise and a hundred other health issues. Attacking your problem with pills won’t resolve those underlying problems.
If you are diagnosed with chronic insomnia, your first line of treatment should be cognitive behavioral therapy also known as CBT-I. CBT-I is considered the best way to treat and alleviate symptoms of chronic insomnia.
Sleeping pills are best to be taken only if you suffer from chronic insomnia. However, only 10% of people actually meet the criteria for this sleep disorder. In order to be diagnosed with chronic insomnia, apart from the usual symptoms such as fatigue, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep during night etc., your sleeping issues must last at least three months and occur at least three times a week. It is very important to know that different medicines are used to treat various types of insomnia. Most people suffer from sleep onset insomnia (inability to fall asleep) or sleep maintenance insomnia (inability to stay asleep).
If you are experiencing temporary sleep disturbances due to stress, anxiety, hectic work or school schedules, OTC sleeping pills may help you get a better night’s sleep. If you think you are suffering from a sleep disorder, keep in mind that OTC sleep drugs will not solve your problem.
An over the counter sleep aid might be a better alternative to alleviate temporary and mild sleep disturbances. Prescription sleeping pills are much stronger than OTC, therefore it is recommended to use them only when there is no other way to address your sleeping problem. Unlike prescription pills, OTC drugs have fewer side effects and don’t cause issues with tolerance and dependency. However, you should still be very careful and take them only for a week or two. If you notice any side effects, it is best to stop using them immediately and consult with your physician about the best ways to handle your sleeping problem.
Over-the-counter sleep pills can be divided into four main categories:
Anti-histamines have the strongest sedative effect and usually cause you to feel groggy and drowsy the next morning. Melatonin based sleep pills help you regulate sleep patterns, especially when they are affected by jet lag or shift work.
Herbal remedies are made from plant extracts and usually have a milder effect. Herbal sleep pills can help you relax and reduce stress and anxiety. Lastly, combination sleep aid consists of melatonin, plant extracts and other ingredients that promote better night’s sleep.
OTC Group | US BRAND NAME | ACTIVE INGREDIENT | INDUCES SLEEP | IMPROVES SLEEP MAINTENANCE | ABUSE POTENTIAL |
Anti-histamines | Kirkland Sleep Aid | Doxylamine succinate 25 mg | yes | yes | no |
Anti-histamines | Unisom Sleep Gels | Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 25 or 50 mg | yes | yes | yes |
Melatonin | Natrol Melatonin | Melatonin 5mg | yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | Luna Sleep Aid |
Melatonin Amino acids Herbal mixtures Magnesium |
yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | The Zenwise Labs Sleep Support |
Melatonin Amino acids Herbal mixtures Magnesium |
yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | Vitafusion SleepWell |
Melatonin Herbal mixtures |
yes | no | no |
Herbal remedy | Kalms One-A-Night | Valerian extract 385 mg | yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | Lunexia Sleep Aid |
Calcium 45mg Vitamin B6 1.8mg Magnesium 90mg Proprietary sleep blend 1071mg |
yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | MidNite Sleep Aid |
Melatonin 1.5mg Herbal Mixture |
yes | no | no |
Combination sleep aid | Stress-Relax Tranquil Sleep Aid |
Suntheanine L-Theanine 200mg 5-HTP 30mg Melatonin 3mg |
yes | yes | no |
The following OTC sleeping aids are reviewed and ranked based on an 8-point criterion that consists of ingredient quality, safety, packaging, long-term benefits, price, company reputation, customer feedback, and sleep aid potential. Kirkland Sleep Aid
is considered among the strongest OTC sleep aids in the anti-histamine category available on the market.
Active ingredients:
Since the active ingredient in Kirkland Signature is Doxylamine Succinate, a substance that has a very strong sedative effect, you will most likely feel physically and mentally tired after taking it. This is a good option if you yearn for a night of deep and uninterrupted sleep. However, it’s not a good choice if you plan to go to bed late and get up early in the morning to go to work. Kirkland sleep aid requires you to wake up slowly in the morning in order to avoid drowsiness and grogginess.
When it comes to safety, Doxylamine doesn’t require you to increase the dosage every night. It also doesn’t cause problems with addictions like many prescription sleep drugs do. This is an effective option is you are looking for a way to overcome a period of bad, interrupted and disrupted sleep.
Unlike Kirkland sleep aid products; this anti-histamine based sleep pill has a mild sedative effect that doesn’t cause drowsiness and grogginess the next morning.
Active ingredients:
Unisom is a well-known OTC sleep drug on the market. Like the Kirkland sleep aid, Unisom is also an anti-histamine sleeping pill; however, the active ingredient is different. The active ingredient in this sleep drug is Unisom Diphenhydramine hydrochloride. The product is available in either 25 mg or 50 mg doses.
Since it has a gentler effect on our body’s system, it may be a good option if this is your first time using a sleeping drug, and if you are not sure how sensitive you are to medications of this type.
It is important to keep in mind that most people develop tolerance to the active ingredient of Unisom. Therefore, prolonged use is not recommended. If you feel the need to increase the dosage above the recommended level, it’s a sign you should stop using them.
Melatonin supplements help you regulate sleep patterns and deal with circadian rhythm disruptions caused by jet lag or shift work.
Active ingredients:
Natrol is one of USA’s leading manufacturers of vitamins and supplements and it is considered the number one melatonin brand in the country. This is not an anti-histamine product and doesn’t have the adverse side effects as most sleeping pills. Melatonin supplements help induce sleep and regulate your sleep and wake cycle without interfering with your ability to function normally the next day.
When it comes to safety, it doesn’t develop tolerance or cause addiction. Although it’s not a strong sleep aid, most people find it effective when they have troubles falling asleep at night.
If you’re looking for fast-acting melatonin sleep pills, Source Naturals is considered one of the best over the counter sleep aids on the market. Source Naturals consists of pure melatonin (2,5mg). Since these pills are taken sublingually, they are a good choice when you need to fall asleep quickly. However, like other melatonin based products, they work best when in specific situations, such as when you are struggling with jet lag and shift work.
Luna is a vegan sleep aid with a wide range of natural ingredients that promote better sleep.
Active ingredients:
Luna doesn’t knock you out like most prescription pills. In the first 30 minutes, its subtle effect helps you relax, and then fall asleep like a baby. It is recommended in cases like when you cannot overpower your alertness.
Since Luna is essentially an herbal supplement, it is definitely not harmful and doesn’t cause addiction. The effects of this sleep pill are very gentle, and most consumers of Luna do not experience any negative consequences of using it.
The best thing about Luna sleeping aid is that they offer you a no questions asked money back guarantee. So, if the pills don’t work, you can simply get a refund.
A strong and complex sleep aid that consists of relaxation inducing and natural ingredients.
Active ingredients:
The Zenwise Labs Sleep Support has a similar combination of relaxation-inducing ingredients such as Luna. Since this sleep drug has a strong dose of different active ingredients such as melatonin, valerian powder, GABA, magnesium, and chamomile powder, it is recommended to start with half a dose. If the effect is too light, take the full dose next time.
Vitafusion, an already wide-recognized brand, has combined melatonin and herbal ingredients to create a sleep well tablet that is easy to chew.
Active ingredients:
The main ingredient of the sleep aid is melatonin, therefore, it’s most helpful when you are dealing with shift work, jet lag or irregular sleep patterns that are out of your control. Since this sleep aid also contains ingredients such as passion flower, chamomile, and lemon balm, it can also help fight insomnia and relax your mind if you are losing sleep due to stress and anxiety. The pills don’t cause morning grogginess the next day, but consumers report feeling a bit out when they woke up in the night to go to the bathroom. It’s also worth noticing that Vitafusion SleepWell comes in a gummy form and has a very pleasant taste. It’s very easy to chew and may be a good choice for those who have difficulty swallowing tablets or capsules. If you don’t want to try prescription sleep aids or anti-histamines, and you are interested in trying herbal remedies, this is one the best choices you have on the market.
Kalms One-A-Night is a valerian based herbal sleep aid.
Active ingredients:
Unlike other manufacturers who combine multiple natural ingredients into their pills, Kalms One-A-Night contains only valerian. Valerian is commonly used for treating insomnia and anxiety. Although multiple studies have been conducted to inspect the effectiveness of valerian as a sleep aid, we still don’t have enough evidence to say that valerian is indeed an efficient sleep aid. However, studies have proven that this plant can calm the mind which may be very helpful if you are losing sleep due to stress.
It has a mild sedative effect, and it doesn’t have any side effects the next day. Kalms has different versions of sleep aids. The standard one can be taken during the day to reduce anxiety. The one mentioned here, One-A-Night is used only in a single dose.
Lunexia features vitamin B6 and a number of natural ingredients that promote restful sleep.
Active ingredients:
The proprietary sleep blend contains L-tryptophan, L-Taurin, hops, valerian, wolfberry, chamomile, St. John’s wort, skullcap, GABA, Inositol, 5-HTP, melatonin, lemon balm and passion fruit. Lunexia is a very powerful sleep aid with strong sleep-inducing ingredients. Due to its powerful ingredients, it delivers instant results. Since it’s made of natural ingredients, the best thing about this sleep aid is that it doesn’t have any side effects the next day. You will fall asleep peacefully and wake in the morning refreshed and energized.
Midnite sleep aid considered one of the most popular sleeping aids sold online. This sleep aid comes in the form of mint-flavored chewable tablets.
Active Ingredients:
Midnite is different from other sleep aids because it works gradually. The chamomile and lavender relax your muscles and help you to unwind, while melatonin and lemon balm slowly induce sleep. Since this sleep aid works fast, you can even take it in the middle of the night. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it should be taken at least 3 hours before you wish to wake up.
It doesn’t cause any morning side-effects such as drowsiness or lack of concentration. It’s also worth mentioning that this sleep aid is gluten-free and lactose-free and may be a good choice for people who are gluten or lactose intolerant. Lastly, Midnite can be taken without water which may come in handy if you wake up in the middle of the night and look for a quick solution without getting out of bed.
Stress-Relax Tranquil is a sleep aid that combines natural ingredients to support a good night’s sleep without experiencing the morning haze.
Active Ingredients:
Stress-Relax Tranquil comes in the form of tropical fruit-flavored chewable tablets and contains natural only ingredients that, when working together, boost relaxation and help with achieving deep and uninterrupted sleep. Since the formula is fast-acting, you will drift off into blissful slumber in no time.
Most online reviews indicate that Stress-Relax Tranquil Sleep chewable tablets work best if your mind is racing when lying in bed or if you are currently struggling with stress and anxiety. Since the ingredients are natural and work in harmony with the body’s sleep hormones, you won’t have to worry about nasty side-effects the next morning.
One of the biggest worries of using sleep drugs is building tolerance and causing addiction. Good news is that most OTC sleep aids are homeopathic and not habit forming, meaning you can use them without worries anytime you need them.
However, although most OTC sleep pills do not cause addiction, you shouldn’t use it for more than two weeks consecutively. Non-habit forming OTC sleep pills are the ones that are homeopathic and herbal.
OTC Sleep Aids work sleep drugs work by increasing the presence of naturally occurring body substances, such as melatonin, GABA, and 5-HTP. All sleep aids are designed to promote one of the two actions – to increase the amount a naturally occurring body substance that promotes better night sleep or to block or decrease the substances and chemicals that cause the body to feel tired and drowsy.
Increasing naturally occurring substances in the body is a much better option than blocking the production or absorption of a substance. By taking sleep pills that are made from natural supplements and contain naturally occurring body substances such as melatonin or GABA, have fewer side effect and mostly do not cause addiction. OTC sleeping pills that work by inhibiting the production of a particular substance increase the chance of becoming addicted to the medication.
Although sleep pills such as Unisom, Lunexia, Sominex, and Luna do not require a prescription, consulting with your doctor is necessary in order to ensure safe and effective usage. You should visit your health care provider if you have any concerns over which OTC sleep aid to take, as well as if you notice your current treatment plan doesn’t work.
If you have sleep issues that regularly prevent you from performing your daily activities, you should visit a doctor because you might suffer from a sleep disorder. In this case, taking OTC sleeping pills is not the solution because not all of them are created equally, and some of them may not help you. Not only that some pills won’t work for your problem, but they may also aggravate your condition.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released a set of guidelines for doctors that will help them prescribe a particular medication or supplements for the treatment of chronic insomnia. The instructions are published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
The first thing that can be noticed in the guideline is that different types of insomnia must be treated with different medications. For example, sleep onset insomnia is treated with zaleplon (Sonata), triazolam (Halcion), and ramelteon (Rozerem), and sleep maintenance insomnia is treated with suvorexant and doxepin. Sleep experts and doctors warn us that there are only a few drugs that can treat both types of insomnia. Those drugs are Eszopiclone (Lunesta), zolpidem (Ambien, Zolpimist), and temazepam (Restoril).
So, why patients suffering from insomnia have to use different types of sleep pills? Michael J. Sateia, MD and a professor of psychiatry and sleep medicine at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth remind physicians that some drugs last longer in the body than others. It is vital to use a medication that has an appropriate duration of action for the particular type of insomnia that is being treated. The doctor further says that these recommendations apply only to chronic insomnia. Having occasional sleep troubles or experiencing a few nights of poor sleep is normal, primarily because in today’s society we all have to deal with enormous stress on a daily basis. Dr. Sateia recommends preventing occasional sleepless nights and poor sleep by improving your sleep habits.
In some cases, doctors will prescribe medications to treat insomnia. All insomnia medications are taken shortly before bed. It is strongly recommended not to drive after taking prescribed insomnia drugs because the medication makes you feel sleepy. Also, to avoid sleeping pills side effects, you should always take them as your doctor recommended it. For best effect, all prescription drugs should be used in combination with healthy sleep practices.
GENERIC NAME | US BRAND NAME | DOSAGE | INDUCES SLEEP | IMPROVES SLEEP MAINTENANCE | ABUSE POTENTIAL |
Zolpidem | Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo | 5,10 mg tablets | yes | no | yes |
Ambien CR | 6.25, 12.5 mg tablets | yes | yes | yes | |
Eszopiclone | Lunesta | 1,2,3 mg tablets | yes | yes | yes |
Zaleplon | Sonata | 5,10 mg capsules | yes | no | yes |
Ramelteon | Rozerem | 8 mg tablets | yes | no | no |
Suvorexant | Belsomra | 10 mg tablets | yes | yes | unknown |
Doxepin | Silenor | 3,6 mg tablets | yes | yes | yes |
Triazolam | Halcion | 0.25 mg | yes | yes | yes |
Temazepam | Restoril | 7.5 mg | yes | yes | yes |
Estazolam | ProSom | 1,2 mg tablets | yes | yes | yes |
In some cases, doctors will prescribe medications to treat insomnia. All insomnia medications are taken shortly before bed. It is strongly recommended not to drive after taking insomnia drugs because the medication makes you feel sleepy. For best effect, all prescription drugs should be used in combination with healthy sleep practices.
Prescription drugs can be expensive so using a discount site such as Pharma Quotes or Goodrx will save you up to 75% off.
Zolpidem is a Z-drug (along with zaleplon and eszopiclone/zopiclone) that works differently from benzodiazepine drugs but still acts on the same benzodiazepine receptors in the brain to induce sleepiness.
Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic sleep drug that ensures you fall asleep and stay asleep during the entire night. Zolpidem is considered one of the strongest sleeping pills, therefore it should be taken only when you are diagnosed with chronic insomnia and you cannot get a full night’s sleep. In case you need short-term treatment of insomnia, you can use an oral sleeping spray called Zolpimist.
In case you suffer from sleep maintenance insomnia, you may need to use high powered sleeping tablets. So, instead of Ambien pills, you could use Ambien CR. This is simply the extended release version of the sleep drug Ambien. Ambien CR is a two-layered medication – the first layer is gradually absorbed to help you fall asleep, while the second layer is released faster to assist you in staying asleep during the entire night.
Lunesta is a hypnotic that induces sleep and helps you to fall asleep quickly, and stay asleep for 7 to 8 hours. It can be used both for short term and long term treatment of insomnia. Eszopiclone is a very strong sleep drug that should always be taken in smaller doses. The FDA recommends the starting dose no more than 1mg.
It is important to keep in mind that this sleep drug may negatively interact with other medications. If your doctor prescribes Luneta to you, it is vital to let him know if you are taking meds such as Nizoral to treat seizures, antidepressants such as Rifadin or any anti-anxiety drugs.
Unlike Ambien and Sonata, which have been proven to act on benzodiazepine receptors, the precise action mechanism of Lunesta remains unknown. We know that its hypnotic effect interacts with GABA receptors that are located near benzodiazepine receptors. Due to the strength of this hypnotic effect, Lunesta has a high risk for drug abuse.
Lunesta has been approved by the FDA for long-term use of six months or more. Long-term clinical trials indicate that Lunesta does not increase tolerance, but patients should still remain careful. This sleep drug is among the best prescription sleep pills because it initiates sleep and also prevents nighttime waking.
Zaleplon is also prescription-based Z-drug that is used for treating sleeping onset insomnia. It is not recommended to use this drug if you have sleep maintenance insomnia because it stays active in the body for only a short amount of time. Since it stays active only for a short amount of time, it doesn’t cause drowsiness in the morning.
Sonata is typically used to treat short-term sleep onset insomnia. The drug is typically used for 7 to 10 days. If Sonata is used for more than recommended, it can lead to side effects such as memory and concentration problems, irritability, depression, anxiety, headache, agitation, and behavioral changes.
Zaleplon negatively interacts with seizure medications, muscle relaxants, and medicines for treating narcotic pain, depression, and anxiety (such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Sarafem).
This sleep drug works differently than the others. It targets the hormone melatonin, which plays a vital role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle. Unlike most prescription pills, it doesn’t depress the central nervous system. It is prescribed to patients who have trouble falling asleep. Since Rozerem doesn’t cause abuse or dependence it can be prescribed for long-term use.
Belsomra is another unique sleep drug that works differently from others. As Rozerem targets melatonin, Belsomra affects a chemical in the brain called orexin. Orexin, also known as hypocretin, is a neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite. Some researchers have found out that orexin deficiency may be the cause of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive sleepiness and sudden “sleep attacks”.
Doctors recommend Belsomra because it is not addictive or habit-forming. It is FDA approved to bot sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia. Side effects of this drug are feeling sleepy the following day.
Silenor is used to treat sleep problems such as insomnia. It should help you stay asleep longer and prevent you from waking up during the night. Doxepin belongs to a class of antidepressant drugs known as a tricyclic antidepressant. This medication works by blocking histamine receptors in the brain. It is very important to keep in mind to take this sleep drug only if you intend to get full 7 or 8 hours of sleep. The medication is very strong and it will make you feel drowsy the next day.
Halcion is primarily used as a sedative to treat patients with severe insomnia. This sleeping drug is very strong and the daily dose should never exceed 0.5 mg. This sleeping pill should be taken only if the patient pans to sleep for the next seven to eight hours. The drug is mostly used for short-term treatment of insomnia. It mustn’t be taken more than 3 weeks.
Since triazolam causes drowsiness and exhaustion the next day, it is not recommended for people who have a job that requires them to get up early in the morning. It is also not suitable for individuals whose jobs are to operate vehicles or heavy machinery.
Restoril is a sleeping pill that is used to treat both sleep-onset and sleep-maintenance insomnia. The recommended daily dosage is 7.5 mg, although the maximum dosage is 30 mg.
This medicine is used for short-term insomnia treatment. Restoril is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, meaning it carries a high risk of abuse and dependency.
The drug works fast and the results can be seen after one week. However, since these pills are created to induce sleepiness for seven to eight hours, in case you wake up earlier, you will have troubles remembering or concentrating on things until the effect completely wears off.
ProSom is used as a short-term insomnia medication. It can treat both sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia. It is also often used to induce sleep before medical operations.
Maximum dosage for adult patients is 2 mg per day, but most patients find 1 mg or 0.5 mg sufficient to fall asleep. This sleep drug causes a severe hangover effect the next day, making it difficult or impossible to work or operate a vehicle.
It interacts aggressively with other medications, such as sodium oxybate and clozapine. Some people who take ProSom report severe mood changes and side effects related to their psychological well-being. The most common side effects are agitation, aggression and other behavioral changes.
Among prescription pills that should be avoided are benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and antidepressants. Benzodiazepines and barbiturates are considered not exactly the worst prescription drugs, but ones that are most habit-forming harmful for your health.
Benzodiazepines are primarily used to treat anxiety. However, due to their soporific effects, they also work well as sleep aids. As the name suggests, these pills act on benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, similar as previously mentioned z-drugs do. However, benzodiazepines carry a much higher risk of dependency and potential abuse.
They are not recommended for patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea because they can cause pronounced muscle relaxation and make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse. These meds work quickly; the results are typically noticed within 10 days.
Doctors and sleep specialists urge patients to gradually wean themselves off the drug. In case of sudden interruption, the drug can cause depression and anxiety and well as physical withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
Benzodiazepines such as temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion) are useful when you want the medication to stay longer in your system. Apart from insomnia, these drugs also treat sleepwalking and night terrors. Since these medicines are very strong, they may cause you to feel sleepy during the day. Benzodiazepines also cause dependence, meaning after some time, you won’t be able to fall asleep without them.
Barbiturates are sedative-hypnotic drugs that are also sometimes prescribed to treat insomnia. These drugs work by that depressing the central nerves system and causing sedation. Short or long-acting barbiturates are often prescribed as sedatives or sleeping pills. However, they were mostly used as sleep aids in the past. Nowadays, these medicines are replaced by newer meds that do not cause problems with memory and attention. Today, these hypnotic drugs are used as anesthesia.
Some antidepressant drugs, such as Trazodone (Desyrel), Amitriptyline (Elavil), and Doxepin (Sinequan) are used to treat sleeplessness and anxiety. They are prescribed when doctors think depression could be the cause of your insomnia. Since these drugs do not cause addiction, they can also be prescribed if you are at risk from the side effect of other, stronger traditional sleeping pills.
Trazodone products have recently become a popular choice because some clinical trials suggest it doesn’t cause addiction. Developing tolerance and becoming addicted are the two most significant problems doctors have to keep in mind when prescribing sleep drugs. However, there is still no clear evidence to support the claim that trazodone doesn’t cause addiction or that it’s safer than other sleep pills. Also, it’s not approved by the FDA to treat insomnia.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine doesn’t recommend diphenhydramine, trazodone, and tiagabine for any type of chronic insomnia. Diphenhydramine is an ingredient in drugs such as Benadryl, and Unisom. Trazodone is not recommended because it is an antidepressant. Tiagabine is an anticonvulsant, and it has no effect in treating or alleviating insomnia. Unfortunately, these meds are widely purchased over-the-counter in the US to treat sleep problems. Some pharmacists even recommend them. Trazodone and tiagabine products are also often prescribed off-label.
Sleep experts and doctors warn us that recommendations based on data from clinical trials don’t have to be the final word on how to use or prescribe a sleep drug. Drug companies fund most pharmaceutical studies, and in most cases, they aren’t enough to make a firm conclusion. Due to this, physicians classify their recommendation as weak. Of course, this doesn’t mean that these drugs have a weak effect or that they don’t work very well. It indicates that more research and data is needed to be confident in the quality of the drug, especially when it’s used to treat delicate and complex health conditions such as insomnia.
The National Institutes of Health Clinical Trial Registry at http://clinicaltrials.gov. is a website that lists more than 200,000 trials in 190 countries all over the world. Studies can be found based on the condition or disease that was treated or used medication or therapy. Each entry includes a trial description, purpose, eligibility criteria and other valuable information.
The World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform is also a valuable resource that provides information about clinical trials across the world.
Since many older adults also have problems to fall asleep or stay asleep during the entire night, self-reported studies suggest that many older adults use sleeping pills chronically. the most common sleep issue experienced by seniors is insomnia. However, in seniors, insomnia is often secondary rather than a primary disorder. Another problem for the elderly is that their sleep architecture changes as they age, and they experience lower amounts of deep sleep and more amounts of light sleep.
Over-the-counter sleep pills for treating insomnia in the elderly may not be the best choice because older adults may feel the side effects of the drugs much faster. Antihistamine based OTC drugs (Sominex, Nytol, Unisom) and pain relievers such as Advil and Tylenol will help you sleep through the night but it’s important to keep in mind that these meds have adverse side effects that you are going to feel much faster than a young adult would. Therefore, it is best to use OTC sleep aids only for a short period of time when your quality of life is severely affected, and when nothing else worked to treat your problem.
Apart from using Advil, Tylenol, Unisom and similar, many older adults opt for a combination sleep aid or natural sleep supplements such as melatonin or valerian supplements.
Around 25% of children experience sleep problems, and sometimes doctors sometimes prescribe them sleeping pills as a solution. Some parents also opt to get sleep aid for children over the counter. Giving OTC sleep pills to children is not recommended because they are not made for kids and there is a severe risk of experiencing adverse side effects or overdose.
Despite there is no prescription sleeping aid approved in the US to treat insomnia in children, many doctors prescribe antihistamines to induce sleep such as diphenhydramine or even hypnotic sleep aids. Sleep pills for children often include antihistamines such as Nytol, Sominex, and Benadryl Allergy. When it comes to hypnotic sleep aids and prescription pills, some doctors prescribe Zolpidem (Ambien). Lastly, some physicians recommend taking melatonin supplements.
If your child’s doctor prescribes them a medicine like melatonin or a sedative for sleep, they will probably suggest that the sleep aid is used for a short time, and in combination with behavior strategies that should improve your overall child’s sleep habits. However, it is still vital to ask if the drug will really help solve your child’s sleep problem and check if there are any non-drug solutions that could help.
In the guidelines, there are three dietary supplements included – melatonin, tryptophan, and valerian. They are not recommended for treating insomnia. However, they can alleviate some of the condition’s symptoms. Doctors warn patients to keep in mind that most sleep supplements are not regulated as strictly as drugs. That makes it rather hard to recommend them with certainty.
In most cases, melatonin supplements don’t even contain melatonin, while valerian supplements don’t contain valerian root. When it comes to tryptophan products, they supposedly contain another substance that stimulates the production of tryptophan. Before buying a sleep supplement, check which ingredients are listed on the label.
If you want to use natural sleep aids, it is best to consume it its natural state. For example, drink valerian tea or eat tryptophan-rich foods.
The most important factors you should consider when choosing a sleep aid are safety, strength, addiction, overdoses, and ingredients.
1. Safety: Before opting for sleep drugs, no matter whether they are prescription or OTC, you must consider how safe they are and what they contain. Learn how different ingredients and substances commonly found in sleep drugs can affect your health and well-being. If you are thinking about taking an OTC sleep aid, consult with your doctor first to prevent potential allergic reactions to its contents. Make sure other meds you are taken won’t interact with it, and carefully think about how will the side effect of the drug affect you.
You should consult with your doctor about using an over the counter sleep aid to prevent an allergic reaction to the contents of a sleep aid. Be sure to follow the directions, especially if you take other medications. You want to consider how the side effects will affect you.
2. Effectiveness: Depending on how bad your insomnia is, you should take a look at how strong the dosage of a sleep aid is. No matter how severe your condition is, you should always start slow and gradually increase the dosage if the lower ones don’t work. Your physician can help you understand what dosage works best to fall asleep fast without feeling the adverse side effect the next day.
3. Addiction: Unfortunately, many OTC and prescription pills cause addiction. To avoid addiction, you must consult with your doctor in a timely manner. Signs of addiction are ian nability to fall asleep on your own, craving medications and trying to quit multiple times without success.
4. Overdoses: It is very important to know how strong your medication is in order to prevent overdosing. To avoid overdosing, it is crucial not to mix the sleep aid with other medications or alcohol.
Signs of overdosing in patients can be noticed hallucinations, confusion, sleepiness, slowed heart rate, seizures, nausea and vomiting.
5. Natural ingredients: The best sleeping aid is the ones that consist of natural ingredients. If you are planning to use an OTC sleep aid, opt for an herbal remedy or a combination ofsleep aid.
Dr. Namni Goel, a sleep researcher at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says that sleep drugs such as Ambien or Lunesta should only be used for a short period of time, for example, for a few nights or two weeks top. Ambien and Lunesta can help you get some rest if you have recently gone through a lot of stress or if you are stressing about a big event, such as your wedding. Taking a pill once in a few months is not problematic. However, using sleep drugs on a weekly or monthly basis or for an extended period of time is very dangerous and might severely jeopardize your physical and mental health. The worst thing is that it definitely won’t solve your sleeping problem.
Sleeping pills should be used for an extended period of time only if you are diagnosed with chronic insomnia. Physicians recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) before sleep medications. It is recommended to take sleep drugs only when CBT doesn’t work, or you are unable to participate in it. CBT-I is also known as talk therapy and aims to identify and correct some behaviors that may lead to sleep issues. It is considered the best, as well as the healthiest long-term treatment for insomnia.
No matter what medication you use, its effectiveness wears off over time and when you stop using it. When it comes to cognitive behavioral therapy, the effect persists over time and also after treatment is finished. When making a decision what sleep aid to use, you must take into account multiple factors; among the most important are medication costs, side effects, symptoms, and health history. Although there are certain guidelines we can follow, this is a very personal decision between a doctor and his patient. Getting deep, restful, and rejuvenating sleep isn’t going to come from a pill. You have to be willing to make some major changes in your lifestyle if you want to catch some quality shuteye.
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Instinctively, the different sizes of beds seem simple enough to understand, right? But, the truth is, picking the right size of your mattress can be much more complex than you might infer. There are tons of things that you should take into consideration. For example, does it suit perfectly in your bedroom? Is there sufficient leg room? And many more.
Purchasing a too-small mattress can be one of the biggest mistakes anyone can ever make. So, to help you make the best decisions when choosing a mattress, below are the summary of the most common measurements you can see in a store and online. By reading this guide, you’ll get a clearer picture as to what mattress suits you and your bedroom.
This type of bed size dimension (30 x 75) is suitable for babies and toddlers. Small single or cot mattresses, created explicitly for cribs, can work well as toddler beds as well, once our child outgrows the cot.
Small single bed size is the perfect size when you are planning to save space in a small-space room. It is slim enough to suit into very narrow spaces but still gives a realistic sleeping surface for everyone, which is a cost-effective option both in space and budget.
This type of bed size is also ideal if you have visitors coming in unexpectedly. A single or cot mattress is perfect for bunk beds, daybeds, and small sleepouts.
A twin mattress is most probably the smallest possible bed size other than a small single or cot-size mattress. Twin mattresses bed dimensions are approximately (38×75) 38 inches wide by 75 inches long.
With this bed size, some adults might find it difficult to sleep in it since it is too short. As such, a twin mattress is ideal for kids who have outgrown their toddler beds or cribs. And those who are very much ready for a larger mattress.
Moreover, twin mattresses are perfect for those people who sleep in narrow spaces or those who share a room with a roommate or with their sibling. This type of bed size is also an excellent choice for a daybed, guest bed, or bunk bed, most especially where space is at a real premium.
The advantage of having a twin bed compared to a larger toddler bed is that it provides more comfort and convenience into account. For sure, it is common that, once a person necessitates the Twin size, more high-quality materials are being used. Therefore, more engineering centered on giving comfort takes place. It is particularly true because as people age, the more they want to consider sleeping in a comfortable bed as a necessity.
Twin XL mattresses are on the same width as a regular twin has, which is 38 inches. However, it features an additional 5 inches lengthwise, yielding to 80 inches all-in-all. Surprisingly, they are around the same height as a queen or king mattress.
So if you are an adult searching for a bed that saves tons of space but is a much more comfortable choice, then a Twin XL might be perfect for you. Even if it offers a few inches more in length, but the width remains the same as a regular twin. Meaning, it can be an excellent alternative for those people living in narrow spaces.
A Twin XL is also a common bed size in college dormitories and a great option for taller kids. The best thing about this type of bed is that you can use it in a king size bed frame. So if you’re in a romantic relationship, where your partner wants a different firmness than you, having a Twin XL mattress on a King size bed frame can be a great setup, especially if you opt for two Twin XL beds.
It is because two Twin XL beds can fit perfectly alongside with each other on a King size bed frame. This is certainly true, especially for couples who are sick of the firmness or the fluffiness of having just one mattress.
Full or sometimes referred as a double mattress, a full-size mattress is approximately 54 inches wide and 74 inches in length. As you can see, a full-size bed is 15 inches wider than a single or twin size bed. But, both full and twin sizes are approximately 74 inches in length, which might be too short for some people.
This type of bed size is ideal for people who require more space than what a Twin bed size can offer. However, if you’re in a relationship, a full-sized bed may not be the best option for you because the fit will be extremely tight.
On the other hand, if you pets (dog or cat) or if you have a kid who sleeps next to you, you might want to think of a wider option. A full sized bed can also be great in a children’s bedroom because it provides more comfort to sit down or lie down. It will also help you avoid buying another set of bed, once your child matures.
Though a Full (double) XL bed may not be a common bed size, it’s one that is very versatile. A Full (double) XL bed measures 54 inches in width by 80 inches in length, making it as long as a king or queen size can be. However, it is much narrower in shape, which means it’ll fit or work well in smaller rooms.
This bed size is the perfect option if you want to have more room for your legs but don’t need extra width. That makes Full (double) XL mattresses perfect for adults or adolescents who would want a spacious room to sleep in, but do not want to sacrifice or give up their valued space in their room.
One of the best advantages of having a full-size bed is that it can provide you the maximum comfort you need without consuming the whole space in your room. And even if it is not as thin as a regular twin, Full (double) XL mattresses can fit within most bedrooms comfortably. So you will have the essential amount of space to move in your room effortlessly.
Choosing the right size of your mattress is going to be determined by a few different factors such as the overall comfort not only of your sleeping solution but to the whole bedroom as well. So, if you have a smaller room, it is best to go with a Full (double) XL mattress to leave enough space for other necessary furniture as well.
The Queen mattress dimensions are 60 inches in width by 80 inches in length, which is 7 inches wider and 5 inches longer compared to a full-size mattress. These extra inches can make all the difference regarding its comfort-ability, most especially for couples. And even for people who sleep with their kids or pets with them, a Queen bed may be perfect for you.
Anyone who sleeps in a Queen sized bed will have more space to move around and stretch out at night with the additional inches. However, with almost 30 inches of personal space, each person still has at least 8 inches less width compared if they sleep alone in a twin bed. As such, a Queen size bed is still ideal for single sleepers.
Even though an affordable price tag and the extra space might be enticing for most couples, sharing a Queen size bed with another person can give each sleeper only a single width of space, which is probably not that ideal.
And if you have a narrow space in your room, this type of bed is not the best option for you because it takes up too many spaces than the Full or Twin, and thus, the capability to openly move around the bedroom may become limited. But if you have a larger bedroom, then this will never be a problem for you.
An Olympic Queen size bed is not just any standard bed size. It is 6 inches wider than the Queen, making it 66 inches wide by 80 inches long, which is not something that anyone can buy from any mattress store. This type of bed size is a much better option for those who do not need something super big but want something large enough for a couple sleeping.
It will give you, and your significant other the adequate sleep you both need, with 6 inches more than what a standard Queen bed does. So if you love to sit or lie spread out, an Olympic Queen bed will give you the opportunity to do so. It will also offer you lots of closeness to cuddle and snuggle if you are into such thing.
And as for space, if you have a small-space bedroom, this might not be the best mattress for you since it will not leave that much space for your furniture or even for moving around. But if you have more space in your room, then the added width will not be an issue at all. Surprisingly, the dimensions of this type of mattress can also help with the feng shui facet as well.
Moreover, the price of an Olympic Queen bed will not differ that much than that of a standard Queen bed. But depending on the manufacturer of the bed or the kind of bed frame you go with, that is what will determine how much money you will spend on this type of mattress. Don’t forget to check the dimensions of the bed frame as well.
The King-size bed dimensions are 76 inches in width by 80 inches long, making it 16 inches wider than a Queen-size bed. Keep in mind that it is best not to go with this mattress if your bedroom is less than the recommended size, which is at least 12×12.
It is probably the closest a couple can come since they can have a personal space as much as 38 inches than each would have on a twin bed. As a matter of fact, two twin extra-long beds placed together are about the equal size as a king-sized bed, which is a great option that can provide a flexible adjustment for a guest room. A King-size bed is the perfect size of mattress for your preferred sleeping position.
A king-size mattress is a perfect choice for couples who want to have the maximum personal sleeping space. To be able to ensure that the king-size mattress will suit nicely into your bedroom, determine your bedroom dimensions.
Furthermore, take into consideration on how you are going to place the mattress in your bedroom. Say, for example, taking the measurements of the entrance way, doors, and stairwells so that the mattress will fit through. Aside from that, your delivery service, if possible, might be able to give you tips on how to put your new king mattress into your bedroom.
Popularly known on the West Coast, a California king mattress is approximately 72 inches wide by 84 inches long, which is 4 inches narrower and 4 inches longer than a regular king. It is ideal for, tall people, couples, active sleepers, and for those sleeping with their kids or pets. Similar to the King-sized bed, it’s recommended that you should have a large room of at least 12’x12’.
For a spacious bedroom or a large bedroom, a California king-sized bed can help you fill the space and give you tons of space to catch some sleep. But keep in mind to get bedding that matches the size of the mattress. Regular king mattress sheet sets and other type linens will not fit properly in this bed size. So, when measuring the size of your bed, don’t forget to get the size of a nightstand and whether you use one or two.
Wyoming King Bed is a variety of a King size bed, which measures 84 inches wide by 84 inches long. This type of King-size bed is ideal for two
persons. But if you have a toddler or a pet sleeping with you, it’s not a problem at all.
Of course, not all beds are all the same. You might think that there are only 4 sizes available, but you’re completely wrong. There’s a much
wider range of bed sizes in the market today. Today, the bed sizes are available in added sizes, just like the Alaskan King Bed. There are a variety of King size mattresses, and Alaskan King bed is just one of them. It is
about 108 inches wide by 108 inches long, which is big enough for almost four people. Alaskan King mattresses are probably the biggest bed size as of today.
So, you’ll need at least a three-piece box spring to go with this bed size. You can opt to share it with your kids and even with your pets. And because it’s heavy and big, flipping and cleaning it would require a group of people.
When selecting a mattress size that will fit your needs and your family as well, there are a couple of things to remember. First of all, be sure to know the accurate dimensions of your current bed. Of course, you would not want to go for a larger option and accidentally select the same type.
Second, if you are moving, keep in mind to measure the room that you will be sleeping in because it’s awful to get a mattress that’s too big for your bedroom. You will certainly have problems around the room if that’s the case, and your room will never be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
In the past, cutting-edge tools and technology for monitoring sleep, designed to accurately measure both its length and quality, were only available to doctors and those specializing in sleep studies. Nowadays, individuals can easily track … Read more
In the past, cutting-edge tools and technology for monitoring sleep, designed to accurately measure both its length and quality, were only available to doctors and those specializing in sleep studies. Nowadays, individuals can easily track their sleep habits from the comfort of their own homes with the help of sleep-tracking apps and devices that can be worn. However, can a phone app or several motion-detecting sensors worn around your wrist really substitute traditional clinical evaluations of sleep? Find out what sleep experts have to say about this issue.
People have become more and more interested in monitoring their sleep quality. This interest aroused due to many sleepless nights an average American experience every year. Research shows that 1 out of 3 Americans occasionally suffers from insomnia and sleep deprivation. We can assume that a person who regularly has a bad sleep and feels tired and groggy during the day would like to know what is wrong and how to snooze a bit better.
As feeling unrefreshed and tired every day isn’t enough, scientists have found a link between poor sleep and serious medical disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and even cancer. The mentioned health consequences of poor sleep are widely reported in news media, and people are genuinely concerned. Due to all we have mentioned above, a demand for sleep monitoring devices has significantly increased. The concern of people who want to know if they have a sleep problem has presented a great opportunity for consumer device manufacturers. Suddenly, dozens of sleep apps and other snooze tracking devices appeared. All these products claim not only to monitor but also to improve sleep. Most tech is available to every budget because it costs as little as $20.
Medical sleep monitoring is usually done in a controlled environment such as a laboratory. The patient must spend a full night being monitored by twenty or more sensors that record brain activity, breathing, pulse, and body movement. Typically, a device called polysomnogram is used for sleep evaluation. This device is very different from consumer products. Apart from being accurate and efficient, all recording is supervised by experts who later evaluate the results. A polysomnogram can determine how much time a person spent awake and in different sleep stages. The device also detects breathing abnormalities or abnormal movements.
Consumer sleep tracking devices usually track body movement. However, this is not enough to determine a person’s quality of sleep.
Sleep apps and most consumer sleep monitors have an actigraphy device inside them that can track body movement. Based only on body movement, these devices evaluate sleep quality. This is based on an idea that people move less when asleep. However, snooze tracking and evaluation are much more complicated than that.
Only a few out of a handful of devices have been properly evaluated in studies. In order to establish the validity of these apps and wearables, a lot more research needs to be conducted. It is very important to test consumer sleep monitors not only on healthy individuals but also on people who suffer from a particular sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome and similar.
Snooze tracking tech that is based solely on actigraphy cannot accurately estimate sleep time. Some studies show that these apps and devices actually miss approximately two-thirds of awake time. There is no evidence that could support the claim that sleep apps can distinguish different stage of slumber such light and deep sleep or REM and non-REM sleep.
If sleep apps and wearables are that bad, there is no point in using them, right? Well, although they do not provide precise and accurate results, they offer a number of benefits to an individual consumer. For example, they are good for establishing a sleep routine, which is important for alleviating insomnia and its symptoms. Since most apps require keeping a little sleep diary, they are good for identifying the possible causes of a person’s sleep deprivation and insomnia. For example, an individual that has kept track of his sleep via a diary might notice certain activities or foods and drinks disturb his or hers snoozing. So rather than trying to measure the quality of your sleep, you can use these devices to figure out what is causing it in the first place. Of course, don’t expect the device to set the diagnosis.
Apart from the mentioned benefits, sleep apps and wearables also increase awareness of sleep issues among society. Its increased use shows our urgent desire to understand and improve sleep, which is something that the medical community must address. Relying on consumer apps and other snooze monitoring tech to evaluate sleep quality is a bad idea, and it will mostly lead to false results and reassurances. For example, excessive awake time may be evaluated as a disorder where no disorder exists. Many people have benign body movements during slumber or simply sleep less than the recommended 7 hours. Sleep needs and patterns are very unique, and being slightly different from the crowd doesn’t automatically mean you are ill or have to visit a doctor.
However, when you feel the consequences of your particular sleep pattern and routine, it’s time to act and make a change. If there are indications of sleep disruption (such as breathing interruptions, excessive movement or kicking, habitual snoring, etc.), if you feel sleepy during the day or if you are always tired in the morning, you should seek medical advice.