Do you ever find yourself lying in bed wide awake, deep in the night, staring at the clock as it ticks away, doing mental calculations on your phone, and thinking, “If I fall asleep right now, I can still get X hours of sleep”?

We all know this story too well. The truth is, our sleep pattern often gets disrupted due to our work, obligations, and even if we try to go to bed “on time” we often spend more time in bed rather than being asleep. But what is interesting is that many people often mistake light sleep for being awake. This is because your cognitive abilities might still be active, and as you drift out and into light sleep, your mind is still processing some information, though chances are you won’t remember them later.   

Light sleep is still better than no sleep, but unfortunately, it does not provide the restorative effects that our body needs, which is why experts recommend trying techniques specifically developed for treating symptoms of insomnia, like sleep restriction in combination with CBT-I. 

What is Sleep Restriction Therapy? 

Sleep restriction was first invented in 1982 by Dr. Spielman and his colleagues in order to focus more on the efficiency of sleep and decreasing the time that a person spends in bed. It is based on the idea that deprivation of sleep will boost your sleep drive and keep you asleep. It might be a challenge for people who struggle with insomnia, but when we consider the fact of misinterpretation of being awake and being in light sleep, it is worth a shot.  

Another goal of sleep restriction is to break the connection that your mind is making between bed and wakefulness. As time passes and you are not able to fall asleep in bed, the conditioned stimulus for being awake will be your bed. To understand better the conditioned stimulus and conditioned response let’s illustrate it: 

If you ever had food poisoning, you might already know where I’m going with this. Imagine that you ate a taco and for some reason it made you feel sick after a short time. Now every time you think or smell taco (conditioned stimulus), you will associate it with feeling sick or wanting to vomit (conditioned response). 

For the second one, imagine you get attacked by a dog while riding a bike. Now every time you are near the place of the attack (conditioned stimulus) your brain will automatically connect it with the attack; hence you will feel fear (conditioned response) as you pass it. The list can go on; the point is that our subconsciousness can do wonders and we shouldn’t underestimate it.
 

How Does Sleep Restriction Therapy Work?
 

The first thing that should be done is to estimate three primary factors of sleep: 

1. Usual sleep duration 

1. Wake up time during the workday 

1. Sleep efficiency  

An example will help you to create a mental picture of how sleep restriction works (roughly). Let’s talk about Bob. Bob is an office worker (a typical 9-5 job). He usually wakes up at 7 am and goes to bed at 11 pm. But here is the catch, Bob has insomnia, which means he sleeps around 5 hours or less. To implement sleep restriction therapy, the first step is to limit his time in bed. Meaning, if he sleeps 5 hours, he should be in bed for 5 hours, going to bed at midnight and waking up at 5 am. It might seem harsh, but after a week or two the time spent awake during the night will decrease and increase sleep efficiency, but more on that later. 

The best way to follow that pattern is to keep a sleep diary. 

1. Usual Sleep Duration 

The first couple of weeks use the sleep diary to keep track of your sleeping pattern, when do you go to bed when do you wake up, when do the sleep disruptions occur, etc. Once you have collected the data, calculate how many hours of sleep you get on average each night by reviewing your sleep diary. The easiest way to calculate it is simply by adding the number of hours during the whole week and then dividing by 7 (the days).  For instance, if you have slept for 38h in one week dividing it by 7 gives you the average number of 5.4h a night. 

1. Schedule wake up time that works for you 

Since you will spend less time in bed, your waking up time will probably be slightly earlier than usual. Based on your choice you should schedule your optimal bedtime. You can do that by calculating backward, compared to the time you would wake up. In the previous example, we had 5.4h of average sleep per night. Adding 30 extra minutes as a start would lead us to about 6h allowed in bed. That means if you chose to wake up at 6 am, you should go to bed at 12 am. Sometimes it can be challenging to stay awake until chosen time but try your best to follow the schedule because that kind of sleep deprivation will limit the time awake in bed, and it will make you will fall asleep quicker. 

1. Sleep Efficiency 

As with most new situations, it will be a bit difficult to get used to it, but as you track your sleep at the end of your first week, you’ll notice that it’s gradually improving. Naturally, there will still be some disruptions. Also, at the end of the week, you should calculate the efficiency of your sleep. You can do that by calculating the number of hours you spent asleep and dividing that with the number of hours you spent in bed in total. Going back to the mentioned example, let’s say you spent the whole 6h in bed, but due to disrupted sleep or sleep latency, the real amount of sleep varied from 4-5.5h. It means you spent 44h in bed while getting approximately 34.5h of quality sleep. The percentage of sleep efficiency is around 78. 

That percentage determines whether you should add more or deduct time spent in bed which you adjust every week. 

• If the sleep efficiency is greater than 85 percent and you feel that you need more rest to function properly during the day, you should add 15-30 minutes to your allowed time in bed.  
• If sleep efficiency is less than 80 percent, you should decrease your time in bed by 15-30 min., but you shouldn’t spend less than 5.5h in bed. 

• If sleep efficiency is between 80 and 85 percent, you should continue with the current schedule.  

*All deductions and increases in TIB should be supervised and determined by clinician or therapist of your choice.  

For best results combine sleep restriction therapy with CBT-I and make sure you are supervised by a therapist who has experience with this type of treatment. Another benefit of having a therapist is that he/she can help you if you experience some side effects. Sometimes people who have bipolar disorder can feel moody due to sleep restriction. Others might feel that their seizures are getting worse. With the help of an expert, those side effects can be controlled or even avoided. 

It is hard to say how long you should implement this therapy strictly as it all depends on your progress. It can all be modified to minimize the symptoms of sleep disorders that can cause disruptions and help you get the best sleep quality to function in your day to day life properly.
 

Tips for Stimulus Control 

These tips are designed to help your brain connect bed with sleep instead of associating it with wakefulness. 

• Regular wake up time – It will help our circadian rhythm get stronger and regulate wakefulness and sleep.
   
• Wind down before bedtime – Relaxing activities like reading or listening to music can help you prepare for sleep, and it may help you fall asleep quickly as those activities slow you down.
   
• Go to bed when you feel sleepy – It will make you fall asleep faster but don’t confuse fatigue and sleepiness. Fatigue is when you are feeling like your energy is low and sleepiness is when you cannot stay awake (like when you doze off while watching something on TV).
   
• If you cannot fall asleep, and toss and turn in bed instead, try getting out of bed and going back when you feel sleepy. Use that time to do something that will relax you and promote the sleepy feeling.
   

• Try to avoid long naps during the day – Power naps that last up to 30 minutes are an excellent way for you to feel refreshed without disturbing nocturnal sleep. 

Central sleep apnea is a sleep-related disorder that impacts respiration. Those suffering from this condition experience instances during the night where their breathing ceases, causing a reduction in oxygen levels, potentially leading to severe health complications. Central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs when the brain doesn’t properly communicate with the muscles that control breathing. This is different from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which involves the blockage of airflow due to a physical barrier.

Central sleep apnea is often connected to some underlying neurological or cardiovascular conditions, and it is more frequent during non-REM sleep. CSA can be an indicator of a severe illness affecting the lower brainstem, a part of your central nervous system that controls breathing patterns.

CSA can increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart-related conditions, and high blood pressure. It also increases the chances of accidents while driving or working, which can endanger your safety.

We’ll look into the common symptoms of central sleep apnea, what causes it, and how doctors diagnose and treat this condition.

Symptoms

Central sleep apnea shares some symptoms with other sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea. Most commons symptoms are:

• Frequent nighttime awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia)
• Shortness of breath is usually relieved by sitting up
• Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) and fatigue
• Morning headaches
• Difficulty learning and concentrating
• Mood swings
• Chest pain at night
• Snoring

While snoring is typically a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, it can be an indicator of CSA. CSA caused by Parkinson’s disease or some other neurological conditions can have other symptoms like:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Change of voice
• Changes in speech patterns
• General weakness

You should consult a medical professional if you experience any of these symptoms, especially shortness of breath that can wake you up, pauses in breathing during sleep, difficulty staying asleep, or excessive daytime drowsiness. Falling asleep can be particularly dangerous if it happens while you are working or driving. Sometimes, it is easier for your partner to notice some of these symptoms, so ask them to observe you for a short period during the night, and watch out for anything unusual.

Causes and Risk Factors

Central sleep apnea is caused by bad communication between the brain and muscles in charge of respiration. Brain’s signals are not interpreted well, or there are no signals, and that leads to hyperventilation (rapid breathing) or hypoventilation (slow breathing). Both of these alter the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in our bodies, which then affects the brain stem, a part of our central nervous system that is in charge of breathing.

Several factors can put you at risk of developing central sleep apnea:

• Stroke, structural brainstem lesion or brain tumor. These brain conditions affect the brainstem and its ability to regulate breathing. Any other conditions that affect this part of your brain increase risk of developing CSA.
• Heart disorders. People with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk of developing central sleep apnea.
• Opioid use. Opioid medications can increase the chances of getting CSA as well. Watch out for pain relievers like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, tramadol, meperidine, and hydromorphone.
• High Altitude. Sleeping at a higher elevation than what you are generally accustomed to can cause central sleep apnea. The symptoms stop when you get back to your usual altitude.
• Sex. Men are more likely to develop CSA than women.
• Age. CSA is more frequent among older people over 65 years old, probably because they have disrupted sleep patterns and other medical conditions that are likely to cause CSA.
• CPAP therapy. Some people who have obstructive sleep apnea can develop central sleep apnea due to the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This condition is known as complex sleep apnea because it is the combination of central and obstructive sleep apneas. This problem is solved by the continuous use of a CPAP machine or trying a different treatment of positive air pressure therapy.

Different Types of Central Sleep Apnea

• Cheyne-Stokes breathing. This type of CSA is commonly associated with stroke and congestive heart failure. The condition is identified by the increase and then decrease of airflow and breathing effort. Stopping of airflow can happen during the weakest breathing effort. This type of CSA is primarily observed in many who are 60 or older, it is rarely seen in women, and it doesn’t seem to be inherited.
• Drug-induced apnea. Certain medications such as some opioids like codeine, morphine, and oxycodone can cause irregular breathing patterns and induce central sleep apnea.
• High altitude periodic breathing. When being at a higher altitude, Cheyne-Strokes breathing pattern might occur. Due to changes in oxygen levels with higher elevation, your breathing patterns can vary between hyperventilation and hypoventilation. This condition seems to affect men more, as they are more sensitive to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide blood levels. Some people will experience symptoms when sleeping at 15,000 feet (about 5,000 meters) or higher, while anyone resting above 25,000 feet (7,600 meters) will experience this condition.
• Complex sleep apnea. This condition appears in some people and is caused by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. It’s called complex because it is a combination of central and obstructive sleep apneas.
• Idiopathic (primary) sleep apnea. This condition appears to be very rare, and its cause is unknown. It mostly affects middle-aged and seniors, and men are more prone to developing this disease. There might be a tendency for inheritance, and some neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s may increase the risk.
• Medical condition induced central sleep apnea. This type of CSA is rare, and it occurs in patients with medical conditions that include kidney and heart problems, and abnormalities in the brainstem.

Central Sleep Apnea vs. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea is different than obstructive sleep apnea. OSA is caused by some obstruction in the airway during sleep. Brain signals are standard, and an effort to breath is intact, but the problem is mechanical.

CSA is a condition in which the brain doesn’t emit right signals, so the muscles that are in charge of breathing don’t function the way they are supposed to. There is no effort to breathe, and it results in apnea.

CSA is a lot less common than OSA. It is estimated that around 20% of all people diagnosed with apneas suffer from CSA.

Diagnosis

The doctor will review your medical history, medication use, and existing symptoms. They might ask you to keep a sleep diary for a week or two so that they have better insights into your sleeping patterns. You’ll include a series of information in a sleep diary, such as:

• What time you went to bed every night
• What time you got up in the morning
• How many times you woke up during the night
• Whether you feel well-rested after waking up
• If you took naps during the day
• How energized you felt during the day

If your situation is complicated, they’ll most likely refer you to a sleep specialist for further diagnosis. Sleep specialists often collaborate with cardiologists and neurologists, and they’ll require you to stay at their facility for an overnight sleep study called polysomnogram.

Polysomnogram includes a series of tests that measure your brainwaves, breathing and heart rate, airflow and blood oxygen levels, eye movement, muscle activity and snoring. You might have a full or split-night sleep study.

In a split-night sleep study, you are observed during the first half of the night. If central apnea symptoms are persistent, sleep technicians will hook you up to a continuous positive airway pressure machine during the second part of the night. That way, they can track how you respond to the therapy, and adjust it if it’s needed.

Polysomnography will also make it easier for doctors to rule out other sleeping conditions that may have similar symptoms but require different therapy. Sometimes, they’ll order an MRI scan of your brain and heart, to better understand any underlying conditions you might have.

Treatment

There are several treatment options for CSA, and they might include:

• Lifestyle changes. Some treatments used to treat OSA can benefit CSA patients as well, such as losing weight if necessary, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, sleeping on your side instead of your back, using nasal sprays to treat congestion, avoiding sleep deprivation and sticking to healthy sleeping habits.
• Continuous positive airway therapy. CPAP is usually the initial treatment used for OSA and can be quite useful in treating CSA as well. The treatment includes wearing a nasal or a full face mask that is hooked up to a CPAP machine. It supplies pressurized air, and it prevents your upper airway from closing while you are asleep. It is essential to stick with your doctor’s advice on CPAP therapy, and you should inform them if you have any problems with it.
• Treating associated medical conditions. Treating other diseases that may be affecting your sleep apnea will make the symptoms of CSA improve as well.
• Reducing opioid medication. If it’s your medication that is causing CSA, your doctor may gradually reduce the dosage of that medication.
• Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV). If the CPAP therapy wasn’t successful, you might be given ASV. Like CPAP, it delivers pressurized air to the patient. But, unlike CPAP, it regulates the pressure during inspiration and expiration on a breath to breath basis. That makes it easier for patients, as they can sometimes have problems breathing out during CPAP therapy. ASV regulates breathing patterns, and it might even deliver a breath if you haven’t inhaled in a certain amount of seconds. ASV is not recommended for people who suffer from symptomatic heart failure.
• Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP). Like CPAP, BiPAP also delivers a continuous flow of pressurized air. But that pressure is lower for breathing out. Unlike ASV, the amount of pressurized air is fixed, rather than variable. BiPAP can also be instructed to deliver a breath if you haven’t taken one in a certain amount of seconds.
• Oxygen therapy. Supplemental oxygen therapy while sleeping might help with central sleep apnea. There are various devices available on the market.
• Medications. Certain medications can be prescribed if you are not responding well to positive airway pressure. They help to stimulate breathing and acetazolamide and theophylline are the most common ones. They can also be used to prevent CSA in higher altitudes.

Central sleep apnea can be a dangerous medical condition if not treated well. If you notice any symptoms, pay a visit to your doctor, and they’ll know what to do. Even if you are not suffering from central sleep apnea, they might discover some other sleep disorders that are causing you problems. They’ll treat you accordingly and help you get a better night’s sleep.

Sleepwalking, scientifically termed as somnambulism, is a type of parasomnia, which itself is a category of sleep disorder. This phenomenon is characterized by individuals engaging in activities such as sitting up, standing, or ambulating while in a state of sleep. Events of this nature are predominantly early-night occurrences happening during the NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep stage, usually within the first one to two hours after the individual has dozed off. Such parasomniac activities may cause concern among other members of the household. The propensity for sleepwalking is notably higher in children than in adults, and it is expected that the majority of affected children will naturally cease to experience these episodes by the time they reach ten years old. In adults, instances of sleepwalking are frequently misdiagnosed as manifestations of other underlying sleep disorders or medical conditions.

Sleepwalkers may injure themselves or damage their environments. Due to this, this sleep disorder is considering dangerous. People struggling with this parasomnia sometimes trip, fall or even urinate during one of their episodes. One episode of sleepwalking typically lasts around 5-10 minutes.

Isolated episodes of sleepwalking are also possible, and they don’t indicate a serious problem that requires visiting a doctor or starting treatment. Only recurrent sleepwalking is classified as a sleep disorder.

If you are living with a sleepwalker, it’s very important to protect him or her from potential injuries.

Symptoms

As mentioned in the beginning, sleepwalking episodes typically occur early in the night, usually only one or two hours after falling asleep. It never happens during naps, and when it comes to frequency, it can occur rarely or very often. One episode lasts several minutes, usually not longer than 10 minutes.

How does a sleepwalker look like? A person suffering from somnambulism may get of bed and walk around or just sit up in bed and open his or her eyes. Sometimes they can make small hand movements. Their eyes may look glazed or glassy, and they often stare with their eyes open and with a blank expression. They typically don’t communicate with others or respond to questions, but in some cases, they may react inappropriately or say things that don’t make sense.

They can move quietly around the house or run, trying to escape from something. Often, they move well around familiar objects but are prone to falling down the stairs or tripping over an obstacle.

It’s also not uncommon for sleepwalkers to go into the kitchen and start snacking. Somnambulism is often linked to sleep-eating, a separate sleep disorder that is characterized by eating or drinking several times during the night and especially during sleep time. Since sleep-eaters aren’t entirely aware of what they eat, they could be at risk for getting injured or poisoned, since they snack or drink non-food items like cigarettes, toys or even cleaning fluids.

It is very difficult to wake up a sleepwalker from one of his or her episodes. After being awakened, the affected person may feel confused, disoriented and fatigued. Due to fatigue, they may have problems functioning optimally during the day. Somnambulism sufferers typically don’t remember experiencing an episode in the morning. Apart from sleepwalking, patients can also experience sleep terrors.

A person who is sleepwalking can sometimes also do one or more of the following things:

•    Do routine activities such as talking, getting dressed, eating
•    Leave the house
•    Drive a car
•    Engage in unusual behavior, such as urinating in a closet
•    Jump out a window
•    Engage in sexual activity without awareness
•    Get injured (by falling down the stairs or tripping)
•    Become violent (more often after suddenly waking up, than during an episode)

Causes

Sleepwalking is classified as a parasomnia, and all parasomnias are characterized by undesirable behavior or experience during sleep. Somnambulism is a sleep disorder of arousal, meaning it occurs during N3 sleep or the deepest stage of NREM sleep. Another disorder that often occurs with sleepwalking is sleep terrors. The condition is more common in individuals who spend more time deep sleep stages.

For centuries, sleepwalking was associated with psychiatric disorders such as hysteria, or with some psychological problems, such as a guilty conscience. One of the most popular sleepwalking depiction can be seen in Shakespeare’s MacBeth, where Lady MacBeth plays out actions related to her own guilt.

Today, science has disproved these centuries-old myths. Numerous things can cause somnambulism, and there are also factors that contribute to the development of this condition, such as stress, sleep deprivation, fever, sleep interruptions, sleep schedule disruptions, traveling, and so forth.

The parasomnia can also be triggered by other conditions that disturb sleep, such as sleep-related breathing disorders (such as sleep apnea), RLS (restless legs syndrome), GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), heart rhythm problems, nighttime asthma, nighttime seizures, PTSD, and so forth.

Taking certain drugs, such as hypnotics (used for relaxation or sleep), neuroleptics (used for treating psychosis), stimulants (used to boost activity), and antihistamines (used for treating symptoms of allergy), and certain medications used for psychiatric disorders can also trigger somnambulism. Substance abuse and alcohol can also contribute to sleepwalking. Some individuals report drunk sleepwalking or sleepwalking while intoxicated.

Risk Factors

There are two major risk factors for somnambulism – genetics, and age. Studies show that sleepwalking runs in families, and it’s more common to struggle with this sleep disorder if one or both of your parents experienced it. When it comes to age, as we mentioned in the beginning, sleepwalking occurs in children more often than adults. In adulthood, the condition will more likely be related to other underlying health conditions.

Complications

Sleepwalking itself doesn’t always have to be a concern. However, sleepwalkers can sometimes injure themselves or others due to their behavior in sleepwalking episodes. Injuries typically occur when sleepwalkers walk near furniture or stairs or wander outdoors (noctambulism). Some of them may jump out of a window or get into their car and start driving. People suffering from somnambulism may also eat something inappropriate.

Due to prolonged sleep disruption, sleepwalkers may experience increased daytime sleepiness, which can further lead to school, work or behavior issues. Due to embarrassment, they may also experience problems with their social relationships.

Lastly, sleepwalkers can injure others or disturb their sleep.

How Common is Sleepwalking?

According to a Stanford study, 10% of people experience sleepwalking at some point in their life, and 3.6% of adults experienced sleepwalking in 2018. Like all other parasomnias, somnambulism is commonly experienced by children aged from 6 to 12. It’s also more common in boys than girls. Since in most cases sleepwalking occurs with sleep terrors, some researchers believe the two disorders are connected.

Diagnosis

In order to diagnose sleepwalking, doctors don’t generally have to perform special tests or sleep studies. Taking your detailed health history and inspecting your sleep patterns and habits is often sufficient. Doctors also always check if your somnambulism is caused by an underlying sleep disorder or other medical condition.

Occasional episodes of sleepwalking shouldn’t worry you because they typically resolve on their own. However, it’s a good idea to mention this to your doctor during a routine exam.

You should see a doctor if your somnambulism episodes have the following characteristics:

•    They often occur (more than one to two times a week or several times a night)
•    They lead to dangerous behavior or injury
•    They cause significant sleep disruption either to you or your household members
•    If you struggle with excessive daytime sleepiness
•    If the episodes appear for the first time as an adult
•    If they continue after your child’s ten years  
•    If they affect your overall quality of life

Sleepwalking Treatment – How to Stop Sleepwalking

You have probably heard that you should never wake up a sleepwalker. However, this is a myth, and in case your partner or child sleepwalks, it’s very important to try to wake him or her or carefully guide the affected person back to bed.

The first thing you have to do is to make sure the sleepwalker’s environment is safe, and that they are safe (since some of them can wander out or try to jump out of a window). Sleepwalkers often go to bed on their own after some time, but it’s better to gently guide them or carefully wake them up. It’s very important not to wake up the person abruptly or to physically restrain them (unless they are in danger). Doing so can make them lash out and act violently.

Waking a person out of the episode is very helpful because it prevents them from experiencing another episode when going back to sleep. However, when one deep sleep cycle passes, a new sleepwalking episode may occur in a new one.

As mentioned, children outgrow sleepwalking on their own and treatment is therefore not necessary. Improving your sleep hygiene and sleep habits can help you alleviate some symptoms of sleepwalking, especially fatigue, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Here are some essential sleep tips you should practice to prevent sleepwalking:

•    Bedtime routine – as you undoubtedly know by now, a bedtime routine is not only useful for children, but also to adults. Since episodes can be triggered by stress and anxiety, giving yourself some time to relax and unwind can be very beneficial. To relax and prepare yourself for sleep, we recommend taking a warm bath or reading a relaxing book.
•    Sleep/wake schedule – create a sleep and wake schedule that works you, and try to stick to it every day.
•    Bedroom environment – make sure your bedroom is perfect for sleep. It should be dark, cool and quiet. Your mattress should be comfortable and able to provide quality support.
•    Limit fluid intake – avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages because they can severely disrupt your sleep.
•    If your partner or child sleepwalks at the same time most nights, gently wake them up 15 to 30 minutes before they would normally sleepwalk to prevent the episode from occurring.
•    If your child is affected, establish a regular bedtime routine for it, and promote healthy sleep habits.

Apart from improving your overall sleep hygiene, you should also avoid stressful situations and anxiety, modify your sleep environment so it’s hazard free, and empty your bladder before sleep. Some therapist practice hypnosis for alleviating stress and anxiety that contributes to experiencing sleepwalking episodes. Medications, such as benzodiazepines, should reduce the intensity and frequency of sleepwalking episodes.

To treat sleepwalking, your doctor might prescribe one of the following drugs:

•    Prosom – a sedative that will help you to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake less frequently during the night.
•    Klonopin – an anticonvulsant that is often used to calms the brain and nerves. It is used to treat seizures and panic attacks. This medication could reduce sleepwalking frequency by decreasing the amount of electrical activity in the brain.
•    Trazodone – an antidepressant that increases the levels of serotonin in the brain, and it’s used to treat depression, anxiety, and some sleep disorders developed due to stress.

Lastly, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or hypnotherapy may also be recommended.

How to Prevent Sleepwalking Accidents?

As mentioned before, in order to prevent accidents, you must keep the areas of your home where a person may sleepwalk safe and hazard-free. You should remove any harmful objects that may cause the sleepwalker to trip over and fall. It’s also important to keep the windows and doors locked to prevent wandering out of jumping out of a window (noctambulism).

In case your child struggles with this parasomnia, don’t allow him or her to sleep on the top of a bunk bed. Fitting safety gates at the top of the stairs is also recommended. Lastly, it’s vital to warn babysitters, relatives or friends who look after your child at night that he or she may sleepwalk. Also, you should explain to them how to react and gently take them back to bed or wake them up.

Lastly, it’s a good idea to set an impromptu alarm by attaching a bell to the sleepwalker’s bedroom. The bell should jingle in case the sleepwalker opens it. It might wake them up or wake you up – in both cases, it will help the affected individual get back to bed sooner.

The Bottom Line

It is very important to know that somnambulism is not harmful to your health. However, since it puts you at risk for hurting yourself and others, you should still take it seriously. Children in most case outgrow the condition on their own, while in adulthood, it’s typically caused by an underlying medical condition.

If you or your household members sleepwalked once or twice, it’s not a big deal. However, if somnambulism becomes frequent, you should see a doctor, and determine whether the condition is idiopathic or caused by an underlying health condition. No matter whether a cause exists or not, sleepwalking is still manageable and treatable. By changing your sleep habits, improving your sleep hygiene, experimenting with natural sleep aids and even taking prescription medication, you can manage this weird nighttime phenomenon, and get the good night’s rest that you need.

By now, you’re probably familiar with the concept of sleep stages. At first glance, understanding this concept might seem complex since to the untrained eye, people sleeping might not appear significantly different from one another. Nevertheless, tools like the electroencephalogram (or EEG, for short) have revealed that sleep involves a complex interplay of brain activity that was not fully appreciated before. We have started to understand how deeply the recovery processes of the body are connected to certain phases of sleep, and the way various factors and conditions can interrupt this delicate equilibrium, possibly leading to health problems down the line.

In this article, we will be focusing on explaining light sleep. It represents stages 1 and 2 out of the three non-REM (NREM) stages we’re aware of. We used to separate NREM sleep into four stages, but recent research developments and consensus have “combined” stage 3 and 4 into one. Light sleep makes up about 50 percent of adult sleep time, although it can get longer depending on age and other factors. In some ways, light sleep can be seen as a preparation phase for deep sleep and REM sleep, and it’s much easier to wake someone in the lighter stages. Let’s look into the details.

A Brief Overview of Sleep Stages

It’s important to understand how a regular sleep cycle works. Light sleep is hard to analyze on its own, as its connections to other sleep stages determine its functionality and properties. A healthy body is capable of calculating the ideal sleep architecture for itself, which is why medication side-effects that extend a specific sleep stage or cut it short can easily compromise your health. Let’s look at and summarize the four distinct stages of sleep that form each sleep cycle.

Stage 1 only lasts a short time (around 5-15 minutes usually, taking up about 3% of your overall sleeping time) and doesn’t repeat during other cycles. During this stage, you’re transitioning from a waking state to a sleeping one. As your body prepares for stage 3 (deep sleep), your breathing and heart rate go down, as does your body temperature. You become less responsive to any external stimuli as your consciousness slowly drifts away. At some point (it can be quite hard to tell) you enter stage 2. Your eyes make slow rolling movements, as you’re not very far into your first sleep cycle.

Stage 2 is the main topic of this article. Your body temperature drops further in this stage, and your breathing and heart rate follow suit. Eye movement stops, and your brainwaves slow down significantly. This stage occupies roughly 50% of your sleeping time, although the cycle distribution may vary, as REM sleep becomes more and more prevalent over the course of a night. While it’s not stage 1, it’s still fairly easy to wake you up in this stage. This stage of light sleep comes with signature brainwave patterns, called spindles and K-complexes. We will cover them in more detail later on in the article.

Stage 3 is simply called deep sleep. During this time in your sleep cycle, you are almost completely disconnected from the stimuli in your immediate environment, making you much more difficult to wake up. Your muscle movement relaxes considerably, and your breathing and heart rate slow down even more – you barely move at all in stage 3. Dreams do not occur in this stage, but it is still quite important for healing your body. Your organs and blood are cleansed of toxins, and your tissues are rebuilt. In regular sleeping conditions, stage 3 occupies around 20% of total sleep time.

Stage 4 is REM sleep. Another name for REM sleep is “paradoxical sleep,” as the brainwaves and certain other processes within the body resemble what a waking person would display on the readings. Certain parts of the brain are even more active than when you’re awake, but others are dormant. This stage is where memories are consolidated, and your mind is “sharpened” for the coming day. Part of the reason people with sleeping problems don’t perform well mentally during the day is that they don’t get enough REM sleep. Initially, it takes around 80-100 minutes to enter this stage, and from then on it’s a regular part of your cycles, becoming longer and longer until you wake up.

Where Light Sleep Fits In – Signature Brainwave Patterns

Light sleep can sometimes be considered the “filler” stage as it will last as long as it needs to while deep and REM sleep aren’t happening. It doesn’t mean its functions are trivial or irrelevant. During light sleep, the brain transfers memories from short-term storage to long-term storage. Think of it as making a “memory backup,” much like you would with important files on your computer. As a result, stage 2 sleep is crucial for trying to learn anything. It is achieved through the activity of sleep spindles.

Sleep spindles are at the core of why light sleep is so beneficial to our mind. They are specific brainwave patterns that define stage 2 of our sleep cycle. The name spindle comes from how the brainwave looks when you examine the EEG reading. It is a quick burst of oscillatory activity that is widely theorized to represent brain arranging or experiencing a transfer of electrical energy. Not every spindle will appear the same on an EEG reading. They can differ in location and frequency, as well as their association with slower waves. The main potential reason is that spindles occur as a result of different processes in the brain, although we don’t have enough research to determine which processes those are. Aside from memory consolidation, these spindles are widely associated with cortical development. The amount of spindle activity (or sigma power, as spindles are also known as sigma waves) has been correlated to an individual’s intelligence, specifically their performance IQ.

Spindles can occur at almost any part of the brain, but any given spindle is localized to the part of the brain where it pops up. They appear more often as light sleep is initiated or right before it finishes, and the frequencies can depend on which section of the brain receives the activity. The frontal part of the brain produces slower frequencies (around 10-13Hz) than the centroparietal part (13-15Hz).

Without getting into further detail, it’s pretty clear why the hypotheses about spindles have formed. If light sleep is responsible for memory consolidation and learning, these brain waves could very likely be the direct cause or method. But there’s one more brainwave that defines light sleep, and if you’ve been experiencing disorders like restless legs syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea, it may be especially relevant.

K-complexes are almost the opposite of spindles when you look at the EEG reading. Instead of being rapid bursts of oscillation, they’re slower, larger in their fluctuations, and serve a different purpose. They react to external stimuli that usually come from the room or even further outside. A spindle typically follows a k-complex brainwave, and this is interpreted as the brain exerting effort to keep the person asleep. Anomalies and disruptions in how these waves form are closely linked to disorders such as epilepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome.

According to some recent research, the frequency of spindle production (meaning how often you experience them, not their specific frequency on the EEG reading) affects how difficult it is to wake you up during stage 2. While light sleep takes its name from the idea that it’s very easy to rouse someone from this state, there are variations from person to person. The more often you experience spindles, the harder it is for you to be disturbed while sleeping, which leads many people to believe that spindle production frequency is directly linked to sleep quality overall.

In general, light sleep is the only state that doesn’t have a recommended minimum duration. It is very rare for an adult or teenage person to spend less time in stage 2 than is necessary. Because light sleep has to be “cleared” first before you can enter deep and REM sleep, it’s much more likely that a person will spend an excessive amount of time in stage 2. Sleep disorders and environmental factors that may wake the sleeper up shift the balance drastically in favor of light sleep, denying the person crucial restorative processes that characterize deep and REM sleep.

How Are Light Sleep And Age Connected?

Depending on a given person’s age, they can have vastly different EEG readings during sleep, mostly related to the activity of spindles and k-complex brainwaves. Sometimes light sleep is barely involved at all. For example, babies spend very little if any time in light sleep. Sleep spindles that define this stage don’t develop at all until around 6-8 weeks after birth. K-complex waves take much longer to develop properly, first showing up at around five months of age.

Meanwhile, older adults tend to spend most of their sleeping time in light sleep. They often deal with an issue called fragmented sleep. As a result, they keep waking up in the middle of the night, and get an insufficient amount of deep and REM sleep, ruining their sleep architecture entirely. Deep sleep is the main sleep stage when it comes to your body repairing itself and improving the immune system. REM sleep is the primary stage for mental repairs such as memory consolidation, and it’s also where your mental clarity and sharpness get restored for the following day. As a result of this dynamic, older adults who spend a vast majority of time in the light stages tend to feel adverse effects on their body and mind, as the crucial restorative portion of sleep never occurs for them, or is drastically less efficient. It is theorized (and research is slowly confirming these theories) that this dysfunctional sleep structure directly leads to problems like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Light Sleep VS Light Sleepers

We want to quickly clear up a possible misconception here. When a person is called a “light sleeper,” this doesn’t mean they’re currently in stage 2 or that they experience more light sleep than usual. Instead, people refer to how easily you can wake someone up. A light sleeper is someone who is more susceptible to being disturbed and awakened by external stimuli, thanks to their lower spindle production frequency. A deep or heavy sleeper is the opposite, being harder to rouse and having a higher spindle production frequency. While we can define light and deep sleep by how easily someone can be woken up, these traits still vary from person to person and change with age. Because a senior sleeper spends more time in light stages on average, they may be easier to wake up even if they were originally a heavy sleeper.

Light Sleep And Napping

Deciding how long you want to nap doesn’t have to be tied to your daily work schedule only. Depending on how much fatigue you’re experiencing and whether you’re looking to rest after an intense study session, you can optimize your nap time to achieve the best results. As a rule, the longer you sleep, the harder it is to feel truly energized when you wake up from your nap. However, a slightly longer nap (around 90 minutes at most) is excellent for helping your newfound knowledge settle in. Conversely, if you’re only looking to get rid of some fatigue, a quick (15-20 minutes or less) nap is a better choice. Light sleep is all you need to have a refreshing nap.

**Depression** often sneaks up with sleep issues, such as difficulty falling asleep, frequent wake-ups, or even oversleeping. Not every soul battling depression will wrestle with their sheets, but many do. Doctors peek at your sleep habits to pick up hints about your mental well-being. Here’s the twist – depression and lack of shut-eye can worsen each other, twirling in a challenging cycle. You’re on the brink of exploring what depression truly involves, its impact on your slumber, strategies to combat it, and advice for catching those elusive Z’s amidst mental turmoil. You’ll definitely want to hang tight till the last word.

What is Depression?

According to research done by the CDC, over 7% of US citizens suffer from moderate or severe depression. The symptoms of this mental illness vary, but most patients experience the following:

•    Feelings of sadness and despair
•    Suicidal thoughts
•    Difficulty concentrating
•    Lack of energy
•    Lower libido
•    Low self-esteem
•    Weight loss or weight gain
•    Daytime sleepiness
•    Insomnia
•    Loss of interest in activities the affected person previously enjoyed

Symptoms of depression are persistent and may change every aspect of one’s life, starting from work and friendship to satisfying your basic needs such as eating and sleeping. People with depression often have trouble being productive at work or in school, and their social and romantic relationship may also be compromised. Sleep issues are one of the most common reasons depressed people seek professional help.

Types of Depression

Major Depressive Disorder – As the name might suggest, this mental illness is characterized by extreme depression. The affected person feels very sad, hopeless and has suicidal thoughts. The patient rarely feels happy or satisfied. When it comes to sleep problems, these patients experience insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Dysthymia – This is a milder form of depression. All the symptoms remain the same, but they are just less intense. Apart from disrupted and fragmented sleep, these patients also struggle with hypersomnia.

Bipolar Disorder – People struggling with bipolar disorder experience mood swings that oscillate between extreme highs and lows. The person may be either highly motivated, energetic, and excited or extremely sad, tired and hopeless. When their mood is positive, the excitement often prevents them from falling asleep at night. When they are feeling sad and tired, they typically oversleep.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – As the name suggests, SAD is a type of seasonal depression. This mental disorder often occurs in winter months. Rarely, it can occur during warmer months and in summer. Common symptoms are insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and worsened mood. It’s very interesting to mention that this disorder is most likely caused by the changing levels of sunlight, which affect the circadian rhythms of the patients, messing both with their emotions and sleep. The disorder is effectively treated with light therapy.

Who Is at Risk for Depression?

One of the most significant factors for depression is stress, genetics, emotional trauma or loss. Depression can affect some people more than others, and according to certain studies, women and adults in middle age are more prone to this condition. These two groups are also more common to experience insomnia.

The Vicious Cycle of Depression and Sleep Deprivation

As mentioned in the beginning, depression and insomnia are comorbid. Depression and negative thoughts make it harder to fall asleep at night, while sleep deprivation only further worsens mood, and makes the affected person even more emotionally sensitive than before. It’s already hard to regulate the emotional volatility with depression, and sleep deprivation only makes things even worse.

Due to lack of sleep, depressed individuals don’t have enough and will to stay motivated, engage with others, go to work or even satisfy their basic needs such as eating. People who are depressed often self-isolate, which can lead to more sleep issues, because loneliness is associated with fragmented sleep.

Lastly, even if you are not depressed, lack of sleep and sleep deprivation over time increase the risk of depression. A study published in the Journal Sleep confirmed that children with both insomnia and hypersomnia are more likely to be depressed for longer periods of time. There is also a strong correlation between insomnia and major depressive disorder, especially in young adults. Lastly, research shows that teens who don’t get enough sleep are more prone to depression and suicide.

Now let’s take a look at how depression affects sleep and causes various sleep disorders.

Changes in REM sleep

Electroencephalogram tests of patients with depression show they have a longer sleep latency, spend significantly less time in deep sleep, shift REM sleep to earlier in the night, and often experience sleep maintenance insomnia, meaning they are prone to waking up during the night.

Electrical activity the brain exhibits during REM sleep is very similar to that in people with depression. Also, patients with depression have their first REM sleep much earlier during sleep than healthy people. If the depression gets worse, REM sleep further shifts and occurs earlier than normal. In severe cases, the sequence of sleep stages is completely disturbed, and first REM sleep occurs before the first deep sleep period.

Scientists still don’t know why rapid eye movement activity is increased in patients with depression. So far, researchers have noticed that patients with major depressive disorder have high activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and low activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex section of the brain. When we take a look at the sleep architecture of a healthy individual, and one with depression, we can conclude that depressed people sleep shorter, experience decreased REM latency, and struggle with sleep maintenance insomnia.

Insomnia and Depression

Insomnia is characterized by a difficulty to fall or stay asleep. This sleep disorder is pretty common, and according to statistics, every third person struggled with insomnia at least once. As mentioned in the beginning, people with insomnia are 10 times more likely to develop depression. Some people with sleep issues don’t suffer from clinical depression but show some of its signs. This is understandable, as being unable to sleep frustrates the affected person. Most chronic insomniacs believe they will never sleep normally again. Also struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness the following day easily affect almost every aspect of your life and reduces its general quality.

Researchers still don’t know how exactly depression and sleep disorders are linked. However, they have found neurochemical links between the two – corticotropin-releasing factor. This neuropeptide is elevated both in people who suffer from depression and those who struggle with insomnia.

Other Sleep Disorders and Depression

Hypersomnia – as you may logically conclude it is the opposite of insomnia, and characterized by oversleeping. It occurs in 40% of young adults with depression.

Sleep apnea – this condition is characterized by short breathing interruptions during sleep. The affected person literally stops breathing for a few seconds. This condition interrupts the sleep cycle and may lead to sleep deprivation, even if you don’t wake up at night because of it. Sleep apnea and depression are also comorbid. The association is particularly strong among adult men.

Restless legs syndrome – this is another sleep disorder that occurs with depression. RLS is characterized by feeling intense and unpleasant sensations in the lower limbs when you lie down. The feeling is often described as being pierced by pins and needles. The only way the affected individuals find relief is by jerking their legs. As you might guess, this makes falling asleep very hard, and it contributes to the development of insomnia and sleep deprivation.

Treatment for Depression-Related Sleep Disorders

If you are struggling with depression or depression-related sleep disorders, getting a good night’s rest can help you alleviate the symptoms. Standard treatment for depression combines psychotherapy and medications.

When it comes to psychotherapy, the most popular choice is CBT or cognitive-behavioral therapy. This type of treatment is focused on helping the patient recognize the negative or destructive thought patterns and replace them with more positive thoughts and behaviors. The patient is trained to respond differently to a negative situation or thought, and to develop new ways of thinking and behavior. A sub-type of cognitive-behavioral therapy, called CBT-I is specifically designed to help people with insomnia.

When it comes to medications, there are different drugs for insomnia and depression. However, it’s interesting to mention that both conditions can be treated with antidepressants especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). People suffering from insomnia also find relief when taking these drugs. In case, a patient is struggling with idiopathic hypersomnia, he or she needs a stimulant – something completely opposite of sleeping pills. Due to this, it’s very important for doctors to accurately diagnose the condition and evaluate whether people with sleep disorders may also have depression and whether they are a good candidate for anti-depressant medications.

Apart from psychotherapy and medications, light therapy and CPAP therapy may also be useful to alleviate some symptoms of depression.

Light Therapy

Light therapy psychotherapy and medications, depression and depression-related sleep disorders can also be treated with light therapy or even CPAP therapy. Light therapy is a very effective form of treatment for SAD or seasonal affective disorder. It can also be used to treat insomnia or hypersomnia.

Light therapy is very simple. The patient needs to sit in front of a special light box that produces 10,000 lux of bright light similar to the sun. The special light box is typically used in the morning or at night to help the patient wake up or stay up (in case they struggle with excessive daytime sleepiness). Light therapy devices can also come in the form of wake-up lights, sunrise dawn simulating alarm clocks, and wearable visors.

CPAP therapy is used in case the patient suffers from sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure devices are very effective for treating obstructive sleep apnea, and may also alleviate some symptoms of depression in individuals with co-morbid depression. Patients with OSA and depression should be very careful about taking sedative medications because these can worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Tips for Getting Better Sleep with Depression

By improving your sleep hygiene and developing healthy sleep habits, you can significantly alleviate the symptoms of depression and depression-related sleep problems. Let’s take a closer look at some essential sleep tips and advice you should follow.

Keep a sleep diary – if you believe you suffer from depression or a comorbid sleep disorder, keep a mood and sleep diary for two weeks and take it to your doctor. It’s important to note when you go to bed, how long it takes to fall asleep when you wake up, did you wake up at night, and how much time you spent asleep. Note your level of sleepiness and fatigue through the day, as well as your mood changes. Changes in your diet, libido and thought patterns (for example, being very negative or constantly anxious) may be signs of depression.

Turn your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary – As we mentioned numerous times before in our articles, the bedroom should be used only for sleep and sex. Everything else, from watching TV to working should take place elsewhere. By ensuring you use your bedroom only for the things you should, your mind will start associating the environment with rest and peace, and won’t perceive it as a place of worry, stress, anxiety or social activity. Ideally, your sleep environment should be quiet, dark and reasonably cool. Make sure you remove all the unnecessary electronics out of there, and if there if the room is too bright in the morning (or in the evening due to street light), use blackout curtains. Lastly, invest in quality and comfortable mattress.

Stick to a regular sleep schedule – a regular bedtime is not only good for kids but also or adults. Try to go to bed and wake up every day at approximately the same time, even when you have a day off. You may struggle a bit in the beginning, but don’t worry if you can’t immediately fall asleep. Your goal is to stick to the schedule and eventually your brain, and circadian rhythm will catch up. Basically, as you once did with your kids (if you have them), you are training yourself to sleep and wake up in the morning more naturally.  

Avoid napping – naps are allowed only if you are very tired during the day. However, it’s best to limit them to 20 or 30 minutes. Napping longer than that can be problematic because you risk transitioning into deep sleep.

Create a bedtime routine – depression can produce worrying thoughts that enable you to fall asleep peacefully at night. To ease your mind of worries and relax, create a simple bedtime routine that includes relaxation techniques, meditation or deep breathing exercises. Taking a warm bath or reading a good book will also help. If you still have troubles to unwind, write your thoughts down in a worry journal, and release them out of your head. If you are anxious, write a to-do list for tomorrow to organize your day in advance.

Enjoy the sunshine – natural sunlight is very healthy for your sleep-wake cycle, and it’s also great for improving your mood. Enjoy the sun by exercising outdoor or just by taking a walk with your friends. Sunlight will give you energy, and make you feel better and less tired during the day.

Eat healthier –food high in sugar or fats can easily mess up with your sleep, as well as stimulating substances such as caffeine, and alcohol. By eating healthier and drinking plenty of water, you will also sleep better.

Stay calm – training your body to sleep is not easy, and takes some time. Therefore, it’s important to stay calm if things don’t work out immediately. Every person is different, and what works for someone else, may not work for you. It’s important to keep trying until you find what suits you. Over time, sleep will naturally come.

For many generations, engaging in sauna sessions has served as a beloved way to relax. Whether it’s after an intense workout or a demanding day, few things are as comforting as revitalizing oneself in a sauna’s heat. The infrared sauna represents a modern take on this ritual. Differing from the traditional sauna, this innovative version employs far-infrared radiation (with “far” denoting its position on the electromagnetic spectrum) aimed directly at the body, aiming to detoxify and reduce stress and tiredness. At least, that’s the idea.

Every brand will advertise their product as the best idea you could ever come up with, but it’s easy to go overboard and make false promises. In particular, we’re interested in the claims that these new saunas help the user sleep better. In this article, we plan on examining infrared saunas to see whether they work as well as (or better than) traditional saunas when it comes to the positive effects on your body, especially from a sleep-enhancing perspective.

What Is the Difference Between a Traditional and Infrared Sauna?

The main difference between infrared and traditional saunas is how they heat your body. A traditional sauna uses regular heaters to warm up the entire room you’re in, and as a consequence, you get hotter. Even if you have never used a traditional sauna, you probably have an image of those steaming cabin rooms with people in towels. On the other hand, infrared saunas use far-infrared radiation to apply the heat directly to your body, without affecting the surrounding air at all. Some people don’t enjoy the moist, steaming environment in a regular sauna, and this method could solve that problem. Just because the air isn’t affected, doesn’t mean your body doesn’t experience the same effects as it would in a traditional sauna. Infrared saunas are also one of the very few methods of supplying infrared light in a controlled environment.

If you spend too much time in a traditional sauna, you can face dehydration and heat-related exhaustion, which isn’t helpful to anyone in any situation. The heat coverage is also much less even than when you use an infrared sauna. Infrared radiation keeps the room cool, so you avoid that feeling of burden and heavy limbs.

How Does an Infrared Sauna Affect Your Body?

The main reason people go to a sauna, in general, is that they want relief after a hard day’s work or some simple relaxation. However, as the years go by, more and more health benefits are being discovered and talked about. We are still in need of detailed research, but theories have been worked on about how a sauna treatment can alleviate a headache, type 2 diabetes or even symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease. After a session in the sauna (whether it’s a traditional sauna or an infrared one), you will sweat as much as an athlete after moderately intense exercise, and your heart rate will resemble theirs, too (100-150 beats per minute).

Scientists and researchers are hard at work figuring out the exact health benefits of an infrared sauna session, resulting in numerous studies. According to a 2018 study, there could be specific frequencies and treatment duration for alleviating specific conditions and helping certain target demographics. Further research needs to be conducted to spot potential negative side-effects and warn us about them. In particular, sleep-related benefits are being looked into by sleep researchers, as this is a potentially great way to deal with insomnia and other sleep disorders if we can find enough scientific confirmation. If you feel uncomfortable or painful during or after visiting an infrared sauna, consult your doctor to figure out why. They’re far more equipped to diagnose the issue than you are, and you may find that the problem can be solved through other means and doesn’t require you to avoid sauna sessions.

Sleep Benefits of Using an Infrared Sauna

While we don’t have a vast library of studies that detail direct and concrete benefits of an infrared sauna when it comes to your sleep quality, we can list some indirect ways that a sauna can help you sleep better. While it’s subjective, most people who use a sauna are perfectly happy to talk about the positive effects it has on their daily routine, particularly in that it relieves their joint pain and similar problems.

Relaxation is the name of the game, here. If an infrared sauna is capable of helping people who are dealing with frequent headaches, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s or rheumatoid arthritis, then the pain and pressure-relieving capability of a sauna need no further proof. But what about thermoregulation? The ability of your body to maintain and regulate its temperature is crucial to our daily life and the biological processes we depend on. From a sleep perspective, thermoregulation is affected when our melatonin production kicks in. You see, the temperature of our body, while fairly steady over the course of a given day, fluctuates just enough to signal our brain when it’s time to kickstart melatonin production.

Melatonin is commonly called the sleep hormone, as it plays a key role in regulating our sleep/wake cycles. Our body cools down in the evening and while we sleep, hitting the lowest point in the middle of the night. This drop in temperature is what signals our brain to produce the sleep hormone. As we get closer to morning, melatonin’s “waking counterpart” hormone, cortisol, takes over and energizes us for the coming day.

So how do saunas play into this? Well, one of the most common tactics you might attempt to speed up how long it takes to fall asleep is to take a hot bath in the evening. By warming up that much and then exiting the bath, the resulting cooling-off process tricks your brain into producing more melatonin. It’s the oldest trick in the book, really – and it also works with a sauna, whether it’s traditional or infrared.

One of the biggest factors when it comes to insomnia and similar problems is anxiety. We all experience it to some degree, and we come up with methods to deal with it or avoid it. The most common methods to “air out” your worries without spending a ton of money are relaxation exercises, such as meditation and yoga. By maintaining a habit such as meditation, you can help your brain balance out your sleep cycle and improve your overall health and levels of daily energy. An infrared sauna works the exact same way. Many sauna regulars do it for the relaxation and detox effect, which can be just as powerful a habit as yoga or anything similar, if not even more effective. If you want to go the extra mile, you can combine infrared sauna sessions with breathing exercises to further mellow out when it’s time to head to bed.

Infrared Saunas, Sweating and Detoxification

As we go through our days and weeks, we accumulate unwanted chemicals in our body. Environmental toxins like pesticides and flame retardants can creep into our system without our awareness, and cause health problems. We also ingest potentially harmful substances daily, and our kidneys and liver can only cover so much work. While it was thought of as an urban myth until recently, sweating has been proven to be an effective way of getting rid of unwanted materials from our body, including metals like lead or mercury.

For example, let’s look at Bisphenol-A (or BPA, for convenience). BPA is a core component of various plastics, the wrapping material used for cans in canned goods, and cash register receipts. Baby bottles are another source, introducing babies to BPA very early. Probably the most significant source of BPA is the construction material of water supply pipes, meaning that simple tap water can introduce it into our system. Given how often we encounter these items and materials, it’s fairly safe to say we’re almost constantly exposed to BPA in some form or another. It is important because BPA is directly linked to many health issues in people of all ages. Here’s a brief list of serious risks that come with prolonged BPA exposure, to set the tone:

–          Prostate cancer cell stimulation

–          Infertility

–          Ovarian dysfunction

–          Structural brain damage

–          Increased obesity risk

–          Hyperactivity and a noticeable increase in aggressive behavior

–          Impaired learning

And this isn’t the full list, either. As you can see, BPA can be a contributing factor to some frightening conditions and problems. We’ve recently discovered that our body tends to favor one method or another when it expels waste, depending on the toxin involved. BPA is primarily expelled through sweat, to the point where BPA can be found in the sweat of people whose urine and blood analysis results showed no BPA content. Keep in mind; this is just one compound. So many harmful materials can sneak their way into our body, and every method we have for filtering out undesirable chemicals is valuable. Sweating is crucial for detoxification, and regular use of an infrared sauna can greatly help our body detox properly. As a result, your daily health can be improved in ways you weren’t expecting.

Can an Infrared Sauna Replace Exercise?

The short answer is – not at all. Don’t get us wrong, using an infrared sauna can prepare your body to face physical strain and sports activities more easily, but the benefits of those exercises are not included in the sauna package. You can’t sweat off the pounds as you would lose them by exercising regularly. It also doesn’t help you build muscle at all, unsurprisingly. If you combine the two activities, you can significantly improve your overall health, just don’t expect to become fit by using a sauna suddenly.

Infrared Saunas and Mitochondrial Regeneration

Mitochondria are responsible for several crucial processes in your body. These organelles make almost 90 percent of all the energy produced by the body. This energy is used for a lot of our bodily processes, including muscle contraction and relaxation and cellular regeneration. Mitochondria also play a key role in programmed cell death, which is the primary way our body gets rid of damaged cells. These cells would otherwise have a significant chance of becoming cancer cells.

The problem is that mitochondria take constant damage from free radicals in your body, and thus require constant regeneration. The short-term stress placed on your body in an infrared sauna is the perfect stimulant for mitochondrial biogenesis. Additionally, because your blood pressure gets lowered as a result of all the heat projected into your body, it improves vascular function.

Neural health is also enhanced by regular heat exposure. You see, when your body is put under heat stress (such as during sauna use or exercise – ideally both), your brain stem cells convert into new neurons, and other chemicals that improve neural health are triggered. It is possible thanks to a special compound called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which was directly linked to regular heat exposure.

On top of that, if you’re concerned about your heart, regular sauna use can alleviate some of those problems. Because your blood circulation is improved as a consequence of heat exposure, your heart and muscles benefit from improved blood flow. You’re also safer from strokes if you regularly use the infrared sauna, reducing the risk by as much as 62 percent if you make it a daily habit.

The allure of youth and adventure is frequently depicted as spending a night under the stars. Yet, this account isn’t centered around escapades powered by alcohol or evenings brimming with love. Rather, it sheds light on the grim circumstances of those who find the streets as their only sanctuary, night after night, for years on end. It’s striking to discover that over 500,000 people are without a stable place to live, with many relying on temporary shelters for a place to sleep, which accounts for about 0.17% of the U.S. population. This number is on the rise. States like California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Washington are most affected by this escalating dilemma.

Usually, when we think about homeless people, we have a picture of some suspicious, half-criminal and often drunk people, but they are not all like that. There are many women, war veterans and innocent children who have no homes. Plenty of reasons can be a cause of homelessness, some people are homeless on their own fault, but some others did not have a choice or luck.

Homeless people have been divided into four main categories: family, youth, veterans and chronic homelessness. The last group represents that stereotypic type of a homeless person, they usually have some physical or mental health problems, they have been on the streets for a long time of years, and they are often in shelters and need professional assistance to stay stable. Although people usually think that the vast majority of homeless people belongs to this group, they are actually making only 15% of the entire population of homeless people.

We often see that many homeless people are on the streets with their pets, usually dogs, and that is a good thing. Pets can be beneficial for their mental health, safety, and they will always be their loyal companions. Many also wonder how is it possible that some homeless people have cell phones. Well, since, after all, we live in a digital era, basic phones are not so hard to afford or to be found for a bargain, and many cities have public charging stations. Cell phones are useful for homeless people because with them they can track the situation of free places in shelters, or search for housing and other forms of help.

Is there any solution to homelessness? Of course, a home, affordable home. To end homelessness government should provide enough housing which should be affordable to households with lower incomes. In the meanwhile, the system should help them find a job, offer them medical help if necessary, and prepare them to get back on track.  

In today’s post we are going to check some facts and latest numbers about homeless people in America, and to see how are they struggling with sleep, and how much it differs from our common sleep issues.

State of Homelessness

How do we define homelessness? Apparently, there is more than just one, official definition of homelessness, but they all imply that a homeless person or a family is missing a housing, or is one paycheck away from losing it all. Many agencies use these different definitions to target a specific group and their eligibility for various help programs.

It is widely accepted that homeless people are considered for criminals, drug addicts, robbers, former convicts, etc. and that is why they are usually avoided, mocked or people just turn their heads away from them. When you are sleeping on the street, other people’s opinions are your least concern, but some towns are trying to deal with homelessness on not so much helpful way, their politics are creating the criminalization of homelessness. Some cities have banned activities like sitting in certain public places, sleeping or laying down as well, begging, loitering, and even sleeping in your own car. So, not only they do not leave many options for those who are street sleepers, but they are also not trying much to help them either.

In their annual homeless assessment report for 2018. from December, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development stated that the number of homeless people had increased slightly, for 0.3%, compared to 2017; also, the number of people who are in unsheltered locations has increased for the third year in a row. Around 65% of homeless people have spent the last year in emergency shelters or in transitional housing, while 35% was out there on the streets. The number of homeless families continued to decline, but there are still around 180.000 people who are experiencing homelessness with their children or other family members, the vast majority of them, approximately 91%, are located in homeless shelters. Another group of homeless people that is declining are veterans. African Americans are right now making 40% of the homeless population but do not forget that they only make 13% of the entire U.S. population.

Sleeping on The Streets

When it comes to sleeping, it can be challenging even when you are in your own bed, but loud neighbors or an uncomfortable mattress are those kinds of problems that homeless people dream about. Sleeping on a pile of stuff or on a bench each night is far from comfortable, and they are exposed to weather, so if it is cold, raining or snowing, they have to find some shelter. So, far from the ideal sleep conditions, and with this type of sleeping environment, we cannot speak about any pros or benefits, because they simply do not exist.

After the initial problem of not having a home, sleep deprivation is probably the second most difficult problem which affects homeless people. Street lights, traffic noise, weather, and safety are the main concerns for those on the streets. And as if that is not enough, a lot of homeless people are actually awake during the night. If they cannot find a safe place to sleep or in general do not feel safe at all during the night, they choose to stay awake and try sleeping during the day. During the daylight, everything looks safer, but at the same time falling asleep is more difficult. The vast majority of homeless people are chronically sleep deprived, their sleep is often interrupted, and they get an average of 4 hours of sleep per day, which is below necessary.

The situation is not much better in shelters, because they are often overcrowded, and problematic situations can escalate quickly. People are afraid that they can be robbed or attacked while they are sleeping, so they are not getting much more sleep there. Sadly, this problem continues for most of them even when they eventually settle and get housed, they cannot adapt to quietness or cannot relax enough to fall asleep once they are finally in a real bed. These problems are usually solved with the help of sleep medications.

Besides sleep deprivation, other common sleep disorders are insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, and extreme daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy is another ongoing problem, many street sleepers live in an enchanted circle of vices, they often reach for pills or drugs to help them stay awake during the night, and then during the day they drink alcohol or take marijuana to induce sleep.

Causes of Homelessness

Various reasons and causes can lead to homelessness, some people got on the street thanks to their wrong life choices and decisions, while others are there because they were unlucky. Here we are going to discuss a few most common cause of homelessness in America.

• Poverty – probably the main reason for homelessness is poverty. People who are unable or just cannot earn enough to afford housing, meals, education, and health care, are living on the edge, and they are only a step away from being homeless.

• Health – sadly, not everyone can afford to be healthy these days because it has become so ridiculously expensive, and many people end up in debts or on the street because they were fighting against some illnesses, and could not financially afford it.

• Mental health – we secluded mental health as a separate category just because this group of people is more liable to poverty and disaffiliation. Finding a job is like an impossible mission for them; hence they have no stable incomes and struggle with daily expenses. Their mental illness can impair their judgment and decision making, and jeopardize them. Homeless veterans are usually suffering from some mental illnesses.

• Domestic violence – this a common cause of homelessness among women and children who decide to end abusive family relationships but they do not have anywhere to go.

Where do Homeless People Sleep?

While we are fighting over the left/right side of the bed with our partner, homeless people have different kind of problems. Unless they are in a shelter, they do not have a bed, and they may find some worn-out mattress on the street and have to fight for it. When they are not fighting over the place, they are dealing with bugs, insects, rain or snow, so it can be challenging. Let’s see what all the places where homeless people can find some rest are.

• Homeless shelters – the vast majority of them goes to these centers, but many go back to the streets. In big cities, like, for example, San Francisco, these shelters are full almost every night, people are forced to wait in queue for hours to get a bed for that night. And, the reality is that even though they will provide you a bed and a roof above you, shelters are not much safer than the street. People often get robbed or attacked there, and some shelters have strict politics which can split partners or families, women and children are usually separated from the men’s section for the night.

• Street – finding a proper private place to sleep in public is hard, usually homeless people are sleeping in the park or in some corners or allies. Day sleeping can be rough, but they are all sticking to it because there are fewer chances that they get attacked during the daylight. Unfortunately, some cities are trying to ban sleeping on the streets which leaves little or no options for some of them.

• Car – many choose to sleep and live in their vehicle, which provides them a safe and private space for sleeping, a roof, and shelter from bad weather. Disadvantages are that it is hard to find a place to shower and a safe place to park and sleep because the police are also punishing sleeping in the car in many cities. Also, outdated license plates are another alarm signal for them.

• Camping spots – mostly partners or families option for encampments. These camping areas are usually outside of towns, and people live there in tents. The largest camping spot for homeless people was in San Jose in Silicon Valley, and since it was notorious for many reasons, the government decided to shut it down, and many other cities are following their steps and shutting down public camping areas for homeless people.

It is safe to say that we are all spoiled in some way, and as long as we have the privilege to enjoy our daily rituals, our family, friends, guilty pleasures and easygoing lifestyle we should not really complain about anything. We can all sometimes be so ungrateful and not aware of how much we have because we always compare ourselves to the ones who have more, not to the ones who have less or nothing. And, that is ok too, because we should always aspire to accomplish more, it’s just that we should not forget that we were extremely lucky to get a chance to live like that. It is hard to imagine, from our warm houses and beds, how it feels not to have a home, to have only a few things which are not enough to cover even the basic needs. If you want to make a donation for ending homelessness, you can find more information on the webpage of National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Ensuring you get enough sleep every night is essential for maintaining good health. There’s a well-known saying that for the best health outcomes, one should strive to get about seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, the quantity of sleep you get isn’t the only determinant of how refreshed you feel in the morning. The quality of your sleep is equally important. This is why some people still feel tired after waking up, even though they’ve slept for the recommended duration.

When you think about the quality of sleep, it usually refers to spending sufficient time in the deep stage of sleep. Scientists have found that people who spent less time in deep sleep have a higher probability of rating that night’s sleep quality as low, compared to people who spent more time in this stage.

Time spent in deep sleep decreases with age, and while healthy people in their 20s spend around 20% in this stage, it falls to about 10% in people in their 50s and as low as two to five percent in people who are more than 70 years of age. Less deep sleep is connected to decreased mental capabilities, weakness and rarely feeling well rested after waking up.

Since deep sleep is so essential for our well being, it is good to know what exactly is deep sleep, how it happens, why it’s necessary for our brain and finally how to get more of it.

What Is Deep Sleep

Deep sleep is named after the increased inability of a sleeper to perceive external stimuli during this stage. When you find it hard to wake somebody up, even if you are yelling or touching them, know that they are in the deep stage of sleep.

Waking up in this stage produces a phenomenon called sleep inertia. It’s that familiar feeling of disorientation, grogginess, and irritation. To avoid this, and feel refreshed after waking up, try to track your sleep and set your alarm to wake up during light stages or REM stage.

Deep sleep refers to a stage of sleep with slowest brain waves recorded. It is sometimes called slow-wave sleep, Stage 3 of non-REM sleep, N3, or delta wave sleep. It is essential for memory consolidation, maintenance of your brain, and reparation of your muscles and other tissue.

Stages of Sleep

Sleep consists of two phases, non-REM (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We spend around 75% of our time in NREM stages of sleep, and about 25% in the REM stage. Each sleep cycle consists of both of these parts, and it usually lasts 90 to 120 minutes. We experience three to six cycles each night.

NREM sleep consists of three different stages:

Stage 1 – First stage is the transition between being awake and asleep. It only lasts several minutes; our muscles start to relax, breathing, heart rate, and eye movement all slow down.

Stage 2 – It is a light sleep stage, that happens before you fall into deep sleep. You usually spend most of the time sleeping at this stage. Your heart and breathing rate is even slower, your muscles continue to relax, and your eye movement is completely stopped. Your brain waves slow down, but there are occasional electrical bursts. All the tossing and moving around happens in this stage, and it is vital for maintaining the circulation through your entire body. If you stay motionless for too long, it leads to a lack of oxygen and nutrients in some parts of your body, and that can lead to tissue damage.

Stage 3 – It is a stage of deep sleep crucial for brain and body maintenance, and feeling refreshed in the morning. It usually lasts longer in the first part of the night, and then it lasts longer later on. That way your brain does the necessary housekeeping right away, and it avoids spending too much time in deep sleep close to morning, as that increase the chances of waking up during deep sleep and feeling groggy.
Your heart and breathing rate are slowest in this stage, and your muscles are very relaxed. The growth hormone is essential for growth and development, and it is released during this stage. That is why deep sleep is crucial for children, and they usually spend a lot more time in this stage than adults.
Delta brain waves that characterize this stage are of high amplitude and low frequency. This is the period when your neocortical neurons can rest.

REM stage – Usually happens every 90 minutes. It is a stage when your breathing and heart rate increase, your eyelids are closed, but your eyes are going from side to side, and your brain waves are mixed. Dreaming mostly occurs during this stage, and your muscles are shut down, so you don’t act out while dreaming and hurt yourself. It’s been observed that depressed people usually spend more time in this stage, so antidepressants work to regulate REM sleep.

The Importance of Deep Sleep

If you have ever missed a night of sleep, you know that the following day you’ll feel moody, less focused and will have decreased learning abilities. That can affect your work performance and overall quality of life. After the period of sleep deprivation, we try to make up for the lost sleep. That means that we will sleep for a more extended period, but what’s more interesting is that it affects sleep stages as well. During our rebound sleep, the percentage we spend in deep sleep increases a lot, which shows the importance of this stage.

Deep sleep is crucial for the consolidation of memory. That’s why individuals who have insomnia often have impaired memory, and don’t perform as well on memory tests. The current model for long-term memory storage relies on interactions between the hippocampus and neocortex. Deep sleep is crucial for maintaining the learning efficiency of your brain, so if you have a big test coming up, don’t sacrifice sleep to stay up and study, as it can be counterproductive.

Deep sleep is needed as it is the time when our brains do the necessary housekeeping. Don’t forget that our minds work without stopping, so time to repair all the damage all around our body is of great importance. For a long time, scientists weren’t quite sure how our brains get rid of all the harmful substances that can be very dangerous if they get accumulated. A few years ago, research had finally shed some light on how it happens, and now we understand more about this phenomenon.

How Does Your Brain Get Rid of Harmful Substances

Our brains don’t have the lymphatic circulation, so it wasn’t quite sure how it got rid of all the waste that is produced during cell metabolism. In the 2012 study, Nadergaard and a team of researchers first described the glymphatic system used to remove all the toxic substances and harmful proteins from the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid (CBS) is pumped in the brain during our sleep, and it washes away the waste. It goes through the brain interstitial space, and it is then removed from the brain via blood vessels.

A 2019 follow-up study showed that the glymphatic system is active during the deep stage of sleep. The researches have induced delta waves by giving six different types of anesthesia regimens to mice. They observed that the combination of ketamine and xylazine worked best to mimic the deep sleep stage. It closely replicated the slow and steady brain waves, as well as hearth and breathing rate that occurs during the third stage of non-REM sleep. The team observed this state to be optimal for glymphatic system functioning, concluding that the glymphatic system is most active during deep sleep.

The accumulation of proteins such as beta-amyloid and tau are correlated with Alzheimer’s disease, so scientists have been speculating that disruption of sleep can impair the glymphatic system, leading to the accumulation of these proteins and inducing Alzheimer’s disease. This is consistent with current knowledge that sleep deprivation increases the chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Deep Sleep Disorders

Not getting enough deep sleep can affect many parts of our lives, but there are also some deep sleep disorders and parasomnias that need to be treated by professionals. These include:

• Sleepwalking (somnambulism)
• Night terrors
• Bed-wetting (enuresis)
• Sexsomnia
• Sleep-eating

Sleepwalking, night terrors, and nocturnal enuresis most commonly happen in children. If your child is experiencing any of these, you should consider taking them to the doctor. Deep sleep is essential for children as it is the time when growth hormone is released. If there are any disturbances in this stage, you want to try and remove them right away.

How to Get More Deep Sleep

Spending more time in Stage 3 of non-REM sleep can be a little tricky, as there is no definite way to increase only deep sleep. Most medications used to treat sleep disorders increase the duration of sleep, but it is mostly on account of light sleep. Spending more time in light sleep can, in fact, lead to more deep sleep, so it is a good start. Before sleep medication, we always suggest an adjustment of lifestyle to promote better quality sleep. You can try:

• Tracking sleep. There are plenty of affordable sleep trackers on the market. They can help you find out how much deep sleep you are getting.
• Keep a consistent bedtime routine. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day can lead to more deep sleep. It may be tempting to stay awake later or sleep in during the weekend, but you’ll get most out of your sleep if you keep a consistent sleep schedule.
• Keep a healthy diet. Foods that are rich in sugar can impact your deep sleep. Try to eat as healthier as possible, with a lot of fruits and vegetables, and avoid consuming refined sugar and soft drinks. You also want to avoid caffeine after 4 pm, and it is best to control your alcohol consumption. While it may seem that alcohol helps people fall asleep faster, it is disrupting sleep and will affect the time individuals spend in deep sleep. Other stimulants like nicotine should be avoided as well.
• Exercise regularly. This might be the best way to induce more deep sleep. During the workout, your body is using resources, and it needs more time repairing afterward. That means that you’ll spend more time in deep sleep, as your brain will take a little longer to repair your muscles, and it also releases growth hormone that induces muscle growth. Make sure not to do intensive workouts to close to bedtime, as it can make it harder for you to fall asleep.
• Set the right bedroom environment. That means no bright lights, no electronic devices, eliminate all the noise by using earplugs, pick a comfortable mattress, pillow, and bedding, set the right temperature and clear all the other distractions you might have.
• Relax before going to bed. Relaxation is important for the quality of your sleep. Some people spent more time in deep sleep after taking a hot bath or going to the sauna before bed. Other find some relaxing techniques quite useful. You can try meditation, breathing exercises, yoga or getting a massage. Reading a book or practicing a hobby can go a long way as well.

Remember that time spent in deep sleep varies between individuals, so good night’s sleep for a 50-year-old might be a terrible night for a 20-year-old. The depth of sleep also varies, so some people naturally sleep deeper than others. But that doesn’t have to mean that they have more sleep benefits. It’s also important to know that there is no such thing as too much deep sleep, so practice good sleep hygiene and sleep well!

Prior to delving into the details of sleepwalking, it’s important to first explore parasomnias. These sleep disorders are characterized by abnormal movements, perceptions, and actions that occur when falling asleep, during sleep, or during different stages of sleep. They often reflect a mixture of states between sleep and wakefulness. Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, falls under the umbrella of parasomnia disorders. It causes people to rise and walk or carry out other activities typical of being awake while they are asleep. It’s fairly common, with around 3.6% of American adults experiencing episodes of sleepwalking more than once every week.

The main threat of sleepwalking is the vastly increased risk of the person colliding with something or falling over, which can injure them. They can also cause damage to their surroundings, including other people (although this happens very rarely). Because of this, it is important to learn how to deal with a sleepwalker in a safe and controlled manner. There’s a myth circulating that claims that if you wake a sleepwalker while they’re moving around, it’s physically harmful to them. In general, there’s a lack of understanding of how sleepwalking works among the general public. That’s where this article comes in. We’ve made it our task to explain enough about sleepwalking that you can help your loved ones stay safe while they’re dealing with this disorder. We will look at causes, present prevention tips, and advice on how to properly wake a sleepwalker. Let’s get right into it.

What Causes Sleepwalking?

Unfortunately, we can only hypothesize about all the potential causes for sleepwalking. There is little to no evidence supporting most of these claims, but we have somewhat safe assumptions we can work with. We will briefly cover these so you can think about whether they apply to you or your loved one. The nature and symptoms of sleepwalking vary from person to person, so everyone can have their own cause and quirks.

Sleep deprivation is one of the most common causes of sleepwalking if the consensus is to be believed. Originally, it was thought that sleepwalkers couldn’t stay in slow-wave sleep for a standard amount of time, but recent studies show that they actually spend more time in slow-wave sleep than they ought to. As a result of this, increased slow-wave sleep has been considered a potential cause for sleepwalking. In some instances, a separate cause called excessive tiredness has been connected to sleep deprivation, and it certainly makes sense.

Additionally, sleepwalking may have a genetic component to it. If both parents have sleepwalked, their child has around a 60% chance to sleepwalk themselves. If only one parent has dealt with this issue, that chance drops to roughly 45%. This doesn’t mean that the child will exhibit the same sleepwalk pattern as either parent, as other factors can (and will) affect this. In general, children and adolescents are much more prone to sleepwalking than adults, and sleepwalking can subside entirely as the person grows older.

Conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease are widely considered a cause of sleepwalking, even in patients who aren’t otherwise predisposed to it and have no sleepwalking history. Children with restless legs syndrome have a greater chance of also suffering from sleepwalking, as well.

How Do We Diagnose Sleepwalking?

If the causes are unclear and vague, then how do we diagnose sleepwalking? Well, the most accurate (or the only accurate) method we have is polysomnography. This is a multi-parametric sleep study that takes place over the course of a night in a specialist sleep lab. The diagnostic devices they use measure all your relevant bodily functions while you sleep, such as skeletal muscle movement, brain activity, eye movement or heart rhythm. While polysomnography is quite accurate and helpful, it is expensive and demands a lot of time from the patient.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) developed and published the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD). It was made in association with sleep research associations in Latin America, Europe, and Japan. It is a diagnostic resource used by clinicians and sleep researchers, particularly in the field of sleep medicine development. Along with two other resources we will mention, it is one of the most common pieces of referential and diagnostic material used by doctors everywhere. The most recent version, called ICSD-3, was released in 2014.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is designed to provide a common language and standardized criteria for classifying mental disorders. It’s not used only by clinicians and researchers, but rather a whole host of health-related organizations, such as health insurance agencies, the legal system, and drug regulation agencies. As of May 18, 2013, the DSM is in its 5th edition, also known as DSM-5. The idea for this manual came from how census collecting systems operated, as well as a United States Army manual.

The final widely used diagnostic tool is the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, often shortened to ICD (don’t confuse this with the ICSD, although their purpose is largely the same). The ICD is managed and maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), the primary health authority in the United Nations. The ICD provides a standardized code for disease classification, but it doesn’t stop there. Every variation and combination of symptoms, backgrounds, anomalies and external factors can be classified thoroughly using this code. The most recent version, ICD-11, comes with ontological and terminological elements to be used in the area of digital health.

Another diagnostic method is a simple report, often submitted by the patient themselves, their parent (in case the sleepwalker is a child or adolescent), or partner. If you plan on submitting a report, however, be sure you’re aware of the sleepwalker’s behavior when they’re sleepwalking. The more detail you can provide, the easier it is to receive good advice. Sleepwalkers can exhibit a wide range of different behaviors, which includes (but is not limited to):

• Playing with the bedsheets, pillows and nearby objects
• Talking in their sleep prior to other behaviors
• Getting out of bed and walking around the house
• Going to the bathroom in inappropriate places (a lot of sleepwalkers will choose rooms where the light is still on; keeping the light on in the bathroom can help minimize the inconvenience)
•  Becoming agitated and even violent (incredibly rare)
•  Attempting to have sex with their sleeping partner

They may also initially look awake, as their eyes can be open, but they won’t be nearly as responsive to their surroundings as a waking person.

How Do You Properly Wake Up a Sleepwalker?

The main risks of sleepwalking often revolve around injury. Not only can a sleepwalker put themselves in danger due to how limited their perception is of the surrounding area, but they can also potentially harm others – for example, a sleepwalker can get into and start driving a car, seriously endangering themselves and anyone in their way. It’s not always unsafe to wake a sleepwalker, but you have to be aware of the situation. Here are some general guidelines we can recommend:

–          If possible, try to avoid touching the sleepwalker. Anything more than a gentle touch can startle them, which can cause them to lash out and hurt the person trying to help. If you feel like you must wake the sleepwalker, first try loud, sharp noises. Be sure you’re at a safe distance when you attempt this, of course – that loud sound can startle them just as much as trying to shake them awake.

–          If the sleepwalker is headed in a direction where they’re putting themselves at risk (such as a stairwell, the front door or front yard, or any room with plenty of sharp furniture edges), you often have to make direct contact with them. As gently as possible, turn the sleepwalker, so they start moving in the direction of their bedroom.

–          Once they’re headed in the right direction (which is always towards their bed or another soft piece of furniture they can continue to sleep on), stay close to them and monitor their movement. You’re basically there as an extra pair of eyes, to prevent them from wandering into a corner or another risky obstacle. If they decide to “go to the bathroom” in the middle of this journey, don’t panic and fetch cleaning supplies without trying to make them stop. The good news is that most sleepwalkers tend to return to bed as soon as this happens.

–          If you manage to wake them up, remember that they will be disoriented. Most people take anywhere from five to thirty minutes to regain their senses completely. Waking up in the middle of your home is a confusing, sometimes scary situation. Be there for them and help calm them down by slowly and softly explaining what happened. Offer them some water and rub some of it on their face to help them recover from possible dizziness.

Sleepwalking Prevention Tips

There’s no single guaranteed method of stopping a person from sleepwalking. However, there are measures you can take that reduce the risks associated with sleepwalking, and that occasionally automatically wake the person, or you – so you can help them using the advice listed above. Some of these measures cost no money, and you should try them first.

–          Spend an hour before bedtime winding down. Any sort of heavy stimulus can cause sleepwalking in people with the predisposition for it. Make sure that the potential sleepwalker only engages in low-energy and relaxing activities for the whole hour before they go to sleep. Some options include a soothing bath, reading a book or planning tomorrow’s shopping. Some people enjoy listening to classical music or other relaxing tunes to unwind.

–          Plan out your sleeping schedule. Sleep deprivation is often associated with sleepwalking, and every person can actively improve their sleep schedule by organizing their time a bit better. Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends and other days off work. Keep track of your sleeping habits. Avoid substances like alcohol and caffeine before bed. Additionally, check any prescription medication you take for side-effects. If they include sleeping problems, you may want to request alternate medicine options.

–          Consult your doctor if you’re worried. Sleepwalking more than once per week is considered serious enough to warrant an investigation, and if you notice bruises and cuts that you don’t remember receiving (if you have pets, playtime with them can give you the odd scratch here and there), don’t hesitate to consult your physician. Ask your partner to keep a watchful eye on your behavior for a night or two, if they have the time to do so.

–          Try to get rid of or hide sharp edges and other potentially dangerous obstacles. While you can’t always notice when someone starts sleepwalking, you can take preventative measures to reduce the risk of injury. Keep the light on in the bathroom in case they often try to relieve themselves during their sleepwalks. You can never make your house 100% risk-proof, but anything that helps is worth doing.

–          Install a door alarm or bell that rings every time the sleepwalker’s bedroom door is opened or closed. This way, you can wake them up before they get too far, and it’s a helpful system to alert you just in case you need to intervene manually. The closer they are to the bedroom while sleepwalking, the easier it is to redirect them back to bed. This method costs money, but preventing injuries and helping the sleepwalker rest properly is worth any sum of money. Not that it’s terribly expensive, either, especially if you opt for bells (like the ones you see attached to shop doors).

With the rapid advancement of technology in recent years, our society has undergone significant transformations. Our routines and what we value have gradually changed – today’s social structures and health perspectives are nearly unrecognizable from those 40 years ago. Yet, not every change has been positive. Our sleep quality has been compromised by longer work hours, higher stress levels, and a multitude of distractions that erode our rest. Many people sacrifice much-needed sleep to juggle career ambitions and personal interests. Each year, we devote more time to watching TV, surfing the internet, and endlessly scrolling on our smartphones, all of which profoundly impacts our sleep quality and deprives us of its restorative benefits.

Because of this sacrifice, the health of the general population keeps dropping, as our immune systems get weaker due to sleep deprivation. This drop in health affects our performance at work, our social lives, mood and so much more. The performance drop at work has a wider influence than someone would initially believe – and it causes harm to the overall economy of the country. This article aims to show how sleep deprivation can negatively influence the economic well-being of any given country and contribute to problems on a societal level. Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Sleep Deprivation and Work Performance

The constant exposure to artificial light from a number of sources has been a massive contributing factor to the decline of our sleeping time over the past 100 years or so. Couple that with how demanding our jobs are becoming, and it should come as no surprise that the number of short sleepers (meaning people who get 6 or fewer hours of sleep per night on average) has increased by as much as 22 percent in the United States, between 1975-2006. Additionally, there is an increasing trend of people taking their work home – while this occupies around five hours per week for the average worker, a fifth of the working population clocks in an extra ten hours each week. To put this into perspective, this “homework” basically adds up to the same amount of time as their annual leave.

Studies show that each hour spent doing market work at home (market work meaning taking your job home in this context) reduces total sleep time by 10 minutes, and the overall time spent awake doing other things by 50 minutes. It has a bigger effect on your sleeping schedule than you might think. If a person is forced (or feels pressured) to work overtime at home, the amount of sleep they will sacrifice to engage in leisure activities after finishing their workload is hard to quantify but noticeable and unhealthy. This problem seems to affect women more than men, oddly enough (as normally women sleep more than men on average). As it turns out, taking our work home and spending a larger part of our day working may not be making us more productive at all. The opposite is closer to the truth.

The Relationship Between Sleep Deprivation and Productivity

Despite working for longer than we ever have, our level of relative productivity doesn’t rise. In fact, we’re getting worse. Sleep deprivation affects our minds and bodies in a way that makes us way less capable of handling most tasks. Our mood takes a plunge, and we become irritable, aggressive and prone to risk-taking. We become less responsive to our surroundings and less perceptive in general. Our ability to process and interpret information is crippled because we don’t spend enough time in sleep stages that are responsible for our mental sharpness (primarily the REM stage). As a result, despite working for longer, we accomplish less with that time than a well-rested person would.

According to this study, companies lose around $2300 per year for each sleep-deprived worker. Scale that up to a national level, and we have losses as high as $411 billion per year in the US, or 2.28% of our GDP. Japan doesn’t lag far behind, as they and the United States have the most sleep-deprived workers, which, in Japan’s case, throws $138 billion into the fire each year. Australia loses around 1% of its GDP annually to sleep deprivation. If all these workers added just one or two hours to their sleeping routine, the amount of money saved would be staggering. In the United States, 45% of workers get less sleep than they should be, with 18% getting less than 6 hours (which puts their levels of cognitive sharpness and general performance almost as far down as people who haven’t slept for 24 full hours). In Japan, it’s even more extreme – while the percentage of workers operating on less than 6 hours is less than in the US at 16%, the total percentage of sleep-deprived workers is a whopping 56%, according to data from 2013.

On top of all this, we can add illnesses and sick days. The less you sleep, the weaker your immune system gets. Short sleepers are almost three times as likely to catch a common cold – so imagine all the other, usually more severe health conditions that could cripple a person’s ability to work productively (or at all). Not only that, but the effects of fatigue make them way more prone to causing accidents at work, which can result in property damage, further injuries, and overall lost money for both themselves and their company.

Additionally, the higher up you go on the career ladder, the worse it gets. Statistics show that workers in influential and high-pay job positions get even less sleep on average and are affected more by fatigue. There are many potential reasons for these claims, but let’s look at the most sensible and important ones:

• More influential jobs carry a bigger responsibility. Naturally, that responsibility directly translates to a lot of stress for the person in question. Because stress is a major (if not the single most prominent) contributing factor to insomnia and other sleeping problems, it’s not surprising that CEOs and Presidents often sleep for less than 6 hours per night.
• Management positions are often more mentally demanding, as the person is forced to work with many connected variables and solve often vague and complex problems, on top of constantly communicating with colleagues or clients. Fatigue significantly weakens our cognitive sharpness and perception, making these jobs incredibly hard to perform to a professional standard.
• The stress associated with these jobs doesn’t subside once they leave the office. Managers are often more prone to taking their work home, which damages their daily routine. As a result of all the exhaustion, they’re more likely to resort to stimulants such as coffee or chocolate, which can single-handedly hurt their sleeping schedule and health even further.

Sleep Deprivation and Public Safety

Since around a third of the US population sleeps for less than 6 hours per night, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have declared sleep deprivation a public health issue. The terrifying thing about sleep deprivation is that it doesn’t only affect the sleep-deprived person, but everyone else in their environment. We’ve already covered the plethora of risks associated with drowsy driving (these risks cause around 8,000 deaths each year in the US), where a sleepy person on the road is as prone to causing accidents as someone with an excessive amount of alcohol in their blood – but the risks don’t stop there.

Medical staff often get sleep-deprived due to the grueling nature of their shifts and simply how demanding their jobs are. Hospital interns that work overnight shifts are especially susceptible to this problem, as they’re 60 percent more likely to injure themselves using a scalpel or needle. The level of sleep deprivation they deal with makes them almost three times as likely to participate in a car crash, and their near-miss involvement is almost five times higher than average. Overall, hospital workers that have to cover overnight shifts have double the amount of attention failures, and as a result, they commit around 30 percent more errors. Because the lapses in their judgment and focus can cause serious negative effects on their patients’ health, it’s safe to say that not only the workers have to deal with medical problems as a result of sleep deprivation. Every unfortunate accident contributes to the ever-growing medical expense cost, further harming the economy and the people who support it.

What Can Be Done About Sleep Deprivation?

There’s a light at the end of this tunnel. There are many methods that can significantly improve the sleeping time of the working population, and some of those methods can be conducted by employers and managers to help their subordinates. We will separate our advice into three categories, based on who can implement it. Fighting sleep deprivation and helping the economy is not something that can be done on an individual scale – everyone has to participate. For example:

Advice For Working Individuals

• Keep track of how much time you spend sleeping. Sleep tracking methods range from manually written journals and simple devices to advanced apps. If you notice that you’re getting less than 6-7 hours of sleep per night on average, it may be time to implement lifestyle changes and rearrange your schedule.
• If you’re worried about potential sleep disorders or that your efforts to get more sleep will prove less than fruitful, consult your primary care physician. Even if they can’t directly solve your problem, they can point you to a sleep expert who can provide an effective diagnosis and therapy plan. If you’ve been tracking your sleep, it helps these professionals get a clear picture of what you’re dealing with.
• Avoid spending time in front of screens near bedtime. While a lot of people use television or the internet for entertainment, it’s far from a healthy habit to have, as it disrupts your circadian rhythm and increases sleep onset latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep).
• Fix your diet and get some exercise if you have the time. Avoid substances such as coffee or alcohol, and try to keep a balanced and healthy diet. Even if you don’t have sleeping disorders, this approach makes you more energized on a daily basis.

Advice For Employers And Managers

• Design work shifts that allow people to get necessary rest. While it may seem counterproductive, those workers would work much more efficiently while well-rested and thus bring more profit.
• Inform your workers about the potential dangers of sleep deprivation. Make sure they don’t spend an incredibly unhealthy amount of time in front of electronics and screens, as this subtly destroys their sleep schedule (and work performance). Workplace accidents become much less frequent if everyone is well-rested.

Advice For Public Authorities

• Make school starting time less disruptive for children and young adults. Short sleepers suffer from academic performance drops, and this is especially true for students from poor backgrounds. Puberty can be a dangerous period when it comes to a child’s circadian rhythm, as they are naturally pushed towards falling asleep and waking up later in the day. Supporting this rhythm can help students achieve academic goals and improve the quality of goods and services across the nation.
• Inform the public, especially employers, about the health and safety risks of sleep deprivation. Increasing awareness of this issue will help everyone else work towards a healthier sleep schedule.