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Since childhood is the time when our central nervous systems develop, it is essential to make sure that children have everything they need during this time. That includes proper nutrition, physical and mental engagement, happiness, and, lastly, enough sleep.

Sleep is essential for proper cognitive functioning. It is well known that lower sleep duration is correlated with cognitive and mental health problems in adults. However, a large scale analysis of this correlation has lacked in children.

A new 2020 study wanted to analyze the impact of sleep duration on psychiatric and cognitive problems, and also see how it impacts different brain structures.

Researchers from the University of Warwick investigated over 11,000 children aged 9-11 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) consortium. All the children came from the US with a wide range of geographic, ethnic, socioeconomic, and health backgrounds.

Behavioral measurements were used to obtain sleep duration, cognitive, and mental health assessments. Researchers also looked at structural MRIs to see if there were any changes in central nervous system composition in relation to sleep duration.

After statistical analyses, researchers found that the feelings of anxiety, depression, and impulsive behavior were negatively correlated with the sleep duration in participants. The same could be said with cognitive performance. Interestingly, the mental well being of parents was also negatively correlated with the amount of sleep their children were getting.

Looking at the neural imaging, researchers noticed a trend of lower brain volumes, especially in particular areas such as temporal, prefrontal, and orbitofrontal cortex, inferior and middle temporal gyrus, precuneus, and supramarginal gyrus.

Different brain areas affected by sleep. Source: University of Warwick.

After one year, a follow up with around half the initial participants showed depressive symptoms were correlated with shorter sleep duration even at that time. Since there is a complex link between sleep and mental health, we often see sleep disturbances in people with depression and anxiety. And it can be hard to break from that circle since mental health problems make it harder to maintain good sleep hygiene, and a lack of proper rest makes these conditions worse.

The biggest problem is that the majority of children don’t get enough sleep on school nights. Inappropriate screen time, the use of electronics before bedtime, inadequate school schedule, too much homework, and other activities can all impact your child’s rest. However, you should try your best to teach them the importance of sleep.

One of the coauthors, professor Edmund Rolls stated that children who slept for less than 7 hours on average expressed 53% more behavioral problems and had a 7.8% lower cognitive score than children who slept 9 to 11 hours. These numbers should highlight just how essential sleep is for both mental health and cognitive performance.

Although we need that sleep is vital, especially in the developing period, researchers admit that we need more studies to discover the underlying mechanisms for these links.

Sleep diagnostics is essential for timely recognition of sleep disorders and addressing adequate treatment. When these conditions go untreated for a long time, they can severely impair overall health and the quality of life.

However, diagnosing sleep disorders is a fairly complex process. You need to go to a sleep clinic where sleep technicians perform polysomnography, and then the results are interpreted by sleep specialists. One of the most crucial steps in this process is the identification of sleep stages. And a new study from the University of Eastern Finland gives presents a strong case to how a deep learning algorithm can help with the identification of different sleep stages.

Traditionally, sleep is divided into rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM, with non-REM consisting of an additional three stages. Classification is performed manually during polysomnography and using several instruments such as electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), and electrooculogram (EOG). This protocol is costly, time-consuming, and requires trained professionals.

That is why researchers from the University of Eastern Finland wanted to develop a deep learning model that can help with the identification of sleep stages and diagnosing sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

OSA is one of the most common sleep disorders, and some estimates go as far as saying that over 30% of the world population suffers from it. And the number is only going higher with the increase in overweight and obese individuals, which is one of the most common risk factors for developing OSA. When untreated, this condition increases factors of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other serious health implications.

To improve sleep stage identifications, researchers used data from healthy as well as individuals with OSA to develop a deep learning model. They wanted to look at the overall classification accuracy and also the precision with the increase of OSA severity.

The results showed that the deep learning model had 83.7% accuracy classifying sleep stages using a single frontal EEG channel in healthy people. In individuals with suspected OSA, that number was 82.9%. After adding the EOG channel, it only slightly improved precision, and numbers rose to 83.9% in healthy individuals, and 83.8% in people with suspected OSA. According to these results, the model performed better than some previous ones, and its accuracy is equivalent to an experienced physician performing manual sleep stage identification.

The single-channel model had an 84.5% accuracy when predicting sleep stages in healthy adults, while the number went down to 76.5% in people with severe OSA symptoms. These results were expected, as even experienced physicians have problems identifying stages in patients with severe OSA, as their sleep architecture changes due to sleep fragmentation.

These findings are promising, and it could mean we are about to start using advanced deep learning models for highly accurate sleep diagnostics. Wearable non-intrusive sensors, improved diagnostics, and artificial intelligence learning are potentially the future of AI diagnostics, not just sleep. Hopefully, this deep learning model can help with OSA diagnostics, assessment, and providing better treatment.

Sleep deprivation is bad for you for several reasons. It directly affects your body’s ability to repair itself, and it increases the chances of developing many health conditions such as heart diseases, diabetes, fatigue, and many more. But lack of sleep also makes people crave foods rich in sugar and fat.

When we are sleep deprived, we often go for junk food, and it can lead to weight gain and additional health problems. Scientists from Northwestern University wanted to investigate this link and find out what is the reason behind the desire for calorie-dense food choices following a sleepless night.

A new study hints that your nose may be the reason for junk food cravings. Sleep deprivation affects the olfactory system, which leads to a sharper perception of food smells. In addition, the communication between brain centers responsible for receiving food signals breaks down, which is why fries, donuts, and other junk food options seem like the best idea.

When certain parts of the brain aren’t getting proper signals, the brain may try to overcompensate by choosing energy-dense food. The researchers wanted to investigate why there is such a breakdown of communication between different brain regions.

Previous research has identified molecules called endocannabinoids (ECs) that are important for how the brain responds to odors, and they also play an important role in feeding behavior. When we are sleep deprived, there is an increased level of endocannabinoids in our blood. That is why these molecules were the logical suspect for investigation of this sudden change of eating behavior.

To investigate, researchers examined how sleep deprivation influenced food choices and how levels of an endocannabinoid called 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG) changed. They tested 25 healthy adults with normal body mass index. Divided into two groups, participants experienced either usual or short sleep periods. After that, researchers analyzed 2-OG levels, food choices, and fMRI scans to see how sleep deprivation impacted brain connectivity.

Interestingly, when sleep-deprived people were given a choice to pick what they want to eat, they chose higher energy food like donuts, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies. Sleep deprivation was also linked to higher levels of 2-OG.

Patients also underwent an fMRI scan before the buffet to help researchers understand how different odors affected signaling between brain regions. Interestingly, the piriform cortex, which is the first cortical brain region to receive olfactory signals, showed that food smells were perceived more strongly than non-food odors in sleep-deprived patients.

But that is not all.

The fMRI scans showed increased activity in the piriform cortex when sleep deprived patients encountered food odors. Source: Northwestern University

The piriform cortex sends signals to another region called the insular cortex, which is responsible for food intake and feelings of satiety. But when subjects were sleep-deprived, this connection was weaker, and it was also linked with an increase in 2-OG levels.

In conclusion, a lack of sleep influences the endocannabinoid system, which then affects different brain areas, and the result is an increased preference for energy-packed foods. The statistics show an alarming rate of sleep deprivation and obesity in the US, and these findings could help scientists to develop new ways of battling both things at once.

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of conditions affecting blood vessels and heart, and they are the number one cause of death around the world, killing almost 18 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.

When we talk about cardiovascular health prevention, exercise and diet get most of the spotlight. And although we do know that proper rest is also essential for our cardiovascular system, most recommendations focus solely on how long we sleep. A new study published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology proposes that sleep patterns are a more significant risk factor for cardiovascular health than sleep duration. There are more factors determining sleep quality, and focusing only on sleep duration may not be the best solution when it comes to heart diseases.

Our internal clocks are responsible for keeping metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep patterns running smoothly. So what exactly happens when the irregular sleep disturbs our internal clocks? Researchers from Brigham and Woman’s Hospital measured that exact effect.

The investigators examined data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The study included 1992 participants with diverse ethnic backgrounds and no history of cardiovascular diseases at the beginning. All the subjects were aged 45-84 years, and they were required to wear a wrist activity tracker for seven days. The device recorded their sleep activities and patterns.

After the initial measurements, participants were followed for five years on average. During that period, 111 subjects experienced a cardiovascular event, including strokes, heart attacks, and other adverse incidents.

Researchers then divided participants into four groups depending on their sleep patterns. When it comes to sleep duration, the most irregular group had more than two-hour difference on a night to night basis, while the most regular one had less than an hour. The investigators also considered consistency, and they compared subjects with the most consistent schedules against those whose bedtimes varied each night significantly.

The results showed that cardiovascular events were most common in people with the most irregular sleep patterns. In fact, they estimate that only 8 in 1000 people with regular sleep patterns would have a cardiovascular event over one year, while that number rises to 20 in people with an irregular sleep schedule.

These results show that sleep consistency is another important indicator of sleep quality, besides sleep duration. The authors expressed an interest in researching this topic even further. They want to know whether an intervention such as a more regular sleep schedule could decrease a person’s risk of a cardiovascular event. Until then, findings from this study confirm how important it is to maintain good sleeping hygiene.

Stress is an inevitable part of our lives, and many people deal with it every day. No matter how much you try to avoid stressful situations, it is impossible to remove them completely from your life. Learning how to cope with stress and anxiety is essential if you want to minimize their effect on your health.

According to a new study from the University of California, Berkley, sleep is an effective way to get your emotions in order. In fact, they claim that losing a night of sleep can lead to a 30% rise in anxiety levels the following day.

We all know that sleep is vital for our well-being, as lack of proper rest often leaves us irritable, prone to mood swings, and unable to concentrate or perform mentally. And according to UC Berkley researchers, a specific phase of sleep is responsible for resetting our anxious brains.

When we fall asleep, we experience a couple of light sleep phases at the beginning, following by deep sleep, and then finally rapid eye movement (REM) stage. It seems that deep sleep is particularly important for reducing stress and anxiety, as neural oscillations are deeply synchronized, and blood pressure and heart rate drop. That gives a perfect opportunity to reorganize connections in the brain and repair damage.

Study authors point that sleep is a natural remedy for anxiety disorders that are on the rise in the US, with over 40 million Americans suffering from them. What’s concerning is that we see a trend of prevalence increase in children and teens. But when you account for the fact that most children and teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep regularly, it all makes sense.

Using a series of experiments, researchers from UC Barkley scanned the brains of 18 young adults, while they watched disturbing video clips. The investigators wanted to see if there was any difference if the participants viewed stirring videos after a sleepless or a night full of sleep. They used polysomnography and functional MRI for measuring brain and other activity, and each session was followed by a questionnaire to assess the level of anxiety in participants.

As expected, subjects who slept less had an increased anxiety response to viewing those disturbing videos. Brain scans showed complete inhibition of the prefrontal cortex, which generally keeps stress and anxiety in check. Additionally, emotional centers in the brain were overactive.

More importantly, after a night full of sleep, anxiety levels dropped significantly. And there was a positive correlation with deep sleep, meaning that participants who experienced more deep sleep had lower anxiety levels.

These findings show that deep sleep is essential for both the prevention and mediation of stress and anxiety.

Researchers managed to replicate their results in another similar study with 30 participants, where participants who got the most deep sleep also experienced the lowest anxiety levels the following day.

Additionally, researchers conducted an online study following 280 subjects for four days and tracking their anxiety levels. The results were similar to previous studies. But interestingly, even the slightest changes in deep sleep affected the anxiety levels.

All these findings support the argument that sleep recommendations should be a part of managing anxiety disorders. More importantly, sleep could be an excellent natural prevention for developing these conditions in the first place.

Sleep is one of the most important things at a young age. It is essential for proper physical and mental development, as well as emotional well-being. If you thought that depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems are reserved for adults only, you couldn’t be more wrong.

An increase in the prevalence of these conditions in children shows that the situation is very serious, and we might have to look for triggers at the early stage of development.

A new study from the University of Birmingham investigates a link between sleep problems at an early age, and how they affect later emotional development. The results show that infants with poor sleep quality have a higher chance of developing depression, anxiety, or behavioral problems as toddlers.

Although it is well known how sleep disturbances can impact mood, irritability, and behavioral difficulties during the daytime, this study investigates how poor sleep affects behavioral and emotional health later in childhood.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham collaborated with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare to find out the impact of night awakenings, prolonged period of falling asleep, and short sleep duration on emotional state and behavioral problems in toddlers at 24 months.

The team used the results from sleep questionnaires from a study where parents reported sleep quality of their children at 3, 8, 18, and 24 months. They gathered the information from almost 1700 parents. Later, those results were compared with an additional questionnaire on emotional and behavioral state at 24 months, filled by 950 parents.

The results showed frequent night awakenings at three months of age to be strongly linked to the inability to control emotions and behavior, and overall emotional problems in toddlers. Additionally, both short sleep and longer sleep onset were correlated to behavioral problems at 24 months, such as temper tantrums.

According to these findings, it is easy to conclude the enormous importance of sleep quality on mental health and the development of healthy coping mechanisms at a later age. These sleep disturbances could have different origins, form genetics to environmental factors. Of course, detecting poor sleep at a young age is vital for healthy development.

Authors highlight the importance of more research in this area, as well as developing novel interventions for infants with sleep problems, as it could be particularly beneficial for healthy emotional state and behavioral control in children.

There are a few things as important as sleep for a newborn. On average, babies spend 16 hours a day sleeping, and this is essential for physical and mental development. That is why sleep problems in the early stage of life should be tackled right away.

It is vital to learn what is causing these sleep disturbances. And according to a new study by the Murdoch Children’s Research Hospital, persistent severe problems in babies can be linked to poor maternal prepartum and postpartum physical and mental health.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Fallon Cook followed 1460 women at 15 weeks gestation, and when their babies were 3, 6, 9, and 12 months old.

Experiencing sleep problems during the first year is common, and based on the results of their research, the team divided infant sleep problems into five categories:

• Those who had a few issues (24.7%)
• Persistent moderate problems (27.3%)
• Increased problems at 6 months (10.8%)
• Increased problems at 9 months (17.8%)
• Persistent severe issues (19.4%)

Persistent severe sleep problems in infants were correlated with mental health in mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth. Infants with the mothers who had prepartum and postpartum feelings of anxiety and depression, lower overall perception of health, as well as increased intimate partner violence (IPV) during the first year after birth, were much more likely to have persistent sleep impairments

These findings suggest that there are more things affecting infant sleep than parenting style, with mothers’ well-being during and after pregnancy being one of the most significant factors.

According to the authors, these results are significant as they could be used to predict sleep problems in babies and possibly intervene before they occur. Additionally, parents of infants with sleep problems often fell exhausted, depressed, and anxious and have feelings of self-doubt when it comes to parenting.

And what these findings say is that some infants may be predisposed to sleep problems because of the impaired prepartum maternal mental health, despite how hard parents try to help their newborns sleep.

What we should focus on is identifying and addressing the mental and physical health of women during pregnancy and after childbirth. Parents should seek professional help from their GPs or child health nurse if they are feeling anxious, depressed, and fatigued. Reaching out to family, friends, and local parenting groups can also help.

Being a new parent is stressful enough without infant sleep problems, but when they occur, it can become unbearable. It is crucial to address these issues as soon as they present themselves and take care of your mental and physical health. You can check our science-based sleep tips for babies, for more info on tackling sleep problems in infants.

In an ideal world, everybody would be keeping a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting eight hours of sleep every night. Unfortunately, the pressure of everyday life keeps many people from achieving these goals. People often don’t have the time to prepare healthy meals, so they choose fast food instead. Work usually takes up most of our day, and if we have a few other errands, we tell ourselves that there is no time for a gym visit. On top of that, many people decide to sacrifice sleep to get everything done, and that has many negative consequences in the long run.

Lack of sleep has many negative effects. Sleep deprivation leads to numerous health conditions, impaired memory and performance, inability to focus, weaker immune system, and the continual practice of poor sleep hygiene can lead to the development of many sleep disorders.

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disturbances, and it is estimated to affect around 30% of the general population. It is defined by the inability to fall (sleep onset), or stay asleep (sleep maintenance insomnia). An occasional night of poor sleep can happen to anyone, but if it becomes frequent, you should probably pay a visit to your medical provider to check if there is an underlying condition that’s causing sleep problems.

Continue reading to learn more about insomnia, how it develops, what are the risk factors, what you can do to prevent it from happening, and what the treatment looks like for the affected people.

Insomnia Symptoms

Even though it affects around one-fifth of the population, most people experience transient or short term insomnia. Symptoms usually last from a few days up to three months at most. The cause of these short term sleeping difficulties is generally accounted to periods of high stress, acute illness, a short term medical issue that requires surgery or hospitalization, or a significant life event. Regular sleep patterns usually restore when the situation is resolved. 

An excellent example of transient insomnia is the rebound effects when a person ceases to take sleep aids. These medications are used to help your internal clock adjust to the night and day cycle, and when you stop using them, your brain has to reset your sleep pattern on its own, without any supplements. You can help it by spending some time outdoors in the natural light during the day, as well as by dimming the lights in the evening to boost the production of a sleep-promoting hormone called melatonin. The rebound effects can last up to a few days, depending on a person, and then your sleep rhythm should go back to normal.

Chronic insomnia affects a smaller part of the population, and it troubles people at least three times each week, for a period longer than three months. Besides the environmental factors, it seems that genetics play a significant role in the development of chronic insomnia as well. The most frequent symptoms include:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Memory impairment
• Inability to focus
• Poor work and school performance
• Loss of motivation
• Irritability and mood swings
• Impulsive or aggressive behavior
• Lack of balance and coordination
• Frustration about sleep

Health Risks of the Lack of Sleep

Sleep experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but it appears that one in three Americans is getting less than six hours on average. This trend can have serious health consequences that affect every aspect of your life.

Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling cranky and unmotivated. You feel too tired to work efficiently and participate in your daily activities. On top of that, your performance is affected, and you can’t seem to be able to concentrate and deliver like you used to. To make things even worse, your ability to make rational decisions declines, which leads to more unhealthy choices like smoking, drinking more alcohol, and eating junk food. With a lack of motivation to exercise, unhealthy diet, and increased stress, insomnia can lead to more severe health effects.

Chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease. It also appears to be connected with numerous mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Lack of sleep also leads to weakened immune systems, which leaves you more prone to the common cold, inflammations, and infections. Impaired judgment can play a role in the development of alcohol or drug abuse. 

In rare cases, insufficient rest can be even more dangerous. A chronic lack of sleep leads to daytime drowsiness, which can result in the appearance of microsleeps. These events are short bursts of sleep that usually last several seconds. They are involuntary, and anyone who has briefly snoozed during a lecture has experienced them. Although they seem harmless, if they happen when the person is driving or operating heavy machinery, there could be fatal consequences. During microsleep, your brain doesn’t respond to the external stimuli, and you are not aware of what is happening around you for a few moments. People are generally bad at recognizing when these events will occur, or they choose to ignore it, which is even worse. Drowsy driving is responsible for more than 100 thousand car crashes, 1500 fatalities, and 40 thousand injuries each year in the United States. 

What Causes Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition that affects people of all ages. It is estimated that around 30 percent of adults, and about the same percentage of children and teenagers suffer from it. However, it is a little more prevalent among women and people aged 65 or older. 

Developing this condition is connected to many underlying disorders, and treating it depends on each case. Transient and short term insomnia is often the result of specific circumstances that create a stressful environment and disrupt regular day to day living. Resolving the situation usually leads to the cessation of symptoms.

Development of chronic insomnia is affected by three factors: hereditary, repetitive behaviors, and different triggers. In most cases, the results are a combination of more than one of these factors.

You can’t run from your genetics, and it seems that it has a significant part in the development of sleep disorders. Some people simply have a lower threshold for nocturnal arousals, which means that they are easily woken up by sound or movement. If the arousals are somewhat frequent, they lead to fragmentation of sleep, and it can develop into insomnia. Unfortunately, there is little a person can do to limit this, and people who are easily woken up should aim to eliminate night disturbances from their bedroom so that they can enjoy a sound, restful sleep.

Other people are prone to certain medical conditions that can affect a person’s sleep quality, like:

• Chronic pain
• Restless legs syndrome
• Sleep-related breathing disorders
• Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Kidney disease
• Bladder dysfunction
• Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Arthritis
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lung disease

If another disorder is causing your sleep problems, the first step is to treat that underlying condition. The proper management should eliminate or lessen the symptoms that are interfering with a person’s nightly slumber.

Certain triggers can initiate or make sleep difficulties worse in people, and they include:

• Injury
• Acute illness
• Stressful life events
• Positive or negative emotional experiences
• Medications and stimulants

While not all of these factors can be controlled and eliminated, the use of cognitive and behavioral therapy can lessen the magnitude of the triggers, and help us understand how to deal with, and overcome them. The removal is easier with the medications as there are usually different alternatives on the market. Some drugs that can increase the risk of insomnia as a side effect are:

• Stimulants (Caffeine, amphetamines, ephedrines including Aderal)
• Antidepressants (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro)
• Steroids
• Narcotic analgesics (Codeine, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Percocet)
• Decongestants (Pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine)
• Pulmonary (Albuterol, Theophylline)
• Cardiovascular (β-blockers, diuretics, lipid-lowering medication)

The use of stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can additionally disrupt sleep. That is why health professionals are suggesting limited consummation of alcohol and caffeine during the day, and all sleep experts agree that you should restrain from using any stimulants at least six hours before bedtime.

Diagnosis of Insomnia 

Depending on the complexity of the situation, discovering underlying factors can be challenging. First, your physician will review your medical and medication history to see if he or she can spot anything unusual that could be causing sleep problems. Next step is talking about your sleep habits and doing a physical exam to look for any signs of medical conditions that could be the cause of insomnia. They might even order a blood test to determine if everything is alright with your thyroid gland.

Also, a physician can ask you to keep a sleep diary for a week or two. It is a log of your sleep behaviors that should include things like the time you go to sleep and wake up, how long it takes you to fall asleep, if you experience any night disruptions, if you feel well rested in the morning, if you are napping during the day, and more. You should also keep track of other habits that could be affecting sleep like diet and exercise. This detailed information helps them get a more comprehensive view of the situation so that they can prescribe you the best possible treatment, which often includes overall lifestyle and sleep habit changes and in some cases, a short use of medications. 

If the cause of your sleep problems isn’t clear, or your physician suspects that there is some other sleep disorder in question such as restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea, they may refer you to do an overnight sleep study called polysomnography. This procedure is done in specialized facilities called sleep clinics, where the technicians take numerous tests to determine the cause of your sleep disruptions. 

When you first come in, they’ll ask you to fill out several questionnaires like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, to evaluate your situation. The way these tests work is that there is a certain threshold and if your score passes that, it is an indication that you may have a sleep disorder. After you are done, it is time for the actual sleep study. A sleep technician will hook you up to several machines that measure your brain waves, heart rate, breathing patterns, snoring, eye and body movement, and more. With this detailed data about your sleep, sleep experts can then assert your situation, give a diagnosis, and recommend further treatment.

Different Therapy Options

Based on the individual situation, a doctor can suggest several different approaches to battle with sleep problems.

Behavioral treatment (CBT-I)

These approaches are based on changing behaviors surrounding sleep, which can include internal thoughts and impressions about sleep, creating a pleasant bedroom environment, and doing activities that should improve sleep routines. The goal is to root out all negative and create positive associations that should help with insomnia.

CBT-I is a type of therapy where you are trying to address the recurring thoughts and behavioral patterns that hurt your sleep, with the help of a professional. This method is mostly used for chronic insomnia, as people usually develop frustrations with nighttime rest because they spend so much time trying to fall asleep without success. The goal is to undo this and make healthy, positive associations. This usually takes time, and standard CBT-I involves hour-long weekly sessions over 6 to 12 weeks. The treatment includes the use of sleep restriction, stimulus control, relaxation training, biofeedback, cognitive control, and sleep hygiene training. 

Stimulus control refers to strengthening positive associations between the bed and sleep. Since people with chronic insomnia get frustrated with the inability to fall asleep, a single thought of going to bed can make them anxious. This method requires using your bed only for sleep and intimacy. Everything else like watching TV, reading, scrolling social networks, and answering work emails, should be done somewhere else. If you are using stimulus control should only go to bed when you are feeling sleepy, and if you can’t fall asleep for 20 to 30 minutes, you should get up and do a relaxing activity until you get tired again. Over time, your brain will learn to recognize your bed as the place for nightly slumber, and it will take you a lot less to drop off.

Sleep restriction limits the time you spend in bed each night. The way it works is that you look at your sleeping habits and set a time you spend in bed each night. For instance, if you usually take 8 hours, but only spend 5 of those sleeping, then the limit is set at 5 hours. The goal of this initial restriction is to cut down the time needed to fall asleep so that you don’t spend hours lying awake and getting frustrated. When the falling asleep becomes easier, you gradually expand this time, so that you can get a sufficient amount of sleep.

Relaxation and biofeedback include different methods of meditation and breathing exercises that help calm the mind and body. Biofeedback is achieved through the use of specific devices that let you know your state of relaxation by notifying you about your blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, or muscle tension. That way, you can use meditation and breathing techniques to get back to the calm state.

Cognitive control refers to the use of psychotherapy to change the negative thoughts and attitudes towards sleep. Therapists use different methods to do that depending on the individual, but you should know that this usually takes some time, so the best you can do is to be open and patient.

Some doctors may prescribe different medications to treat insomnia. Most of them are used for one to four weeks and are not intended to be taken for more extended periods. They are usually used in combination with other treatment methods. The most commonly used ones are benzodiazepines, including Diazepam (Valium), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Alprazolam (Xanax), and Lorazepam (Ativan). Some over the counter sleep aids can include Antihistamines, Benadryl, and Melatonin. 

Improving Sleep Hygiene

One of the essential things for battling insomnia is to change some of your lifestyle habits and establish good sleep hygiene. That includes:

• Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. That way, your internal clock will be set in a way that your brain knows exactly when is the time to fall asleep, and when it should be active.
• Creating a comfortable sleep environment. Your bedroom should be dark, and you should keep a thermostat somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, block any auditory distractions by using earplugs or white noise machine.
• Ban all electronics from your bedroom, and avoid screen time in the last hour before going to bed. Displays emit blue light that can trick your brain into thinking that it is daytime, and that can suppress the production of a sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin.
• Stay active and enjoy some time outside in the natural light. Exercise is essential for proper sleep, and you should aim for at least three sessions each week to fully enjoy all the benefits. Just keep in mind not to do it too close to bedtime, as it can be counterproductive.
• Eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Also keep away from stimulants such as alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, especially later in the day.

Popular Insomnia Content

Before we get into sleepwalking itself, let’s briefly go over parasomnias. This category of sleep disorders is characterized by abnormal movements, perception, and behavior while falling asleep and during and between any stages of sleep. Most parasomnias function as a combination of sleeping and wakefulness.  Sleepwalking (or somnambulism) itself is a disorder that belongs to the parasomnia category. It makes the affected person get out of bed and start walking during their sleep or perform other waking actions. It’s also fairly common, with an estimated 3.6% of US adults having reported sleepwalking symptoms more than once per 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).

If you have troubles getting enough sleep during the night, or staying asleep, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder. Unfortunately, many people all over the world wake up at night and are not able to return to sleep. Some of them even wake up in the morning and feel like they haven’t slept at all. If these things happen to you regularly, it would be an excellent idea to consult your doctor. The chances that a medical disorder is interfering with your body and isn’t letting you get a good night’s sleep are high. 

What are Sleep Disorders? 

Sleep disorder is a medical condition that prevents us from getting restful sleep. As a consequence, we feel tired and dysfunctional during the day. According to research, more than 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. There are around 80 sleeping disorders types, and some of them are much more common than others. If we are sleep-deprived, we are at risk of developing severe medical problems that can even reduce our lifespan. Getting a bad night’s sleep occasionally is nothing to worry about, we have all been there, and it is not a reason to panic. However, if you have a consistent pattern of sleep deprivation, it may be a sign of a disorder that requires attention. In this case, it would be wise to consult your doctor and explain your symptoms. 

Insomnia 

It is the most common sleep disorder, and almost half of the population experiences its symptoms occasionally, whereas about 10% of all people suffer from chronic insomnia. It is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking up too early, and having troubles going back to sleep. It can either occur by itself or be associated with other medical conditions. If it is short-term, it is also known as acute insomnia, whereas if it lasts for a long time it is called chronic insomnia. Most common symptoms of this sleep disorder include feeling unrefreshed after waking up, lack of energy, daytime sleepiness, depression, concentration difficulties, impulsive behavior, forgetfulness, and decreased quality of life. 

Sleep Apnea 

Sleep apnea is also quite common, and it can be potentially dangerous. It occurs when a sleeper’s breathing is interrupted, and there are two types: 

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea 
• Central Sleep Apnea 

Obstructive sleep apnea is more common, and it occurs when a sleeper’s breathing stops for a few seconds during the night due to obstructions in the airways. This blockage occurs when the throat’s soft tissue relaxes and collapses into the airways, thus blocking oxygen from reaching the lungs. Partial obstruction results in snoring, whereas full blockage results in gasping sounds. Some of the symptoms of this condition include fatigue, snoring, restlessness during the night, daytime sleepiness, and problems with concentrating. 

On the other hand, when it comes to central sleep apnea, airways are not blocked, and oxygen can get to the lungs, but the brain fails to tell the person’s body to breathe. It is related to the central nervous system, and people with this disorder wake up during the night and sometimes gasp for air. 

Narcolepsy 

It is a neurological disorder that occurs when the brain is not able to control its sleep cycle. People with this condition can suddenly fall asleep during the day without any control, for example during a conversation, and experience daytime sleepiness and sudden muscle weakness. Some of the symptoms of narcolepsy include cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and disturbed nocturnal sleep. 

Restless Leg Syndrome 

This disorder causes an intense, persistent, and irresistible need to move legs, or sometimes other body parts, usually while lying down in bed or sitting. It falls into the category of sleep disorders as it usually occurs in the evening and makes falling asleep and staying asleep difficult. It is associated with irritability, daytime sleepiness, and lack of concentration. The exact cause of the restless leg syndrome is not familiar, but experts believe that it is hereditary. Its symptoms can be reduced by regular exercise, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and prescribed medication in severe cases.  

Bruxism 

Bruxism is also known as teeth grinding, and it affects almost 45 million people in the United States. According to experts, most common causes of this disorder are anxiety and excessive stress. Many Americans are under a lot of stress regularly, and it is not surprising that so many people are affected by this condition. If you have a headache in the morning, after waking up, or a sore jaw, it may be a sign that you are suffering from this problem. If this is the case, you can schedule a consultation with your dentist and get a mouth guard and avoid chewing anything that is not food. 

Sleepwalking 

It is usually caused by the lack of sleep, fever, illness, or some medications. It happens during deep sleep, and it results in walking or performing other actions while the person is asleep. Sleepwalking affects children more than adults. If you or your kids are suffering from this disorder, it may be a good idea to reduce the intake of liquids a couple of hours before going to bed.