Archive for the ‘Sleep Snoring’ Category

Snoring and Women - Are There Health Issues?

Women who snore are more likely to be embarrassed by their snoring than men, especially in front of their spouse or boyfriend. Not only is your sleep disrupted throughout the night, but disturbs your spouse or partner too. There are even cases of the snoring women keeping other family or household members awake throughout the nights on a regular basis, which means overall sleep deprivation for the complete household. Apartments have thin walls and even neighbors can become accidentally a little too intimate. Snoring loudly may not seem enough, but think how snoring can affect your health.

It has now been proven through research that there are serious health risks directly related to snoring issues and women. Serious health issues can happen no matter the gender the only differences are that the health risks just vary for the dangers within gender comparisons. Some of the findings through studies found that 33% of the women who snore on a regular basis where more likely (than those who don’t snore) to experience heart disease issues and elevated risks of a stroke. In cardiac complications alone, there is a 20% increase between women who snore and these elevated risks.

If you are a woman, who would like to cut down on these snoring related risk factors right away, then there are some immediate steps that you can take. The first question is to ask yourself if you are a little overweight or badly obese. The more overweight you are as a woman then the odds are higher with you being a high risk woman who snores. There are several reasons for this, but one huge reason is that the weight adds on everywhere, including your throat and neck area. This extra weight is a direct contributing factor for blocking of the airway passages.

Another very important factor to curb snoring in women and in men too, is to not drink any type of alcoholic beverages or to take any kind of non-prescription or prescription medications directly before bedtime. If you are a smoker, then do your best to stop or at least cut back. Due to snoring or not, being overweight, drinking excessively or smoking are bad health habits and need to be stopped for many reasons besides snoring.

Snoring is also genetically related, so by going through your family tree of health similarities, you can explore the similarities between you and other family members who snore. This type of vital background really helps to shed the light on what exactly you should specifically look out for in your future. It could be that by just changing the way you are living will be how you solve your snoring, and also make for a better daily life all the way around.

Dr. Choudhary researches on snoring related issues and writes on best snoring remedies. Browse for more information on snoring treatment and get back your health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Anita_Satin_Choudhary

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

5 Insomnia Tips To Help You Sleep Better

Are you having trouble falling asleep or are you waking up in the middle of the night? Are you tired and groggy during the day? Do you constantly feel run down? Chances are you have insomnia. Insomnia can be a temporary problem or can turn into a chronic condition. It can be caused by anything from stress or anxiety to medications you’re taking or even bad sleep habits. Here are 5 insomnia tips you can use to help develop better sleep habits to improve your sleep.

1. Make Your Bedroom Sleep Friendly

Your bedroom needs to be a comfortable environment that will help induce sleep. This means making sure it is dark enough and quiet enough that you can fall asleep and stay asleep. In addition, the bedroom should only be used for sleep so that your subconscious doesn’t associate the room with other stimulating activities. Many people read or watch television in bed to fall asleep. These activities actually stimulate the brain making it harder to fall asleep. If you need to read or watch TV as a way to relax before bed, do it on another room.

2. Establish a Sleep Routine

Establishing a bedtime routine is also an important insomnia tip. If you go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, your mind will automatically start winding down when it’s time to go to bed. By varying times to go to sleep and wake up, you’re throwing off your body’s internal clock making it more difficult to consistently get a good night’s sleep. Even though you may think weekends are a good time to catch up on sleep, it’s actually better to go to bed and wake up every day to ensure you get a consistent 7-8 hours of sleep every night of the week.

3. Pay Attention to Eating and Drinking

In addition to having a comfortable environment and consistent schedule, you need to pay attention to what you are eating and drinking and at what time of day. A large meal late at night can actually keep you up. It’s difficult to get comfortable and your body is expending energy for digestion vs winding down for the night. Another important point is alcohol. We’ve all heard of nightcaps and they can help you relax. However, they may prevent you from getting into the deep sleep your body needs to rejuvenate itself.

4. Exercise Can Help or Hinder Sleep

As a final point, exercise and help or hinder sleep depending on the time of day you work out. A vigorous workout in the evening may prevent you from getting to sleep since your body will have been recently stimulated. On the other hand, working out in the morning or early afternoon may actually help you sleep since physical activity can wear you out making your more tired and ready for bed that night. Physical activity is actually good for sleep - you just need to pay attention to the timing.

5. Find Time To Wind Down for the Day

The last of the insomnia tips is to find time at the end of the day to wind down. Take 10-15 minutes before bed to review your day, process events and think about solutions to problems that came up. Also, plan out the next day so you aren’t up worrying about things you need to tale care of in the morning. One way to completely clear your mind is to write everything down so you get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper.

As you can see, the common theme with these insomnia tips is consistency. A consistent schedule for waking up, going to sleep, eating and exercising are important considerations when dealing with insomnia. Everyone has an internal clock. The trick to consistently getting a good night’s sleep is to make sure that clock keeps a consistent schedule. You can start by using these insomnia tips to establish a routine to help aid our sleep.

Did you know that over 100 million American suffers from insomnia? That works out to about 20% of adults. Are you one of them and are you ready to start getting good, refreshing sleep every night? Then click here for more insomnia tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Vincent

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Buying a Snoring Solution - What’s Hot and What’s Not

Are you looking to buy some sort of solution to help yours or your partners snoring problems? Maybe you have been told to check out a CPAP machine or even research surgery? Discover some even better solutions for your self and get back to living life.

First of all lets start with why you snore. Hopefully you already know this but its worth while revisiting as the only real solution to snoring is to cure the root causes. Have a look at this list of root causes and see if you can identify with two or three of them.

  • Heredity
  • Being middle-aged or beyond
  • Being male (Sorry Men but its a fact)
  • Allergies, asthma, a cold, or sinus infections
  • Being overweight or out of shape
  • A history of smoking
  • Alcohol or medications
  • Sleeping posture

All these issues are basically at the root of snoring and all affect the airways in one way or another.

Now we have had a brief look at causes, lets get into looking at the solutions. So what’s hot at the moment. From my research I can tell you that natural remedies are the buzz at the moment. I think the world has become frustrated with trying to use machinery and drugs to help alleviate snoring as most of the time these aren’t required and simply do not fix the root cause.

Take a look at alcohol for instance. By having a drink before you go to bed, a night cap if you will, you are filling your body with one of the best relaxants around. This causes the muscles in your throat to relax during sleep. Now I am sure that even the most chronic a snorer would rather choose a better drinking habit over the use of a CPAP machine. The habit change could be as simple as not drinking before going to bed or switching to lower alcohol content drinks.

So why not use a CPAP machine or Surgery? Don’t get me wrong. These things work and they can be very affective and sometimes there’s just no other choice. What I believe the world is looking at is not turning to these things as a first choice like it has for the past years. This is especially prudent when its not necessary. Most times you will find all you need is some knowledge, a little discipline and a good plan.

Lets have a look at another example. What about being a bloke? These isn’t much you can do about that is their (well apart from another topic we wont get into here). Its not that your a bloke that’s an issue its that most blokes tend to have a narrower airway which leads to being more prone to snoring. How do you deal with that without considering being tethered to a machine the rest of your natural life?

How about doing some simple exercises that singers do to overcome the exact same problem. Imaging 3 minute exercises each night and your on your way to freedom.

As you can see there are plenty of options when consider what to buy for a snoring solution. Some of the best solutions are actually the simplest and they are available now if you look around.

Are you ready to solve the root causes of snoring and not just remedy the symptoms? Click here to find out how to attack these root causes and more. Visit http://reviews.escapefromsnoring.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Adderton

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Stop Snoring Device - A Mouthpiece to Stop Snoring

Hundreds of millions of people around the globe snore nearly every night. There is no need for you to feel alone in your quest to find cheap tricks to stop snoring. For some people, snoring is a symptom of a more serious issue. You should see a doctor if you have a snoring problem. However, if it is just normal snoring that ails you, the good news is that there are some stop snoring devices that work for many people.

It is not uncommon to see stop snoring products advertised on television or at storefront displays. You would expect this for such a widespread problem. You should look at each of these with skepticism, as they are often just ploys to make a quick buck off a new gimmick.

Before you waste time trying anything more complex, you might want to try putting a chin pillow under your chin to raise your chin up at night. This can help open up the airway. If this stops the snoring, you’ll have to try it for a few days and see if you are left with any neck pains.

If that didn’t work out so well, there is still hope. Some mouthpieces have been developed that do an excellent job of helping many people stop snoring. These dental gadgets based on mandibular advancement have been reported to be very effective, and scientifically designed and studied. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a dentist who can make a custom mouthpiece to help you stop snoring. You may be able to get this device at little or nothing out of your pocket. You will need to check with your insurance company to see if you are covered.

If the mouthpiece doesn’t help you stop snoring, your options for scientifically proven ways to stop snoring are dwindling. You may need to consult with your doctor about stop snoring therapies. For many people, some therapy will tighten up the muscles in the mouth and throat and solve the problem.

If that doesn’t work, you may be left with surgery. The good news is that most of these surgeries are quick and simple outpatient clinic procedures. For those with good insurance, you may just want to start with surgery if it is recommended by your doctor. You will need to see your doctor anyway to rule out any serious health reasons for your snoring condition.

Are you looking for a Snoring Solution that works?

Perhaps your partner has a snoring problem? To find out how you can get rid of it, CLICK HERE

Sarah Walker is a health and fitness enthusiast. She currently runs a website on this problem to help those seeking a snoring solution at http://www.snoringcures.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Walker

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Cure Snoring Tips

Want some tips to help you cure snoring? With these easy tasks you will be well on your way to finding a remedy.

  • Try elevating your head a bit when you sleep. When you sleep flat on your back , your through and tongue have more chance of collapsing, which leads to snoring.
  • Drinking alcohol relaxes the throat muscles so try not to have any just before bed time. If your going out for a drinking session, try swapping to a lower alcohol content drink towards the end of the night for example if your having a few wines over dinner then try swapping to beer in stead of finishing the bottle.
  • Did you know dairy products can cause mucus build up? If you have a drink of milk or something like that before you go to bed, mucus will build up and increase the chance of you snoring.
  • Here’s a unique tip for those that keep sleeping on their backs. Try sowing a half tennis ball to the back of your sleeping top. The discomfort of sleeping with half a tennis ball up your back will force you to turn over automatically.
  • Have you ever tried eating a little bit of honey before bed time? Honey is a great anti-inflammatory and can help any congestion you may have that would cause snoring.
  • Don’t eat a huge meal then go to bed. Having your stomach full will cause pressure on your diaphragm which in turn will restrict your breathing.
  • What about soft pillows. Bet you didn’t know that a soft pillow will encourage your throat muscles to relax. This is one of the most common causes of snoring and you could cure it by just buying a firmer pillow.

So you can see there are please of ways to cure snoring by controlling the factors that cause snoring.

In Fact did you know that over 80% of factors that cause snoring can be controlled naturally? To find out what these factors are and how to control them, check out http://reviews.escapefromsnoring.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Adderton

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Stop Snoring Exercise Program

With the one main cause of snoring being a blockage in the breathing passages, the source of the blockage can vary from person to person. I will be discussing 5 of the most common causes of a breathing passage blockage. All of these common causes can be fixed by doing specific stop snoring exercises.

1.) A weak throat. If you have a weak throat it will close like a squeezed plastic bottle. A weak throat is believe to be the number 1 cause of sleep apnea. There are specific exercises you can do strengthen your throat.

2.) A weak tongue. If your tongue is weak it will fall into the throat and block it. This is most common for people who sleep on their backs, but it can also happen if you sleep on your side.

3.) Tense jaw muscles. If you have tense jaw muscles this will put pressure on the breathing passages. Ideally you want your jaw to be loose and relaxed but this is easier said than done.

4.) Floppy, weak soft palate. A weak soft palate can bang around like a leaf in the wind. This is sometimes fixed buy removing part of the palate in a surgical procedure. Surgery can definitely be avoid by doing specific exercises designed to firm up the palate, thus preventing it from flopping.

5.) Jaw pressing on the breathing passages. When the jaw presses on the breathing passage, the passage becomes narrower, causing irregular airflow. This is a muscle tension problem that can be treated with exercises.

Now these are the most common causes for a blockage in the breathing passages. They are not the only causes. The complicated thing is that a person could be suffering from more than one of these causes. This is why surgery can’t always stop snoring. A well designed exercise program can do wonders for stopping snoring.

All of these causes of snoring can be fixed if the right exercises are done. To learn more about the exercises needed to stop snoring visit Stop Snoring Exercise Program.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_F

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Tips on How to Make Yourself Fall Asleep

Do you ever find yourself lying wide awake at night only to start getting nervous and upset that you won’t be getting ANY sleep at night? Many people go through this and in all actuality; many people are bringing it onto themselves. Of course no one aims to deprive themselves of sleep but, in all actuality, it is the individual who is keeping themselves awake due to anxieties. In this article I will give you some tips to help get to sleep faster and how to help yourself to stop thinking about those things that cause you to stay awake at night.

First, TELL yourself to stop every time a thought that affects your sleep negatively crosses your mind, you will be surprised how powerful YOUR own commands to yourself will be. When you start to realize the power you own words have you will become more reassured that it will work and become more relaxed. However, it is important to avoid anxiety.

How about those times when you REALLY need to be asleep and are wide awake? Much of this is caused by that classic case of performance anxiety. How about considering reverse psychology in order to relax your body. For example, if you aren’t falling asleep, tell yourself to STAY awake. Naturally your body wants sleep and it will eventually succumb to the slumber. It’s all about relaxing.

If you have lots of anxiety in regards to the aforementioned issues, try breathing techniques such as taking very deep breaths and slowly releasing. Try this technique over and over and you will feel the relaxation proper breathing provides. Keep breathing in deeply and slowly releasing, feeling the release of anxiety as you exhale slowly.

Why not try counting sheep? Counting forward and backwards actually does help many people all asleep. Even picture those numbers appearing in your mind in front of you. This is not thought that causes a person to stay awake like those of your BOSS and deadlines, which cause anxiety. These are simple and will help put your mind to “rest” (in all actuality our minds are busiest at night).

Try to picture yourself in a relaxing setting while painting the picture in your mind. The trick is to focus looking forward until you fall asleep while avoiding “real-life” thoughts that will just get you going. Try to relax and float in your thoughts…soon to be dreams. Floating sensations help the muscles relax and when your muscles are relaxed, you are relaxed. Mental and physical relaxation will take over and when that happens, who can resist falling asleep? So avoid any form of anxiety-provoking thoughts and just LET yourself drift away to a good night’s sleep.

S. Michael Windsor is currently publisher and a writer for The Memory Foam Network. The MFN Online Memory Foam Product Guide is a premier memory foam information platform that provides individuals with a quality in-depth look at memory foam and the associated products, services and information available today. Visit us today at http://www.MemoryFoamNetwork.com and subscribe to our Free Member services.

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Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Insomnia and Sleeping Pills - Help or Harm?

Are you one of the 60 million Americans who can’t sleep?

Insomnia and sleep deprivation are rampant in the United States. Whether it’s a sleep disorder, stress or some biological issue, insomnia is a real concern. It is blamed for automobile accidents, poor performance at work, even relationship problems at home. So how do we get more sleep?

Doctors prescribe sleeping pills like Ambien and Sonata. And yes, these sleeping pills will help you get to sleep. Studies have shown, however, that sleeping pills are highly addictive, and in the long run may cause more harm than good.

If you use Ambien (also called Zolpidem) for a few days to “get over the hump”, or help fall asleep, then sleeping pills can serve a useful purpose. But when the pills are used for extended periods of time, your body will develop a tolerance for the drug. It won’t work as well as it did when you first began to take the pills. So what do most people do? Take more.

Bad idea! Research has shown that sleeping pills actually suppress the restorative stages of sleep where you get your best rest. Ambien, Sonata and other sleeping pills depress the central nervous system so that the cerebral centers and passage of impulses to the brain are impaired.

Even worse, these chemical-like processes to the brain are so impaired that they produce a “stupor-like” unconsciousness. Effectively, your body is knocked out - or under anesthesia!

Another factor to consider is the severe side effects of sleeping pills like Ambien and Sonata, including hallucinations, nightmares, severe headaches, anxiety attacks, blackouts and more. Plus, should you decide to stop taking the sleeping pills, the withdrawal symptoms can be just as bad.

The good news is that there are many other alternatives for insomnia. Melatonin, passion flower, kava kava and skullcap are natural alternatives that work for many. Cutting back on caffeine, smoking and salt has helped many others. Some healthy exercise during the day is also beneficial for people who can’t sleep.

By making a few lifestyle changes, many people have been able to overcome insomnia without the negatives associated with sleeping pills and other drugs.

Troubled by her husband’s many years of insomnia, Laura Kaiser began to research sleep. She found that doctors disagree, and that much of medical science is difficult for the layperson to understand. Laura was determined to find a solution for her husband’s sleep disorder and Sleep Onset Insomnia and was successful, without medication and drugs. Read about her findings (and please add your own!) at her blog:

http://www.SatinSleep.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Kaiser

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Why Women Have Insomnia More Frequently Than Men

Research shows that after a woman has a baby she automatically develops a more acute sensitivity to the sounds a baby makes, enabling her to wake up quickly if she hears a disturbing noise such as a cough or a cry.

Unfortunately, even long after their children are grown and have moved away, women retain this heightened sensitivity to nighttime noise. Clinical studies have also shown that women who have never had children sleep better even in their 50s and 60s than women who had children.

Women with menopause may have a hard time sleeping as well because they sometimes have to contend with drenching nighttime sweats. The good news is that by the time women enter the post menopausal phase of life, men tend to catch up to them in terms of sleeplessness.

In fact, post menopausal women who don’t have insomnia usually sleep longer and better than men of the same age who don’t have insomnia.

Growing older with insomnia

As people age, both the quality and quantity of their sleep tend to deteriorate. Researchers aren’t quite sure why, but suspects age-related changes in sleep phases and patterns may be to blame. They do know that the amount of time spent in light sleep increases as people get older.

The accumulation of various medical conditional may play a role, especially if they’re associated with pain. An alternative explanation is that the biological sleep-wake control system centers become less effective through cell loss or transformation, just as an elderly person’s memory and physical abilities decline.

One study, which unfortunately only used men as subjects, showed subjects lose 80% of their deepest, most restorative sleep as they age from 16 to 50. (Now you know why your grandfather wakes up at 5:30am)

Other studies have shown that after age 44, both REM sleep and the total number of hours of sleep decrease, while awakening during the night (usually to use the bathroom) increases. Yet another study indicate and overall weakening of the sleep-wake rhythm as people age.

Some sleep medications aren’t appropriate for older adults because they increase daytime sleepiness and the risk for falls and fractures, especially for long acting drugs (which remains in the body and brain longer)

Even though a person takes the medicine at bedtime, the medicine may still be affecting the person the next morning or afternoon. If an older person who takes one of these medications needs to use the bathroom at night, their coordination may be impaired leading to a fall.

In addition, neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some forms of dementia can cause sleep disruptions. Older people are also more likely to take a prescription or combination of them that may cause sleeplessness.

They also experience a higher incidence of depression and other emotional problems that may contribute to insomnia. Just because you’re growing older, you don’t have to live with poor sleep. Consult your doctor.

Many effective treatments are available that can help you get back to sleeping better and longer. According to a study published in 1999 in the journal Sleep, in 1995 the direct cost of insomnia to the US economy was $14 billion.

The cost includes for both prescriptions, visits to healthcare provider, and nursing home care to treat insomnia in elderly patients. In addition, insomnia also produces a number of indirect costs.

These result from lower economic output due to symptoms produced by insomnia that affect job performance, like increased absenteeism, impaired memory and concentration, decreased ability to complete daily tasks, and decreased problem-solving abilities.

Alvaro Castillo has been writing health articles for five years. One of his specializations has been on nighttime health, such as insomnia, as well as stress and headaches. To get the best out of your sleep, or if you want to get rid of stress check out his website at http://www.mynighttimehealth.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alvaro_Castillo

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »

Visualization to Sleep Well

15-25% of the UK population experience sleep problems at some time. It may be a problem in going to sleep, staying asleep or a difficulty in waking up - or a combination.

Insomnia is a symptom though, not a disease. If your car has a flat tire that’s not the underlying problem, it’s just the effect that has been caused by the puncture. If you’re having problems with sleep, look for the underlying issue that caused it. This may be environmental, emotional or physical - your surroundings, close relationships, lack of exercise, what you eat or drink, medication, illness or a lot of things on your mind. All these things cause stress in our system.

Our bodies are designed to become alert and ready for action when we are under stress - you produce chemicals that kick start your body, getting you ready to react quickly to danger, whether it’s running away or fighting. In our modern lives, being ready for action is no longer an appropriate response because we tend to be dealing with ongoing situations that can’t be resolved straight away, so feeling calm, peaceful and accepting are more appropriate. For sleep to happen you need a balance of different chemicals but those are not produced if you are constantly stressed or anxious.

Of course if your sleep difficulty goes on a long time you can end up in a vicious circle - you didn’t sleep well last night so things affect you more and you’re worried you won’t sleep tonight, so you’re anxious, so you don’t sleep well tonight … and so on.

The way to break out of this circle, or to avoid getting into it, is twofold. Deal with the original things that caused (or are still causing) the anxiety and learn ways of relaxing. Feeling more relaxed doesn’t make the problem go away but it reduces the impact it has on you.

I teach a lot of my clients a visualisation to help them when their mind feels overloaded. Use it at any time during the day when things are getting on top of you.

1. Make yourself comfortable, sitting in a chair or lying on a settee or bed.

2. Take a deep breath in, breathing from your abdomen. Close your eyes as you breathe out. Do this five times. Feel the tension leaving your body each time you breathe out.

3. Imagine yourself at the top of a staircase. Walk down the staircase, counting each step until you reach a comfortable, special place. Feel how relaxing and peaceful it is here.

4. Clear out all the unwanted thoughts from your mind. Put them in a cupboard, hang them up or turn the volume down. Now you can just leave them there til later or pull them out one at a time. If you no longer need the thought then throw it away, otherwise put it back with the others to deal with later.

6. When it is time to leave, become aware of your breathing again and count each breath backwards from 5 to 1. When you reach one you will find your eyes open and you will feel calm, relaxed and refreshed.

If you want to use this routine at night as a way of going to sleep then just add somewhere comfortable to sleep in your special place, lie down and enjoy the stillness and comfort. Feel the covers, listen to the sounds around and watch as the light dims gradually. Then just focus your attention on all the details of the place and allow yourself to drift to sleep. You should wake refreshed the next morning.

Sharon Stiles uses hypnotherapy, CBT, NLP and EFT to help people reduce insomnia and improve sleep. Her realxation CD “Sleep Well” elaborates on this technique and even more information is available in her online seminar “Sleep Well” at http://www.sharonstiles.co.uk/sleepwell She also offer individual sessions in Bristol, UK and by webcam.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Stiles

Posted on March 14th, 2008 by admin  |  No Comments »