What exactly is sleep?

A good night’s sleep leaves us feeling refreshed and alert in the morning, ready to face the day. How we sleep affects how well we function in our daily lives, how we deal with all that life throws at us. It affects our mental and physical well-being.

Sleep is not just about hitting the bed and passing out. For many, it’s a matter of spending the night tossing and turning, falling asleep but waking up again and again, ending up stressed and un-rested in the morning. Sleep is not just a period of time when you’re not awake. Studies have shown that there are stages of sleep that cycle throughout the duration that a person is asleep. The brain stays active throughout this time with different things happening at every stage.

Sleep goes through a pattern of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) cycles.

There are stages within these two sleep phases. NREM is further divided into:

Stage one: Light Sleep
Stage two: True Sleep
Stages three and four: Deep Sleep

REM occurs after the NREM stage is passed.

The first REM episode begins roughly 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep. There are 3 to 5 REM episodes a night.

The cycle moves back to NREM again and we alternate between the two till we wake up.

The amount of sleep required varies from person to person. This also varies with age. Most adults need 7–8 hours of sleep each night. Newborns, on the other hand, sleep between 16 and 18 hours a day, and children in preschool sleep between 10 and 12 hours a day. School–aged children and teens need at least 9 hours of sleep a night.

» back to top

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition when a person has difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep long enough. This results in sleep deprivation or low quality sleep. The body is not rested or rejuvenated and this affects the person’s mental and physical health.

What actually happens is that the body is unable to lower the ‘awake chemicals’ and raise the ‘sleep chemicals’. Awake chemicals are those like adrenaline and noradrenaline- the pep up chemicals in our bodies. The sleep chemicals include amino acids like GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid. This is the most important sleep chemical that sowsdown brain activity and causes us to relax and ultimately, sleep. When the body is unable to raise GABA levels and lower adrenaline and noradrenaline, sleep is affected.

The most common causes are medication, psychological problems like anxiety, stress, depression, etc., changes in environment caused by travel such as jet lag, altitude changes, or stressful or traumatic events like loss of loved ones, accidents, etc. Insomnia can also be caused by bad sleeping habits such as irregular Schedules, excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, uncomfortable beds, noisy environment, etc.

Some times insomnia might just be a temporary phase. In case you have traveled to a new place, you might be jet lagged, or finding it difficult to sleep in a new room/bed. Your body takes a while to adjust and soon your sleep has improved. This is transient Insomnia.

Long term Insomnia is when the sleep is disrupted for more than 3 weeks. Chronic Insomnia can be a result of depression or even substance abuse. Transient Insomnia can develop into long-term insomnia if not treated in time and may even become chronic.

Insomnia can occur from too much intake of alcohol, nicotine or caffeine. Diuretics, decongestants, appetite suppressants, anti-depressants and amphetamines can also interfere with sleep. Insomnia also may be the result of withdrawal from benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium, Librium, Ativan), alcohol, antihistamines, amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana.

» back to top

How can I sleep better?

There are plenty of helpful hints on sleeping better. Browse through this section and see how you can help yourself sleep better.

• Don’t nap in the day
• Go to bed at the same time every day, and wake up at the same time too. Establish a routine.
• Do some mundane tasks if you are wide awake. You might bore yourself to sleep.
• Don’t exercise before bedtime. There should be a gap of at least 4 hours.
• Don’t eat a huge meal just before bedtime. Take a short walk if you can after your meals. It will help digestion and you will sleep better.
• Don’t eat, play games, or work in bed. Only sleep on the bed. Do other tasks at the table.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable. Invest in a good mattress and pillows. Decorate your bedroom in soothing, cozy colors. Make the atmosphere in your bedroom relaxing.
• Don’t drink too much water before bed time. You don’t want to interrupt your sleep to go to the bathroom in the night.
• Develop a sleep ritual…listen to music, read a book, or have a soak in the tub to help you wind down before you put off the lights.
• Be active in the day. Include exercise in your daily routine. Exercise is good for your overall health and will also tire you, helping you to fall asleep easily. However, remember not to exercise too close to your bedtime.
• Avoid nicotine, caffeine or alcohol before going to bed.

» back to top

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia
The most common sleep disorder is Insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep long enough. Insomnia affects thousands of people affecting their physical and mental/emotional health.

Insomniacs find it difficult, sometimes impossible, to fall sleep or to sleep uninterrupted throughout the night. They often find it impossible to go back to sleep once woken up. The lack of sleep prevents them from waking up refreshed and rested. It leaves them tired and irritable, finding it difficult to deal with daily life and its various chores. It affects a person’s judgment, his coordination, his ability to concentrate, and ultimately affects his efficiency at performing tasks. Lack of restful sleep makes a person cranky and irritable making interaction with others difficult. This affects his relationships at home, at work and at social levels.

There are quite a few sleep disorders that people suffer from other than insomnia.

Circadian Rhythm Disorder
The complex biological clock breaks down throwing the body out of sync with its normal patterns. It can affect sleep either with delayed sleep phase syndrome or advanced sleep phase syndrome. In the first case (delayed sleep phase) the body clock runs later than usual. The person can fall asleep before 3 or 4 a. m. and subsequently cannot wake up before noon. In the second case (advanced sleep phase) the person falls asleep really early, by 7 or 8 p. m., and wakes up by 3 or 4 a. m. The normal sleeping pattern is totally thrown off its schedule.

Sleep Apnea
This is a disorder where the person stops breathing for many seconds, and waking up frequently in the night, snorting and gasping for breath. The wind pipe gets blocked during sleep obstructing oxygen supply to the lungs. Breathing stops for periods of 10 to 20 seconds at a time. These episodes can occur up to 400 times a night.

Sleep Apnea affects more men, and those who are obese are more prone to it. If left untreated it can heighten risk to high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke.

Narcolepsy
Patients suffering from Narcolepsy suffer sudden sleep attacks. These occur without warning. Sometimes strong emotions can trigger sudden loss of muscle control (cataplexy). Patients also might suffer a brief episode of paralysis and/or vivid images and sounds while falling asleep or waking up.

Restless Legs Syndrome
This is a sleep disorder where unusual sensations are felt in the legs that disturb sleep. Moving the leg usually reduces the symptoms, but sleep is disrupted. Some people also have PLMD or Periodic Limb Movement Disorder where legs jerk suddenly during sleep.

Sleepwalking or Somnambulism
This disorder affects many individuals, especially children and has a tendency to run in families. The patient gets up out of the bed and wanders around while asleep. It is advisable to keep windows and doors locked for the safety of the sleep walker.

Sleep Terrors the person may often scream out in terror or even fight, but they have absolutely no recollection of these episodes when they wake up.

» back to top

Treatments for Sleep Disorders

There are various treatments for sleep disorders. These range from medication, light therapies, CPAP devices (especially used to treat Sleep Apnea), herbal formulations and some simple lifestyle changes.

Prescription medication for Insomnia and other sleep disorders is very common. However these prescription drugs also have a variety of side effects, minor and major, that can cause a lot of discomfort and distress. These side effects range from dizziness and lack of coordination to more severe reactions like rashes, loss of libido, mood swings, etc.

Therapies for treating sleep disorders include Acupressure, acupuncture, relaxation and meditation techniques, yoga, etc.

CPAP devices A CPAP device is mainly used to help patients suffering from Sleep Apnea sleep through the night without waking up in between. It works by continuously pushing a stream of air down the air passage making sure the muscles don’t relax enough to shut the passage way.

A CPAP device comprises a mask, tubes and a fan. It uses air pressure to push the tongue forward and keeps the throat open. This allows air to pass through the throat. It reduces snoring and prevents apnea disturbances.

Herbal Formulations/Dietary Supplements
Snooz is one of the best herbal dietary supplements available for the treatment of insomnia. As it is an herbal preparation it has no side effects. These supplements have specifically chosen herbs in their formula that have properties which relax and sedate the body helping it to sleep, naturally. Such formulations have been part of ancient medicine used in many cultures.

Lifestyle changes
Some lifestyle changes that could promote better sleep include:

• NO day-time naps
• Sleep at the same time every day, and wake up at the same time too. Stick to a routine.
• Do mundane jobs if you cannot fall asleep. You might bore yourself to sleep.
• No exercise before bedtime. Ensure a gap of at least 4 hours.
• Don’t eat a huge meal just before sleeping.
• Go for a short walk after dinner.
• Use the bed only to sleep in (and for sexual activities). Do other work like office work, eating, playing games, etc. at the table.
• Have a comfortable bed. Get yourself a good mattress and pillows.
• Decorate your bedroom in relaxing calm colors. Avoid jazzy bright décor, go for a soothing look.

» back to top