Tag insomnia

Chronic Back Pain: How to Sleep Through It

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Check out this great article by Karen Weeks on getting a good night’s sleep while battling chronic back pain.  Karen has more great content on her website, https://elderwellness.net/

Image via Unsplash

One of the comforts of going to sleep at the end of the day is the privilege of leaving behind your worries for eight hours. However, if you’re living with chronic back pain, that worry sticks around in addition to the fact that you won’t be able to fall asleep right away, compounding your problems. Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult if you’re suffering from back pain, but there are ways to make it happen. Dr. Stacey Naito presents tips for learning to love falling asleep while living with chronic back pain.

Yoga Before Bed

Practicing yoga before you head to bed for the night can help stretch your sore muscles and give you a better chance of falling asleep right away. The ancient practice has numerous health benefits, and research has shown that practicing yoga regularly may even reduce the need for pain medication. There are many different poses you can do that are beneficial for back pain. Doing a few poses before bed will help strengthen your muscles and improve your posture, leading to less pressure on your back in your day-to-day life, resulting in less overall back pain.

Utilize Your Smartphone

Technology is there to help you in most areas of your life, including your sleep. There are a number of different apps available aimed at helping you sleep better at night. Sleep Cycle is an alarm clock app that monitors where you are in your sleep cycle each night and wakes you at an optimal time within your preferred time frame so you feel the most refreshed. White Noise allows you to play soothing sounds from your phone to help you either drown out outside noises or add sound to a too-quiet room. Calm is a leading meditation app for beginners, allowing you to try out the art of meditation in order to calm down your mind at night.

 

Note that some of these apps stay running throughout the night in order to monitor your sleep or to keep you from waking up sporadically. Make sure that your smartphone has enough battery life! You’ll also want to ensure that your home internet connection is running smoothly. Fast and reliable internet service will give you the freedom to run any of these apps overnight without worrying about being disconnected. 

Improve on Your Sleeping Position

We all have preferences when it comes to our sleep positions. Thankfully, there are different ways to improve your preferred sleeping position to help lower your back pain. For side-sleepers, add a pillow between your legs and pull your knees a little toward your chest to stretch out your lower back. If you prefer sleeping on your stomach, place a pillow under your pelvis and forgo the pillow under your head (or switch to a flatter one). For those who like sleeping on your back, place a pillow beneath your knees to add a slight curve to your spine.

 

Whatever the cause of your back pain, know that it doesn’t have to sentence you to a lifetime of insomnia. Chronic back pain can impact your daily life in a number of different ways, but don’t let it control how much sleep you get at night. Lack of sleep impacts your life even more, causing you to become disoriented, unfocused, and unable to finish your day’s tasks. Use these tips to sleep easier at night and reduce your chronic back pain one night at a time.

When Your Mind Won’t Wind Down

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Where Is The Off Switch?

Have you ever been so wound up with thoughts or concerns that your brain refused to allow you to fall into blissful sleep? As long as your emotions are influenced by excessive amounts of stress, the pressure will continue to spark anxiety which will continue to rob you of sleep, even if your body is completely wiped out. A vicious cycle of insomnia not only prevents the body from getting the restorative sleep it needs, it can contribute to depression or panic disorder.

People are so busy these days that it can be a challenge to check off everything on to-do lists, so it is rather common to see folks working right up until bedtime. However, if you are having problems turning off your thoughts at night, you must break this habit and allow yourself to calm your mind in preparation for sleep. That means you need to avoid activities like housework, checking emails, paying bills, or any other activity which keeps your mind active, for at least an hour before your usual bedtime.

Anxiety and Sleep

What fuels the mind and makes it work overtime in the majority of cases is anxiety. The bed is supposed to be a place for sleep, yet many individuals lie in bed with thoughts spilling over, and are unable to get the thoughts to cease because they provoke anxiety. The chances of solving any problems while trying to fall asleep are slim, so the constant worrying only serves to interrupt much-needed sleep. Honestly, how often have you been able to solve an issue you were worried about, after you crawled in bed? Your mind will be better equipped to solve any issues which plague you if you shut off your thoughts and allow the restorative benefits of sleep to take over.

Go To Paradise

Try redirecting your thoughts by practicing guided imagery. While lying in bed, close your eyes and imagine a beautiful place, such as a tropical paradise. Breathe slowly and evenly, while imagining hearing the waves crash on the beach, and feeling the sand and the warmth of the sun. You can even play ambient sounds of the ocean to help you visualize the scene. This relaxation technique can be extremely effective in not only shutting off the endless chatter in your brain, but also in getting you to fall asleep.

If you are concerned that ideas or concerns will pop into your head in the middle of the night, keep a notebook and a pen next to your bed. Once you write something down, put the notebook away and let it go. Remember that it really can wait until tomorrow.

Macafem Video Review on YouTube

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Please check out my review of Macafem which was shot in 2015. Macafem is a supplement designed to address the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause (hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, etc.). I have not been approached, paid, or otherwise encouraged by the makers of Macafem to put a review together. This video is merely my unbiased review of the product from my personal experience taking it.

I am still taking Macafem, and my symptoms of night sweats and hot flashes have pretty much subsided. I also lost all the water weight I was carrying while I went through menopause.

Tired Body, Active Brain

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Improve-Your-Sleep-806x393

Original post can be found at:

http://xactmind.com/xc/articles/tired-body-active-brain/

By: Dr. Stacey Naito – Physician and IFBB Pro

Where Is The Off Switch?

Have you ever been so wound up with thoughts or concerns that your brain refused to allow you to fall into blissful sleep? As long as your emotions are influenced by excessive amounts of stress, the pressure will continue to spark anxiety which will continue to rob you of sleep, even if your body is completely wiped out. A vicious cycle of insomnia not only prevents the body from getting the restorative sleep it needs, it can contribute to depression or panic disorder.

People are so busy these days that it can be a challenge to check off everything on to-do lists, so it is rather common to see folks working right up until bedtime. However, if you are having problems turning off your thoughts at night, you must break this habit and allow yourself to calm your mind in preparation for sleep. That means you need to avoid activities like housework, checking emails, paying bills, or any other activity which keeps your mind active, for at least an hour before your usual bedtime.

Anxiety and Sleep

What fuels the mind and makes it work overtime in the majority of cases is anxiety. The bed is supposed to be a place for sleep, yet many individuals lie in bed with thoughts spilling over, and are unable to get the thoughts to cease because they provoke anxiety. The chances of solving any problems while trying to fall asleep are slim, so the constant worrying only serves to interrupt much-needed sleep. Honestly, how often have you been able to solve an issue you were worried about, after you crawled in bed? Your mind will be better equipped to solve any issues which plague you if you shut off your thoughts and allow the restorative benefits of sleep to take over.

Go To Paradise

Try redirecting your thoughts by practicing guided imagery. While lying in bed, close your eyes and imagine a beautiful place, such as a tropical paradise. Breathe slowly and evenly, while imagining hearing the waves crash on the beach, and feeling the sand and the warmth of the sun. You can even play ambient sounds of the ocean to help you visualize the scene. This relaxation technique can be extremely effective in not only shutting off the endless chatter in your brain, but also in getting you to fall asleep.

If you are concerned that ideas or concerns will pop into your head in the middle of the night, keep a notebook and a pen next to your bed. Once you write something down, put the notebook away and let it go. Remember that it really can wait until tomorrow.

Hot and Cold

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Hot-Flashes-2

Many women who are in their early 40’s and beyond experience a roller coaster ride with their internal thermostats which is absolutely maddening. They can go from sitting comfortably one minute, to a sudden sweat and flush which makes them feel like they are standing next to a fiery blaze the next minute. Such a roast-fest can last from seconds to minutes, after which a woman may feel pretty comfortable. But the pendulum can swing the other way, and the woman may suddenly feel very cold once the air conditioning has kicked in, prompting her to put on a sweater. Guess what? Chances are that sweater will be peeled off in a matter of minutes when the woman has another hot flash. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold. Fun times. Such fluctuations in a woman’s perception of temperature, coupled with her constant putting on and taking off layers of clothing, are often perceived as pretty nutty by people who don’t have a clue about the torture these women go through.

I can relate to the constant temperature fluctuations because I have been suffering from it for over a year now. I fully realize that my body doesn’t know what temperature it is. Thanks to hormonal imbalance and the decline associated with peri-menopause, I am very familiar with the sweating which is sudden and intense, and I know that feeling of desperation which has me peeling off clothes, fanning myself, and sticking my head in freezers and in front of blowing fans. However, I only recently began experiencing the feeling that I am suddenly freezing my butt off, and I truly can’t stand it. My perception of the ambient temperature can go from upper 70’s, to 120 degrees, to 60 degrees, within 5 minutes flat.

woman with chills

On my worst days I will have maybe five or six of these episodes, so the daytime hours aren’t too bad, but my evenings make up for the relative break I get during the day, because I am hot and sweaty for many hours and cannot cool down at all, even if I wear a cooling towel around my neck, lie on the floor under my ceiling fan (the darned thing is positioned right over the foot of the bed and doesn’t cool me off at all when I am in bed), and lie over the covers. My bedroom feels like it is 100 degrees and I cannot get away from the heat because, of course, the heat is emanating from ME. My hypothalamus is tricked every night into perceiving that my body needs to release excess heat. I know that this is the result of low estrogen levels, but my professional knowledge of estrogen therapy is enough to keep me from ever supplementing with estrogen, so I will continue to suffer as long as my hypothalamus triggers the way it does. At least I know I am not alone: about 85% of women who are peri-menopausal experience hot flashes. Hot flashes can last from several months up to 15 years, with an average of 2 years. I hope and pray that I fall into the average! Seriously, hot flashes and night sweats are absolutely miserable. I often get as little as two hours of sleep at night when my night sweats are in full effect!

Melatonin

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Originally published on RxGirl on Thursday, 19 June 2014

http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/11102-melatonin.html
Sleep-girl
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain which regulates the wake-sleep cycle. Production is turned on later in the evening when lights are turned off for bedtime. However, there are a number of poor habits which people commonly engage in which interfere with the body’s production of melatonin, with harmful results such as impaired immune response, increased rate of cellular aging, and increasing the risk of cancer formation.

Basically, those late nights you spend watching TV or reading are interfering with optimal health. As soon as a light is turned on at night, you send a signal to your brain that it is daytime. Production of melatonin ceases and does not resume when you turn the light off either.

Shorter wavelengths (red, orange, yellow) of light are less detrimental than white or blue light and should be used in the evening. I love the salt lamp I have in my bedroom and try to use that light as my sole illumination in the bedroom as much as possible at night.

Why is it so important to preserve the body’s natural production of melatonin? Because melatonin is a potent antioxidant and excellent for reducing inflammation throughout the body, including the brain.

Implement the following guidelines to optimize the body’s production of melatonin:

1. Try to get daily bright sun exposure. Production of melatonin approximates the contrast between bright sun exposure during the day and complete darkness in the evening.

SuprachiasmaticNucleus

2. Turn off your computer and TV at least one hour before going to bed. Both computers and televisions emit blue light which interferes with the body’s normal production of melatonin.

3. Sleep without any lights on. The darker your room is while you sleep, the better chance you have of allowing your body to produce melatonin without interruption.

4. Drop the thermostat to 60 to 70 degrees.

If you think your melatonin levels are low or you have lab work demonstrating low melatonin, and you also suffer from insomnia, you might want to supplement with melatonin tablets. Beware of the dosage, and keep it at 0.5 to 3 milligrams maximum dosage each night. At higher doses, melatonin can have hypnotic effects on some individuals, and on others, a paradoxical hyperaware state may manifest.

On a personal note, I had lab work early this year which demonstrated low melatonin, but I wasn’t suffering from insomnia. A colleague insisted I supplement with 3 milligrams of melatonin per night, which resulted in anxiety and a completely sleepless night for all of the nights I took melatonin.

Another caution: If you are trying to get pregnant, you must avoid taking melatonin supplements because they interfere with fertility.

Melatonin Article For RxGirl.com

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Original post can be found here:

http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/11102-melatonin.html

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain which regulates the wake-sleep cycle. Production is turned on later in the evening when lights are turned off for bedtime. However, there are a number of poor habits which people commonly engage in which interfere with the body’s production of melatonin, with harmful results such as impaired immune response, increased rate of cellular aging, and increasing the risk of cancer formation. Basically, those late nights you spend watching T.V. or reading are interfering with optimal health. As soon as a light is turned on at night, you send a signal to your brain that is daytime, and production of melatonin ceases, and does not resume when you turn the light off either.
Shorter wavelengths (red, orange, yellow) of light are less detrimental than white or blue light and should be used in the evening. I love the salt lamp I have in my bedroom and try to use that light as my sole illumination in the bedroom as much as possible at night. Why is it so important to preserve the body’s natural production of melatonin? Because melatonin is a potent antioxidant and excellent for reducing inflammation throughout the body, including the brain.

Implement the following guidelines to optimize the body’s production of melatonin:

SuprachiasmaticNucleus1. Try to get daily bright sun exposure. Production of melatonin approximates the contrast between bright sun exposure during the day and complete darkness in the evening.

2. Turn off your computer and T.V. at least one hour before going to bed. Both computers and T.V.’s emit blue light which interferes with the body’s normal production of melatonin.

3. Sleep without any lights on. The darker your room is while you sleep, the better chance you have of allowing your body to produce melatonin without interruption.

4. Drop the thermostat to 60 to 70 degrees.

If you think your melatonin levels are low or you have labwork demonstrating low melatonin, and you also suffer from insomnia, you might want to supplement with melatonin tablets. Beware of the dosage, and keep it at 0.5 to 3 milligrams maximum dosage each night. At higher doses, melatonin can have hypnotic effects on some individuals, and on others, a paradoxical hyperaware state may manifest. On a personal note, I had labwork early this year which demonstrated low melatonin, but I wasn’t suffering from insomnia. A colleague insisted I supplement with 3 milligrams of melatonin per night, which resulted in anxiety and a completely sleepless night for all of the nights I took melatonin. Another caution is if you are trying to get pregnant, you must avoid taking melatonin supplements, because they interfere with fertility.

I Sleep Like A Rock

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Sleep-GarfieldI feel sorry for everyone who suffers from insomnia and can only imagine how exhausting it must be to have the desire to sleep with a body that won’t allow slumber to occur. Though I have had a few very brief bouts of insomnia in my life, I have always slept VERY deeply from the time I was an infant. My mother found it humorous that I could sleep through alarms and small earthquakes without a single response. This actually was problematic for me in my teens and early adulthood because it always required a gargantuan effort on my part to try to wake up at a decent hour.

Even now, after suffering from several days of sleep deprivation, my body completely rebels and insists on a full eight hours of sleep, pinning my eyelids together and making it impossible for me to progress from a state of slumber to a wakeful state until the full eight hour rest stretch is completed. I can hear insomniacs around the globe groaning as they read this blogpost, but this is honestly a problem! I can also drink a large mug of caffeinated coffee right before going to bed and sleep like a baby. Believe me when I say I wish I could bottle this up for insomniacs because I would be filthy rich by now!

Can’t Sleep? Try This Sleep Aid

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Delta SleepFor many years I have recommended the Delta Sleep System to patients who suffered from insomnia and have had incredible results reported by many people. Here is a description of the system:

There are several stages of sleep that people pass through in the course of a good restful night. In each stage our sleep gets deeper, our bodies gets more relaxed, and our brainwave patterns slow down. The deepest and most rejuvenating levels of sleep are associated with delta brainwave patterns.

Delta sleep is the most physically relaxed stage of sleep, and it is the time when the body recuperates and rebalances itself for the new day. Getting enough sleep, but more specifically enough delta sleep, is essential for healthy, productive living.

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s breakthrough audio techniques, developed over 25 years of clinical research, are proven to increase levels of delta brainwave activity. He has helped thousands of people to achieve regular, restful, revitalizing, sleep.

How This Program Can Work for You
Play Delta Sleep System on any ordinary stereo or through headphones. Pulses of sound embedded into an ambient musical soundtrack, combining rich orchestration and three-dimensional sounds of nature will coax your own brainwaves toward their natural pattern of deep delta sleep.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8225570

http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/Delta-Sleep-System/2222.pd

This remarkable system is available in CD and MP3 formats.

Tossing And Turning? Cures For Insomnia

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man-sleepingIt can be incredibly frustrating to toss and turn in bed when the thing you want the most is to slip into blessed slumber. Insomnia is often aggravated by the chronic use of medications and an erratic schedule. Here are some tips which should help people with insomnia.

1. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.
2. Create a relaxing bedroom environment. Your bedroom should be quiet and relaxing.
3. Remove electronics from the bedroom. TVs and computers should not be in your bedroom.
4. Use your bed only for sleep. Do not read or watch TV while you are in bed.
5. Avoid eating a large meal before bedtime.
6. If you can’t fall asleep after ten minutes, get out of bed and do something in another room until you feel sleepy again.
7. Use relaxation techniques when you lie down to sleep. Here is a great technique which promotes deep relaxation:

Lie on your back in bed. In this exercise you will imagine that parts of your body feel warm and heavy. Once that body part feels warm and heavy, you will move onto the next body part.

“My head feels warm and heavy.”
“My shoulders feel warm and heavy.”
“My chest feels warm and heavy.”
“My arms feel warm and heavy.”
“My hands feel warm and heavy.”
“My belly feels warm and heavy.”
“My hips feel warm and heavy.”
“My legs feel warm and heavy.”
“My feet feel warm and heavy.”