Sweet Sleep Blog

Sleep Disorders affect over 70 Million Americans Sleep disorders are not rare.  They are actually common and many may actually suffer from a sleep disorder or other sleep issue and not even be aware of it.   Signs of a Sleep Disorder or Sleep Issue Taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep Feeling tired or irritable during the day even though you got seven to eight hours of sleep Waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to fall back asleep Needing long naps during the day Concentrating on your work or school is a struggle Falling asleep at inappropriate times Waking too early in the morning Very loud snoring that may even disturb your sleeping partner Feeling a tingly or crawling sensation in your legs while trying to sleep Needing coffee or other stimulants to keep you awake during the day

Article of the Week Have you ever fallen asleep while driving?  Have you ever driven while drinking or drunk?  You may actually be surprised that while driving drunk is a huge no for most everyone and almost everyone knows that it is not only illegal but incredibly dangerous, driving tired can be just as dangerous.  Read more here . 

Article of the Week!   Your sleep affects not only your mood but your health.  Without the proper sleep, you can develop many health issues and not just the obvious ones.  Read more here ! 

Guided Meditation  To prepare for guided meditation, turn off all of your electronics. You will, of course, need one to listen to your meditation guide, but there's no need to watch this, listening will work perfectly.  For this technique, start your guide video or audio, turn off the screen so it is dark and lay in your bed.  Relax and stretch out and take three deep breaths.  It's okay if your mind wonders during your meditation but try to bring it back into focus and concentrate on your breaths and the way your body moves as you breathe.  Then simply follow the audio of your guide. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Lay in your bed, make sure your room is dark and you're comfortable.  Then starting at the top of your head work your way down your body in the following exercise.  Tense each muscle for five seconds and then relax it, relax for ten seconds and then move on to the next grouping.   Forehead. Wrinkle your brow or raise you...

Excessive Sleepiness What is it?   Excessive sleepiness is feeling very tired or drowsy during the day. It is often confused with fatigue, but they are different struggles.  Excessive Sleepiness vs Fatigue  Fatigue is dealing with low energy. You can be physically, mentally, or emotionally fatigued.  This is usually a result of either a medical condition or overusing your body or mind.    Excessive Sleepiness makes you feel so tired that it ends up interfering with your daily life. Excessive sleepiness is often a sign you may have a sleep disorder that is keeping you from getting the sleep you need to function.  Treatment Since excessive sleepiness is not actually a condition, but a symptom, the best way to treat it is by determining the cause.  If being excessively sleepy is keeping you from daily tasks and affecting your work, relationship, or what you need to get done, call to schedule your visit with Dr. Bhat  (...

Weekly Article This week's article is about Sleep Apnea.  We will talk all about the sleep disorder and some great info about how to help cope.   https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-apnea 

Insomnia We've talked about insomnia over the past couple of days.  Many times people will go undiagnosed with a sleep disorder, feeling that they're just a light sleeper, or that they just don't need a lot of sleep to function.  The truth is that you do need sleep.  Your body cannot function correctly without enough sleep and it is very rare for a person to actually need under 7 to 8 hours of sleep.  Many common signs of insomnia are Fatigue Problems with attention, concentration or memory (cognitive impairment) Poor performance at school or work Moodiness or irritability Daytime sleepiness Impulsiveness or aggression Lack of energy or motivation Errors or accidents Concern or frustration about your sleep If you are suffering from any of these symptoms you should consider speaking with a sleep specialist.   Insomnia or Not? How do you know if it's insomnia keeping you up?  Sometimes it's not a disorder at all that keeps yo...

Nutrition Nutrition is one of the key parts of being healthy and keeping your body on track to get the sleep it needs.  Getting a good night's sleep involves so many factors including having a good diet.  This recipe is amazing if you are suffering from Insomnia. Berry Smoothie 1/4 cup frozen strawberries 1/4 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 cup spinach 1/2 banana A handful of walnuts 2 tbsp raw honey Why This smoothie is perfect for great sleep because it is full of tryptophan.  This is an amino acid that is perfect for helping you fall asleep.  When your body breaks down tryptophan is turned it into serotonin and melatonin and this helps your body start the sleep process. 

The Key to Understanding is Knowledge  When you are facing a sleep disorder the key to dealing this them is education.  You must do research, consult with doctors, a sleep specialist, and peers who are also dealing with your condition.   We're talking about Insomnia today.  Here is a great read that we found full of great information.  https://sleepfoundation.org/insomnia/content/what-is-insomnia Don't forget to come back tomorrow for our next blog!

What is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder, stemming  from the brain’s inability to regulate periods of sleep and wakefulness ( Michael Breus, Ph.D., ABSM).  Most of the time those who suffer from Narcolepsy will feel that they are rested and ready for the day but then will become extremely tired throughout the day and may fall asleep involuntarily.  Symptoms of Narcolepsy Excessive Daytime Sleepiness is exactly what it sounds like, being excessively tired regardless of how much sleep you've gotten.   Cataplexy is sudden muscle weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control. This can often times be brought on by strong emotions making it a difficult to deal with. Sleep paralysis, hallucinations, fragmented sleep, insomnia, and automatic behaviors are also signs of narcolepsy.  Causes When cataplexy is present it is almost always connected to extremely low levels of hypocretin.  Hypocretin is a chemical that natura...

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."  Virginia Woolf This quote perfectly explains the relationship between your diet and your health.  At the very core of your health is the nutrition you put into your body.  The food you eat should contain nutrition that will give you the vitamins, protein, calories, minerals, etc., that our bodies need to thrive.  Without the correct balance of nutrition we can be left feeling sluggish, hungry even after a meal, or even ill.  Get in the right nutrition Most of us know the importance of having the right balance of fruits, veggies, protein, grains, fats, etc., in our diets.  There is more to finding the right nutrition for your body that needs to be considered.  Many people have intolerances to food that they may not even be aware of.  Dairy and gluten are the biggest hidden sensitivites.  These can cause many health problems that aren't as obvious as perhaps a ...

Can't get to sleep? Ask yourself a few questions the next time you can't get to sleep.   1) Did you check your phone right before bed? 2) Are you going to bed at different times every night?  Where you in bed by 11 last night and trying to get into bed at 9 tonight? 3) Did you have that super yummy coffee on your lunch break? Or even later? 4) Is your bed comfortable?  5) Are you hot? Or is there a ton of light in your room? Any of these factors can lead to struggling with falling asleep.  Make sure to avoid screens about an hour before bed, get to sleep at the same time each night, skip that coffee in the afternoon, and make your room super comfortable! 

Are you stressed?  Listen to your body and find out if you are stressed.  Signs that you are too stressed include your mind is racing and you just can't stop thinking, extremely tense muscles, and racing heart. If you have any of these problems your stress may be preventing you from sleeping.  De-stress So you've determined that you are stressed and it is probably keeping you from sleeping well, so now you're stressing about your stress, which leads you to lose sleep and then the lack of sleep leads to more stress.  It is a horrible cycle.  What can you do?  De-stress!  Try some of the following relaxing techniques. Take a warm bath Drink your favorite warm tea. Try a new caffeine-free blend  Breathing Techniques Close your eyes and notice your breathing. Turn all your attention to your natural breathing pattern and feel the air enter and leave your nose or mouth. Visualize the flow of air as it passes through your mouth,...

Your body's natural clock In our last blog , we discussed jet lag and the effects of travel on our body's natural "clock".  Let's learn more about that natural clock and how it effects  our sleep.  What is our natural clock?  Our body's natural Circadian Biological Clock  regulates the timing of periods of sleepiness and wakefulness throughout the day.  Your body's  circadian rhythm dips and rises throughout the day.  Adults usually experience the largest dips during early morning times around 2 to 4 am and afternoon. Making sure that you have had plenty of rest will help you to avoid a serious dip in the afternoon that can leave you feeling drowsy at work.   Changes to your natural clock You may notice that your teen seems to suddenly be sleeping in and staying up late.  This is due to changes in their  circadian rhythm.  Many teens experience a delay in their sleeping phases and suddenly they are struggling ...

What is Jet Lag? Jet Lag is a very common temporary sleep disorder.  Most people have experienced this disorder while traveling.  It's not only for those flying long distances but for driving and any sort of travel that takes you from your usual time zone.   What causes Jet Lag? Circadian Rhythms are the key to jet lag.  Our exposure to sunlight helps to determine our sleeping patterns.  Jet lag comes from your body's natural biological "clock" becoming thrown off from the time zone changes.  Your body has a natural "clock" where it is used to the sun going down, then bedtime.  But when you change time zones your body is used to the sun being down at a different time and you can experience jet lag.  What can you do about Jet Lag?  Try to arrive at your destination in the early evening and stay up until 10:00 PM.  Make sure you start working on local time by setting your watch to the local time when you begin your trip....

Sleep Environment Your sleeping environment can be a huge key to your successful night's sleep.  If you're uncomfortable in your space for any reason, or it just isn't relaxing enough it may actually be key to that poor sleep. Visual What you see is a large part of creating your ideal sleeping environment.  Is there too much light? Do you have electronics that immite blue light? This can interfere with your body's natural melatonin production.  Having your room dark is absolutely best for sleeping.  Having a peaceful room with simple flat paints in colors that are relaxing such as blues and greens can also get your body ready to sleep.  If you get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom try not to turn on any lights as this will start your brain's wake up process. It will be harder to fall asleep when you get back to bed. Installing a few nightlights around your home can make this easier.   Sound Sound is the next part of c...

Connecting Sleep to Anxiety When we sleep our brains clear out the clutter.  It gets rid of the choas of the day and gets our brains ready for the next day.  When your sleep is disrupted and you're waking often in the right it can cause your thoughts to become stuck in a pattern of negative thoughts.  This leads to an increase of feeling anxious.   Connecting Anxiety to Sleep Anxiety is a terrible feeling to battle.  When you are feeling anxious it can cause you to have a difficult time sleeping.   As you're struggling with sleep, the lack of sleep will then lead to feeling more anxious.   Stop the Cycle  If you do not have any medical situations keeping you from sleep you can do some simple things to help you get more sleep.  Try getting rid of those electronics.  Stop staring at your phone about an hour before bed.  Establish your sleeping schedule and keep with it through the weekend too.  Try t...

Q&A Many clients all have a very important question that they ask.  How much sleep do I actually need?  I feel fine after just sleeping for 6 hours while my partner seems to sleep forever! How Much Sleep Do You Need? How much sleep each person needs varies slightly from person to person.  Most adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep to be able to function correctly and feel rested.  Some adults do need more and very few need less sleep.  A sleep journal is a perfect way to find out how many hours you need to sleep. Finding Out The best way to determine exactly how much sleep it takes for you to feel rested is to go to sleep when you feel tired in the evening and sleep without an alarm.  This can be tricky around work schedules so starting this when you’re on vacation or over a long weekend is a great idea.  Starting Friday night, instead of staying up to binge watch that favorite show, go ahead and have an early dinner aroun...

Pets! Let’s talk about pets.  We all love our fluffy family members! They provide unconditional love and great cuddles.  But what do they have to do with sleep?  A lot. Sleeping with Pets According to research done by the Mayo Clinic pets can be great and terrible for sleep.  Their research showed that people who sleep with their furry family members in their bedroom had a higher quality of sleep.  However, they also found that if you let those fluffy little pets under your covers to sleep you may end up suffering from a poor quality of sleep instead.  So instead of letting your cuddle happy dog into the bed try getting a nice dog bed for them and training them to sleep beside the bed instead of joining you. Let's Hear From You! I’d love to hear from you!  Do you let your pets in bed with you? How many pets?  Do you find that they wake you up at night? 

New Year, New Goals With the New Year, everyone has been focusing hard on those New Year’s Resolutions!  How are you doing on yours?!  I hope it’s going great for you!  I wanted to take a little time today and talk to you about a super important topic that I believe should absolutely be a goal for everyone this year.  Getting more sleep. Get More Sleep Life is busy and a lot of times we just grab that extra cup of coffee and yawn throughout our day.  Sleep isn’t really one of those things we think of as a goal.  Parents stay up late after the kids go to bed just to have some quiet time, or you get excited to catch up on your favorite show and binge watch it on TV until the next thing you know it’s 1 am and you’ve got work in the morning.  We’ve all been there, but what is this doing to our bodies?  Sleep is Important Sleep is a vital part of our health.  It’s how our body heals, resets, and gets ready for the next day!  ...