Sweet Sleep Blog

Article of the Week!  This is an article that will give you some great insight into the sleep needs of your teens and why they may be sleeping in on the weekends!  Read it Here ! 

Do You Have RLS?  One of the biggest factors with RLS is a feeling that you need to move your legs that you cannot help.  This is accompanied with uncomfortable feelings that  include creeping, itching, pulling, creepy-crawly, tugging, or gnawing.  RLS may also include movement of your legs that can inturrupt your night's sleep.  These movements are known as PLMS and can occure every 20 to 30 minutes.  If you feel the uncomfortable sensations to move and do move your legs the sympotoms ease, this is also a sign that you may have RLS.  The longer you are at rest, the greater the chance the symptoms will occur and the more severe they are likely to be and they will usually be worse at night. If you are experiencing signs of RLS or any sleep disorder come see us at the Sweet Sleep Studio to take control of your sleep again.  Check out our website here . 

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  (...

Stretches for Better Sleep Spinal Twist  Knee to Chest Back Stretch Reclining Hamstring Stretch Lying Side Quad Stretch Half Happy Baby Happy Baby Cobra Fish Butterfly

CPAP CPAP stands for  Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.  CPAP devices are the usual treatment recommended for sleep apnea.  A CPAP is a small box that works by using a quiet fan, humidification chamber, and filter to create the optimal relief to nasal passages during sleep.   The device delivers relief through flexible hosing and a mask.  The mask is key to how successful the device is for the patient and should be well fitted and comfortable.    Alternatives Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) Therapy Weight Loss if you are overweight Positional Therapy (Mild Cases) Surgery Acupuncture  Oral Appliance Therapy

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. 

What is acupuncture? Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body.  This is most often done by inserting thin needles.   Are there risks? The main risk from acupuncture is non-sterile needles and incorrect delivery.  Make sure that when you are scheduling your acupuncture you go with a professional with a sound reputation and a very clean office.   Most states require a diploma from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for licensing to practice acupuncture. Benefits Acupuncture is used by many to treat pain, stress, headaches, and more.  Relieving your body of stress and pain can lead to being able to fall asleep faster and sleep better.  Those who suffer from insomnia can also find relief after acupuncture.  Beijing University of Chinese Medicine performed a large analysis that showed " patients who were taking medications or herbal treatments t...

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 ...

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?