Sleep Disorders/disturbances
Is Sleep important?
Sleep is essential to all people. Sleep rejuvenates the body or else we are left feeling exhausted, irritable, and unable to do daily things. This can also result in other physical and psychological symptoms. There’s a lot of research that’s been done on the various ways sleep can reset the body. It gives us time to process everything that happened during the day and restores our bodies to health.
Research is still studying the many effects of a balanced night's sleep including its contribution to physical and mental health. For example, sleep gives the brain time to build new connections, meaning we can learn more effectively and easier. Not getting enough sleep or insomnia can compromise any of these functions.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is described as an inadequate amount of sleep or poor quality of sleep.
Insomnia is characterized by at least 1 or more of the following symptoms:
- difficulty falling asleep
- difficulty staying asleep
- waking up too early
- waking up not feeling refreshed
Insomnia is considered acute if any of these things happen once every few weeks. Chronic insomnia is when they happen 3 times a week for at least one month.
| Sleep Disorders | Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Circadian-Rhythm Sleep Disorders, sleepwalking, night terrors, dreams, sleep paralysis |
| Psychological | Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder |
| Pain | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, arthritis etc. |
| Hormonal | Menopause, Premenstrual Syndrome, Puberty, Thyroid Disorders, &, other endocrine disorders |
| Digestive | GERD, stomach pains, being too full |
| Neurological | Brain Injuries etc. |
| Lifestyle | Alcohol & Drug Use, Eating too close to bedtime, caffeine use, stress, obesity, Jet Lag, sleep environment (light, screens, noise etc.) |
There are a variety of reasons for difficulty sleeping and insomnia. Physical causes and lifestyle factors contribute to insomnia. Other factors such as overindulging of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, poor diet, not getting enough exercise as well as our sleep environment can all contribute to insomnia.
Children and adults need roughly 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night whereas teenagers require 9 - 13 hours of sleep. The goal is that the person will wake up the next morning rejuvenated and with renewed strength. This effect is due to the experience of all the different sleep phases.
The goal is to get enough sleep to let your body get into different stages. For most people, that’s about 8 hours a night, (but it’s different from person to person). Sleep is made up of 2 stages, known as Non-REM sleep (non-rapid eye movement) and REM sleep.
Non-REM has 4 different stages, which make up the first part of the sleep cycle.
- Non-REM sleep begins with light sleep and as we move, through stage 1 to stage 4, we get to very deep sleep.
- REM sleep is characterized by the rapid movement of the eyes when one is asleep. This is also the stage where dreams occur.
The different cycles alternate throughout sleep. Right after going to bed most of the time is spent in the deeper sleep of the non-REM cycles. As the night continues, the REM and light sleep phases get longer, so by morning, it is mainly REM sleep. Different parts of the brain are active at different times of the cycles. The brain does not sleep but uses the time to process and sort the experiences of the day.
Even though the functions of each phase is not clear, what is important is that each phase allows us to rejuvenate, and process information so we feel our best the next day. Getting as much sleep every night is integral for us to function properly.
Many natural remedies including plants and nutrients that are non-pharmacological can also help to calm the body down and help to improve sleep quality and quantity.
There are many non-pharmacological ways to help the body calm down and help improve sleep quality & quantity. Many natural remedies including plants, and nutrients such as passionflower, lemon balm, skullcap, oat straw, valerian, hops etc. These herbs can be taken alone or combined to help the body relax, decrease restlessness and promote sleep.
If your issues with insomnia or restlessness are due to mental stress, then passionflower found in the Pascoflair can help! Passionflower is traditionally used as a sleep aid in herbal medicine and has 425mg dry extract of passiflora incarnata (passionflower) per tablet. The highest on the market, Pascoflair helps to calm the mind by shutting off running thoughts, helping you fall asleep fast and waking up feeling refreshed. Passionflower helps to relax the mind, which is followed by the body, and resulting in sleep.
The most important thing when dealing with sleep disturbances is to find out the cause of the problem and treat that. If there is no underlying issue it’s important to look at your lifestyle and how it might be affecting your sleep. In extreme cases, therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help with sleep problems. When looking at sleep problems, it’s important to consider your environment, diet, exercise, drug use, and stress (from work & family life). Lifestyle changes can make a difference in sleep patterns & quality.
Melatonin is the hormone responsible for letting our bodies know when to fall asleep. When it gets dark, melatonin increases and makes our bodies tired. If we are exposed to blue light late at night, such as TV and computer screens, melatonin does not know that it is supposed to be rising. Not using devices such as TVs, computers, and phones at least one hour before bed can give our body the signal that it’s time to increase melatonin, and in turn help us fall asleep.
Sleep is also impacted by stress. Cortisol is the stress hormone in our bodies, which keeps us awake. When cortisol is high, melatonin can’t help us fall asleep. Normally Cortisol levels will drop at night when our stress levels go down. However, if the stress does not go down at night, cortisol levels will remain high and melatonin will not be able to rise to tell our bodies that it is time to sleep. It is very important to look at stress both in the family and in the workplace when evaluating sleep problems. These two hormones regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle also known as the circadian rhythm. An imbalance between cortisol and melatonin can cause circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
How do you diagnose a sleep disorder?
Diagnosing a sleep disorder can be difficult as sleep quality is very subjective. On one hand, some people feel they don’t get enough sleep but are physically and mentally refreshed in the daytime. Others feel like they get a lot of sleep time but feel exhausted and not refreshed during the day.
A self-test using a sleep diary can help you figure out whether a sleep disorder is bothering you. The DSM-5 can also help figure out what kind of sleep disorder you have. However, a doctor should be consulted for a diagnosis. The true diagnostic test for a sleep disorder is a sleep study along with a person's signs and symptoms.
How to sleep better and faster?
Some other changes that can help to relax the body, to increase sleep hygiene and decrease insomnia include:
- Go for a walk in the evening.
- Have a light and early evening meal, avoid eating late
- Air your bedroom properly before going to bed.
- Ban all items from your bedroom that remind you of work and stress.
- Take all electrical devices (mobile phone, TV set, digital alarm clock...) out of your bedroom.
- If you need to get up at night, keep the lighting at a low level!
- Implement a pre-sleep ritual to help you wind down and get ready for bed
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques.
- Avoid naps when possible
- maintain a regular sleep schedule to train the body to regulate its sleep-wake cycle
- impose a consistent bedtime each night
- create habits to remind the body that the day is winding down and that it is time to relax
- pay attention to current night patterns to try and understand what is happening in your current evening schedule
- decrease any risk factors for insomnia such as being obese or overweight and get treatment for all health conditions
- exercise to decrease feelings of anxiety and nervousness
- get evaluated for any Sleep Disorders and treat appropriately
- treat any medical conditions
- keep asleep diary to identify any triggers to insomnia
- decrease the use of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine
Sleep Disorders/disturbances
Sleep is essential to all people. Sleep rejuvenates the body or else we are left feeling exhausted, irritable, and unable to do daily things. This can also result in other physical and psychological symptoms. There’s a lot of research that’s been done on the various ways sleep can reset the body. It gives us time to process everything that happened during the day and restores our bodies to health.
Research is still studying the many effects of a balanced night's sleep including its contribution to physical and mental health. For example, sleep gives the brain time to build new connections, meaning we can learn more effectively and easier. Not getting enough sleep or insomnia can compromise any of these functions.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is described as an inadequate amount of sleep or poor quality of sleep. Insomnia is characterized by at least 1 or more of the following symptoms
- difficulty falling asleep
- difficulty staying asleep
- waking up too early
- waking up not feeling refreshed
Insomnia is considered acute if any of these things happen once every few weeks. Chronic insomnia is when they happen 3 times a week for at least one month.
| Sleep Disorders | Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Circadian-Rhythm Sleep Disorders, sleepwalking, night terrors, dreams, sleep paralysis |
| Psychological | Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder |
| Pain | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, arthritis etc. |
| Hormonal | Menopause, Premenstrual Syndrome, Puberty, Thyroid Disorders, &, other endocrine disorders |
| Digestive | GERD, stomach pains, being too full |
| Neurological | Brain Injuries etc. |
| Lifestyle | Alcohol & Drug Use, Eating too close to bedtime, caffeine use, stress, obesity, Jet Lag, sleep environment (light, screens, noise etc.) |
There are a variety of reasons for difficulty sleeping and insomnia. Physical causes and lifestyle factors contribute to insomnia. Other factors such as overindulging of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, poor diet, not getting enough exercise as well as our sleep environment can all contribute to insomnia.
Children and adults need roughly 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night whereas teenagers require 9 - 13 hours of sleep. The goal is that the person will wake up the next morning rejuvenated and with renewed strength. This effect is due to the experience of all the different sleep phases.
The goal is to get enough sleep to let your body get into different stages. For most people, that’s about 8 hours a night, (but it’s different from person to person). Sleep is made up of 2 stages, known as Non-REM sleep (non-rapid eye movement) and REM sleep.
Non-REM has 4 different stages, which make up the first part of the sleep cycle.
- Non-REM sleep begins with light sleep and as we move, through stage 1 to stage 4, we get to very deep sleep.
- REM sleep is characterized by the rapid movement of the eyes when one is asleep. This is also the stage where dreams occur.
The different cycles alternate throughout sleep. Right after going to bed most of the time is spent in the deeper sleep of the non-REM cycles. As the night continues, the REM and light sleep phases get longer, so by morning, it is mainly REM sleep. Different parts of the brain are active at different times of the cycles. The brain does not sleep but uses the time to process and sort the experiences of the day.
Even though the functions of each phase is not clear, what is important is that each phase allows us to rejuvenate, and process information so we feel our best the next day. Getting as much sleep every night is integral for us to function properly.
Many natural remedies including plants and nutrients that are non-pharmacological can also help to calm the body down and help to improve sleep quality and quantity.
There are many non-pharmacological ways to help the body calm down and help improve sleep quality & quantity. Many natural remedies including plants, and nutrients such as passionflower, lemon balm, skullcap, oat straw, valerian, hops etc. These herbs can be taken alone or combined to help the body relax, decrease restlessness and promote sleep.
If your issues with insomnia or restlessness are due to mental stress, then passionflower found in the Pascoflair can help! Passionflower is traditionally used as a sleep aid in herbal medicine and has 425mg dry extract of passiflora incarnata (passionflower) per tablet. The highest on the market, Pascoflair helps to calm the mind by shutting off running thoughts, helping you fall asleep fast and waking up feeling refreshed. Passionflower helps to relax the mind, which is followed by the body, and resulting in sleep.
The most important thing when dealing with sleep disturbances is to find out the cause of the problem and treat that. If there is no underlying issue it’s important to look at your lifestyle and how it might be affecting your sleep. In extreme cases, therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help with sleep problems. When looking at sleep problems, it’s important to consider your environment, diet, exercise, drug use, and stress (from work & family life). Lifestyle changes can make a difference in sleep patterns & quality.
Melatonin is the hormone responsible for letting our bodies know when to fall asleep. When it gets dark, melatonin increases and makes our bodies tired. If we are exposed to blue light late at night, such as TV and computer screens, melatonin does not know that it is supposed to be rising. Not using devices such as TVs, computers, and phones at least one hour before bed can give our body the signal that it’s time to increase melatonin, and in turn help us fall asleep.
Sleep is also impacted by stress. Cortisol is the stress hormone in our bodies, which keeps us awake. When cortisol is high, melatonin can’t help us fall asleep. Normally Cortisol levels will drop at night when our stress levels go down. However, if the stress does not go down at night, cortisol levels will remain high and melatonin will not be able to rise to tell our bodies that it is time to sleep. It is very important to look at stress both in the family and in the workplace when evaluating sleep problems. These two hormones regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle also known as the circadian rhythm. An imbalance between cortisol and melatonin can cause circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
Diagnosing a sleep disorder can be difficult as sleep quality is very subjective. On one hand, some people feel they don’t get enough sleep but are physically and mentally refreshed in the daytime. Others feel like they get a lot of sleep time but feel exhausted and not refreshed during the day. A self-test using a sleep diary can help you figure out whether a sleep disorder is bothering you. The DSM-5 can also help figure out what kind of sleep disorder you have. However, a doctor should be consulted for a diagnosis. The true diagnostic test for a sleep disorder is a sleep study along with a person's signs and symptoms.
How to sleep better and faster?
Some other changes that can help to relax the body, to increase sleep hygiene and decrease insomnia include
- Go for a walk in the evening.
- Have a light and early evening meal, avoid eating late
- Air your bedroom properly before going to bed.
- Ban all items from your bedroom that remind you of work and stress.
- Take all electrical devices (mobile phone, TV set, digital alarm clock...) out of your bedroom.
- If you need to get up at night, keep the lighting at a low level!
- Implement a pre-sleep ritual to help you wind down and get ready for bed
- Learn and practice relaxation techniques.
- Avoid naps when possible
- maintain a regular sleep schedule to train the body to regulate its sleep-wake cycle
- impose a consistent bedtime each night
- create habits to remind the body that the day is winding down and that it is time to relax
- pay attention to current night patterns to try and understand what is happening in your current evening schedule
- decrease any risk factors for insomnia such as being obese or overweight and get treatment for all health conditions
- exercise to decrease feelings of anxiety and nervousness
- get evaluated for any Sleep Disorders and treat appropriately
- treat any medical conditions
- keep asleep diary to identify any triggers to insomnia
- decrease the use of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine