Sleep Disorders

The image of sleepwalking has often been somewhat comedic. Whether your familiarity with the issue comes from childhood episodes and tales that your parents told of you walking into the room muttering nonsense and clutching a pillow, or from nonsensical cartoon scenes in which sleepwalkers make their way through a scene with their arms outstretched, helping themselves to food in the refrigerator and getting into all sorts of hijinks, the truth is that there is a lot more to it, and for those who suffer from the sleeping disorder there is nothing to laugh about. Continue reading →

Sleep experts say that the magic number for sufficient sleep falls somewhere between seven and nine hours per night, and if you’ve been working hard to fit that into your schedule, you’re not alone. More and more people are paying attention to their physicians’ advice, as well as numerous news reports blaming sleep deprivation for a bevy of physical, cognitive and emotional issues, and are trying to bulk up their sleep quantity and quality. The problem is that it can be hard to find the time, especially for those whose busy work days are followed by busy evenings. Continue reading →

Snoring is generally one of those bodily functions that evoke smirks and snarky comments, much like breaking wind or belching. But unlike the sounds that come from our digestive system, snoring can be an indication of serious medical issues, and need to be thought of as much more than something that keeps our bed partners from getting a good night’s sleep. Though some snoring is relatively innocent and simply disruptive, in many instances snoring is a signal that the person who is snoring is suffering from a serious health condition that can lead to deadly results. Though this is certainly not the case for every person who snores, people who do snore should take their condition seriously and consult their physician to make sure that they are not ignoring the presence of a serious concern. Continue reading →

The generally accepted target for sleep quantity for healthy adults is between seven and nine hours of sleep. Hit that on most nights and you’re more likely to feel good, be mentally sharp, and have a better chance of avoiding several serious chronic conditions, but almost half of us have a hard time getting in that amount of sleep. Imagine, then the challenges that teens face. Not only are they supposed to get even more sleep — between nine and ten hours per night — but they are expected to do it while showing up at school as early as 7:00 in the morning and being naturally programmed to not be able to fall asleep until 11:00 or 12:00 at night. Continue reading →

A recent study has provided alarming statistics regarding the prevalence of sleep disorders among the nation’s firefighters. The research indicates that as many as forty percent of America’s firemen may be suffering from a sleep disorder, and that the chronic conditions may be the explanation behind sixty percent of firefighter deaths. Continue reading →

Sleep is one of the three pillars of health, and it is important at every age. Though more and more people are becoming aware of the dangers of sleep deprivation and of the various sleep disorders and distractions that can interfere with getting the quality and quantity of sleep that we need, few realize that the way that sleep deprivation impacts us changes with each age. Where adult fatigue may be signaled by a frenzied search for caffeine and sugar, children are likely to act hyper active. For an idea of how each age group reacts to lack of sleep, read on: Continue reading →