Tryptophan is an amino acid that aids the production of melatonin and serotonin which control our sleep/wake cycle. Pumpkins are rich in tryptophan which can help people fall asleep easy. Foods, like pumpkin, that have tryptophan must be eaten with high glycemic carbohydrates for better absorption. This is why you feel lethargic after you have had your Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Mashed potatoes are high glycemic carbohydrates while turkey and pumpkin pie are loaded with tryptophan. Tryptophan works during the day to promote serotonin that helps with depression and anxiety, while at night it produces melatonin that causes us to feel sleepy. Read more »
Dont be SAD Sleep Easier when Twilight Comes Sooner
We all need a good night’s sleep. We are not like Edward the vampire from the Twilight series that doesn’t sleep at all. Getting the required amount of sleep can be difficult for some who work the late shift, are flying over multiple time zones or just too stressed from everyday life, but what happens to our body’s natural 24 hour circadian when we turn the clocks back an hour this Sunday? For us living in North America the end of daylight savings time means many more awake hours in darkness and colder weather, which keeps us indoors. Therefore, many will feel depressed, have more sleep disruptions, fight afternoon sleepiness and are just plain weary. Read more »
Best Over The Counter Sleep Aid OTC
If you have read my articles at A Sleep Easy you know that keeping a sleep routine, eliminating caffeine before bedtime and taking a nap before 4pm are a few tips in getting a good night’s rest. Still for some people insomnia may not be that easy to overcome and you may consider taking an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid. But what is the best over-the-counter sleep aid for you? OTC sleep aides are meant to be taken on an occasional sleepless night because the more you take them the less effective they become. OTC sleep aides affects linger in your system the next day causing you feel listless which makes it difficult to stay focused at work or school. If you haven’t slept well for over two weeks I recommend that you talk to your doctor. There may be an underlying medical condition that is causing your insomnia. If you are considering OTC supplements it is important to know their side effects. Read more »
Bed Wetting Solution
When my daughter was 5 she still had a problem with wetting her bed. In fact, many times I would catch her during the day struggling not to go to the bathroom in order to finish playing or watching a television show. Although wetting herself because she didn’t want to miss out on anything can be easier to prevent, wetting her bed at night was entirely a different problem. Did you know that 20% of 5 year olds and 10% of 6 year olds wet the bed? Most children grow out of it and others need an easy bed wetting solution like a simple reward system to achieve a positive result, dry nights. Read more »
Sleep too Easy Narcolepsy Facts
Some narcolepsy facts state that anyone, at any age (although most symptoms are usually first noticed in teenagers or younger adults) can develop this sleep disorder that affects the nervous system. Narcolepsy often runs in families with 8 to 12 percent of people with narcolepsy having a close relative with this condition. It can cause excessive sleepiness, including frequent sleep attacks during the day. If you have narcolepsy it can have a huge impact on your active, busy lifestyle. Read more »
Hotel Guests Lose Sleep
Since I travel a lot I get a bit picky about my hotel room. Not only is the size of the bed important for a good night sleep, the noise inside as well as outside the room is equally important. Location, location, location if the room is next to the elevator you will hear the mechanics all night. If the room is at the end of hall next to the stairwell you can imagine how many times you will hear the door slam in the morning. Having a room in the middle of the hallway you might be listening to children run up and down the hall all night. Then there is the lead foot that stays up all hours in the morning stomping overhead. So where is the best room location? I prefer to be a the end of the hall, away from the elevator, across from the stairwell on the top floor. If you are lucky enough to get an upgrade, such as with Hilton Honors or Priority Points, you might get a bigger room with some additional amenities with all the comforts of home, but in a bad location. So you have to make a decision, amenities or a little noise. Read more »
Alcohol is Not a Sleep Aid
One of the most important ways to get a good night’s sleep is establishing a healthy sleep routine. When I talk about a sleep routine, I not only encourage good sleep habits, but suggest making healthy lifestyle changes to promote high-quality and quantity of sleep. One healthy life style change is eliminating alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol is not a sleep aid as it is disruptive and tricky when it comes to sleep. How many of you have a drink or two after a long day of work to help you relax enough to fall asleep easy? Do you wake up during the night after the alcohol wears off? Alcohol causes you to miss out on deep sleep and waking up during the night will affect how you perform the next day. Read more »
I Like Dreaming Lucid Dreaming
What is a lucid dream? A lucid dream is when the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. A lucid dream can begin as a normal dream and then the dreamer can control how the dream ends. Have you ever changed how your dream was ending and decided to go back to another part of the dream and start over? This type of lucid dream is known as dream-initiated lucid dream or DILD. Another type of lucid dream is wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD) that occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal waking state directly into a dream state with no lapse in consciousness. Dreams are very important to sleep. According to an article published in the Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Dr. J. Allan Hobson, a psychiatrist and long time sleep researcher disputed the main function of the rapid-eye-movement sleep cycle (REM) where most dreaming occurs, is physiological. Read more »
Dream Journal January 31 1985
Do you ever dream that you have been locked out of your home or hotel room? Dreamt of wanting to play a drum while riding on an amusement ride? Have you dreamt of parts of other dreams within your dream? In this dream journal I will be writing about dreams from my past and present and interpret them. Enjoy! Read more »
Lethargic Definition
A lethargic definition is described as feelings of tiredness, fatigue or lack of energy that can be accompanied by depression, decreased motivation or apathy. The meaning of lethargic is the same as somnolence which is defined as a state of near sleep, a strong desire to sleep or sleeping for longer periods (hypersomnia). Feeling tired and lethargic can be a normal reaction to; not getting enough sleep, overexertion, overworking, stress, lack of exercise and boredom. If lethargy is caused by a normal reaction it is usually resolved with decreased stress, good diet and getting enough sleep. Read more »
Cannot Sleep Ears Popping and Ringing
Cannot sleep ears popping and ringing could be a sign of tinnitus. WebMD.com defines tinnitus as a noise or ringing in the ears that is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. Tinnitus results in annoying sounds of hearing sounds including; ringing, buzzing, roaring, clicking, whistling and hissing when no external sounds are present. Also called phantom noises they vary in pitch and you may hear it in one or both ears. Tinnitus isn’t a sign of something serious, although, it may worsen with age and can be treated by identifying the underlying medical problem. Read more »
Sleepless in America Remembering 9/11
Today is the 10th anniversary when American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m. A moment of silence spread across America and around the world as we remember those that lost their lives. Obama read a psalm and family members began reading [...] Read more »
Tryptophan Rich Foods Induce Sleep Myth or Fact
What is tryptophan? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in the human body. It functions as a biochemical precursor to sleep inducing compounds serotonin and melatonin. This tryptophan amino acid is not naturally produced in the body therefore It has to come from our diet. Eating foods high in tryptophan are known to promote calmness or feelings of lethargy. A tryptophan deficiency may lead to low levels of serotonin. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, irritability, impatience, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate, weight gain, overeating, carbohydrate cravings, poor dream recall, and insomnia. Vitamin B6 is necessary for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. Consequently, a dietary deficiency of vitamin B6 may result in low serotonin levels and/or impaired conversion of tryptophan. In addition, several dietary, lifestyle, and health factors reduce the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, including cigarette smoking, high sugar intake, alcohol abuse, excessive consumption of protein, hypoglycemia and diabetes. Read more »
Sleeping Beauty Real Story (KLS or Kleine-Levin Syndrome)
This is the sleeping beauty real story (KLS or Kleine-Levin Syndrome) also known as recurrent hypersomnia where a person sleeps for long periods of time which can be the result of many sleep disorders. In the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, a princess sleeps for 100 years under the curse of an evil witch and a handsome prince comes along to kiss her and breaks the spell. Often it starts with flu-like symptoms with a high fever and just like the fairy tale’s poisoned splinter the sleeping curse begins. This is what happened to a 17 year old from Worthing, England named Louisa Ball. She wouldn’t stop sleeping for 10 to 14 days, only awoken to eat and take bathroom breaks. She missed school, dance classes, birthdays and holidays. Kleine-Levin Syndrome is an incurable autoimmune disorder that disrupts the part of the brain that regulates appetite, sleep and libido. More often than not it afflicts males and usually begins with a virus during preteen and teenage years that trigger sleep and aggressiveness. According to experts, those suffering from KLS syndrome can grow out of it in 10 to 12 years. Read more »
How Much Sleep Should a Teenager Get
How much sleep should a teenager get? According to MayoClinic.com most teens need about 9 1/4 hours of sleep a night and sometimes more to maintain optimal daytime alertness for their busy schedules. Due to school, homework, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs and social demands very few teenagers actually get that much sleep. A publication in the Journal of School Health reported that 90% of teens get less than the recommended hours of sleep and 10% of those teens surveyed are sleeping less than six hours a night. Accumulating a sleep debt of five to 10 hours by the end of the school week can have serious consequences. A tired teen can find it difficult to learn as well as finding it hard to fight afternoon sleepiness. Lack of sleep can also contribute to moodiness and behavioral problems. By the time the weekend rolls around many teens are not their usual selves and tend to sleep in to make up for their sleep debt. What can parents do to help with their teenagers and sleep? Read more »
Insomnia Meaning and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT
Insomnia meaning, according to WebMD, is a sleep disorder characterized by the difficulty falling asleep easy, staying asleep during the night, waking up too early in the morning and not feeling refreshed in the morning. There are two types of insomnia; primary insomnia is not caused by another health condition and secondary insomnia is having sleep problems due to other psychological or physical disorders such as asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, alcohol abuse or chronic pain. Insomnia also varies in how long it lasts and how often it occurs. Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks, while chronic insomnia lasts at least three nights or longer. Read more »
High Blood Pressure Chocolate and Sleep
What causes high blood pressure? What is the connection between high blood pressure, chocolate and sleep? First we need to state the difference between primary and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension accounts for 95% of all high blood pressure cases (roughly 72 million Americans) it is multifactorial, that means, there are multiple factors or causes that contribute to producing high blood pressure and is far more common than secondary hypertension that is caused by a specific abnormality. The basic causes are not always known but certain associations have been recognized in people that are prone to high blood pressure; like those that intake a lot of salt and are advancing in age, African Americans, obese, genetically predisposition and suffer from renal insufficiency. Read more »
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
The number one symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an overwhelming tiredness or exhaustion that lasts at least 6 months and does not get better with rest. This exhaustion is so severe it interferes with daily life. Other names of CFS include Epstein-Barr, yuppie flu and me (myalgic encephalomyelitis). There are eight official chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms besides fatigue and they are; loss of memory, enlarged lymph nodes in neck or armpit, unexplained muscle pain or weakness, joint aches and pains, sore throat, chronic headaches, numbness or tingling in hands and feet and afternoon sleepiness. Other common symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome may include; fever and chills, irritable bowel, night sweats, chest pain, shortness of breath, chronic cough, sensitivity to light, allergies, irregular heartbeat, dizziness (orthostatic hypotension), balance problems and psychological problems like depression, mood swings, anxiety and panic attacks. Read more »
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and Muscle Spasms are Symptoms of Low Potassium in Women
This article will cover potassium and how it affects sleep, good sources of potassium in foods, potassium deficiency symptoms, potassium supplements and potassium supplements side effects, including overdose. Potassium symbol K for the Neo-Latin term kalium is a vital and necessary mineral for the proper function of organs, fluids and muscles. Because it contributes to muscle function restless leg syndrome (RLS) and muscle spasms are symptoms of low potassium in women. Do you ever wake up during the middle of the night grabbing your calf from a painful charley horse? Do you find it hard to fall to sleep easy at night because of restless leg syndrome (RLS)? Do you have muscle spasms in your legs or arms that disrupt your sleep? An article written by the New England Journal of Medicine in 1998 illustrated how low levels of potassium has various effects on the central nervous system causing conditions like tinnitus, memory loss, anxiety, sleep problems from muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, afternoon sleepiness and confusion. Read more »
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