40 million people in the United States experience sleep problems each year, according to the FDA. The 2007 Sleep in America Poll determined that two-thirds of women surveyed experienced difficulty sleeping at least a few nights a week during the last month.

Stress is one of the major reasons for difficulty with sleep. Demanding days filled with too much to consider, economic strain, family difficulties, worries . . . itâ??s too easy to lie awake at night â??- and consequently be worn out the following day. Note: if you are experiencing relentless sleep difficulties, be sure to discuss this with your doctor.

Deep Relaxation may be extremely useful for sleep problems, lowering your stress, allowing your body and mind to let go of being on “red alert”.

Parents of young children know that bedtime rituals help their children get to sleep, and sleep well throughout the night. Did you know itâ??s advantageous for adults too? Having a customary routine around bedtime where you prepare for restful sleep can greatly increase the odds that you will sleep well.

Relaxation is an enormously important part of preparing for good sleep. Deep Relaxation allows your body and mind to settle down from the dayâ??s activities. Itâ??s then a good deal easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and sleep deeply.

Many people discover that listening to a relaxation CD at bedtime assists them to attain a pleasing nightâ??s sleep. Peaceful words and calming music bring about for adults what a lullaby does for an infant! Itâ??s a wonderful method to let go of the dayâ??s concerns and float away into restful sleep.

Be sure not to exercise or eat a heavy meal within four hours of bedtime. Do research on any medicines you are consuming to make sure they are not interfering with your sleep.

Restorative yoga or meditation before bedtime can help your body relax, and calm your mind. If you have tense muscles, listening to a relaxation CD or doing progressive muscle relaxation can help you release tension.

Avoid caffeine (coffee, caffeinated soft drinks, chocolate) or other stimulants late in the day; alcohol and nicotine can also obstruct good sleep.

If you have involuntary leg movements during the night you may be suffering Restless Leg Syndrome. This may sometimes be the result of a folic acid deficiency, so you might try taking a dietary supplement containing folic acid. Gentle stretching of the legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves) may also help.

If your sleep problems continue, check with a sleep specialist. Often they will arrange for a sleep study, where you sleep a night at their office while connected to monitors to help with assessment. Sleep apnea (intermittent gaps in breath) is a widespread finding, and there are excellent treatments which work well for this.

Approach your sleep regimen with a plan. Dedicate time for experimentation and try various things. It may be helpful to maintain a sleep journal, where you make brief notes concerning the events of the day. Beneficial things to include in the journal are: your state of mind upon going to bed; when you ate or exercised; caffeine, nicotine and alcohol consumed; relaxation or meditation or other practices done before bedtime; and, finally, the quality of your sleep that night.

Sweet Dreams!

Sandi Anders, M.Div., R.Y.T.
http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/obtaining-a-good-nights-sleep-385974.html

I want something that is safe but will make me really sleepy - I have used Sleep MD and it usually works and I like it since it’s natural, and I have tried to avoid the Diphenhydramine in Advil PM and Tylenol PM - but I think I might need something over the counter stronger than Sleep MD once in awhile - what do you recommend? Have you had any adverse reactions to the Diphenhydramine in Tylenol PM? thank you
Look for medications that have the active ingredient Diphenhydramine HCL, it will make you very drowsy. It’s in medications like Sleep-Eze, Benadryl, Gravol et cetera or ask your pharmascist.

Eating disorders is not caused by a single factor, there are many factors that can play a role in the appearance of these disorders like cultural and family pressures, emotional and personality disorders and also genetic and biological factors.

Similar personality traits like low self-esteem, dependency, and problems with self-direction are present to people with eating disorders. Specific personality disorders or behavioral characteristics that might put people at higher risk for one or both of the eating disorders have been determined by researchers.

The following personality disorders like avoidant personalities and dependent personalities mostly in anorexia and borderline and histrionic personalities mostly in bulimia and narcissism which can be present in anorexia and bulimia too have been reported by studies. Patients with bulimia or anorexia can present one of these personality traits. The more important factor in determining treatment choices may be the patient’s specific personality disorders even if they are anorexic and bulimic.

Avoidant personalities are present to people with anorexia. The symptoms which characterize this personality disorder are: being a perfectionist, being emotionally and sexually inhibited, having less of a fantasy life than people with bulimia or without an eating disorder, not being rebellious, or usually perceived as always being “good”, being terrified of being ridiculed or criticized or of feeling humiliated.

Behavioral and eating pattern can be developed by the person with both anorexia and avoidant personality disorder. So for some individuals the only way to obtain love is achieving perfection, with all that involves. Trouble-free and attaining some ideal image of thinness make part of the drive for perfection. In this case the individual is driven to demand nothing, including food. A sense of being even more imperfect and a renewed sense of striving for perfection precede the failure to achieve love. Anorexic patients have a total lack of self but generally people with eating disorders are not typically suicidal. Through process of not-eating they try to revenge on those whose love is always out of reach.

Borderline personalities can be present to people with bulimic anorexia. The following characteristics can be present to these people like: frantically fearful of being abandoned, unable to be alone, difficulty to control their anger and impulses, prone to idealize other people and unstable moods, thought patterns, behavior and self-images. Emotional weapons like temper tantrums, suicide threats, and hypochondriasis can be used by the people with borderline personalities for causing chaos around them. The difficulty in treating bulimia can be the severity of this personality disorder and it can be more important than the presence of psychological problems, such as depression.

The following personality traits like inability to soothe oneself, inability to empathize with others, need for admiration, hypersensitive to criticism or defeat can be present to people with bulimia or anorexia which are often highly narcissistic. Depression and anxiety disorders can be present to patients which have eating disorder but also can be present in families of these patients. It is unknown if emotional disorders, especially obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are causes of the eating disorders.

About 69% of patients with anorexia and 33% of patients with bulimia have obsessive-compulsive disorder which is an anxiety disorder. It is believed that eating disorders are variants of OCD. In compulsive behavior, repetitive, rigid, and self-prescribed routines that are intended to prevent the manifestation of the obsession, may be present obsessions which are recurrent or persistent mental images, thoughts or ideas. Generally women with anorexia and OCD may become obsessed with exercise, dieting, and food. Compulsive rituals like weighing every bit of food, cutting it into tiny pieces, or putting it into tiny containers are often developed at these patients. Other anxiety disorders like phobias, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with bulimia and anorexia.

At people with eating disorders, especially anorexia, depression is present which is more severe in darker winter months. Also the patients with bulimia suffer from a specific form of bulimia which is worse in winter. May seems to be the peak month for suicide because the onset of anorexia appears to peak in this month. An eating disorder is rarely cured by treating and relieving depression. Social, psychologic or possibly biologic factors can cause a distorted view of one’s body called body dysmorphic disorder which can be associated with anorexia or bulimia but can also appear without any eating disorder. In this case emotional disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression are commonly to people with this disorder. A disorder in which people have distorted body images involving their muscles has been reported by experts and it is present to men which believe that are “puny” and results in excessive body building, preoccupation with diet and social problems.

Another factor which is present in triggering and perpetuating eating disorders is negative family influence. Children with insecure attachments are present in family with parents who fail to provide a safe and secure foundation in infancy. Mothers play an important role in their child’s life. So mothers of people with bulimia are critical and detached and mothers of anorexics tend to be over-involved in their child’s life. People with either eating disorder have parents with alcoholism or substance abuse. It seems that psychiatric disorders are present to parents of people with bulimia than parents of patients with anorexia. A higher incidence of sexual abuse is often present to women with bulimia. People with bulimia have an obese parent or have been overweight themselves during childhood. Parents can influence their children’s eating habits and prevent weight problems and eating disorders through a healthy eating habits themselves.

Genetic factors play an important role in anorexia. From this point of view twins had a tendency to share specific eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity). A genetic propensity toward thinness caused by a faster metabolism and reinforced by cultural approval, an inherited propensity for obesity and inherited personality traits are some inherited traits that might make someone susceptible to eating disorders. Culture pressures is other factor which can lead to anorexic people.For example clothes for thin bodies, TV programs which present anorexic young models. Excessive exercise plays a major role in many cases of anorexia at athletes. Young female athletes and dancers may present the following problems:eating disorders, amenorrhea (absence or irregular menstruation) and osteoporosis.

The most common factor present in eating disorders which include chemical abnormalities in the thyroid, the reproductive regions, and areas related to stress, well-being and appetite are hormonal problems. A result of malnutrition or other aspects of eating disorders is the change of these chemicals. The limbic system is a small area of the brain where many of these abnormalities begins. Also hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) is a specific system with an important role in eating disorders. In brain is found a small structure that controls our behavior, like eating, sexual behavior and sleeping, and regulates body temperature, emotions, secretion of hormones, and movement called hypothalamus. An extension of the hypothalamus downwards called the pituitary gland controls thyroid functions, the adrenal glands, growth and sexual maturation. Major emotional activities like anxiety, depression, aggression and affection are controlled and regulated by amygdala,a small structure which lies deep in the brain.

Stress hormones called glucocorticoids are produced by the HPA system, including the primary stress hormone cortisol which is very important in marshaling systems throughout the body (including the heart, lungs, circulation, metabolism, immune systems, and skin) to deal quickly with any threat. The inhibition of neuropeptide Y (NPY), a powerful appetite stimulant that also has anti-anxiety properties is one of the specific effects. Certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that regulate stress, mood and appetite and are being heavily investigated for a possible role in eating disorders are released by the HPA system. Serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine are the three hormones that are important. So norepinephrine is a stress hormone, serotonin is involved with both well-being and appetite and dopamine is involved in reward-seeking behavior. Low levels of leptin, a hormone that appears to trigger the hypothalamus to stimulate appetite have been observed in people with anorexia and bulimia.

The reproductive hormones that are severely depleted in anorexics are produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary system. Some experts believe that these reproductive abnormalities are a result of anorexia and others have shown that menstrual disturbances occurred before severe malnutrition set in and remained a problem long after weight gain in 30% to 50% of people with anorexia.

There are many factors who contribute at development of anorexia. Unfortunately teenage females are the most affected.

For more resources regarding signs of anorexia or girls with anorexia please review this website http://www.anorexia-center.com

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/factors-which-cause-eating-disorders-133376.html

I need to go to sleep extra early tonight, so I’m looking sleep aid for just tonight. Which would you recommend? It’s about 6 PM and I need to be in bed by 7:30… my grandmother should be back in 45 minutes to an hour with the sleep-aid… so it would be best if it’ll work within 30 minutes to an hour or so.

Generic Benadryl.

Insomnia is described as difficulty in falling asleep or difficulty to achieve continuous sleep. It is not a disease or diagnosis but a symptom. An average person experiences insomnia at least once in their life. It was found that 30-50% of people are insomniacs.

All age groups are affected by insomnia. Its incidence increases as age increases because stress is the most common cause of insomnia. Furthermore, women are more affected by this than men.

The cure for insomnia involves activities that would promote sleep and reduce stimulation. Several activities are advised to the insomniacs to prepare their body for sleep.

1. Exercise regularly. Studies have shown that regular exercise helps the body with its sleeping problems. It is generally important to attain optimal health. It is important to stress that exercise should be made early in the morning and not immediately before sleeping.

2. Avoid heavy meals and lots of fluids before going to bed. Large meals could lead to indigestion while a lot of fluids will increase the incidence of having to get up to urinate in the middle of the night

3. Maintain a peaceful and comfortable environment. During bedtime, turn off the lights, turn off anything that could create noise, and be sure you are comfortable with the room temperature. These factors affect sleep. Remove the clock from sight because it will contribute to your anxiety and frustration when you can’t fall asleep.

The following are excellent tips to put an end to your sleepless nights.

1. Decrease ingestion of stimulant-containing substances such as tea, coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes. Stimulants increase alertness, which are not needed during sleep.

2. Eat a very light carbohydrate snack before bedtime; or better yet, drink warm milk

3. Take a warm bath 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. The immediate effect of a warm bath is sedation. When the bath is taken more than an hour before bedtime, an arousing effect would occur instead of a sedating one. Furthermore, warmth relieves body tension.

4. Stop watching TV, reading, or engaging in any mind-stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime. These activities tend to prolong your wakefulness.

5. Use only your bed for sleeping (and sex). This will help your body associate your bed to just sleep. Thus, when you lie on your bed, it is a signal that it is time to sleep.

6. Engage in relaxation activities: listening to music, deep breathing exercises, meditation, etc. These activities slow down body processes and help the body to relax. Both functions aid the body in falling asleep.

7. Clear your mind. Remove all concerns and worries from your mind. You can do this through writing your thoughts and ideas in a journal.

8. Do not take naps. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Taking naps will only disrupt your biological clock. On the other hand, sleeping and waking up at the same time everyday will help your body set your biological clock.

Through following these tips, a good night’s sleep is very much attainable. Remember that sleep is essential for the body’s growth and repair. Insomnia is not something that occurs naturally in your body. Thus, it must be treated.

If the mentioned tips do not cure or even minimize the insomnia or if insomnia is quite bothering you for a long time, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.

Abbas Abedi
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/eight-tips-to-help-you-cure-insomnia-56002.html

Losing sleep during the critical years of a womanâ??s middle age can be frustrating, not to mention inconvenient. Menopause insomnia, in fact, is inescapable, and a symptom of the slowing down of a woman’s reproductive system. Menopause insomnia is caused by many factors, but it can be treated or made milder with the proper medication, diet, and sleeping habits.

If you are suffering from menopause insomnia, you need to understand the different kinds of insomnia that exist. Transient insomnia will last anywhere from a single night, to two to three weeks. Transient insomnia may be due to altered work hours, jet lag, or anxiety. Acute insomnia occurs when the sufferer cannot sleep over a period of three to twenty four weeks. Insomnia can be classified as chronic when sleeplessness is persistent.

There are also two levels of insomnia. Primary insomnia is characterized by sleeplessness that cannot be traced to anything in the body or the environment. Secondary insomnia, on the other hand, is characterized by difficulty sleeping because of health conditions. In either case, medication may be required, and will be formulated by a physician.

Insomnia is also caused by a variety of factors. The body is controlled by a circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and waking hours. If the circadian rhythm is disrupted, such as when you take long-haul flights through multiple time zones, or if you take the night shift of a job, then you may find yourself sleepless for days. Physical pain, discomfort, and anxiety can also induce insomnia. Ingesting large servings of stimulants, lack of exercise, and dehydration can also bring insomnia on.

Hormonal changes can also cause sleeplessness, and can bring about menopause insomnia. In order to ease the discomfort of not being able to sleep at night, your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy medication to supplement decreasing levels of estrogen in your body. Lower estrogen levels can translate into a drop in serotonin levels, the brain hormone that controls sleep. What menopause insomnia medication cannot directly counter, however, is the vicious cycle that menopause insomnia causes. With less sleep, you will most likely be more irritable and stressed out; this lack of relaxation and increased stress on your body can also lead to more insomnia.

Menopause insomnia can be eased by taking a few sleep-inviting measures during the day. Exercise for about half an hour in the afternoon, but not before bedtime. The afternoon exercise can relax your muscles, but the evening exercise can make you more awake and alert. Avoid stimulants, such as tea, coffee, chocolate, nicotine, or sugar, for up to three or four hours before bedtime, since stimulants can keep you awake. Avoid taking alcoholic beverages before you go to bed: alcohol may be a relaxant, but it can also keep you from sleeping soundly.

You may also want to change your night time diet. Drink chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk before bed. Chamomile tea can relax you, while milk has calcium to calm your nerves, and tryptophan, a mild sedative. Milk is more effective as a sedative if you take some carbohydrates, such as crackers or a small chicken sandwich, with it.

You may also suffer from night sweats during menopause, so keep your bedroom temperature cool. Cold feet, however, can keep you alert and awake, so cover your extremities. As soon as you get into bed, breathe deeply and slowly, then work one by one on your muscles. Tense, and then relax them, in order to release stress. Before you go to bed, do not engage in mentally challenging or stimulating activities. Watch TV, read a relaxing book, or read a warm bath in order to help your body relax.

Your doctor may also recommend medication to treat your menopause insomnia. If these medications do not work, do not self medicate by using antihistamines or antidepressants. Their side effects may stress you out more. Moreover, be wary of herbal remedies, as some medications may not have any approved therapeutic claims.

Whichever method you will use to treat your menopause insomnia, follow your doctor’s orders and do not engage in any activities or take any medication without his express approval or prescription. Read as much as you can on menopause and insomnia. Menopause insomnia is a typical symptom of your age and state, so be extra cautious in keeping yourself healthy.

Nathalie Fiset
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/menopause-and-insomnia-133083.html

How long does it take for you to get to sleep once you’ve taken one?

Read the label, about 30 minutes.

Are you depressed? If you are bothered by fleeting feelings of sadness, well, that is part of life. We are all affected by the little highs and lows that result from winters that last too long or a week when nothing goes right. But when you experience more severe feelings of sadness, and they last for more than two weeks, is it a good idea to ask your doctor to give you a depression test.

Depression is not uncommon in U.S. society. Approximately 20.9 million adults or 9.5 percent of the population age 18 or older will experience depression in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Before making a diagnosis of depression, doctors will judge the severity of a patient’s symptoms, how many symptoms one has and how long they have experienced those symptoms. The National Institute of Mental Health published a list of a number of symptoms that medical professionals look for when they are trying to make a diagnosis of depression for a patient. Doctors base their diagnosis based on the results of a depression test that reveals the symptoms on this list as well as other factors.

There are several things you should consider when deciding whether you need to receive a depression test. Has someone in your family ever suffered from serious depression? Depression can be a hereditary condition. Mental health experts estimate that between 40 and 70 percent of depression cases are hereditary. This means that if a parent, grandparent, sibling or other close relative has ever suffered from depression, you are more likely to experience depression also, though this doesn’t mean you will definitely ever become depressed.

Have you experienced a traumatic or significantly stressful event in your life recently? If you are having a hard time getting over such an event, you may want to have a depression test. Events such as the death of a loved one, or an event as stressful as divorce has the potential to trigger a severe depression, especially if you have family history of depression, but even if you don’t.

Are you a woman? Women are more likely than men to become depressed but will often not receive a depression test because their symptoms are overlooked. Approximately 25 percent of all women experience symptoms of depression that are severe enough to require treatment. Women who have just given birth or who are nearing or have already experienced menopause are more likely to experience depression and should be particularly aware of their health at those times.

Do you have persistent feelings of severe sadness? Doctors giving a depression test will want to know if your have experienced profound helplessness, pessimism, worthlessness, anxiety, fatigue and irritability, or have entertained thoughts of suicide.

Are you having trouble sleeping? The symptoms a doctor will look for when giving a patient a depression test include whether the patient is suffering from insomnia, having difficulty sleeping through the night, wake up during the night and can’t return to sleep, oversleeping in the morning or sleeping too much during the day.

Are you experience significant aches and pains that won’t go away? While most people think that depression is characterized only by mood swings and feelings of sadness, chronic pain is also a symptom of depression and part of a medical depression test. Digestive disorders or persistent headaches or other chronic pain that isn’t caused by some other illness and doesn’t respond to treatment after two weeks could be a sign of depression.

If you have experienced several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, it is in your best interest to see your health care provider for a depression test to determine if you require treatment.

Ryan King
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/feeling-blue-take-a-depression-test-101804.html