Study Suggests That Sleep Apnea and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Combine To Cause an Elevation In Mortality Risk

I don’t have sleep apnea. But yesterday, my college bestfriend mentioned that the hospital where he’s working at has a Sleep Lab for people with sleep apnea. He’s in Seattle, USA. He hasn’t mentioned what hospital it is. But it got me curious about what the news now about sleep apnea. This doesn’t sound too good..

 A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that the risk of death is more than two times higher in older adults who have sleep apnea and report struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness.

Results of adjusted proportional hazards modeling show that older adults with moderate to severe sleep apnea who reported struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness at baseline were more than twice as likely to die (hazard ratio = 2.28) as subjects who had neither problem. The risk of death was insignificant in older adults with only excessive daytime sleepiness (HR = 1.11) or sleep apnea (HR = 0.74). Participants had a mean age of 78 years at baseline, and about 55 percent (n = 160) died during an average follow-up period of 14 years. 

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Excessive daytime sleepiness, when associated with sleep apnea, can significantly increase the risk of death in older adults," said principal investigator and lead author Dr. Nalaka S. Gooneratne, assistant professor of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pa. "We did not find that being sleepy in and of itself was a risk. Instead, the risk of increased mortality only seemed to occur when sleep apnea was also present." 

Gooneratne added that both daytime sleepiness and sleep apnea are common problems, with sleep apnea affecting up to 20 percent of older adults.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the upper airway during sleep. Older adults also are at risk for central sleep apnea, which involves a repetitive absence of breathing effort during sleep caused by a dysfunction in the central nervous system or the heart. Only four percent of participants had central sleep apnea, and there was no meaningful change in the results when they were excluded from the analysis.

The study involved 289 adults with neither dementia nor depression who were recruited from the community. Seventy-four percent were female. About half (n = 146) had significant levels of excessive daytime sleepiness at baseline, reporting that they felt sleepy or struggled to stay awake during the daytime at least three to four times a week. Sleep apnea was measured objectively by one night of polysomnography in a sleep lab. For analysis, participants were included in the sleep apnea group only if they had an apnea-hypopnea index of 20 or more breathing pauses per hour of sleep, which represents a moderate to severe level of sleep apnea.

Participants were recruited between 1993 and 1998. Survival status was determined by searching the social security death index, with follow-up ending Sept. 1, 2009.

According to the authors, the mechanism by which sleep apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness increase the risk of death is unclear. They suspect that inflammation may be involved, which could increase the risk of other medical problems such as hypertension. It also remains to be seen if treatment reduces the risk of death.

"Future research is needed to assess whether treating the sleep apnea can reduce mortality," said Gooneratne.

The treatment of choice for OSA is CPAP therapy, which provides a steady stream of air through a mask that is worn during sleep. This airflow keeps the airway open to prevent pauses in breathing and restore normal oxygen levels.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health through the National Institute on Aging and the National Center for Research Resources.

Article Sources:

Emilee McStay
American Academy of Sleep Medicine

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/220997.php

Why does Turmeric Have an Effect on Sleep?

The other day, my cousin Agatha dropped by our shop for a visit. In the course of the conversation, she mentioned that her mom had been taking turmeric powder for general health. The first thing she noticed was it has totally transformed the way she sleeps!  The effect was a bit unusual: she gets sleepy just a few minutes after having dinner, she’s able to sleep soundly throughout the night and she wakes up a bit later than her usual waking time in the morning. And she feels refreshed!

I got curious. How could turmeric affect our sleep?

Turmeric Buds
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Insomnia Natural Cures

There are many theories by experts as to why insomnia or sleep disorders are a challenge to many of us today. I find Sidney Baker's, M.D., explanation in his latest book, Detoxification and Healing to be one of the most logical. Here's what he said:  "We go about our daily chores without conscious attention to the molecular details of our body's management of toxins, allergens and other waste, but if our sanitation department did make itself known to us - say by making a noise - it would drown out all the comparable noises of walking, thinking and talking. Imagine the machinery of detoxification, mostly in the liver, emitting an enormous grinding, groaning, gurgling sound that would dwarf our loudest intestinal rumblings and belches. Considering that most detoxification goes on at night, the noise of our sanitation department would surely keep us up if were able to give forth sounds comparable to the work it does. As it is, a faulty detoxification system is a common reason for poor sleep (or sleep disorders) . We sometimes reach too quickly for a sedative for our nerves when it is our liver that needs help” (p.141).  Sleep disorders and the liver:  Dr. Jeffrey Bland explains how the liver gets overburdened with toxins. He says that there is a relationship between a faulty digestive system and a faulty detoxification system in the liver. So, before you address detoxification of your liver, you might consider first addressing how to regain balance in your digestive system (Nichols, Ed., pp. 105-106).  Dr. Bland explains further by saying that one of the body’s key means of detoxifying harmful chemicals is the liver’s specialized enzymes; which scrub chemicals out of the blood. This process depends on specific nutrients that must be present for this chemical interaction to take place. Most people lack these essential nutrients in their bodies because of nutrient depleted foods. This is why most people are less able to detoxify foreign chemicals and their liver becomes overburdened (pp. 107-108).  In addition to handicapping the liver detoxification system, nutritional deficiencies contribute to other health problems. The gut’s mucosa normally shield the rest of the body from many toxins, but is weakened by medications, alcohol, food allergies and auto immune disorders. When the mucosa is damaged, more toxins get through, placing more stress on the liver to detoxify them (pp. 107-108).  Here are some harmful substances to our health, and specifically to our liver. If you are sleeping poorly or have sleep disorders, you need to examine your lifestyle and avoid the following toxins:  Aluminum: Enters our bodies through aluminum pots, deodorants, antacids and food additives (Baker, p. 144).  Lead: THE MOST INSIDIOUS OF TOXINS. Found in artificial sweeteners (saccharine for example is extracted from coal tar and tens of thousands of foods today have artificial sweeteners as ingredients), lead paint, etc., (Baker, p.145).  Caffeine: Found in coffee, chocolate, or over-the-counter stay-awake pills such as No-Doz (Baker, p. 146).  Acetaminophen: Commonly found in pain medicines.  Aspirin.  Sodium benzoate: A common food preservative (Baker, p. 146).  Alcohol: Alcohol is not a food It is toxic to the body and the body must burn it to get rid of it. Unlike foods, the body cannot treat alcohol as something to be saved for later and stored as fat. Another reason that alcohol is toxic is that it interferes with the many different enzymes, specifically the detoxification enzymes of the liver. Dr. Sidney Baker, has good advice for all of us about alcohol. He says, “Next time you go past the liquor store, replace in your mind’s eye the sign that says ‘Frank’s Spirit Shop’ with one that says ‘Fungal Toxins Sold By the Bottle” (p. 30).  There are many other toxins that can affect the ability of the liver to function optimally, but the above toxins are the ones you would want to address first and are most likely to give you noticeable relief.  Nutritional strategies for a healthy liver:  Maintain a healthy “gut”: Use acidophilus, bifidus....and other transient and non-transient friendly bacteria in large amounts. Use plant based enzymes with each cooked meal. Take virgin coconut oil for its antibacterial, anti viral, and anti parasitical activity. Use herbs known to be helpful in repairing the intestinal tract such as anise, caraway, ginger, and fennel. (You can make a very effective tea with these herbal ingredients).  Nourish your body with nutrient-rich foods: blue green algae, sea vegetables (wakame, kombu, hijiki, arame and nori), bee pollen, wheat grass, and fresh organically grown fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts.  Reduce oxidative stress: use antioxidants such as Coenzyme Q10 (abundant in sardines, spinach and peanuts) and wheat sprouts supplements micro-blended with red sea algae and fresh water blue green algae (wild-crafted).  Eat specific liver friendly foods: Turmeric and cumin. Both have anti-mutagenic agents that supports the liver in the detoxification of carcinogens and helps to block environmental carcinogens. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, radish, cabbage and collard greens because they are abundant with indoles which help the body to produce detoxification enzymes that help to neutralize the effects of harmful chemicals.  Detoxify your liver: Do the other steps first before you try this liver detoxification drink. Use organic apple cider vinegar, organic whole lemons, organic maple syrup and hot water. Begin with one tablespoon of vinegar, the juice of one half lemon, enough maple syrup to make your drink tasty and hot water (not boiling). Drink this 20 minutes after taking your friendly bacteria and wait another 20 minutes before you eat. Gradually, increase the vinegar to 3 tablespoons per day and continue to drink this mixture for 30 days. At any time if you feel your body is telling you to stop this drink (you’ll actually develop an aversion to the taste), then stop. Your body is getting ready to do a major cleanse. Always listen to your body. This drink may seem like it has harmless ingredients, but vinegar, lemon and maple syrup combined in this drink are very potent liver detoxifiers.  A couple of final tips that will help you sleep better:  1) Take some turmeric just before bed time. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and swallow the powder with some water. If the taste is too bitter put the powder in capsules. In a few days, increase the turmeric to 1/2 teaspoon and get to the point where you can take one flat teaspoon of turmeric (four capsules) every day before bed time. Many people noted that turmeric helps them sleep soundly and for those who had sleep disorders, their symptoms were greatly reduced.  2) Squeeze fresh lemon and add to a glass of water and drink before bed time. Lemon benefits bile formation and therefore supports liver function.  I hope these health tips are helpful for understanding why some individuals experience insomnia or sleep disorders and what to do so you can again have restful sleep. Sweet Dreams.  References:  Baker, Sidney. (1997). Detoxification and Healing. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing, Inc.  Nichols, Trent (Ed.). (1999). Optimal Digestion. New York: Avon Books, Inc.

Article Source: http://nutrition-health-articles.com/natural-remedies-for-insomnia.htm

Free Online Tool Provides Parents with Access To Customized Sleep Tips And Support

A responsible dad (Dan) who perhaps is trying to put baby (Baby Zion) to sleep?

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP demonstrates that an Internet-based intervention was effective at reducing infant and toddler sleep disturbances, as well as providing positive, indirect benefits for maternal sleep, mood and confidence. The study suggests that the Internet can give parents widespread access to individualized, behaviorally based advice for sleep problems in young children.

Results show that there were significant improvements in the sleep of infants and toddlers in the Internet-based intervention groups. The number and duration of night wakings decreased by about 50 percent or more, and the longest period of continuous sleep increased by more than two hours. Children also took less time to fall asleep and had a longer total sleep time at night. Mothers in the intervention groups also slept better and had less tension, depression, fatigue and confusion. In the control group there were only minimal improvements in sleep measures and ratings of maternal mood.

"We have always known that making simple changes can help young children sleep dramatically better at night, but we were surprised by how quickly these changes came about," said principal investigator and lead author Jodi A. Mindell, PhD, professor of psychology at Saint Joseph's University and associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa. "Within just one week, the children, and their mothers, were sleeping much better, and they continued to improve over the second week."

Sleeping Baby

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This three-week study involved 264 mothers and their infant or toddler (ages 6 to 36 months). Families were randomly assigned to one of two Internet-based intervention groups or a control group. After a one-week baseline period during which mothers followed their usual bedtime practices, the intervention groups followed personalized recommendations during weeks two and three. All mothers completed online versions of the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Profile of Mood States weekly.

Mothers in the intervention groups used their home computer to access the Customized Sleep Profile, an online program that collects caregivers' responses and compares their child's sleep to other children of the same age. It rates whether the child is an "excellent, good or disrupted sleeper," and uses algorithms to provide customized advice on how caregivers can help their child sleep better at night. Examples of common recommendations include implementing a bedtime routine, decreasing attention to night wakings, and decreasing or stopping nighttime feedings. Ninety percent of mothers in both intervention groups reported that they found the individualized recommendations to be "helpful," and 93 percent said that they were "likely" to continue using the recommendations after the study.

Mothers in one of the intervention groups also were instructed to institute a nightly three-step bedtime routine: a bath, a massage and a quiet activity such as cuddling or singing a lullaby. A 2009 study by Mindell found that this routine produced significant reductions in problematic sleep behaviors for infants and toddlers. In the current study, both intervention groups had similar improvements on all sleep outcomes.

According to the authors, sleep problems occur in 20 to 30 percent of young children. Although behavior-based interventions for childhood sleep problems are highly effective, their availability has been limited. The use of an Internet-based intervention gives parents widespread access to valuable recommendations that promote healthy sleep habits in children.

"Until now, there was no place online that parents could go to get customized recommendations that would help their young child sleep better," Mindell added. "This tool provides parents everywhere easily accessible help."

The Customized Sleep Profile is currently available to parents as a free resource from Johnson & Johnson as one of its "Tools for better sleep". This is the site: http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/sleep. The authors do not receive financial benefit from its use.

Notes:

The study was supported by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc. Dr. Mindell and co-authors Drs. Courtney Du Mond and Avi Sadeh have consulted for Johnson and Johnson. There was no involvement from Johnson & Johnson with the data analysis or the writing of the paper.

The study: "Efficacy of an Internet-based intervention for infant and toddler sleep disturbances"

This is interesting! I have been hearing from friends that moms (and responsible dads who help) usually have trouble with their baby’s sleep time. Both mom and child end up tired and lacking in sleep! This shouldn’t be the case. If there’s a better way, done and tested by others, perhaps it's worth a try. 

Article Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/221000.php

5 Questions - Hard Time Sleeping

I have been having trouble again going to sleep. I wish I can know what other people are doing and what's effective for them.

I'd like to understand more by asking these 5 Questions:

5 Sleep Questions

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1. Do you have a sleeping disorder? When did you notice it? How long has it been now?

2. Was it abrupt or gradual onset?

3. What's your average sleep per night?

4. What do you do when you simply cannot sleep? Did anything work for you?

5. Are you taking any prescription medications? What and how effective are they?

Hoping shared information will shed some light. And may reveal patterns or clues.

Tricks that work like Sleep Medication

1. Timing is important:

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Go to bed the same time every night and awake the same time every morning. Soon enough, your body will get used to this schedule and you will be able to sleep. If you do awake during the night, make yourself at least try to go back to sleep right away.

2. Cut down on food and drink:

Don't eat large meals or drink copious amounts of water 2 hours before you go to bed. Eating meals can cause stomach problems that can keep you awake through the night. Drinking large amounts of fluids will cause you to be up all night, going to the bathroom, instead of getting a sound, solid sleep. Cut back on caffeine. Tea, Coffee and soft drinks. Caffeine keeps your body awake, which contradicts getting enough sleep.

3. Exercise:

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Be careful how much exercise you do before going to bed. Aerobic exercise can get your heart pumping and the adrenalin going, causing you to stay awake. Although sometimes light stretching and relaxing exercise like, yoga or tai-chi may actually calm you and promote sleep.

4. Bathe before bed:

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Take a warm bath before bed to relax you. Make sure it's not too hot or cold or it can stimulate your body to stay awake. Light a candle and put on a soothing CD while in the bath to help relax you further, promoting a good night’s sleep.

My sister had trouble getting to sleep for a couple of days until she tried taking a warm bath before bed (I go a step further and take a bath with candle light, VERY RELAXING!).

5. Avoid napping during the day:

If you suffer from insomnia, you shouldn't be napping during the day. This will only cause more insomnia, since your body has already received the rest it needs during the daytime.

Lack of sleep hurts work production during the day. It also makes your immune system weak, so it has a harder time fighting off disease. If you're tired while driving, you could cause a major accident. Insomnia keeps you from functioning in your daily life.

Of course if you have done all these with not a slight improvement on the quality of your sleep, you might wish to go to the doctor. There are some insomnia medications that they can prescribe. Hopefully, you only do this as a last resort.

Article Source: http://www.helium.com/items/1207256-how-to-cure-insomnia 

Insomnia Natural Cures (4 THINGS TO TURN OFF IN THE NEXT 3 DAYS)

You toss, you turn, you get up for a while (maybe play on your computer), but you just can't get to sleep and if by chance you do get to sleep, an hour or so later you are awake again! What is going on? You know you're tired, you worked 10 hours that day, and were falling asleep in your chair. But as soon as you get into bed, bam, right awake again.

There are actually three types of insomnia, the first is when you have problems going to sleep when you go to bed, second is when you can fall asleep but then you wake up too early, and third is when you wake up several times during the night.

Here are a few simple things that you can do to help cure insomnia:

One (1) hour before sleeping...

1. Turn off the Lights.

Hidden Stimuli - Light

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2. Turn off the Television.

Hidden Stimuli - TV

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3. Turn off your Computer or Laptop.   

Hidden Stimuli - PC/Laptop

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4. Leave your Mobile Phone in the other room.

Hidden Stimuli - Mobile Phone

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Your bedroom should be dark and quiet to welcome sleep. Too much stimuli can cause you to either stay awake or wake up frequently through the night. Some people feel the need to work through the night and keep their laptop in bed with them. This is not the way to cure insomnia. Use your bedroom for sleep or sex to help fight insomnia.

These are simple things that we take for granted. It may take some discipline, but it’s not impossible. Try it for 3 consecutive days and observe if there are changes in your sleeping habits.

To add, I’ve noticed that yellow light is just ok. It doesn’t keep me awake. Notice that you can still get sleepy with candle light.

Reference www.helpguide.org/life/insomnia_treatment

Article Source: http://www.helium.com/items/1207256-how-to-cure-insomnia

Insomniac Cavefish May Hold Clues to Human Sleep Disorders

Cavefish

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Blind Mexican cavefish sleep much less than closely related species that live near the surface, according to a study that involved shaking aquariums to keep fish awake.

By breeding the fish with their sighted counterparts, scientists determined that the difference in their sleep patterns is genetic. The discovery may help identify genes and pathways involved in insomnia and other sleep disorders in humans.

“Fish are really not so very different than humans,” said biologist Richard Borowksy of New York University, co-author of the study published April 7 in Current Biology.

Like all animals, fish need to sleep. But over years of working with fish, Borowsky noticed that Astyanax mexicanus seemed to stay much more active at night than other species. Because many species of cavefish have adapted genetically to life in the deep and dark, losing their eyesight and pigmentation, he wondered if their sleep habits were also genetic.

Borowsky’s team brought related but evolutionarily separated populations of A. mexicanus into the lab, including three groups of blind fish from different Mexican caves and a still-sighted group that lived near the surface.

To evaluate fish sleep patterns, the researchers first had to find a way to tell when fish are asleep. It turns out sleeping fish have a stereotypical posture: They stop moving, drop to the bottom of the tank and drop their tail. The scientists found that once a fish had been in this position for 60 seconds, it was definitely in a different state: Like rousing a sleepy teenager, it took three times as many taps on its tank to get a sleepy fish moving after that 60-second mark.

To verify that the fish were indeed sleeping, the researchers also explored what happened when they deprived the fish of sleep. They put the fish on top of a Vortex mixer set to its gentlest setting and had it vibrate for 10 seconds out of every minute, all night long. The next day, fish of all four species were far less active.

“It’s like they were out at night partying,” said co-author Eric Duboue. “The next day they had to sleep it off.”

They then monitored the different species of fish under simulated 12-hour day and night cycles and found that all three populations of cave fish slept way less than the surface fish. Cavefish slept an average of 110 to 125 minutes a day, while the surface fish averaged 800 minutes.

“It’s an extraordinary finding that this decrease in the amount of sleep occurred independently in the three different populations,” Borowsky said.

He suspects that the cavefish evolved to be awake more often because of their unique environments. At the surface, fish have to use energy to escape predators during the day, but have plenty of food available. It’s the opposite in a cave, where the fish are the top predators but food is scarce. A fish that’s awake more has a better chance of snagging the rare morsel as it wanders by.

To confirm that the differences in sleep habits they observed were genetic, the researchers bred the various cavefish populations with the surface fish. The offspring slept like cavefish, indicating a dominant gene for sleeplessness. A second generation, bred by mating that first hybrid generation, showed sleep behaviors in between the two populations. The researchers concluded that a few specific genes must be responsible for the sleep change.

The scientists say their research offers an important clue in the quest to unlock how genes control behavior in humans. It’s likely that the genes regulating sleep in fish are the same genes regulating sleep in humans, Borowsky said.

“We can now begin to ask why sleep is reduced,” said Joshua Gross, an evolutionary geneticist who studies cavefish at the University of Cincinnati and who was not involved in the study. “This study, and similar investigations, are critical for understanding how genes influence behaviors in the context of the natural world.”

In their next experiment, the researchers plan to pinpoint specific genes responsible for cavefish restlessness.

To sum it up, scientists found that genetics is a factor in fish insomnia. Now all they have to do is figure out if humans also have the same genetic tendencies. 

Article Source: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/04/insomniac-cavefish/

Top 4 Insomnia Natural Remedies to Try

1. Melatonin

Melatonin regulates your biological clock.

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Melatonin is the timekeeper of the body. It's a hormone that regulates your biological clock. As you get older you make less melatonin, which experts believe is probably why older folks have more trouble sleeping. Research is showing that taking a melatonin supplement can help you sleep. Ask your doctor about taking 1 to 3 mg of melatonin 11/2 to 2 hours before bedtime.

Does melatonin require a doctor's prescription? According to FamilyDoctor.org, which is a web site operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organization representing more than 93,700 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. Their answer to the question above is..

No. Melatonin is sold without a prescription in health food stores and drug stores in the United States. However, melatonin products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since melatonin products are not regulated by a government agency, their purity, safety and effectiveness can't be guaranteed.

So it can be considered under supplements wherein their bottles would say “No approved therapeutic claim.” Most supplements really do help, they just put that label to protect themselves from being sued..

2. 5-HTP

5-HTP supplements help your body make serotonin.

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Some experts believe a tryptophan deficiency can cause problems with sleep. Made from tryptophan, 5-HTP helps the body make serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are a known factor in sleepless nights. Taking a 5-HTP supplement may be a benefit if your body has low levels of tryptophan. How do you know if you're low? Low levels of tryptophan are most common in people who are depressed. If your insomnia is associated with depression, it might be a good question to ask your doctor. In one study, 100 mg of the supplement was enough to make sleep longer and better.

Where can I find 5-HTP??

5-HTP is sold over-the-counter in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada as a dietary supplement for use as an antidepressant, appetite suppressant and sleep aid, and is also marketed in many European countries for the indication of major depression under trade names like Cincofarm, Levothym, Levotonine, Oxyfan, Telesol, Tript-OH, and Triptum.

If you’re also suffering  from depression, 5-HTP may be the best sleep aid for you. Check with your doctor.

3. Valerian

Valerian is commonly used for insomnia,
anxiety, and hyperactivity.

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Valerian is a staple medicinal herb used throughout Europe. And, unlike benzodiazepines, using valerian to treat insomnia increases the amount of time spent in deep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Valerian contains chemicals with strong muscle-relaxant and sedative properties called valepotriates. All parts of the plant contain these chemicals, but they are most concentrated in the roots. Ironically, even valerian preparations without valepotriates have helped some people to fall asleep, raising the possibility that some still unidentified chemical, or a reaction amongst various compounds in the root, may produce a calming effect.

Native to Europe and parts of Asia, valerian has been introduced into North America.

Other names used for this plant include garden valerian (to distinguish it from otherValeriana species), garden heliotrope (although not related to Heliotropium) and all-heal. The garden flower red valerian is also sometimes referred to as "valerian", but is a different species from the same family and not very closely related.

Oral forms are available in both standardized and unstandardized forms. Standardized products may be preferable considering the wide variation of the chemicals in the dried root, as noted above. When standardized, it is done so as a percentage of valerenic acid or valeric acid.

I’ve also heard about Valerian Tea. Some claim that  it has a better effect than some insomnia drugs.  It can be found in your local grocery or health food store.

4. Try a Little Sugar

Honey can act as a sedative.

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You should finish eating two or three hours before bedtime. However, that comforting nighttime snack of milk and cookies may be just what the doctor ordered to get you back in bed. Sugary foods eaten about 30 minutes before bedtime can actually act as a sedative, and you can wake up without the morning fuzziness that accompanies synthetic sleeping pills.

Honey has the same sedative effect as sugar and may get you to bed more quickly. Try adding 1 tablespoon honey to some decaffeinated herbal tea or even to your warm milk for a relaxing pre-sleep drink.

Honey could be the easiest and most accessible of the 4. Will try it tonight.

Article Sources:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/10-home-remedies-for-insomnia9.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_(herb)

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/258.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-Hydroxytryptophan

Women who Sleep Less May Live Longer and Have Fewer Strokes

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Are you concerned because you didn't get your full eight hours of sleep last night? Last month? Last year? Don't worry. As long as you're sleeping at least five or six hours a night, you may be doing just fine. New research suggests that women who sleep less may live longer than their well-rested counterparts – and as an added bonus, reduce their risk of stroke.

Stroke and Sleep

Research presented November 13 at the American Heart Association annual meeting suggests that women who get more than 10 hours of sleep each night may be at increased risk of stroke, compared to women who slept an average of 7 hours per night.

The research team, led by Alan Flint, M.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, studied nearly 70,000 women nurses ages 40 to 65 from 1986 to 2006. Investigators asked the women to report the total hours they slept each night, which ranged from less than five to 11 or more. They also collected information from the women about lifestyle factors that might affect their risk of stroke, such as how much alcohol they drank, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and whether or not they smoked. They recorded the women's weight and whether they had diabetes or high blood pressure, all of which can affect stroke risk.

Twenty years later, a total of 2,303 strokes had been reported. When the researchers looked at which women were having the strokes, they found that women who slept seven hours a night had the lowest average risk of stroke. Women who slept 10 or more hours each night were 63 percent more likely to experience a stroke compared to women in the seven-hour group. Women who slept six or fewer, or from eight to nine hours a night, had insignificant increases in stroke risk.

Researchers weren't able to say why women who slept longer hours were at higher risk of stroke. Flint noted, "We'd like to update [the study] and get an idea of whether a pattern of sleep over a lifetime that accounts for the risk, or whether there are other factors that account for that, like clinical depression, jobs, family, or other interaction with that risk."

Flint also said he was performing similar research in a large group of men.

Sleep Less, Live Longer

Flint's research contributes to a growing body of research that suggests that a little less than the eight-hour sleep standard might not be all that bad for women's health. In September 2010, a team led by Daniel F. Kripke, MD, professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, reported that women who slept between 5.0 and 6.5 hours each night were likely to live longer than those who slept more or less.

Kripke and colleagues based their conclusions on women who had participated in a study of sleep patterns 14 years ago. Between 1995 and 1999, as part of the Women's Health Initiative, Kripke's team had monitored the sleep habits of 459 women ranging in age from 50 to 81. All of the women lived in San Diego.

Fourteen years later, Kripke and his colleagues tracked down 444 of the original participants, including 86 women who had died. They compared the data they had gathered about the women's sleep habits with their status (alive or dead) or, if they had died, how old they had been when they died.

Most sleep studies use questionnaires to determine people’s sleep habits. These studies had suggested that people who slept 6.5 to 7.5 hours per night were likely to live longest. But Kripke's team used wrist activity monitors instead of self-reported data to record how long people slept. Using these measurements, they found that women who slept a little less – 5 to 6.5 hours – often lived the longest. Less than five hours is probably not enough, and eight hours is probably too much.

“The surprise was that when sleep was measured objectively, the best survival was observed among women who slept five to 6.5 hours,” Kripke said. “Women who slept less than five hours a night or more than 6.5 hours were less likely to be alive at the 14-year follow-up.”

The findings were published online in the September 25 issue of the journal Sleep Medicine. Kripke said the study should lay to rest some people’s fears that they’re not getting enough sleep. “This means that women who sleep as little as five to six-and-a-half hours have nothing to worry about since that amount of sleep is evidently consistent with excellent survival. That is actually about the average measured sleep duration for San Diego women.”

Researchers also found that obstructive sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep) in women aged 60 years or more did not increase their risk of death. This finding was in sharp contrast to sleep apnea in younger women. Kripke noted that for women under 60, sleep apnea may be associated with increased risk of death, “it does not seem to carry a risk in the older age group, particularly for women.”

References

Flint, A, Hu, F, Manson, J, & Rexrode, K. (2011). Abstract 13072: A Prospective Study of Sleep Duration and Risk of Incident Stroke in Women. Circulation 122: A13072. Available at: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/122/21_MeetingAbstracts/A13072?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Flint+Stroke&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Kripke, D.F, Langer, R.D., Elliott, J.A., Klauber, M.R., & Rex, K.M. (2011). Mortality related to actigraphic long and short sleep, Sleep Medicine, (12:1), pp. 28-33.DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.016. Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W6N-513F5DM-1/2/3fd5d3ca1af9497a804be4ac2a5097b2

Now I’m quite confused about the ideal time for optimum sleep – the always-recommended 8 hours?? or 5 hours (as stated in this article)?? So there is sleep overdose! And the above studies show that oversleeping can be harmful.

It says in the previous post that needed sleep time depends per person. I wonder how one can find out his/her own optimal sleep time.

Article Source: http://ehealthmd.com/content/women-who-sleep-less-may-live-longer-and-have-fewer-strokes