A Woman’s Sleep Is Essential for Health

Do you get enough sleep? One of the biggest complaints physicians hear from their female patients is that they don’t. They’re under stress, they’re under pressure, and in addition to that, they have the pressures of their spouse. All of these things come together to make it difficult to sleep and to get that quality time. It is essential, if you are going to be healthy, that you get the sleep you need and the rest you need. If you can do that, you have an opportunity to fight the day’s battles and not feel weakened by them. Sleep is a key tool, a key weapon in your overall health.

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Managing Night Terrors

They are called night terrors, and clearly, they can be terrors for the parents as well. A night terror is a situation where a child will wake up. The child actually could be fine and then will wake up about half an hour or 45 minutes in his sleep screaming wildly. They’re screaming because they really don’t know what’s going on. They look right past you. They have no idea what the issue is. The problem with a night terror is that it often scares the parents. What you have to do is just control the child from hurting themselves, and it will go away.

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Sleep Apnea May Be Associated with Diabetes

Sleep apnea is a very common health problem where people have sleep interrupted with periods of snoring and erratic breathing. We have known for quite some time that sleep apnea is associated with high blood pressure. Now, a new study from Dublin, Ireland, has made the association between sleep apnea and diabetes. The study looked at 8,000 people and found an association. One of the most important points is if you’re someone who has sleep apnea, or suspects that you might, it is worth getting a complete physical and clearly be evaluated for diabetes.

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New Research on Dreams

Dreams have served as a source of confusion and wonder since people started dreaming.  Scientists have studied them, most famously Dr. Sigmund Freud, and there are thousands of theories out there.  Now, new research is providing insight into how most people interpret dreams.  According to a Carnegie Mellon researcher, people believe that hidden truths present themselves in dreams.  This view is consistent across cultural lines and around the globe.  According to the latest report, 149 university students in the United States, India, and South Korea made exactly that point.  According to the findings, dreams also affect how people act when they are awake.  A survey of Boston commuters found that when they dreamed of a plane crash the night before a scheduled air trip, they would be more likely to change their travel plans.  Another key point is people attribute the meaning of dreams when it corresponds to preexisting issues.  

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Sleep More to Weigh Less

If you’re a child, and you want to knock off a few pounds, one of the theories is just get more sleep. That’s a word from a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology which followed more than 68,000 people over a 16-year period. Now, what they found is that researchers who found patients who caught more Z’s each night tend to put less weight on throughout their entire life. It’s a Case Western University research study. Basically, the amount of sleep you’re looking for is independent, and it varies by age.

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Dealing with Stress Headaches

There are several kinds of headaches.  While many people say they suffer from migraines, the most common headache is called a stress headache.  Causes include stress, skipping meals, irregular sleep habits, or certain foods.  One of the first things many people do after suffering a headache is reach for a pain reliever in the medicine cabinet, but that's not always the best idea.  In fact, there are other simple things you can do.  Lie down in a dark, quiet room and try to sleep.  Also, try to figure out what led to the headache.  In addition, you should try to avoid things that are problematic and bother you.  One idea is a headache log where you can record when the headache first appears, the time each one happens, and where the pain is felt.  You get the idea.  Its common sense and it's trying to figure out the best way to approach a problem that can be chronic.

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Night Shift Work May Increase Risk for Breast Cancer

Very interesting news from Denmark where dozens of night shift workers are receiving cash settlements as a result of developing breast cancer.  There were 37 women involved and, according to reports, there were no other significant factors that might explain the development of breast cancer.  We know night shift work is believed to cause disturbed sleep, fatigue, and digestive problems and a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center revealed night shift work could increase the risk of breast cancer by up to 60%.  Other studies have not been so convincing, but it is a fascinating report.

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What Are Night Terrors?

They are called night terrors.  You could be out for dinner with your spouse.  You could be enjoying yourself and get a call from the babysitter that your child is screaming uncontrollably, or you could be home and just hear your child start yelling.  You go up to see them and their eyes are looking straight at you. They're screaming in terror and you cannot rouse them.  That is usually the sign of a night terror.  In fact, what will happen is the child will not remember it the next day.  Night terrors occur; they're common, and they need to basically be put in a situation where the child relaxes.  

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Causes of Fatigue in Women

Many women suffer from fatigue and there are many reasons for it.  One of the things doctors look at is the number of hours of sleep the patient is getting, if they’re feeling pressure, and if they feel that pressure is overwhelming.  But, in addition to that, what doctors worry about is the fact that many women will suffer fatigue because they may have periods that are extra heavy and they get a little bit anemic.  They could be suffering from thyroid issues.  They could be suffering from blood sugar problems.  All of these things can lead to problems associated with the fatigue.

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Research on Serotonin and Depression

We have known for quite some time that depression and serotonin pathways in the brain are connected in some way. Many of our treatments for depression are based on serotonin and its metabolism in the body. How depression and serotonin may be linked? Well, according to information in the journal Science, interactions between a brain protein and a serotonin receptor seem to have a relationship with depression as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, anxiety, aggression and sleep disorders. Now, without getting too technical, there are aspects of the finding that are very important. The true value might come from the fact that as we learn more about serotonin, we will be able to attack it more specifically. Remember, we use a lot of serotonin-based drugs. We understand how they work and we can definitely put them in position where they can make a difference for people.

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Understanding Insomnia

Insomnia is one of those definitions in medicine that is somewhat variable.  People who suffer from insomnia will define it as difficulty going to sleep, unable to go to sleep for hours, or waking up in the middle of the night after having trouble sleeping.  The bottom line is insomnia cuts through all of those fabrics.  It's important when you are struggling with insomnia that you have good sleep hygiene.  That means not taking work to bed, making sure it's nice and quiet, and it's a comfortable place to sleep. 

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Americans Don’t Get Enough Sleep

It was designed to be a national meeting of sleep experts with a focus on a wide variety of sleep issues that affect patients.  Normally, these meetings focus on issues like sleep apnea and restless leg, but as the doctors talked to one another it became quite apparent that the major sleep problem in our country today is people just don't get enough sleep.  The pace of life gets faster and faster and people try to cram more and more into every minute of the day.  In fact, as things get more hectic, sleep tends to get short shrift.  People view it as a waste of time.  We have to tell people the importance of sleep and let them know it's critical.  

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Sleep Difficulties in Children

In trying to help their children fall back asleep, parents may be setting them up for poor sleep patterns later on. Researchers surveyed parents of 987 children from the ages of five months until the children turned six and found that many things parents did early on when their children woke up, like giving them food or drink, or moving the children to the parents’ bed, led to sleep difficulties later on. Some of the problems included bad dreams, inability to fall asleep, and the inability to get a full night sleep. This is from the University of Montreal.

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Sleeping Pills May Become Addicting

The problem with sleeping pills is you can actually become addicted to them.  People who take multiple sleeping pills find that over time, they get used to them and they need them to sleep they need them to get that state of drowsiness, and if they don't take them, they're in a situation where they put themselves behind the eight ball.  It's important that sleeping pills be used for those who need them, but that they be used responsibly and that a physician be monitoring it.

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Kids Need Plenty of Sleep

Kids need sleep…plenty of sleep. So, if you’re a parent and your children are up late, get them to bed. They really function better if they sleep well. They’re less irritable and they’re able to perform better in the day. A lot of children don’t want to hear that. They don’t want to hear that they can sleep and take it easy, but the bottom line is they need to. They need their rest, and as parents, you need to control it. Your child will eat better. They will feel better. They will do better if they are getting plenty of sleep.

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Depression During Pregnancy

Both postpartum depression and the baby blues can occur in the mother after she delivers, and many in the medical and non-medical communities are aware of this. But fewer are aware of depression during pregnancy, a problem that can go untreated. The reason it’s not recognized is that some of the obvious symptoms of depression, like tiredness, trouble sleeping, emotional changes and weight gain may occur with pregnancy. One in twenty women experience depression while pregnant.

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New Research on Interpreting Dreams

Dreams have served as a source of confusion and wonder since people started dreaming.  Scientists have studied them, most famously Dr. Sigmund Freud, and there are thousands of theories out there.  Now, new research is providing insight into how most people interpret dreams.  According to a Carnegie Mellon researcher, people believe that hidden truths present themselves in dreams.  This view is consistent across cultural lines and around the globe.  According to the latest report, 149 university students in the United States, India, and South Korea made exactly that point.  According to the findings, dreams also affect how people act when they are awake.  A survey of Boston, Massachusetts, commuters found that when they dreamed of a plane crash the night before a scheduled air trip, they would be more likely to change their travel plans.  Another key point is people attribute the meaning of dreams when it corresponds to preexisting issues. 

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Importance of Sleep for Women

Do you get enough sleep? One of the biggest complaints doctors hear from female patients is they don’t; they’re under stress; they’re under pressure and addition to that, they have the pressures of their spouse. All of these things come together to make it difficult to sleep and to get that quality time. It is essential if you’re going to be healthy, that you get the sleep you need and the rest you need. If you can do that, you have an opportunity to fight the day’s battles and not feel weakened by them. Sleep is a key tool, a key weapon in your overall health.

We always appreciate your comments and suggestions.  For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Affect Driving Ability

People with untreated sleep apnea may be less alert behind the wheel and this could make them more vulnerable to the effects of sleep loss and alcohol than healthy drivers.  Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the tissues at the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep.  This leads to repeated stops and starts in breathing during the night.  The result of this is poor quality sleep which can, in turn, lead to daytime drowsiness.  It's estimated that traffic accidents related to obstructive sleep apnea cause 1,400 fatalities in the U.S. each year.  In a study of 58 people on a virtual driving course, the drivers with sleep apnea had more trouble staying in their driving lane and were more likely to crash than their healthy counterparts.  The same was true when they took a modest amount of alcohol; just enough to raise the blood alcohol level to 0.05, which is just below the legal limit. 

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Napping Linked to Improved Memory and Learning

There is a classic German study you need to bring up to your boss at work.  The research finds that if people took a nap, it could make a major difference in productivity.  The study showed that if you napped for just six minutes during the day, it will not only make you feel better, but it can improve your ability to learn and remember.  The connection between sleep and learning is something that researchers have only recently pinpointed, but many know from their own experience, such as the mathematician who says he's going to sleep and then has that eureka moment or he thinks of that math equation. 

We always appreciate your comments. 

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