Sleep Aide: 4 Sleep Disorders Exposed

Rose knows if you suffer from lack of sleep and have a hard time getting through the day without taking or wanting a nap you could have a sleeping problem. The required amount of sleep for an adult is between 7-9 hours according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

Other areas of concern with little sleep are problems concentrating, poor job performance, susceptibility to diseases and disorders and weight gain. There are four major sleep disorders; insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea.

Insomnia is the inability to fall or stay asleep. Chronic insomnia effects 10% of U.S. population with women more likely to have this problem due to pregnancy and menopause. These women rarely get a good night sleep because of shifts in estrogen levels. More often than not stress is the major factor that causes insomnia. Usually as the stress is relieved so is the inability to fall asleep, but over time anxiety about falling asleep can cause concern for other health issues.

If you cannot cure your insomnia naturally an over the counter medications could be beneficial, if not, you should see your physician for further advice and treatment. Remember taking sleeping pills have side effects and are addictive. And of course they should not be taken if you are pregnant or nursing. Your doctor will ask you questions about your day and night time habits and may make suggestions how to alter your lifestyle that will make a difference.

When you don’t have enough sleep at night and fall asleep during your daytime activities this is known as narcolepsy. Narcolepsy sufferers also have a hard time falling asleep; it’s like a bipolar sleep disorder with extremes of sleepiness and wakefulness and is associated with the condition cataplexy. Cataplexy causes people to have episodes of partial or total muscle loss, often prompted by emotional bouts of anger or laughter. People are awake during cataplexy attacks, but they cannot move. Cataplexy is usually not diagnosed until people are in their 20’s or 30’s and is more prevalent with men than with women.

More information about narcolepsy:  See Narcolepsy Facts

Researchers have found that those who suffer from narcolepsy go into REM sleep faster than normal sleepers. Hypocretin that regulates REM sleep is lower in narcoleptics, which could be genetic. There is no known cure, but naps seem to help. A doctor may recommend a stimulant in extreme cases.

Restless leg syndrome or RLS is a neurological disorder associated with unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move causing the individual the inability to lay or sit still. The unpleasant sensations are described as burning, creeping, tugging or even bugs crawling underneath their skin. Women suffer from RLS twice as much than men due to their menstruation depletes their body of iron and/or dopamine, in which researcher believe to be the cause.

Treating RLS depends on the severity. People with less severe cases of RLS only may need massage therapy or heating pads to relax the muscles, while severe cases may need medications or supplements like those that mimic dopamine, iron supplements or even anti-seizure drugs. Word of warning, some medications could aggravate the symptoms; antidepressants, tranquilizers and over the counter allergy or cold medications with antihistamines.

If you snore or take breathing pauses up to 10 seconds and more during your sleep you could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. Obstructive sleep apnea results in disrupted sleep not only for the individual but for their sleeping partner as well. OSA is associated with high blood pressure, heart problems, memory problems and headaches.

Sleep apnea is caused by a block in the air passages when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses while you are sleeping. Sometimes if the individual is overweight they have additional fatty tissue that can block the upper airway. Men are more susceptible to having OSA than women, but it has been reported as women experience menopause they are twice likely to get OSA due to weight gain and hormone changes.

Many times OSA is treated by lifestyle changes for instance, losing weight, hormone replacement therapy, avoiding alcohol, sleeping on your side. Severe cases are usually diagnosed at a sleep clinic where the individual stays overnight and is monitored for sleep deprivation and breathing pauses. The sleep study will tell the physician that the patient will either considered for a CPAP or Continuous Positive Airways Pressure machine which will blow air into the throat during the night or surgery to remove, shrink or stiffen the excess tissue in the back of the throat.

It you feel you are suffering from any of these four sleep disorders please confer with your physician. Because Rose knows if we are to play nice with the other children, we need a good nights sleep.

Sleep Aides: A Cure for Insomnia

Rose here, Good Evening

Since us Vamps don't have any dreams, I thought it might be important to discuss how dreaming can affect how you sleep.

Tonight I received an article from Trevor Albitt. Trevor believes that a cure for insomnia is learning how to recall past lucid dreams. Binaural sound waves can get your mind ready for lucid dreaming and then you'll be able to sleep like a baby. Here is Trevor's article:

Lucid Dreaming, also known as conscious dreaming is the practice of remaining aware of oneself as well as the fact that one is dreaming while dreaming. While in a dream, you are conscious of the fact that the things you see and experience are only a dream. You can have some control over your dreams once you are able to practice lucid dreaming, unlike in ordinary dreams.

The power of having complete control over the direction of your dreams is something straight out of metaphysical existence. Suddenly, all the limitations you ever felt in life just cease to exist.

Is lucid dreaming as straightforward as all that? Is lucid dreaming something which can be experienced by anyone?

In fact, lucid dreaming is not too difficult a task. If you are determined to learn this powerful medium of expressing your inner desires, there are tried and tested ways of achieving this.

First, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish here. Are you just trying to make your dreams a playground through lucid dreaming, or is there a specific goal which you are aiming to achieve through lucid dreaming? Whatever your reason, you should be clear and determined about it.

Then starts the actual process of learning this art. Firstly, you need to learn a process, called Dream Recall, i.e., recalling a dream you had the previous night. Unless you remember a dream, you can't achieve the stage of lucid dreaming.

The process is slow, but it can be achieved by maintaining a Dream Recall Register in which you enter as many details as you can remember about your dreams daily. Slowly but surely, you'll realize that you can remember even the most vivid details of your dreams. Periodic reality checks during the course of dreaming will train your mind to be aware in dreams.

Hypnosis can be very helpful for many in preparing their minds to have lucid dreams and can get the process of learning lucid dreaming off to a good head start. In fact, hypnosis can have people remembering their dreams in detail in as few as a few sessions. When you can do this, you are ready to try out lucid dreaming.

While in a lucid dream, it may happen that suddenly, you are wide-awake. However, with the power that you have attained so far, you'll be easily able to recollect all the important details of the dream. Now, just try to relax and sleep again, while continuing the dream with the desired directions. When you wake up, you'll realize the real power of conscious dreaming you just experienced the night before.

Another good way of inducing lucid dreams is to wake a few hours earlier than usual, then go back to sleep. The dreams you will have in these few hours are the easiest to make into lucid dreams. You may even find yourself unsure whether you have been sleeping or just thinking to yourself as you lay in bed. Just set your alarm for a few hours early, wake and reset the alarm and then go back to sleep and you will be more likely to have lucid dreams.

In this regard, it's extremely useful to keep track of your sleeping patterns so as to discover the best time to have lucid dreams.

Lucid dreaming can be a helpful practice for those with sleeping troubles such as insomnia. When you are having a hard time getting to sleep, remind yourself that sleep means lucid dreaming; and your subconscious mind will make sure that you get to sleep quickly.

It once was the case that it could take years to learn lucid dreaming; the only way to prepare the mind was meditation, which took a long time to master. A lot of people lack the discipline and would simply give up. New technologies, especially audio technology have made it possible for anyone to experience lucid dreaming.

Binaural audio is one of the most reliable methods of getting people to have lucid dreams.

These work by playing slightly different frequencies in each ear and have the result of deeply relaxing the listener and bringing their brain waves to the correct frequency for lucid dreaming to occur.

Before this technology, meditation was the technique of choice, which did not work out so well for many people. Binaural audio is much faster and works reliably for the majority of people.

Particularly in conjunction with hypnotherapy, binaural sound waves can get your mind ready for lucid dreaming, sometimes as early as your first attempt!

About the Author:

Trevor Albitt is a writer for the popular luciddreaminginfo.com site. Discover the amazing experience of lucid dreaming and you can try it yourself when you get twenty nine Free lucid dreaming Audios when you visit here.

For those suffer from insomnia this might be worth trying.
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill

Michael Jackson Sleep Aid Propofol aka Diprivan

Michael Jackson the King of 'Pill' Pop wanted to take his sleep aid medication intravenously. His drug of choice was Propofol aka Diprivan which is administered intravenously as a general anesthetic used to sedate patients for surgery and is only available to medical personnel. Propofol’s purpose is to induce sleep as long as the patient is monitored with an IV drip. As soon as you turn the drip off the patient will quickly become awake.

Propofol is only meant for use as an anesthesia and not a sleep aid because this drug is so powerful your breathing could cease or some other critical failure could occur. For this reason alone it should be used in operating rooms and doctors offices where trained medical employees monitor the patient if something were to go wrong.

It has also been implicated in drug abuse, with people using it to “chill out” or to commit suicide. Accidental deaths linked to abuse have been reported. The powerful drug has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning it doesn’t take doses much larger than the medically recommended amount to stop a person’s breathing.
An overdose that stops breathing can result in a buildup of carbon dioxide, causing the heart to beat erratically and leading to cardiac arrest

Jackson pressured a registered nurse Cherilyn Lee to help him with his insomnia by using Propofol and she refused his requests. According to Lee, a member of Jackson’s staff called her on June 21 begging her to help him after what seemed like an adverse drug reaction. She feared he used Propofol. The caller stated that Jackson complained half his body was hot and the other half cold which was a sign that something had messed up his central nervous system.

AAP Pharmaceutical’s spokesperson confirmed that Propofol is only available to medical professional and is widely used for outpatient surgical procedures because it is fast acting. Propofol has been known to create a painful burning sensation which is treated with the drug Lidocaine. According to a report Lidocaine was found near Jackson’s body. If a doctor supplied Jackson and helped him inject it causing the pop star’s death, he or she could be prosecuted for manslaughter.

Not only did Jackson have medical issues due to his insomnia he was struggling with an addiction to prescription drugs. The autopsy showed that his stomach only had partial digested pills. Over time it is likely that he built up a tolerance to those drugs which can mess up your sleep cycle and the need to feel completely out or in deep sleep caused him to abuse these medications. He had become desperate enough to research about Propofol and despite its warnings asked Lee if she could get and administer the drug so he could get some much needed sleep.

“I had an IV and when it hit my vein, I was sleeping. That’s what I want,” Lee said Jackson told her.

“I said, ‘Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication’ — and I had a chill in my body and tears in my eyes three months ago — ‘the only problem is you’re going to take it and you’re not going to wake up,” she recalled.

According to Lee, Jackson said it had been given to him before but he didn’t want to discuss the circumstances or identify the doctor involved.

Lee knew something was terribly wrong with Jackson and told him to go to the hospital. Jackson did not go and died June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest.

Lee said “I don’t know what happened there. The only thing I can say is he was adamant about this drug.”

Tortured by sleep deprivation, addicted to painkillers, sedatives, antidepressants and opposed to recreational drugs Lee said “This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest.”

Jackson was getting prepared for his big comeback, his “This Is It” tour with a series of performances that would have put a strain on his frail body. He had reoccurring pain due to 1984 Pepsi commercial where he severely burned part of his scalp and when he broke his leg and hurt his back when he fell off stage.

Lou Ferrigno best known for “The Incredible Hulk” had been working out with Jackson for the past few months to help him build up his stamina for the upcoming tour.

When he was with me, he wasn’t different. He wasn’t stoned. He wasn’t high. He wasn’t being aloof or speedy. Never talked about drugs,” Ferrigno said. “I’ve never seen him take drugs. He was always talking about nutrition.”

According to Lee, Jackson was also steadfast with her about taking drugs.

“He said, `I don’t like drugs. I don’t want any drugs. My doctor told me this is a safe medicine,’” Lee said. The next day, she said she brought a copy of the Physician’s Desk Reference to show him the section on Diprivan.

“He said, ‘No, my doctor said it’s safe. It works quick and it’s safe as long as somebody’s here to monitor me and wake me up. It’s going be OK,’” Lee said. She said he did not give the doctor’s name.

Lee said at one point, she spent the night with Jackson to monitor him while he slept. She said she gave him herbal remedies and stayed in a corner chair in his vast bedroom.

After he settled in bed, Lee told Jackson to turn down the lights and music — he had classical music playing in the house. “He also had a computer on the bed because he loved Walt Disney,” she said. “He was watching Donald Duck and it was ongoing. I said, `Maybe if we put on softer music,’ and he said, ‘No, this is how I go to sleep.’”

Three and a half hours later, Jackson jumped up and looked at Lee, eyes wide open, according to Lee. “This is what happens to me,” she quoted him as saying. “All I want is to be able to sleep. I want to be able to sleep eight hours. I know I’ll feel better the next day.”

Lee said she went to the house in January, the first of about 10 visits there through April, and treated the children with vitamins. Michael, intrigued, asked what else she did and took her up on her claim she could boost his energy.

After running blood tests, she devised protein shakes for him and gave him an intravenous vitamin and mineral mixture — known as a “Myers cocktail,” after Dr. John Myers — which Lee said she uses routinely in her practice.

“It wasn’t that he felt sick,” she said. “He just wanted more energy.”

Lee said she decided to speak out to protect Jackson’s reputation from what she considers unfounded allegations of drug abuse or shortcomings as a parent.

“I think it’s so wrong for people to say these things about him,” she said. “He was a wonderful, loving father who wanted the best for his children.”

What does Michael’s family plan to do for the pop star’s funeral?

Jackson’s body will not lie in state at his Neverland ranch. It was thought the singer would be placed in a glass coffin so fans could pay their respects before a family funeral.
'Contrary to news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland,' says a spokesman.

But the family is organising a tribute event. 'Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson and we will announced those plans shortly,' says the spokesman.

It's believed Michael, 50, will be laid to rest on Sunday.

‘He will be buried not cremated,’ says family lawyer Brian Oxman. ‘His mum Katherine is a Jehovah's Witness and despite claims Michael had converted to Islam he was one too.’

The singer's hometown of Gary, Ind., is reportedly seeking to have the body shipped there for another memorial service being planned for July 10. Amid all the competition to pay last respects to the King of Pop (including a memorial service attended by thousands at New York City's Apollo Theater on June 30), one question still remains unanswered: Where will Michael Jackson be buried?

I have a couple suggestions:

Cremation: You can divide the ashes or

Division of Body Parts: The coroner will keep the brain to conduct neuropathology tests, which can't happen until about two weeks after death, when the brain hardens. It's also likely that the coroner is conducting further tests on the superstar's heart. It's up to the family. They can bury him and then bury the brain and heart later on. Some for LA, some for Gary, IN, everybody’s happy. I’m sure Michael would want it that way.
R.I.P, Michael.
Rose Sheepskill

Sleep Center

Rose Sheepskin here…usually I do the articles, but my friend Count Narcolepsy owns a sleep center and insisted writing about it. (I will edit it when he is done) His sleep center is just outside of my town of Brasso in Transylvania and its called Narcolepsy Sleep Center. Originality is not one of his strong suits. Not surprisingly the only difference with his sleep center compared to others is his is only open at night. So without further adieu may I present Count Narcolepsy……

Good Evening, tonight I wish to talk about my sleep center, what services we offer and treatments for the sleep impaired. We have specialized sleep labs and clinics to diagnose, treat and support those with sleep disorders. Our clinics provide diagnosis, medical, pharmacological and behavioral treatments and follow-up services integrated with management care.
Some of the sleep disorders we treat are:

• Insomnia …nothing like some nice fresh dirt wouldn’t cure
• Sleep Apnea….Rose has already posted her opinions about this
• Restless Legs Syndrome…..I still use the 15th Century bloodletting for this disorder
• Night Terrors……Now if we didn’t have Night Terrors there wouldn’t be any Horror flicks something I am particularly engrossed over. They are sooo entertaining. Ones person’s nightmare is another person’s dream
• Sleepwalking…now if you have a sleepwalker make sure you lock your windows and doors. Wouldn’t want anyone to get out during the night….or anyone in either ????

My center is staffed with pulmonologists, neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and oral specialist. Our services include overnight sleep studies and home studies.
The overnight sleep studies include:

• EEG (electroencephalogram) – monitors brain activity to document sleep stages
• EOG (electrooculogram) – measures eye movement
• EMG (electromyogram) – measures muscle activity for monitoring muscle tone as well as body movement, especially limbs
• EKG (electrocardiogram) – monitors heart activity
• Respiratory Airflow – measures airflow from nose and mouth to document respiratory disturbances
• Respiratory Effort – monitors chest wall and abdominal movement to help determine specific respiratory disturbances
• Pulse oximetry – measures the oxygen saturation level to distinguish changes during respiratory events
• Snoring – monitors vibration of throat to determine snoring episodes (don't say throat!)
• Body Position – monitors the effect of sleep position on sleep and breathing
• Other parameters as determined by physician

During a sleep study, the technologist (or myself) is in constant video and audio contact with the patient, providing a safe, supportive surroundings with minimal apprehension. Our suites have been designed to promote a relaxing atmosphere and a pleasant patient experience without garlic, crosses or stakes. We offer full-size coffins, private bathrooms and a light breakfast (raw meat or fresh road kill) so that patients can undergo a full sleep diagnostic procedure, wake up and start the night with minimal disruption to their unlives.

The home studies are for those with obstructive sleep apnea and they have to meet a certain criteria including coverage from their insurance company. The criteria are as follows (my patients don't meet this criteria, but you might..for now):

• Patients with a high pre-test probability of moderate to severe OSA.
• Patients with no significant co-morbid medical condition. Examples of co-morbid conditions include moderate-severe pulmonary diseases (cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, active asthma, COPD), congestive heart failure and neuromuscular diseases (ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease).
• Patients suspected of having no co-morbid sleep disorder other than OSA.
• Patients unable to be studied in a sleep laboratory.
• To monitor response to non-CPAP treatments after the diagnosis has already been made.
• The AASM recommended that HST is not appropriate for general screening of asymptomatic patients.

The most important and most difficult part of our program at Narcolepsy Sleep Center is the long- term support of employees. Our counselors can quickly resolve any problems to increase the likelihood that patients accept their treatment and learn to successfully manage their sleep disorder, because they have to unlive with them for eternity.

Thanks Count Narcolepsy
Good Evening,
Rose Sheepskill