Countess Rose Sheepskill talks about Sleep Disorders, Sleep Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Medicine, Sleep Deprivation, Sleep Problems and Sleep Centers. Rose doesn't have to count sheep, she has them for a nightly snack. Join her and her friend Count Narcolepsy for tales about the dark side. Good Evening.
It’s starting to snow and the wind is blowing about 60 mph…..I am getting ready to go out and get my nightly feeding…and it is so cold.Hi Rose here and I know it’s the time of year that everyone fights a cold or the flu.Those that are sick have a hard time falling asleep and they try to find sleep aid pain reliever.Even though I hate to go out in the cold, since I am undead I can’t get sick any longer, but I have used the following three over-the-counter sleep aids while sick.
Tylenol PM is the most popular brand of the three and is great for those that are suffering from a cold.Tylenol PM is not addicting and is safe to use with other medication.With 500 mg Acetaminophen and 25 mg Diphenhydamine it has a smaller amount of sedative than other over-the-counter pain medications.If you prefer a brand of Tylenol without a pain reliever, try Simply Sleep.Tylenol PM and Simply Sleep are available at your grocery store or pharmacy in caplet or capsule form.
Advil PM, like Tylenol PM has a stronger sleep aid, 38 mg of Diphenhydamine with a different ingredient in its pain reliever, 200 mg Ibuprofen.They work the same, just a bit stronger.Take the recommended dosage because if you take too much you may find it hard to wake up in the morning or remain drowsy during the day.It is not recommended to operate heavy machinery or drive. Please adhere to the other warnings on the label, if any.
Excedrin PM was the first combination sleep aid and pain reliever ever made, having the same sleep aid as Advil PM (38 mg of Diphenhydamine) and the same pain medicine as Tylenol PM (500 mg Acetaminophen).Excedrin PM is available anywhere over-the-counter pain medication is sold.
These three sleep aid pain relievers are popular and work to give you a good night sleep. Being over-the-counter medications, they are a lot less expensive then prescription sleep aides.If you find yourself getting sick and want to stop your cold before it starts or reduce the time you’ll have the flu, try zinc throat spray and/or Vitamin C and be sure to use a hand sanitizer to kill those unwanted germs…..Now if I could just find my dinner before the sun comes up.. Burrrrr.
Good Evening,
Rose Sheepskill
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.
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.
Rose here….Tonight I want to talk about how to fall asleep fast. Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Are you tossing and turning thinking about all the things you have to do? Stress is the number one reason why people can’t relax and fall asleep. There are ways you can turn off your mind and learn how to fall asleep fast.
First even before you go to bed you need to get into the mind set to get ready to fall asleep. Having a nightly routine such as taking a warm bath, not a hot bath as your body will have to cool down before you will be able to fall asleep. Have a cup of decaffeinated sleepy time tea or warm glass of milk, but don’t drink too much or you will wake up during the night and have to go to the bathroom only to start the process of falling asleep all over again.
Try some PearlyDreams toothpaste which has natural sleep aid ingredients for instance passion flower extract, valerian, Melatonin and balm mint all known to have relaxing properties that absorb into your system. Melatonin is naturally produced in your pineal gland and will regulate your sleep cycle. Some sleeping disorders are caused just because people don’t produce enough melatonin. There are a few reason why this happens; one as you age melatonin decreases and two if you sleep with a light in your room your body will not produce enough. So if you want to fall asleep fast...lights out.
Make sure your room is as sound proof as possible. If you are traveling sometimes this is hard to do. You might want to consider listening to sleep music, white noise or binaural sound waves. What is white noise? White noise is a neutral sound that will drown out external noises. A white noise machine is relatively inexpensive, but if you can’t afford one a fan or the air conditioner will work just the same.
A self hypnotic tape or CD trains you to relax your entire body by repetitive suggestions and deep breathing. Try this deep breathing exercise; inhale through your nose until you feel you stomach rise, hold for 10 seconds then slowly exhale counting backwards from 8 to 1. Repeat two more times. My self hypnotic tape has a breathing exercise along with other stress relieving exercises I do and before long I am fast asleep. Even though I do not complete the tape my unconscious mind still soaks in all the relaxing, self improvement suggestions. A self hypnotic tape or CD will keep your mind off your problems and will help you relax and fall asleep fast. If you aren’t sure about using hypnosis meditating will work just as well. Concentrate on relaxing your body and lowering your heart rate. I repeat a single word over and over and match it to my breathing which will gradually slow down then eventually my mind will drift off to sleep.
Other suggestions to prepare for sleep try reading, writing or anything that will get your mind off whatever you are stressing about. Make sure you are not in restrictive clothing. Anything that is too tight will not move with you when you turn over. I feel loose fitting pajamas are easier to sleep in than a nightgown that is sometimes tighter around the shoulders and rides up during the night.
How is your mattress? Do you sink to the middle of your bed or do you feel the bed spring? If you can’t afford a new mattress get a Memory Foam Mattress Pad with a terry cloth cover. Why should you make sure you have a terry cloth cover? Memory foam is known to hold into the heat and with a terry cloth cover it will allow more air movement between you and the pad therefore keeping you cooler. Make sure your room temperature is set at 65 degrees or less and make sure you don’t have too many blankets on. Keep your pets out of your room they will only disturb your sleep. Don’t use your bed for anything other than sex and sleeping. You don’t want to watch TV or play video games in bed or it will take you longer to fall asleep…always wondering how to get the bad guy.
Now you are ready for sleep and as you drift off I don’t know if you have ever noticed but your mind will remember your last dream. Even though it is fleeting, it might remind you enough for you to remember more of it. These dreams are called lucid dreams. They are the conscious dreams you have when you are in between a sleep and a wake state. When you are having a hard time falling asleep remind yourself that sleep means lucid dreaming and your subconscious mind will make sure when remembering your dream that you will get to sleep fast. When you wake up in the morning you might want to keep a dream or sleep journal. As time goes by your mind will remember more and more of your dreams. In your journal you can also keep track of how long it takes you to fall asleep and what you did to fall asleep faster.
Lastly if you are like me you love to nap and stay up late and sometimes find yourself up until 3 or 4 in the morning, getting into a terrible sleeping pattern. If you are going to nap, try to have a power nap of 15 or 20 minutes. Not only should you limit your nap time you should keep a bedtime schedule. Make time for your nightly routine and get to bed at a decent hour to get the amount of sleep you need and wake up feeling fresh and rested.
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill
Rose knows that falling asleep can sometimes be hard to do especially if you are traveling for business or for pleasure. When my nephew, Batboy comes to visit I’ll often hear, “I can’t sleep.”, because he is not in his usual crypt. Many of us find it hard to sleep and for a number of reasons. One reason being we just cannot get our minds to relax. Relaxing our minds is essential for a good, deep sleep which is necessary for our overall health. Over time we have found many ways to help relax our minds and forget the stress we deal with in our daily lives. In order to get our minds from racing we have even counted bouncy little sheep leaping over a fence. No wonder that doesn't work. Bouncy sheep are hyperactive and wide awake. They're the last thing you need to dwell on when you want to fall asleep. Personally, I’d rather have sheep as a snack then count them.
One way that works is to relax your mind with dream recollection. When remembering a past dream it takes the focus off work or family problems and helps your subconscious mind relax so you can get to sleep quickly. If you have a hard time remembering your dreams keep a dream recall register next to your bed and when you first wake up write down as much as you can remember. Over time you will remember more and more of your dream because you have trained your mind to do so.
Another way to get your mind to relax is using music to sleep to as a sleep aid. Sleep music varies depending upon the persons tastes. There are some limitations as you don’t want to fall asleep to heavy metal or rap music. Music for sleep is usually soothing and has a softer edge to it like soft rock. Many soft rock listeners favor the ballads as do the people that like easy listening music. While soft rock has more vocals, drums and guitars, easy listening emphasizes on acoustic arrangements about love songs or oldies but goodies. Definitely soft rock and easy listening is music to sleep by.
Sleep music that always works for me is classical music. Classical music has been used as sleeping music for many years and there are many artists to choose from. Classical music is string arrangements, orchestral movements or gentle wind instruments. If your employer’s pipe in classical music where you work and you are not getting enough sleep at night, you might find yourself falling asleep on the job!
Ambient music or New Age music is music to help sleep because it focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an atmospheric, visual or unobtrusive quality by conjuring up images of peaceful places like the sea, forest or beach and/or places that bring happy memories as those in your childhood.
Nature Sounds and White Noise are not musical but sounds of waves crashing against the rocks, rain or thunderstorms, sounds of nature in a forest, a whale song or a simple rush of continuous air. You can purchase a machine that has nature sounds and white noise built in and can be programmed to turn off at intervals of 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Some of the machines will even play all night if you wish to hear the sounds throughout your sleep. These sounds are designed to promote a feeling of well-being allowing the mind to relax and drift away from any stress. Many doctors write prescriptions for these white noise machines before they will write a prescription for a sleeping prescription drug or even recommend an over-the-counter drug because it is a natural way to fall asleep. (My grandchildren have to fall asleep with a fan which is a simple way to use white noise for a sleep aid)
When preparing yourself for sleep you may want to fix yourself a warm glass of milk or a cup of sleepy time decaf tea. This allows you to get into a mind set for sleeping. Try to adhere to a schedule even on the weekends. Don’t eat or drink a lot close to your bedtime. If you need a snack eat something that makes you sleepy such as a small bowl of cereal, milk, tuna or a slice of turkey. (And we wonder why we want to nap after our Thanksgiving or Christmas meal) Avoid hot or spicy foods that may cause heartburn and/or acid reflux. No caffeine or nicotine as they are stimulants. If you exercise, do so in the afternoon as exercising will increase your pulse and blood pressure and you need time to cool your body down or you’ll be too hot to sleep. Speaking of being too hot, reduce the temperature of your bedroom to at least 65 degrees. If the air conditioner dries out the room use a humidifier. Try not to nap, but if you do, only nap for 20 minutes to insure that you get the required hours of sleep during the night.
If you still feel you are to tense to lie down and fall asleep take a bath to relax your muscles. When lying in bed turn off the TV, your computer or video game. You’ll never get to sleep if you are wondering how to get the bad guy. If you are traveling bring ear plugs and an eye mask to keep intrusive noises and light from disturbing your sleep.
Some people use self-hypnosis relaxing tapes or breathing exercises to encourage relaxation. Take slow, deep breaths, through your nose and deep into your abdomen (rather than your chest). If you are doing this correctly your belly will expand and contract with each breath. Exhale slowing counting backwards from 8 to 1, repeat the words relax and take another deep breathe. Do this for at least five minutes.
Engage in other relaxing activities like reading, yoga or listening to sleep music. Your CD or MP3 player should be close to your bed just in case you want to turn it on or off later in the night. Don’t have the music too loud as you fall asleep sounds appear louder and this will only wake you up later. Again, soothe, relaxing sounds are best used as sleep aid music. White noise is also a sleep aid because it has shown to relax and calm the mind so you can fall asleep easier and faster.
Don’t rely on sleeping pills. They have many side effects, do not interact with other medication and are habit forming. If you feel that you have a chronic sleeping problem, please contact your doctor, he may recommend getting tested at a sleep clinic for apnea or other sleep disorders.
Listen to this sleep music video:
Good Day, Rose Sheepskill
Music Design in Review "... fantastic for those with insomnia or looking to relax, relieve tension, calming the nerves and finding much-needed peace... "
Product Description Wouldn’t it be wonderful to just lay your head on your pillow, fall fast asleep and sleep all night long? This heavenly collection of soothing melodies and pristine sounds of nature from award-winning healing music pioneers David and Steve Gordon, effortlessly guides you to that place of deep rest. With Pillow Music, the cares of the day fade away as you float naturally into refreshing sound sleep. Peaceful atmospheres and hypnotic nature sounds lull your body and mind into complete relaxation. The Gordon’s have designed this recording to assist you in easily moving through the different stages of relaxation into deep restful sleep. Through the use of tranquil soundscapes, soothing melodies, lush textures, subtle 60 beat per mintute pulses and pure natural sounds, you are gently coaxed into relaxation and sleep. Let go of stress and get the rest you need. You may never hear the end of this CD!
Includes 10 tips for falling asleep easily from Dr. Steve Bratman, M.D., President, AltMedConsult.com, Inc.
Good Evening, Rose here
Do you suffer from the sleep disorder Insomnia? Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Sleep research has found that inadequate sleep may cause many health conditions so it is important for you to get a restful night’s sleep. Before considering a sleep aid medication either a prescription drug or over-the-counter medication let’s look at some lifestyle changes you could consider to get to sleep naturally. Here are 12 recommendations on How to Fall Asleep.
1. Comfortable Bed. If your bed causes you to toss and turn because you feel the springs or roll to the middle you may want to purchase a new mattress or at least a Memory Foam Mattress Topper. A Memory Foam Mattress Topper will allow your pressure points to be dispersed evenly. If you sleep on your side your shoulder is your biggest pressure point. The Memory Foam Mattress Topper allows your shoulder to sink deep into the pad, while your hips and other areas are still supported. Not only does this eliminate pressure points that cause restless sleep, numbness and poor circulation, it also has huge benefits for the spine, allowing your back to be aligned naturally, which reduces aches and pains.
2. Make a Sleep Routine. Being consistent with the time you go to bed and get up will help your body adjust to a sleeping pattern. Many people once they get used to this pattern may not need an alarm clock to get up in the morning. My father was one of these people; he would automatically wake up at 7am each day.
3. Outside Environmental Influences. Noise, light and temperature can disturb sleep. Do what you can to eliminate these external influences. Room darkening curtains or blinds or a sleep eye mask if traveling, earplugs or listen to a relaxation tape to eradicate intrusive noises. I know when I lived by a train track I had to leave on my air conditioners fan only all year round to help with the trains blaring horn during the night. According to researchers the best sleeping temperature is 65, especially for those that suffer from night sweats. I love blankets and find it best to keep the temperature no more than 72 degrees or less.
4. RELAX. Prepare yourself for a restful night sleep before you hit the bed. Warm milk or a cup of sleepy time tea may help you relax. Reading, meditation, relaxation tape, warm bath are great ways to destress before retiring.
5. Caffeine. Some of us are really affected by caffeine when trying to fall asleep and caffeine can stay in our system up to eight hours. Best advice is to stop drinking or eating anything that contains caffeine at least six hours prior to bedtime. Remember chocolate and chocolate or coffee flavored foods also have caffeine such as Yoplait cafe Au Lait yogurt, chocolate pudding or coffee flavored alcohol.
6. Hot and/or Spicy Foods. If you need to have a little snack before you go to sleep make sure it’s just that a snack and not a meal. Also make sure it’s not spicy or hot which may cause acid reflux or heartburn during the night. If you have a problem with acid reflux or heartburn it may be advisable to eliminate all hot and spicy food for at least two weeks to see if they are the cause. Introduce them back into your diet one at a time to figure out which ones are affecting you. Once you have introduced them back into your diet try to eat them before 7pm. Bedtime snack food can be a piece of fruit, handful of nuts, pretzels or a small bowl of cereal.
7. Nicotine. Nicotine is considered a stimulant it makes your heart beat fast, restricts your arteries and your pulse to race. It would be best if you can’t quit smoking at least not to smoke a few hours before going to bed.
8. Sleep and Sex ONLY. Don’t watch TV, play video games or eat in bed. It just takes you that much longer to get your mind to relax once you try to go to sleep. You don’t want to be thinking of how to get the bad guy or how the bad guy killed the girl. Images before you fall asleep might define what you dream about and cause you to have nightmares which in turn may wake you up. Use your bed for sex and sleep only.
9. Alcohol. Yes alcohol has a relaxing; taking the edge off, effect that may help you destress and fall asleep. But alcohol has been known to be abused when used as a sleep aid. Alcohol also causes you to wake during the night and doesn’t allow you to get the deep sleep you need.
10. Exercising. It’s best to exercise in the early morning or afternoon. Exercising has many benefits and can improve your sleep but if you exercise to close to your bedtime it may take you a while to relax your body to go to sleep. Also, exercising causes your body to heat up which may produce night sweats. You need time to let your body cool down and prepare for bed.
11. Pets and Kids in Their Own Beds. I used to sleep with my cat, but I was always aware of him on my legs and I didn’t want to disturb his sleep by adjusting to another position so I could sleep better. Crazy. Another reason pets bring pet hair and pet dander to your bed which can cause you to have allergies, respiratory problems or even asthma attacks. It is just best to have them sleep in their own bed or crate so you can sleep peacefully. Kids also need to sleep in their own beds. My sister’s son Batboy used to come into her coffin early in the afternoon always disturbing her sleep. Once started this is a hard habit to break. PS. If you do suffer from allergies or asthma it might be advisable to get a Memory Foam Mattress Topper to help eliminate dust mites that live in your mattress. Memory Foam Mattress Toppers don’t provide an environment for the dust mites to live.
12. NO or Brief Naps. Sometimes a brief nap early in the day can be refreshing, if you can train yourself only to nap for 10 or 15 minutes. But if you are like me and napping consists of 2-4 hours, this may interfere with your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep during the night. Certain foods make us lethargic such as excess fatty food; avocados and nut butters or high-protein foods; beans, nuts and meat especially turkey. If you are the type of person that gets tired enough to nap in the early evening you may want to skip these foods and consider adjusting your bedtime schedule.
I hope these suggestions on How to Fall Asleep help you improve your quality of sleep naturally and feel better during the day.
So Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill
Good Evening Rose here, tonight I want to discuss night sweats in men. Sweating at night for men isn’t really a sleep disorder, but waking up soaked with perspiration can disturb your sleep.
There are many causes of night sweats; one being heartburn or acid reflux from eating hot spicy food or a hot drink. Another may be that your bedroom is too hot or that you have too many blankets on.
Night sweats could be caused by the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition when you have constant repetitive episodes of cessation of breath which causes snoring and daytime restlessness. Also if you are overweight you can suffer from night sweats.
Night sweats are usually a symptom of another condition. Another condition could be an infection; including a bone infections, TB, HIV or cancer. Even some medications can cause night sweats; anti-depressants, corticosteroids including prednisone and if you have a fever and take aspirin, bring your temperature down usually causes night sweats.
If you are a man that suffers from night sweats the primary thing to do is try to determine the cause. Talk to you physician and review the medication you are taking and have an examination. Also make some lifestyle changes like no food or alcohol before you go to bed.
Summing it up here are 15 ideas that might help you eliminate your night sweats.
1. Nights sweats are not a sleep disorder and are usually a symptom of another medical condition. To reiterate; talk to your doctor and try to find the cause.
2. Cut down on your alcohol. If you have a drink, try not to drink an hour before bedtime to eliminate heartburn or acid reflux.
3. Avoid spicy foods for a period of time and see if this is the cause of your night sweats. Then introduce them back into your diet one at a time.
4. Sleep in a cool room. If weather permits, leave the window open, or try using a fan.
A room temperature of 65 degrees is best for a comfortable sleep.
5. Take a cool shower before bedtime.
6. Eliminate some blankets. If you wake up during the night remove all of your covers until your body cools down or
7. Clean up; change your bedding and nightwear. Have a glass of cold water, fruit juice or milk.
8. Take some preventative steps in the daytime. Don’t overdress.
9. Use antiperspirant, rubbing alcohol or body powder before bed.
10. Drink more water. If you do have night sweats you need to replace your fluids, especially one 12 oz. glass before bedtime.
11. Check and see if you are running a temperature. Taking an aspirin will break your fever and of course cause you to sweat.
12. If you exercise do it in the morning or afternoon. Exercising before bed only causes your internal temperature to rise.
13. No hot tubs, hot showers or saunas late at night.
14. No food before bed. Sleeping on a full stomach may cause night sweats.
15. Try not to drink hot drinks or have a cigarette. Cigarettes cause your pulse to raise, blood pressure to increase and therefore your body temperature to rise and cause night sweats.
A lot of these ideas are trial and error to eliminate an item to see if it is the cause. The best way to keep track is to keep a sleep journal or sleep log. Make a memo of anything that is relevant to your sleep, such as changing your eating habits or taking a cool shower before bed. Also record daytime activities, food and beverages or exercising. Can you see a pattern forming? Did you wake up during the night? If anything show your log to your physician. It may help him determine the cause of your night sweats.
Next time I want to talk about night sweats for women and menopause. What alternative methods women can do if they do not want to take hormone therapy (estrogen) to cure night sweats. My sister Apnea will be helping me write the article. She has just been to see her physician, Dr. Fangboner an expert in the field alternative therapies for women. Tell then.
Good Day
Rose Sheepskill
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
Since on my last article I wrote about my mother Poly’s sleep apnea. I wanted to elaborate on the sleep apnea machine she has used since having her tonsils removed. Removing her tonsils alleviated her symptoms, but since she is not undead, she will snore from time to time and using the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) sleep apnea machine helps reduce the obstruction in her throat by applying continuous air pressure.
The CPAP machine blows air at a set pressure also known as the titrated pressure usually determined after a sleep study with a polysomnography. The titrated pressure is the amount of air needed to prevent sleep apnea and hypopneas, and it is usually measured in centimeters of water.
The CPAP treatment helps patient with obstructive sleep apnea with an improvement in their quality of sleep as well as a benefit to their sleep partner. Since sleep apnea is a chronic health issue and is only controlled, ongoing care is recommended to maintain CPAP therapy.
Poly was fitted with a mask and at first had difficulty falling asleep. She knew it was good for her but she found it uncomfortable. She would wake up in the middle of the night and take it off, replace it and take it off again…it was an ongoing cycle. She would wake up from snoring and wake up wearing the mask…the proverbial catch 22. It took her close to six months before she could fall asleep easily and stay asleep during the night with the mask on.
With anything once you do it for a period of time you get used to it. If you avoid the treatment you may cause other health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke or a heart attack. Your mental function will suffer and you will be restless and irritable during waking hours. So once you get a sleep apnea machine learn what you can about it and use it even if you are traveling.
As a recap, the CPAP machine is a small electric blower that pushes air through a hose. The hose is attached to a mask and held on to your head with straps. The hose supplies the air with a determined amount of pressure needed to keep your airway clear. The determined amount of air pressure is calculated when you have an apnea sleep test at a sleep center.
Mask. This is the most important feature, because the mask needs to fit you well in order for you to be comfortable enough to get used to it and sleep through the night. Along with the CPAP unit you have to make some lifestyle changes such as weight loss, if needed and it’s recommended that you sleep on your side.
Sleeping on your side may cause pressure from your pillow making the mask slip and air to leak out. When the air leaks out it makes a noise which can be as loud as or louder than snoring! It may be advisable to try a smaller mask to deter any leaks. There is a mask that also delivers air to your mouth instead of your nose. Your might consider buying both and interchanging them to avoid chafing.
Humidifier. To keep your airway passages from drying out, some models have an integrated heated humidifier.
Battery pack. Essential for travelling, your battery pack will provide eight hours of sleep with the humidifier on.
Data storage. Many units monitor and capture your sleep data that can be forwarded to your doctor so that he can maintain your recordings and make changes to your air pressure if necessary.
Hose length. The standard hose length is six feet, anything longer that that will not deliver the required pressure you need.
There are other attachments you can purchase with your CPAP such as International AC Outlet if you are travelling internationally or a DC adaptor to hook up to a car battery if you are camping.
All in all, your sleep apnea machine will provide you with better health and a longer life. Moms still going at 79, so make sure you USE it!
Rose here….good evening everyone. As you know from my previous article I have been talking to my sister, Apnea. Apnea was given her name because our mother, Polysomno Pickwickian (Poly for short), suffered from Obstructive Sleep Apnea especially during her pregnancy with her. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) may be a common form of sleep apnea, but the constant repetitive episodes of cessation of breath due to her large tonsils and the pressure on her lungs due to her pregnancy; she experienced excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, dry mouth and heartburn. Poly, born in the 20th century, complained to her doctor, William Osler about her symptoms and Poly was the first person to be diagnosed with a sleep apnea test.
Dr. William Osler coined sleep apnea the ‘Pickwickian Syndrome’ and wrote a paper that became the well known Pickwick Papers, an accurate clinical picture of adult obstructive sleep apnea syndrome…..and everyone thought he named it after Charles Dickens.
Dr. Osler found that the cessation of breath is associated with the reduction in blood oxygen saturation when the airway becomes obstructed by excess tissue, large tonsils, large tongue and/or sometimes the jaw or nasal passages can be a factor. Other symptoms include; loud snoring, depression, insomnia, frequent nighttime urination, overweight, high blood pressure and rapid weight gain. Some symptoms are not even recognized by the patient and their bed partner/spouse is the only one aware that there is a sleep apnea problem.
Major life threatening risks are heart attacks, strokes, impotence, erratic heartbeat and heart disease if OSA is untreated. Also, you might experience drowsiness when you are awake making it dangerous to drive or operate machinery. Fortunately for my mother her symptoms dissipated after Apnea was born and her tonsils were removed.
It was many years after Dr. Osler’s Pickwick Papers that a machine was invented to monitor and diagnose sleep apnea. Since my mother was the first person diagnosed with sleep apnea the sleep apnea test was called polysomnography. There are two types of sleep apnea tests; one an overnight test that involves monitoring the brain waves, muscle tension, rapid eye movement, breathing and oxygen level in the patient’s blood, the second test is a home monitoring test where a patient takes a polysomnograph home, is instructed how to use it and returns the next morning. These are painless test and might be covered under your health insurance.
If you are like Poly some treatment involves lifestyle changes or minor surgery. Other lifestyle changes are; losing weight and/or just sleeping on your side. If these changes aren’t enforced the patient’s sleep apnea will worsen as they age.
Some patients will use an oral mouth device to help keep the airways open by bringing the jaw forward, elevating the soft palate or preventing the tongue from falling back and obstructing the airway. There are many oral mouth devices on the market today
If the patients has severe sleep apnea it is recommended that they are treated with a C-PAP or continuous positive airway pressure machine that with a nose mask keeps the airway open and unobstructed by blowing air into their nose.
Other severe sleep apnea is caused by facial deformities and can be corrected by surgery. Some of these deformities are; a small jaw causing a small opening at the back or their throat, deviated septum, large tonsils and/or adenoids. All of these can be corrected with minor surgery.
Other surgeries include:
Prior to 1980, a tracheotomy was performed where a small hole was cut into the neck and a tube with a valve was inserted to eliminate obstructions. This procedure is only performed today as a last resort to alleviate the patient from respiratory distress or other major medical complications.
Today the uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty is preformed for those that cannot tolerate the C-PAP. The uvulo (the skin that dangles in the back of your throat) is removed along with any excess tissue. If you are considering this surgery please discuss the risks involved. Statistics show that the procedure helps 50% of those who have had it and due to scar tissue some may still need to use the C-PAP.
For those with a small jaw which causes the tongue to obstruct the airway a mandibular myotomy is preformed. This surgery involves cutting a piece of bone from the jaw to which the tongue muscles are attached. The bone is pulled outward, rotated 90 degrees and reattached thus pulling the tongue forward and eliminating the air obstruction. This surgery requires a high trained, experienced surgeon in both ENT surgery and maxillofacial surgery.
There are two other surgeries; a LAUP or laser assisted uvuloplasty (removes the uvula) and a somnoplasty aka RF or radiofrequency (shrinks the uvula) that improve airflow and eliminates snoring. Also there is a new treatment that has been approved by the FDA, in which radiofrequency reduces the tongue. This RF treatment to the tongue involves inserting a needle and heating the inner tissues to 158 to 176 degrees causing the tissue to shrink. Since this procedure is new it may not be covered by health insurance.
Luckily for my mother the only thing she had to have done was have her tonsils removed, but in the 20th century it was still considered a major surgery. If it wasn’t for Dr. Osler she would have never been diagnosed with sleep apnea with a sleep apnea test. Today the polysomnography is used to diagnose, or rule out, many types of sleep disorders including narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, REM behavior disorder, parasomnias, and of course sleep apnea.
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill
Hi Rose here....just talked to my sister Apnea. Her son Batboy has sleep problems, he is;
Frequent awakening during the night
Talking during sleep
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up crying
Feeling sleepy during the day
Having nightmares; or
Bedwetting
Teeth grinding and clenching
Waking early
Now we know that Batboy, like many other children, have sleeping problems that are related to poor sleeping habits or anxiety about going to bed and falling asleep. But we also found that persistent sleep problems may also be symptoms of emotional difficulties or growing pains in the extremities, especially in their legs causing them to wake up. Batboy also wakes up in the middle of the day and joins Apnea and her husband in their coffin, which is signs of ‘separation anxiety’. For all young children bedtime is a time of separation from their parents and some children will do anything to prevent this. (maybe even wet their coffin?)
Setting up a consistent regular sleep routine can minimize common sleep problems and parents often find that feeding or rocking a child will help them fall asleep. However, as the child gets older parents should be encouraged to get their children asleep without these methods; otherwise, they will have a hard time getting to sleep alone.
Sometimes a child will awaken from a nightmare. Nightmares usually involve scary images, being chased or any major threat to their well-being. Nightmares begin at various ages and often affect girls more than boys. As the child ages nightmares are remembered and can be serious, frequent and interfere with their sleep.
Nightmares that are not remembered are considered sleep terrors and along with sleepwalking and sleep talking constitutes a rare group of children sleep problems called ‘parasomnias’. Sleep terrors will cause the child to scream uncontrollably, appear to be awake, are confused and can’t communicate, while sleepwalking the child appears to be awake but isn’t and they are in danger of hurting themselves. So if your child suffers from this condition then the first thing that you should do is shift the room of your child to a safer place where there are no stairs. All windows and doors of the house should be firmly locked. Parents should never intervene sleepwalking by shaking, shouting or slapping the child.
Both sleep terrors and sleepwalking run in families and affect boys more than girls. Most often these child sleep problems are only on occasion, but when these episodes are more frequent and interfere with their sleep as well as the child’s daytime behavior treatment with an adolescent psychiatrist may be necessary.
Fortunately, as the child ages, they usually outgrow common sleep problems in children as well as the more serious parasomnias sleep disorders.
Other sleep problems in toddlers are bedwetting as in Batboys case, insomnia, snoring and even faking sleep. If you are considering taking your child to a doctor to solve your child’s sleep problems keep a diary of the time when he/she gets up and the reason why.
The doctor will diagnose the child’s sleep problem and treat it accordingly. There is a difference in diagnosing baby sleep problems and toddler sleep problems. Sleep problems in toddlers that are fewer concerns are bedwetting and sleepwalking, but those with obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy need medical attention and testing. Untreated sleep disorders can impact the child’s lives, growth, learning, attention span, mood and daily activities.
A pediatrician should ask about the child’s sleep routine at during every well-child visit to see if there is a potential sleep problem. Since some infant sleep problems are never outgrown effective treatments are prescribed or even the removal of tonsils or adenoids for obstructive sleep apnea.
Some child will undergo a sleep study in which the brain waves are monitored during sleep as well as snoring, gasping and signs of apnea. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that all children who show signs of snoring to be evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea.
Luckily for Batboy he will outgrow his sleep problems, but in the meantime my sister Apnea is keeping a sleep diary and keeping a consistent daytime routine which includes going to the bathroom before going to his coffin.
Good Evening Rose here ..Tonights subject is Restless Legs Syndrome or RLS
What is Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)? RLS is a neurological disorder that is known by the irresistible urge to move your legs. There are four decisive factors you must have in order to be diagnosed with RLS.
• You have a strong urge to move your legs which is hard for you to resist. The need to move is often associated with uncomfortable sensations. Some sensations are described as; creeping, itching, pulling, creepy-crawly, tugging, or gnawing. • Your RLS symptoms seem to worsen when you are resting. The longer you are rest, the greater the probability the symptoms will happen and the more serious they become. • Your RLS symptoms feel better when you move your legs. Your RLS relief can be complete or only partial, but generally it will start soon after you begin an activity. Relief continues as long as you keep moving. • Your RLS symptoms worsen in the evening, especially when you are trying to sleep. Activities that bother you at night do not bother you during the day.
RLS can also cause sleep deprivation one of the main complaints of the syndrome. A large number of people who have RLS also have periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS). These are jerks that occur every 20 to 30 seconds on and off throughout the night. This can cause partial awakenings that disrupt sleep. Sleep deprivation can seriously impact your work, relationships, and health.
The symptoms of RLS vary in severity and duration from person to person. Mild RLS occurs at regular intervals, with only mild interruption at the beginning of sleep, and causes little suffering. In moderately severe cases, symptoms occur only once or twice a week but result in significant delay when trying to fall asleep, with some distraction of daytime activities. In severe cases of RLS, the symptoms occur more than twice a week and result in arduous intervals of sleep and impairment of daytime performance.
Symptoms may begin at any age of life, although the disorder is more common as we age. Sometimes people will experience natural improvement over a period of weeks or months. Although rare, natural improvement over a period of years also can occur. If these improvements occur, it is usually during the initial stages of the disorder. In general, symptoms become more acute over time.
People who have both RLS and another sleep disorder or medical condition often develop more severe symptoms quickly. In contrast, those whose RLS is not associated with any other medical condition and whose onset is at an early age show a very slow development of the disorder and a lot of time may pass before symptoms occur regularly.
What causes RLS? Statistically 50% of the cases show a genetic form of the disorder. These people tend to have RLS at an early age with a slower progression of the condition. In other cases, it appears to be related to the following, although doctors have yet to determine the actual causes of RLS.
1. Low levels of iron or those patients that have anemia. Once levels or anemia are corrected patients see a reduction in symptoms. 2. Medical condition such as Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure or diabetes has been associated with RLS and when treated will provide some relief from RLS. 3. Pregnant women in their last trimester. Most women’s symptoms will go away within a month of delivery. 4. Some medications may cause symptoms. Changing prescriptions can alleviate RLS. 5. Researchers have also found that caffeine, alcohol or tobacco can aggravate or trigger symptoms. It has been shown that eliminating substances may relieve symptoms but unclear if this will prevent RLS from occurring at all.
When treating patients with mild to moderate symptoms, prevention is crucial and many doctors suggest lifestyle and daytime activity changes to reduce or eliminate RLS. Eliminating substances and taking supplements to correct mineral deficiencies such as iron. Changing sleep patterns and maintaining an exercise program that will help patients sleep better. Some symptoms from excessive exercise have been reported. Taking a hot bath or a massage may bring some relief, but show these attempts never eliminate RLS.
Some doctors may offer a variety of prescription medication to treat RLS. Different medications are specifically prescribed for mild to severe symptoms of RLS. Be aware that some drugs such as clonazepam and diazepam can help patients obtain a more restful sleep but they have side effects. Because they are depressants, they can cause daytime restlessness and may induce sleep apnea. People with this condition should not use these medications. Other side effects include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and the risk of addiction.
Anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine and gabapentin are also useful for some patients, as they decrease the sensations (creeping and crawling). Dizziness, fatigue, and sleepiness are among the possible side effects.
Regrettably, not one drug is effective for every patient with RLS. What may be helpful to one person may actually worsen symptoms for another. In addition, medications taken regularly may lose their effect, making it necessary to change medications periodically. It may take several trials for you and your doctor to find the right medication and dosage for you. A combination of medications may work best.
Other treatments that have been helpful for some patients include; warm/cold baths, electric nerve stimulation, oral magnesium, and acupuncture.
Restless Legs Syndrome is generally a lifelong condition where there is no cure. Today’s current treatments can control the disorder, minimize symptoms and decrease sleep deprivation. If you feel you have RLS, please call a doctor in your area that specializes in the treatment of this disorder. Keep track of the medications and strategies that help or hinder your battle with RLS, and share this information with your doctor. Join a support groups, bring together family members and people with RLS. By participating in a group, your insights not only can help you but also may help someone else. Good Day Rose Sheepskill
Michael Jackson the King of 'Pill' Pop wanted to take his sleep aid medication intravenously. His drug of choice wasPropofol 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
Good Evening Rose Sheepskill here...I have a surprise visit from;
my sister Apnea Niteswetter-Insomniac,
her new husband, Count Iman Insomniac,
her two children from a previous marriage, when she was alive. We all know the undead can not bear children. Paras Omnia Niteswetter
and Brad (the Batboy) Bedswetter (father's mother's maiden name) Niteswetter.
You see when my sister was alive she was married to Dr. Noman Niteswetter a friend of Dr. Narcolepsy. While pregnant Noman had an affair with a vamp that turned him. After Apnea had Batboy, Noman would come around to see him at night and this lasted for about a year and a half. Apnea and Noman fell in love again but fought because he was going to unlive forever and he didn't want to watch them die. So Valentines day, 1948, they remarried and became a family of the undead.
Dr. Noman Niteswetter was a well know doctor in sleep deprivation and a hypnotist that uses hypnotic suggestions as a treatment for sleep disorders. He will sometimes consults and hypnotise patients at the Narcolepsy Sleep Center. If a patient is suffering from a sleep disorder, getting treatment is very important for them to maintain good health. Sleep deprivation causes can range from physical conditions to lifestyle choices to emotional disorders and it is sometimes hard for the doctor to know exactly what is interrupting their sleep.
At a sleep disorder center the patient will undergo a series of tests and asked a lot of questions, so the doctor can pinpoint the cause of their sleep deprivation. Finding the cause is beneficial to getting the right treatment. For example, if they are on a number of medications the doctor may prescribe and alternative prescription or natural remedy. If they are being treated for an emotional disorder, like depression then getting therapy and the right meditation might be all they need to help you sleep.
During their consultation the doctor may recommend that they keep a sleep diary for about a month. A sleep diary will detail the specifics of their good and bed nights of sleep and include; any medications they took that day, stress they encountered, exercise routine, if any, what they ate and the date and time. They might even be able to figure out if certain foods are hindering their sleep or if exercising promotes better sleep or causes insomnia.
After the month the doctor will review the sleep diary with the patient and then decide on how to proceed. At this time Dr. Niteswetter will be called in to consult and try hypnosis. Hypnosis is a method often used in therapy in which a person goes into an altered, trance-like state of awareness in which the patient is more open to suggestion. Rather than focusing on the reality surrounding him, a hypnotized person instead concentrates of images and/or the voice of hypnotizer.
Over the years, therapists have used hypnosis to treat a number of disorders, ranging from eating disorders, to stop smoking, to irrational fears to sleep disorders. Sleep disorders that stem from emotional problems, anxiety issues or severe stress can benefit from treatment by hypnosis.
Some patients may have a physical impairment that is causing their sleep deprivation and surgery might be the only option of treatment. In general, surgery is limited to treating obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder in which a person stops breathing throughout the night. Obstructive sleep apnea is a when something physically is blocking the airway.
If their sleep deprivation is caused by their lifestyle such as work demands and family responsibilities that keep them from getting their sleep, some therapy and life adjustments may be all they need. If their sleep deprivation becomes chronic they may develop serious conditions; including heart disease, depression and hypertension. Some other common symptoms of sleep deprivation are fatigue, blurry vision, dizziness and irritability.
Although many people suffer from sleep disorders that prevent them from falling and staying asleep, a select group of people actually gets too much sleep. Known in medical circles as hypersomnia, excessive sleep is clinically defined as getting more than 10 hours of sleep per night and still experiencing daytime drowsiness. This disorder can be treated with lifestyle changes.
For those who have a disruptive sleep disorder, they not only get less sleep they don’t experience deep sleep or “restorative sleep”. Some of the common risk factors associated with disrupted sleep are; diet, drug/alcohol use, exercise patterns, mood disorders, sleep environment, snoring and/or prescription medication. If not treated the patient may experience; blurry vision, restlessness, mood swings, memory lapses and short term memory problems. If this continues a patient can develop conditions that include hypertension and heart disease.
Sleep apnea will cause disruptive sleep in which a person stops breathing and they will have to undergo a series of tests including an EEG and be considered for a sleep study. A sleep study is an overnight stay at the center to be monitored while sleeping. See more on sleep apnea here.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) are two conditions that cause disrupted sleep. While RLS causes discomfort throughout the legs that prevents a person from falling asleep, PLMD is characterized by involuntary movements during sleep that affect the sleep cycle. Although people who suffer from RLS tend to also have PLMD, those with PLMD typically don’t also have RLS.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) refers to sleep disorders that revolve around the timing of sleep. DSPS patients tend to go to sleep extremely late and then experience difficulty waking up. Although those with DSPS tend to fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning, no matter when they lie down, they consistently fall asleep at the same time.
DSPS tends to start in adolescence and may correct itself as a person reaches adulthood. Treatment options for DSPS that tend to involve changing the sleep environment, altering diet and exercise habits and examining and adjusting other aspects of one’s lifestyle, such as a medication regimen and caffeine intake. While these treatments can help DSPS, the condition itself is not curable.
Once the doctor has diagnosed the sleep disorder he may prescribe a sleep medicine. Some doctors recommend a herbal remedy before prescribing a prescription drug due to the side effects and the possibility for addiction. Some herbal remedies are:
• California Poppy: This homeopathic herb is a mild sedative that is Along with promoting better sleep, California poppy also relieves anxiety.
• Chamomile: Chamomile is effective in herbal sleep medications or in its tea form with no known side effects.
• Catnip: As a tea, catnip is calming and promotes better sleep. Along with treating sleeping problems, catnip is also a homeopathic for migraines, cramping and indigestion.
• Hops: Used for years by Native Americans, hops are an effective herbal sleep aide, anxiety treatment and mild antibiotic. Because hops belong to the same family as marijuana, they aren't recommended for those suffering from depression.
• Jamaica dogwood: Once used as a fish tranquilizer in the Caribbean, Jamaica dogwood's relaxing properties make it a safe, effective sleep aid and painkiller. Commonly, Jamaica dogwood is consumed in tea form.
• Jasmine: Like chamomile, jasmine (as a tea or medication additive) has calming effects that promote better sleep and treat headache pain.
• Lavender: While lavender is an herb that can act as a sedative, some forms of lavender, namely Spanish lavender, can actually have stimulating effects, making it an effective treatment for depression. Generally, lavender is taken as a tea.
• Passion flower: This calming herb is an especially helpful sleep aid for sleep disorders caused by chronic pain, muscle conditions and anxiety. Because the most common side effect of passion flower is drowsiness, don't take it unless you plan to sleep for while.
• Peppermint: Commonly taken in tea form, peppermint is a relaxing herb that relieves insomnia and indigestion. While peppermint doesn't have any serious side effects, it can prevent your body from absorbing iron.
• Sage: This soothing herb treats sleep disorders, depression and nervous conditions. It is effective whether it spices up a meal, is consumed as a tea or is an additive in other sleep aids. Sage has no known side effects.
• Siberian ginseng: Also used an herbal treatment for depression and chronic fatigue syndrome, Siberian ginseng is most effective for sleep disorders related to these conditions.
• St. John's wort: Along with being effective in depression and anxiety treatment, St. John's wort also works for treating sleep disorders, particularly insomnia. It can be an ingredient in other sleep aid medication or taken alone in a concentrated pill form.
• Valerian: As the most popular herbal sleep supplement, valerian is also an effective treatment for nerve and muscle disorders. Like chamomile and catnip, valerian is generally consumed as a tea. Side effects, such as loss of muscle function and heart troubles, only arise when too much valerian is consumed.
Dr. Nightswetter finds that nearly 70% of women suffer from some type of sleep deprivation. Of course of this 70% most are menopausal and pregnant and having a sleep disorder due to hormonal changes, but all women are two times more likely than men to experience sleep deprivation.
Since my sister and her family all suffer from some sort of sleep disorder they will be visiting the Narcolepsy Sleep Center for treatment. During the next few weeks we will talk about each of their sleep problems. For now I must catch up on the gossip before the sun comes up. Until then, Good Day. Rose Sheepskill reference: www.sleep-deprivation.com
It’s starting to snow and the wind is blowing about 60 mph…..I am getting ready to go out and get my nightly feeding…and it is so cold. Hi Rose here and I know it’s the time of year that everyone fights a cold or the flu. Those that are sick have a hard time falling asleep and they try to find sleep aid pain reliever. Even though I hate to go out in the cold, since I am undead I can’t get sick any longer, but I have used the following three over-the-counter sleep aids while sick.
