Insomnia

Nutrients to Help Relieve Insomnia if Taken Before Bed:

• Iron:  Deficiency effects sleep patterns.
• Calcium:  Calms the central nervous system.
• Magnesium:  A natural sedative.
• Vitamin B3:  Niacin helps prolong REM sleep.
• Vitamin B6:  Improves dream recall.

Tryptophan:  This amino acid induces sleep and relaxation by producing the neurotransmitter serotonin.  For political/legal reasons, tryptophan is no longer available as a supplement in the U.S.  When it was banned, patients who couldn't sleep turned to prescription drugs and became addicted to them.  Tryptophan can be found in bananas, peanuts, poultry and milk.  This is why warm milk has long been used as a sleeping aid.  Ingested at night, tryptophan improves the ability to go to sleep by converting itself into melatonin, a natural sleep aid.  Melatonin comes from stimulation of the pineal gland by sunlight, and is released at night to help regulate sleep cycles.

Sleep refreshes us like nothing else.  It is occasionally elusive, usually comforting and definitely essential.  Even though we spend 33% of our life asleep, we hardly give it a second thought... until we can't sleep.  Then we think about it to the point of obsession.

Can Sleep Boost Creativity?

A recent study found that getting enough sleep helps people solve problems more creatively.

How is Your Body Throttle?

Your adrenal glands lie just above the kidneys.  They secrete adrenaline for energy during the day, and noradrenaline to help you stay asleep at night.  Adrenaline builds up all night, then releases energy for our use during the day.  The adrenaline is released by the first rays of sunlight.  If you counteract this by sleeping in late or going back to sleep after waking, you may feel groggy all day.

Umm..  What Was I Saying?

A new study explains how sleep is important for learning.  Dr. Ellenbogen, at Harvard Medical School's Center for Sleep and Cognition said, "We sought to explore whether sleep impacts memory consolidation, such as memory for facts and events in time."  He found that sleep does consolidate and strengthen memory.  "It actively does so; it's not a passive process. The brain actively engages memories and strengthens them.  The benefit was larger than we anticipated."  Students would do well to study and obtain sufficient sleep to maximize their academic performance.  "The brain does lots of things during sleep, so sleep well to maximize memory and learning," Ellenbogen said.

DIAGNOSIS:

INSOMNIA

• Trouble sleeping at night
• Waking up and not being able to get back to sleep
• Waking up tired after a full night's sleep
• Feeling sleepy, anxious or moody during the day.

A sleep diary can help you understand your sleep habits.  Record when you go to bed, how long you lie there before falling asleep, how many times you wake during the night and when you get up in the morning.

To diagnose insomnia, your doctor will probably want to review your sleep history, medical history and conduct a routine physical exam.

If your doctor suspects that you may have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea, narcolepsy or restless leg syndrome, he may recommend a specialized sleep study.

Poor Sleep... Is it a normal part of aging?

Many older Americans have trouble sleeping and accept it as a normal part of aging.  Dr. Gammack of the Saint Louis University said, "Sleep patterns change, but sleep problems are not a normal part of aging."  It's important to solve sleep problems, which risk health and have a negative effect on the quality of life.  He suggests keeping a Sleep Diary to establish whether you truly have insomnia, or just bad habits that lead to sleep problems.