Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Sleepwalking(Somnambulism)

Definition:
Sleepwalking (also called somnambulism or noctambulism) is a parasomnia or sleep disorder where the sufferer engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness while he or she is asleep or in a sleep-like state. Sleepwalking is usually defined by or involves the person affected apparently shifting from his or her prior sleeping position and moving around and performing normal actions as if awake (cleaning, walking and other activities). It is a disorder characterized by walking or other activity while seemingly still asleep.Sleepwalkers are not conscious of their actions on a level where memory of the sleepwalking episode can be recalled, and because of this, unless the sleepwalker is woken or aroused by someone else, this sleep disorder can go unnoticed. Sleepwalking is more commonly experienced in people with high levels of stress, anxiety or psychological factors and in people with genetic factors (family history), or sometimes a combination of both.

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A common misconception is that sleepwalking is acting out the physical movements within a dream, but in fact, sleepwalking occurs earlier on in the night when rapid eye movement (REM), or the “dream stage” of sleep, has not yet occurred.

A majority of people move their legs while sleeping; however, sleepwalking occurs when both legs move in synchronization[citation needed], which is much less common.

Sleepwalking can affect people of any age. It generally occurs when an individual moves during slow wave sleep (during stage 3 or 4 of slow wave sleep—deep sleep) (Horne, 1992; Kales & Kales, 1975). In children and young adults, up to 80% of the night is spent in SWS (50% in infants). However, this decreases as the person ages, until none can be measured in the geriatric individual. For this reason, children and young adults (or anyone else with a high amount of SWS) are more likely to be woken up and, for the same reasons, they are witnessed to have many more episodes than the older individuals.

Causes:
This causes REM atonia, a state in which the motor neurons are not stimulated, and thus the body’s muscles do not move. Lack of such REM atonia causes REM Behavior Disorder.

The normal sleep cycle involves distinct stages from light drowsiness to deep sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a different type of sleep, in which the eyes move rapidly and vivid dreaming is most common.

During a night, there will be several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep. Sleep walking (somnambulism) most often occurs during deep non-REM sleep (stage 3 or stage 4 sleep) early in the night. It can occur during REM sleep near morning.

In children, the cause is usually unknown but may be related to fatigue, prior sleep loss, or anxiety. In adults, sleepwalking is usually associated with a disorder of the mind but may also be seen with reactions to drugs and alcohol, and medical conditions such as partial complex seizures. In the elderly, sleepwalking may be a symptom of an organic brain syndrome or REM behavior disorders.

Incidence:

The sleepwalking activity may include simply sitting up and appearing awake while actually asleep, getting up and walking around, or complex activities such as moving furniture, going to the bathroom, dressing and undressing, and similar activities. Some people even drive a car while actually asleep. The episode can be very brief (a few seconds or minutes) or can last for 30 minutes or longer.

One common misconception is that a sleep walker should not be awakened. It is not dangerous to awaken a sleep walker, although it is common for the person to be confused or disoriented for a short time on awakening. Another misconception is that a person cannot be injured when sleep walking.

Sleep walking occurs at any age, but it occurs most often in children aged 6 to 12. It may occur in younger children, in adults, or in the elderly, and it appears to run in families.

Risk Factors:

Sleepwalkers are more likely to endanger themselves than anyone else.Actually, injuries caused by such things as tripping and loss of balance are common for sleep walkers. When sleepwalkers are a danger to themselves or others (for example, when climbing up or down steps or trying to use a potentially dangerous tool such as a stove or a knife), steering them away from the danger and back to bed is advisable. It has even been reported that people have died or were injured as a result of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking should not be confused with psychosis.

Sleepwalking has in rare cases been used as a defense (sometimes successfully) against charges of murder.

Symptoms:

* eyes open during sleep
* may have blank facial expression
* may sit up and appear awake during sleep
* walking during sleep
* other detailed activity during sleep, any sort
* no recall of the event upon awaking
* confusion, disorientation on awakening
* sleep talking is incomprehensible and non-purposeful

Diagnosis:

Usually, no further examination and testing is necessary. If sleepwalking is frequent or persistent, examination to rule out other disorders (such as partial complex seizures) may be appropriate. It may also be appropriate to undergo a psychologic evaluation to determine causes such as excessive anxiety or stress, or medical evaluation to rule out other causes.

Treatment:

Usually no specific treatment for sleepwalking is needed.

Safety measures may be necessary to prevent injury. This may include modifying the environment by moving objects such as electrical cords or furniture to reduce tripping and falling. Stairways may need to be blocked off with a gate.

In some cases, short-acting tranquilizers have been helpful in reducing the incidence of sleepwalking.

For kids who sleepwalk often, doctors may recommend a treatment called scheduled awakening. This disrupts the sleep cycle enough to help stop sleepwalking. In rare cases, a doctor may prescribe medication to help someone sleep.

Prognosis:
Sleepwalking may or may not reduce with age. It usually does not indicate a serious disorder, although it can be a symptom of other disorders.

Prevention:
# Relax at bedtime by listening to soft music or relaxation tapes.
# Have a regular sleep schedule and stick to it.
# Keep noise and lights to a minimum while you’re trying to sleep.
# Avoid the use of alcohol or central nervous system depressants if prone to sleepwalking.
# Avoid fatigue or insomnia, because this can instigate an episode of sleepwalking.
# Avoid or minimize stress, anxiety, and conflict, which can worsen the condition

Statistics:-

* Eighteen percent of the world’s population is prone to sleepwalking.
* Somewhere between 1% and 16.7% of U.S. children sleepwalk, and juveniles are more prone to the activity.[citation needed]
* One study showed that the highest prevalence of sleepwalking was 16.7% for children of 11–12 years of age.[citation needed]
* Males are more likely to sleepwalk than females.[citation needed]

Activities such as eating, bathing, urinating, dressing, driving cars, whistling, and committing murder have been reported or claimed to have occurred during sleepwalking. Contrary to popular belief, most cases of sleepwalking do not consist of walking around (without the conscious knowledge of the subject). Most cases of somnambulism occur when the person is awakened (something or someone disturbs their SWS); the person may sit up, look around and immediately go back to sleep. But these kinds of incidences are rarely noticed or reported unless recorded in a sleep clinic.[citation needed]

Sleepwalkers engage in their activities with their eyes open so they can navigate their surroundings, not with their eyes closed and their arms outstretched, as often parodied in cartoons and films. The subject’s eyes may have a glazed or empty appearance, and if questioned, the subject will be slow to answer and may be unable to respond in an intelligible manner.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/sleepwalking/article.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepwalking
http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/sleepwalking.html

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WHY CORNER

Why Do Some People Sleepwalk?

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Sleepwalking or somnambulism runs in families, indicating a genetic component. Studies show that it is also associated with sleep deprivation, fever, stress and intake of drugs, especially sedatives, hypnotics, antipsychotics, stimulants and antihistamines. Somnambulism occurs because normal physiological systems are active even at inappropriate times. Why the brain issues commands to the muscles during certain phases of sleep is not known, but these commands are usually suppressed by other neurological mechanisms. At times this suppression can be incomplete and actions that normally occur during wakefulness emerge in sleep.

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In children, it is believed to be related to fatigue, prior sleep loss or anxiety. Children, mostly aged six to 12 years, are afflicted, perhaps because they spend more time in the “deep sleep” phase of slumber.

Physical activity happens only during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) cycle of deep sleep, which precedes the dreaming state of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During this phase, the body releases a chemical that paralyses the body. However, sleepwalkers do not have this chemical trigger, hence the behaviour. With several cycles of non-REM and REM sleep in a night, sleepwalking occurs mostly during deep non-REM sleep early in the night or near morning.

In adults, sleepwalking is associated with a disorder of the mind but may also be seen with reactions to drugs and/or medications and alcohol, and medical conditions like partial complex seizures. In the elderly, it may be indicative of an organic brain syndrome, REM behaviour disorders or a personality disturbance.

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Categories
Healthy Tips

How to Achieve Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep

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Americans now get about 25 percent less sleep than they did a century ago. This isn’t just a matter of fatigue, it causes serious damage to your body.

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Sleep deprivation can alter your levels of thyroid and stress hormones, which play a part in everything from your memory and immune system to your heart and metabolism. Over time, lack of sleep can lead to:

  • Weight gain
  • Depression
  • High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes
  • Brain damage

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to get the sleep your body craves. Here are 10 to start with (and the link below has 14 more):

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, and then iron them before making your bed. The scent is proven to promote relaxation.

2. Hide your clock, so that its glow won’t disturb you and make sure there is no light coming from other sources including your windows as this will seriously impair your body’s ability to produce melatonin.

3. Choose the right pillow — neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can enhance the quality of your sleep and reduce neck pain.

4. Paint your bedroom sage green, or another soothing color, which will provide a visual reminder of sleep.

5. Move your bed away from outside walls, which will help cut down on noise.

6. Kick your dog or cat out of your bedroom — studies have shown that they snore!

7. Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime; it increases your core body temperature, and when it abruptly drops when you get out of the bath, it signals your body that you are ready for sleep.

8. Keep a notepad at your bedside — if you wake in the middle of the night with your mind going, you can transfer your to-do list to the page and return to sleep unworried.

9. Put heavier curtains over your windows –– even the barely noticeable light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor’s house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.

10. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed — they’re a good source of tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing amino acid.

Sources:

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Categories
Featured

How to grow taller and increase height

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The first and essential formula to grow tall is to have good and appropriate SLEEP and correct sleeping habit.As because growth hormons can only work effectively to thicken the length of your bones when you are sleeping.In general after you pass puberty,your pitutary gland naturally secerts a little growth hormon when you are in a long and deep sleep.Growth hormone can only work effectively to stimulate your bones’ growth when you fall into a long and deep sleep. Short or shallow sleep could interrupt growth hormone’s work and thus stunt growth. Both inappropriate sleeping time and incorrect sleeping habits can cause short or shallow sleep. So appropriate sleeping time (NOT the longer, the better) and correct sleeping habits are all too important for you to grow taller and stronger.

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It is important that DO NOT EAT HEAVILY before you sleep. as growth hormon can only work effectively to thicken and lengthen your bones when you are totally in sleep.It is important that it does not interrupt your body‘s out put of growth hormon during this time.

Each person has his/ her own specific daily sleep requirement. It is not true that the more you sleep, the better it is for your growth. Too much sleep will cause your
body to develop laziness and slow down your metabolism, thus increasing the danger to gain weight. On average, a young adult who is growing needs at least 8 hours of sleep every day. Teens need 9 hours or more. However, this is just an average and may not apply to you precisely. The best way to figure out the exact amount of sleeping time you need is not to calculate it at all. Just sleep early every night, without using an alarm clock, and let yourself wake up naturally. Your body has its own biological clock which can determine the exact amount of sleep it needs. As long as you have a good sleeping habit and do not break it (by forcing yourself to stay up too late or get up too early), your body will take good care of itself. Also, it is easy for you to detect if you get enough sleep each day. If you are energetic and do not feel sleepy or very tired the whole day, then you had enough sleep the previous night. Otherwise, you should readjust your schedule and try to sleep longer

Some special activities are required that can help you to grow taller.Because aside from those regular activities, there are some special activities which are more effective and these activities are very easy to perform by almost anyone. REGULAR SKIPPING OR SYSTEMATIC JUMPING, STRETCHING EXERCISE are some of them.

 Click here to get Grow Taller Informations

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