Understanding Sleep

What happens when you fall asleep?

Falling asleep is not a passive activity. Our brain remains active as we pass through the four stages of sleep we need to recharge us mentally and physically. These stages are commonly known as the sleep cycle:

Stage 1 - Falling asleep. Our brain waves begin to slow down and our muscles relax.

Stage 2 - Light sleep. Brain waves slow even further.

Stage 3 - Body temperature drops and our muscles relax fully.

Stage 4 - Deepest sleep - as stage 3.

Once we arrive at stage 4 we then go back up through the stages until we reach stage 1 again. At this point, we enter REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) - this is when we dream. During REM sleep electrical activity in the brain increases and our body temperature rises, though our muscles remain relaxed.

The Sleep Cycle

Click to enlarge

The sleep cycle takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and on average will be repeated 4 or 5 times during the night. Problems can occur when we do not progress through all of the stages. Waking up during or before we go through stages 3 and 4 can mean that we are deprived of the most restful and restorative parts of the cycle. This explains why a fitful night's sleep can leave you feeling as bad as if you'd had no sleep at all.

How much sleep do you need?

We all need sleep to recharge our body and minds, but how much we actually require depends largely on our age, health, diet and circumstances.

Babies and infants on average need 16 hours, teenagers need 9 hours and most adults can function perfectly well on 7-8 hours.

This can reduce even further with age. However, it all depends on the individual and, as with all of us, some people need more than others to live full successful lives. Einstein apparently needed his full ten hours whereas Churchill and Freud needed just a few.

Understanding Insomnia/Sleeplessness

What is insomnia/sleeplessness?

Insomnia (also known as sleeplessness) can manifest itself in a number of different ways:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Light or restless sleeping
• Waking often during the night
• Lying awake in the middle of the night
• Waking early and being unable to get back to sleep

If the sleeplessness lasts for only a few nights it is described as transient. This type of insomnia is often caused by external factors such as a stressful lifestyle or noise. On these occasions a herbal sedative, such as Kalms Sleep, may help to restore the body's natural sleeping patterns.

Long-term insomnia that occurs every night and lasts a month or more is described as chronic. The causes of this can be more complicated and it is advisable to see your G.P. for diagnosis and treatment.

What are the causes?

Causes can vary with the individual but some common ones include:

• Bottled up feelings, such as anger or frustration
• A reaction to change or stress
• External factors such as noise or temperature
• Jet lag or shift work at unsociable hours
• A partner with antisocial sleeping habits
• A reaction to medicine or alcohol
• Medical conditions or pain

What are the effects?

Not getting enough sleep can affect different people in different ways and depends very much on your daily routine. It can make you irritable, worried or nervous, unable to concentrate or cope with even the simplest of tasks. You may find yourself feeling drowsy during the day, becoming forgetful or more accident prone than usual. Often people who are suffering from insomnia may feel short tempered and more likely to become impatient with others.

Anxiety about falling asleep itself can even be a problem as, the more you worry, the less likely you are to be able to sleep properly.

Physically, a lack of sleep can severely impair our ability to complete everyday tasks: driving while tired is responsible for thousands of accidents every year. Fatigue also lowers the immune system and makes your risk of illness much higher.

Dealing with sleeplessness

It is vital to understand why you're not sleeping because then you can come up with a solution. Often insomnia is a symptom of an underlying problem rather than a cause - so dealing with the problem may well help - more than you might think.

Talk about your worries or write them down before you go to bed. Maybe you need to cut out caffeine before bedtime, or have a word with your noisy neighbour? Perhaps you need to get into a routine or get rid of a few pillows? Give yourself the best chance of sleeping soundly. Click here for more top tips.

Alternatively, find out more about Kalms Sleep, a naturally effective remedy for occasional sleeplessness. It won't cause next-day drowsiness and can really get you back on track - with a natural night's sleep.

Snoring

What's that noise?

Snoring is noisy breathing while sleeping. It happens when air flow through the nose is temporarily interrupted or when the muscles at the back of the nose and throat vibrate.

There are many reasons why someone may snore:

• Having a cold or allergy (forcing you to breathe through your mouth instead of nose)
• Being overweight
• Getting older
• Consuming alcohol or other drugs
• Possibly an indication of sleep apnoea

Losing weight or avoiding alcohol can help treat causes that are lifestyle based. However, if it is a result of muscle laxity then you may wish to ask to be referred to a sleep specialist by your G.P.

Some tips to (try) and minimise snoring:

• Sleep on your side
• Don't eat heavy food before bedtime
• Raise your head slightly with a couple of pillows
• Before retiring steam your airways with a decongestant like Olbas Oil, known to help relieve congestion

If you have any great advice on how you (or your partner) avoids snoring, we'd love to hear them. Click here to contact us.

Sleep Apnoea

Sleep Apnoea is a breathing disorder that describes a brief interruption in the airway that causes a cessation of breathing for 10 or more seconds during sleep. Usually it is caused by the muscles in the upper airway relaxing too much and resulting in a temporary blockage, making the sufferer wake up gasping for air.

The biggest indicator of an apnoea is snoring and this type is called obstructive sleep apnoea and can have a number of triggers: obesity, alcohol and drugs or facial abnormalities. Symptoms include loud snoring, sweating, waking up gasping, a fitful night's sleep, headaches in the morning and problems with concentration.

If the problem is a lifestyle issue then it can be addressed by behavioural changes such as losing weight or cutting down on alcohol. Sleeping on your side can help, as can some medical devices available to keep the airway open during sleep.

Sleep Apnoea can sometimes be an indication of, or lead to, more serious conditions so it is strongly recommended any sufferer see their G.P. for further advice.

Sleep Glossary

Apnoea - Brief interruption of breathing during sleep; often signified by snoring.

Awakening - During the sleep cycle we often return to what is technically an 'awake' state (an awakening), though it is for such a brief period we are not aware of it.

Biological clock - Describes the brain process that regulates the biological changes in the body over a 24-hour period: changes in temperature, hormone levels and sleep.

Brain waves - Electrical activity in the brain measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG).

Circadian - Any period that is near but maybe not exactly 24 hours. ('Circa' is Latin for 'about'/ 'Dia' means day).

Deep sleep/slow wave sleep - Stages 3 and 4 in the sleep cycle; the most restorative part of the process.

Diurnal - Being active during the day, as opposed to during the night-time.

Drowsiness - A state of relaxed wakefulness that occurs prior to the onset of sleep.

Electroencephalograph (EEG) - A machine that reads and records brain activity.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness - A symptom of sleeplessness or disturbed sleep.

Fatigue - A feeling of excessive tiredness that often causes a decrease in the ability to perform well.

Hypnophobia - Fear of falling asleep.

Insomnia - Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Jet lag - Biological disturbance caused by a change in time zone.

Light Sleep - Used to describe non-REM sleep stage 1 and stage 2.

Nocturnal - Being active at night and asleep during the day.

Restless Legs Syndrome - An irresistible urge to move the legs while trying to sleep; characterised by tingling, creeping, crawling, or aching sensation. Results in sleep disturbance.

REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) - The type of sleep you are in when you dream; helps to restore the nervous system.

Sedative - Something that induces sleep.

Sleeplessness - also known as insomnia - an inability to fall or stay asleep.

Sleep walking (also know as somnambulism) - Characterised by the sufferer's ability to walk and do other activities while asleep. Can be caused by fatigue, anxiety or stress. It is not dangerous to wake a sleep walker, though they may be confused.

Links

ww.bbc.co.uk BBC Health information regarding insomnia and sleep problems.

www.bettersleep.org The Better Sleep Council (BSC) is a non-profit organisation devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life.

www.medicine-chest.co.uk An online directory of medicines and food supplements available over the counter to treat sleeplessness and other ailments.

www.sleepforkids.org Teaching children the importance of sleep.

www.raisingkids.co.uk Advice on how to treat insomnia and sleep problems in children.

www.sleeping.org.uk The British Sleep Society is a professional organisation whose membership consists of mainly medical, healthcare and scientific workers who have interest in sleep and its medical disorders.

www.londonsleepcentre.com The London Sleep Centre aims to be the leading independent provider of diagnostic and treatment services for people with sleep disorders.

www.esrs.org The European Sleep Research Society is an international scientific non-profit organisation and promotes all aspects of sleep research.

www.sleepresearchsociety.org The Sleep Research Society fosters scientific investigation, professional education, and career development in sleep research and academic sleep medicine.

www.lboro.ac.uk Research articles from Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, a leading centre within the UK

www.asdreams.org The International Association for the Study of Dreams is a non-profit, international, multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to the pure and applied investigation of dreams and dreaming.

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk NHS Direct information on sleep apnoea.

www.sleepmatters.org Working to improve the lives of sleep apnoea patients, their partners and their families.