Is Your Medicine Does Not Make You Sleep?

Unavoidable medications can upset your normal nod off patterns. Switching medications or lowering doses below your doctor's supervision can often fix the puzzle. If you rely on medications for a chronic condition or steady minor ailments, you may find yourself doze-deprived or battling daytime drowsiness. “Constant heart, blood pressure, and asthma drugs, as fount as over-the-counter medicines for colds, allergies, and headaches, can butt in normal sleep patterns,” says James Wellman, MD, medical Mr Big of the Sleep Disorders Center of Georgia in Augusta.
In actually, a number of common medications can prevent you from falling asleep or staying asleep; others can remodel you groggy or sleepy during the day. Chemicals collecting unemployment differently on everyone, so a given medication may not adopt you and your best friend the same way, but the following drugs could undertaking sleep problems for most people.
Sleep: Prescription Medication Side Effects
These drugs can lay hold of both the quality and quantity of your be in the arms of sleep:
* Heart medications. Anti-arrhythmic drugs acquainted with to treat heart rhythm problems can occasion insomnia and other sleep difficulties. Beta blockers, toughened for high blood pressure, arrhythmias, and angina, further the chance of insomnia, awakenings at twilight, and nightmares. Additionally, some cholesterol-lowering drugs experience been linked to poor log a few zees Z's. “There have been some reports of people on statins, such as Zocor, having insomnia and nightmares,” says Dr. Wellman.
* Asthma medications. Theophylline, an asthma medication that is every now used to ease inflammation and avoid clear airways, can cause insomnia, as extravagantly as daytime jitters. “The chemicals in this medication are connected to caffeine,” explains Wellman. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are repeatedly prescribed for asthma and can cause equivalent medication side effects.
* Recession medications. About 10 to 20 percent of people who suppose a birth of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil), suffer sleep problems. “Insomnia is one of the frequent medication side effects of SSRIs,” says Wellman.
* Anti-smoking medications. Nicotine patches acclimatized to help people quit smoking fit in by delivering small doses of nicotine into the bloodstream 24/7, and one stale medication side effect is insomnia. Some people using the patches contain also reported nightmares.
* ADHD medications. Limelight-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is predominantly treated with stimulant-like medicines that into the bargain alertness, but can lead to insomnia. “People engaging these medicines may have on the spot falling asleep,” says Wellman. “And aeons ago they’re able to get to sleep, they may splurge more time in non-REM sleep.” REM have a zizz refers to the stage of sleep accompanied by speedy eye movements and is a deeper level of take. Examples of medications with these side effects include methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine).
*Thyroid medications. An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) can motivate extreme sleepiness during the day, but some drugs acclimated to to treat the condition can denouement in insomnia. However, this side conclusion usually only occurs at higher doses, says Wellman. 
How to Take Your Medicine and Get Some Sleep
 Debate your sleep problems with your doctor, salubrity care practitioner, or pharmacist. There may be other medications that can nurse your ailment or health condition without disrupting drowse. Switching medications or lowering dosages with your doctor’s instruction may help ease insomnia that’s due to medication side effects.
Likewise, changing the every now of day at which you take your medication may lend a hand. Restful sleep is important for emotion well and recovering from fettle problems, so don’t lose sleep upward of medication side effects. Changing your medication could be the buy generic Ambien online for a good night’s forty winks.

Neurological Diseases May Be Preceded by Sleep Disorder

Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and dementia may have preclinical symptoms, such as idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), lasting for decades in some cases according to new research published online July 28 in the journal Neurology.
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder characterized by loss of normal voluntary muscle atonia (sleep paralysis) during REM sleep. During REM sleep, which is the deepest part of the sleep cycle, the body is “disconnected” from the brain, leaving the body unable to move. Patients with RBD have REM sleep with excessive movements, some that may be potentially injurious or disruptive such as punching, shouting, getting out of bed, or flailing arm movements. It is estimated that 0.5% of the general population has RBD.
Daniel O. Claassen MD of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine analyzed data from 27 patients with a history of RBD that preceded the onset of Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s dementia, multiple system atrophy, or dementia with Lewy bodies by at least 15 years. The vast majority of the participants (24) were male.
Read: Vitamin D May Reduce Parkinson's Risk
The patients' mean age at onset of the sleep disorder was 49 and at onset of neurologic symptoms was 72 (overall median onset of 25 years). At the latest follow up, 63% of the patients had progressed to dementia. The long preclinical phase has important implications for the development of therapies that may slow or halt the progression, say the authors of the study.
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders, with the primary symptoms being trembling in hands, arms, legs, or face; rigidity or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia (slowness of movement); and postural instability or impaired balance and coordination. It usually affects people over the age of 50. At present, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease.
Dementia can also result from the brain changes that occur in Parkinson’s. The prevalence of dementia in Parkinson’s disease ranges from 20-40%. Patients may also have Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease as co-morbid conditions.
Another common type of progressive dementia is Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The central feature of DLB is progressive cognitive decline, combined with pronounced fluctuations in alertness and attention, recurrent visual hallucinations, and parkinsonian motor symptoms. Patients may also suffer from depression. Like both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s dementias, there is no cure.

Selective Attention Most Impaired During First Night Shift Worked

Our biological propensity for keeping awake during the day and sleeping at night makes night work a challenge. Now, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have found that attention is especially affected during the first night shift. This research appears in the November 28, 2007 edition of the Public Library of Science ONE.
“It is important to identify this first night shift as being most vulnerable to impairment in attention, because critical jobs like medical care, airport baggage screening, law enforcement, and air-traffic control are routinely done at night.” said Nayantara Santhi, a fellow in the Division of Sleep Medicine at BWH and lead author of the paper. “Additionally, traditional methods like exposure to bright light and fixed sleep schedule that reduce attentional impairment during night shift work are not as effective during this first night shift.”
Researchers tested selective attention with visual search tasks in participants in a shift work simulation, which included four day shifts followed by three night shifts. They found that attention during the first night shift was the most impaired, with participants unable to stay focused on tasks. They were spending less time attending to search items and making more errors.

Snoring Men Transform Into Sleeping Beauties After Surgery

Millions of men who suffer from sleep apnea may sacrifice a good night's sleep because they don't know where to get treatment, don't realize relief is available, or are too embarrassed to get help. However, comfort may be as close as their local plastic surgeon's office. Plastic surgeons at the forefront of identifying and treating sleep apnea will discuss the latest surgical advances today at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS) Plastic Surgery 2007 conference in Baltimore.
"Men over the age of 40 are the most common sufferers of sleep apnea due to their heavier build and shorter necks; however, women, children and overweight people are not immune," said Stephen Schendel, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and lecture presenter. "Many men are extremely embarrassed to get help for sleep apnea even though it can lead to serious health issues."
Sleep apnea is a temporary inability to breathe during sleep, which can occur dozens; sometimes hundreds of times per night. Although someone may not be aware they have the condition, it can significantly disrupt their quality of sleep. According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea is as common as adult diabetes and affects more than 12 million Americans.
"Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other heart disease, memory problems, mood swings, impotency and headaches," said Andrew Wexler, MD, ASMS president. "The condition can also lead to serious work injuries and car accidents because sufferers are drowsy and fall asleep."
Sleep apnea can occur when soft tissues of the nose and mouth relax -- which may restrict air flow. Plastic surgeons open the airway by removing excess tissue in the nose. The tongue is also shortened and pulled forward preventing it from slipping into the throat while sleeping. The disorder is also seen in patients with less pronounced facial features, such as a small chin, because they often have smaller airways. Plastic surgeons move the upper and lower jaws forward, creating a larger airway for these patients. Being overweight can also restrict the airway; however, the best treatment for these patients is weight loss.
Non-surgical options may not be as effective or as long-term as surgery. The most common non-surgical treatment is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, which some equate to sleeping with a scuba mask on, can often fall off during the night and forces the user to sleep on his back. Radiotherapy is another option that has moderate success; however, it may be only appropriate for people with minor conditions and requires multiple treatments.
"Treating sleep apnea is one of the less talked about ways plastic surgeons are helping to restore health and proper function to patients," said Richard D'Amico, MD, ASPS president. "After all, quality sleep is an integral part of how we function properly."

Exhausted Americans Challenged To Sleep

Just one more hour of sleep each day can help extend your life by reducing mortality causing illnesses including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders and high blood pressure, according to new research(i). So, instead of packing more activities into your day, the sleep experts at Select Comfort, the nation’s leading bed retailer and maker of the Sleep Number bed, challenge Americans to adopt better sleep habits by signing a pledge on www.beds.com to sleep one more hour each day beginning June 20, the first day of summer and the %26quot;longest%26quot; day of the year. All those who pledge are entered to win a free Sleep Number bed and sent valuable sleep and lifestyle tips to help them achieve deeper, restorative sleep to improve physical and mental health and performance, which might extend their life and increase their bedtime comfort.
%26quot;The Sleep-in Challenge is meant to help people start thinking about a better sleep routine. Just as people pay more attention to their diet and exercise, yard work and social lives during the summer, sleep is an often overlooked necessity with significant long-term health effects on a person’s life,%26quot; said Select Comfort Sleep Expert, Pete Bils.
Other experts agree. The National Sleep Foundation reports almost half the U.S. population is not getting enough sleep. For people regularly getting fewer than seven hours of sleep, gaining just one more hour per day of sleep can show significant results.
Potential consequences for people who sleep fewer than seven hours per night (short-sleepers):
– Children and adults have a 60 to 80 percent increase in obesity
– Mid-life adults are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease
– Mortality rates increase in men and women
– People suffer a cognitive deficit, impairing their motor functions, affecting their reaction time and work productivity
Additional benefits of seven to eight hours of sleep per night:
– One more hour of sleep could lower the average adult body weight by 2.2 to 6.6 pounds
– Primary beauty benefits are a more youthful look, finer quality skin and smoother complexion, according to Shalini Vadhera, internationally recognized celebrity makeup artist, and Sleep Number Quality of Life Advisory Board member
– Comfort levels are increased, which results in decreased feelings of pain

Americans Need More Sleep

Most of Americans sleep less than recommended by experts.
The Center for Disease Control surveyed 19589 adults in the states of Delaware, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island. They were questioned about how many days within the past month they slept less than needed. The survey found that 70% of questioned adults lack daily sleep. 10% reported lack of sleep for every single day of the past month. 38% reported lack of sleep for 7 days of the past month.
13.3% of questioned younger adults aged from 18 to 34 reported lack of sleep, compared to 7.3% adults of age of 55 and older. Surveyed adults from Hawaii appeared to have less sleepless nights, compared to the rest of surveyed people. However, the survey didn't ask how many hours a day adults sleep.
CDC also examined data during the period from 1985 to 2006 about how many hours adults lack in sleep. Data showed that Americans lacking sleep increased during this period from 1985's 20% to 2006's 30%. These adults were having an average of 6 hours or even less daily sleep.
The survey showed no difference in sleep graphic between genders and different racial groups. All of them suffer from sleep disorders equally. However, those who have retired or are not able to work because of health conditions have better sleeping habits. Most of them reported to sleep normally every night.
National Sleep Foundation recommends from 7 to 9 hours of daily sleep for adults, from 8.5 to 9.5 hours for those aged from 11 to 17, and from 9 to 11 hours for those aged from 5 to 12.
Experts worn that sleep disorders may lead to 'obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, cigarette smoking, excessive drinking.'
Experts urge everyone to sleep the recommended hours daily, because sleep is an important factor affecting health. Everyone must consider healthy sleeping as an important part of healthy lifestyle.