When I help people with stress management I always start with sleep. Good health habits along with stress management help protect us from the damage stress can cause. Stress overload raises cortisol and weakens the immune system. Stress interferes with sleep by raising levels of the brain’s modulators norepinephrine and […]
Sleep Disorders
19 posts
DEPRESSION – Sleep disorders are both a risk factor for and a symptom of depressive disorders. A study of 373 adults showed that 60% of people being treated for depression also had insomnia. Depression causes delayed sleep onset and awakenings, especially early morning awakenings. REM occurs earlier and is more […]
There are two basic types of sleep: Non-REM (NREM) sleep – This includes stages 1-4 of sleep. Stage 1 is very light sleep, and stage 2 is transitional sleep. Stages 3 and 4 are deep sleep. They occur in the first 3 hours of sleep. Stage 4 is the only […]
Since you can’t “do sleep,” trying to force its onset will only cause the opposite to occur. Instead, try to shift focus away from sleep. Read, watch TV, focus on breathing, thumb through a magazine or book, or listen to soothing music. Shifting focus to activities that are non’stimulating to […]
Breathing Technique Steps: Close your eyes and focus on breathing Reduce tension by breathing out FIRST Slowly, exhale by saying ‘s H H H H? Next inhale and count “1 2 3 4” Hold and count “1 2 3 4” Slowly, exhale again, “1 2 3 4” FEEL THE TENSION […]
Sonata – 10mg is probably the mildest sleep med. Since it totally wears off in 5 hours, there is no a.m. grogginess. If there is ever an emergency during the night you should be able to function normally and have full recall (memory) in the a.m. Ambien – 10mg is […]
MOOD is affected more by sleep deprivation than are cognitive skills or physical performance A 45 minute nap can improve alertness for the next 6 hours … a 1 hour nap can improve alertness for 10 hours Healthy sleep prepares the brain for the next day and renews mental balance […]
“Insomnia phobia” is a phrase I use to describe the fear of not being able to fall asleep. Fear has an alerting effect and wakes you up! Telling yourself, “don’t worry about it!”, won’t help if you don’t have the confidence that you will get enough sleep. Cognitive therapy can […]
Last week, a rep from a pharmaceutical company that manufacture a sleep medication was in my office. He said, “You have a unique practice because you see a lot of patients with sleep problems.” I said, “WRONG! I see the same patients that all psychiatrists and primary care doctors see. The […]