• Home
• Stop Snoring Secrets
• Privacy Policy

REM Sleep Disorder

June 1st, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

REM sleep disorder is common. In REM (rapid eye movement) sleep disorder the muscle paralysis which usually occurs in REM sleep is absent, so the sufferer acts out his dreams - he may struggle, talk aloud, scream, and even get out of bed.

REM sleep disorder seems to be more common in men than in women, and mainly in elderly men. However, it may also occur as a result of over-indulgence in alcohol or drugs.

Studies have shown that in half the cases of REM sleep disorder the cause of the illness is unknown. Most of the other cases are caused by the withdrawal of antidepressants, or by too much alcohol. Very rarely REM sleep disorder is associated with neurological illnesses like Parkinson’s disease. The onset of the illness may also be the precursor to a neurological disease.

Symptoms of REM sleep disorder

The primary symptoms are the acting out of dreams, and this can be very upsetting both for the sufferer, and also his partner.

If you feel that you may be suffering from REM sleep disorder, please see your doctor, who will conduct a complete medical examination and will advise on treatment.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

May 27th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Many sleep disorders can affect the partner of the person suffering from the disorder, but this is often not as pronounced as in the case of those suffering from REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.

If you or someone you know has a tendency to kick in bed, they may be a sufferer of REM sleep behavior disorder. While in many cases, such as when you see a dog twitching its legs as it sleeps, or if you know someone that occasionally talks in their sleep, the effects of REM sleep behavior disorder are minor, but should the symptoms become more pronounced, then there is a problem.

The Cause

REM sleep behavior disorder is a case where the problem results from being able to move when the body shouldn’t. During REM sleep, the body in general is supposed to go through a sort of paralysis that inhibits motions. This paralysis acts as a sort of defense from a person acting out his or her dreams and causing injury.

The problem when someone is suffering from REM sleep behavior disorder is that this paralysis doesn’t occur, allowing for a range of movement that can be as simple as a little twitching to punching, kicking, even jumping out of bed. When these motions develop to the point that they’re violent, this disorder becomes a true problem.

Recovering

Until you can receive treatment for REM sleep behavior disorder, you will need to take steps to ease the danger of your symptoms. Remove anything dangerous from the immediate area of your bed, including lamps, your nightstand, and anything that can potentially be hit while flailing around. By doing so, you will minimize the bruising and fractures that can occur in those suffering from REM sleep behavior disorder.

Make sure to clear the floor as well, in case you roll from the bed or fall down, and if you can, place some cushions on the floor. Unfortunately, until you receive treatment, it’s best to ask your bedmate to sleep somewhere else, or for you to sleep elsewhere instead, so that injury to them is minimized.

The good news is that there is a drug that’s been shown in studies to relieve the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder, called clonazepam, which seems to work by forcing the muscles to relax while asleep. Even with years of treatment, it seems that this drug remains effective, which only slight movements reemerging after a while.

The bad news is that REM sleep behavior disorder can be a sign that you may be suffering from other afflictions, such as Parkinson’s disease or dementia, so be sure to discuss options for testing for related disorder with your doctor. Remember, if you are suffering from any sleep related problems, be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible, and do your best to keep good sleep health.

Sleep Terror Disorder Is Characterized By Extremes of Terror

April 13th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Sleep terror disorders are characterized by extremes of terror as well as a temporary inability to get to full consciousness. Any person that suffers from this debilitating disease is abruptly woken from the fourth stage of sleep, and such waking up is accompanied by gasping, moaning as well as screaming. Often, the patient is not able to be woken completely, though after the episode, he or she will get back to normal sleep without further waking. Sometimes, the patient is able to recall the night terror episode if it occurs, in most instances, during non-REM sleep.

Distinct from Nightmares

Sleep terror disorders are not the same as having a nightmare and is distinct in several key ways. To begin with, the subject cannot fully awaken when roused, and even after waking, may continue to feel and experience the sleep terror for another ten to twenty minutes. And, it also occurs during the deepest level of non-REM sleep, which is not the case with nightmares. Also, upon waking, the patient will be unable to remember the episode except for feeling a sense of panic. In the case of nightmares, the patient is able to recall whatever transpired.

Sleep terror disorders are, unlike nightmares, not dreams; rather, it is an emotion of fear that the person feels which may also be coupled with tension as well as apprehension. Also there are no distinct sounds or visual imagery. Every episode of sleep terror disorders is, in most cases, different; though a strong sense of danger is most often experienced by the same person over several different episodes.

Children of two to six years of age are also prone to experience sleep terror disorders, and it is believed, that almost 15 per cent of youngsters are affected. There can be many triggers though emotional stress on the previous day as well as high fever contributes in no small measure to having an attack, which can be controlled, to a certain extent, by getting the right amount of sleep.

To treat sleep terror disorders, doctors are required to be gentle, should dispose of anything close at hand that can cause injury to the patient as well as also avoid loud voices or movements that can frighten the patient further. Persons affected by this disease are not even aware that they are experiencing sleep terror disorders.

Of the many that suffer sleep terror disorders, some famous names include H.R. Giger and H.P Lovecraft. Also, singer Gerard Way, the frontman for a New Jersey band called My Chemical Romance has also confessed to experiencing sleep terror while he was recording the track called “Sleep” from their new album The Black Parade.

— Next Page »

Copyright © 2007 Best Sleep Now

Credits: Being overweight can cause sleep disorders. Lose weight fast with 30 Day Slimmer | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund