What Is Sleep Apnea? Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles that support the soft palate temporarily relax, causing airways to narrow or become completely closed. This obstruction of the airway means that you are unable to get enough air and the oxygen levels in your blood drop. This prompts your body to awaken you [...]
Most people don’t give too much thought to the way they sleep at night. They fold back their sheets, grabbing their pillow and drifting off to slumber without thinking about their routine. But research shows that your sleeping position does matter and how you choose to position yourself while sleeping can affect your health and [...]
A hypnagogic jerk (also called a hypnic jerk) is an involuntary muscle spasm that occurs as a person falls asleep. Individuals may experience a falling sensation (or even dream of falling), causing them to jerk and awake. Some individuals may only experience a small twitching, that’s only noticeable to a spouse or caretaker, and not [...]
Most people have noticed that they tend to wake up at the same time every night. Despite their efforts to make small changes in their sleep routine, such as going to bed later or earlier, the pattern persists. It’s important to realize that waking up at the same time every night is harmless and has [...]
Sleep latency refers to the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep after the lights have been turned off. Ideally, this transition from full wakefulness to sleep should occur relatively fast, without too much time spent trying to fall asleep. Sleep Latency and Sleep Efficiency There is a direct relationship between sleep latency [...]
Sleep inertia refers to a period of impairment after waking, marked by intense grogginess. If you regularly awaken from sleep, only to have the unshakable urge to fall back asleep, it’s entirely possible you could be suffering from sleep inertia. This can pose an inconvenience to some and even danger to others—particularly for workers who [...]
To understand circadian rhythm sleep disorders, it is essential first to understand circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the body’s natural “clock” that occurs over a 24-hour period. In addition to other bodily functions, it dictates the body’s natural inclination for sleepiness as well as wakefulness. Most individuals are naturally most sleepy around 11 p.m., [...]
For those dealing with irregular or abnormal sleep, it’s important to reveal the presence of a sleep disorder so that effective treatment may be given. Fortunately, many useful methods for sleep disorder diagnosis exist, and below we’ll outline some available options. Overnight Oximetry This simple method of sleep disorder diagnosis requires a clothespin-shaped probe to [...]
What Is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive sleepiness, sleep attacks, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and even sudden loss of muscle control also called cataplexy. It is uncommon, only affecting one in 2,000 to 3,000 people. Narcolepsy is typically diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 15 and 25 but can go undiagnosed [...]
What Is REM Sleep? Did you know that your body goes through multiple cycles of sleep every night as you rest? Many individuals have heard of sleep cycles, but to understand more about the importance of REM sleep, we should first gain more understanding. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement, after the way the eyes [...]
