The following ten tips can help you achieve sleep and the benefits it provides. These tips are intended for "typical" adults, but not necessarily for children or persons experiencing medical problems.
Sleep Topics
Exercise and Sleep
The National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep in America poll will focus on Exercise and Sleep. We asked the experts on the poll task force to tell us more about important exercise and sleep topics and the research behind them.
Food and Sleep
Have you ever wondered why some foods make you feel sleepy while others give you a lift? Do you sometimes find yourself dozing off after a big meal or reaching for a sugary snack when you’re tired? In addition to giving us nourishment, the things we eat and drink can pick us up or slow us down.
GERD and Sleep
GERD, also known as acid reflux, is an acronym that stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a chronic illness that affects 5-7% of the world population and is associated with serious medical complications if untreated. GERD is the 3rd most common gastrointestinal disorder in the U.S. Most patients with GERD also experience nighttime heartburn, which is more bothersome.
How do I know if I have RLS?
How do I know if I have RLS?
While there are no lab tests to diagnose RLS, your heath care professional may be able to make an official diagnosis given your responses to several simple questions about your symptoms. These include:
- Do you have an urge to move your legs, usually accompanied by uncomfortable leg sensations?
How is RLS treated?
How is RLS treated? For many people with RLS, prevention is the first step towards managing symptoms. People may work with their health care professional to develop a variety of lifestyle changes and activities to reduce symptoms.
Jet Lag and Sleep
Whether you're a "Road Warrior" who has piled up thousands of Frequent Flier Miles, or someone who is planning a vacation to a distant location, you are likely to experience the phenomenon of "jet lag," which can have a profound effect on your sleep and alertness. Every day, millions of travelers struggle against one of the most common sleep disorders — jet lag.
Melatonin and Sleep
The pattern of waking during the day when it is light and sleeping at night when it is dark is a natural part of human life. Only recently have scientists begun to understand the alternating cycle of sleep and waking, and how it is related to daylight and darkness.
Menopause and Sleep
Menopause is a time of major hormonal, physical and psychological change for women although menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman. During the perimenopause or transition phase, a woman's ovaries gradually (over several years) decrease production of estrogen and progesterone. If a woman has her ovaries surgically removed (oophorectomy), periods end abruptly and menopausal symptoms become more severe. One year after menstrual periods have stopped, a woman reaches menopause, on average around the age of 50.
Multiple Sclerosis and Sleep
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys myelin, a membrane that covers axons in the brain and spinal cord. Myelin serves both to protect axons and to speed the conduction of electrical impulses along nerve fibers. The destruction of myelin results in scarring and loss of nerve cells and can lead to a whole host of symptoms for MS patients, including paralysis, depression, loss of memory, fatigue and problems with vision, balance, bladder and bowel control.
Napping
More than 85% of mammalian species are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness. It is not clear that this is the natural sleep pattern of humans. Young children and elderly persons nap, for example, and napping is a very important aspect of many cultures.
