Have you ever wondered why there are some people who seem to have less energy than others? Some people seem slower and are constantly making mistakes or having accidents. They are not able to finish their tasks each day and there seems to be no other explanation but simple “bad luck”.

There are also some people who suspect that maybe there is something bothering that person or that he or she might not be feeling well. In fact, they are right! Very often, that person may be suffering from a lack of good sleep and this is exactly the reason why he or she is less productive than the other people around them! This lack of sleep can increase due to many other problems which all contribute to an eventual diagnosis of “sleep disorder”. This is no laughing matter!

This situation is actually much more common than most people realize and it is what typically constitutes a need for hospitalization in many individuals. A sleep disorder involves more than just the well known cases of insomnia. There are many other cases such as sleep apnea and sleep deprivation which are also hard to diagnose but which are extremely prevalent. They can lead to loss of job, loss of marriage or very serious car accidents. Understanding just what a sleep disorder is can be the first step to preventing this very serious problem.

Sleep is a natural state of rest which involves less body movements and no awareness of the actual surroundings. Sleep can also be distinguished from other sleeplike states such as hibernation and coma because it involves certain conditions like rapid eye movement or REM. Almost all creatures sleep, including of course animals. Of course varying positions and manners of doing this exist in every person. A sleep disorder, however, is characterized by a lack of appropriate regeneration of a person’s basic bodily requirements. Less sleep means a lesser productive you! When a person lacks sleep it is very difficult for him or her to go through the day with ease. As this problem progresses, it can be considered a sleep disorder.

Often we are not aware of the complex processes which go on while we are sleeping. There are two kinds of sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement REM and Non Rapid Eye Movement or NREM. The human cycle between REM sleep and NREM is vital to every individual. Adults aged 20-60 require REM sleep to occur roughly every 90 minutes. Most adults have 20% of their total sleep time in REM sleep. Research on sleep shows that certain brain regions play a vital role in our sleep and when we aren’t sleeping correctly, the process breaks down.

The correct amount of sleep usually differs with age and between individuals but there is still a required amount of REM and NREM for every person. Newborns sleep the most and require about 17-18 hours of full uninterrupted sleep. Nearly half of this time is spent in REM sleep. An average adult needs at least 8 hours of continuous sleep per night to function optimally during waking hours. Some, however, spend less time sleeping and actually have a real difficult time acquiring the complete amount of sleep. These problems are what lead to different sleeping disorders like insomnia, narcolepsy, bedwetting, sleep talking, sleep walking or nightmares.

Lack of sleep will most certainly cause us more trouble down the road and it is advisable that a person who has difficulty sleeping should compensate for this problem by resorting to certain treatments. It is also best that we stay aware of the potential problems so that when we encounter certain symptoms of a sleep disorder, we can do something about it as early as possible.

We sure don’t want a life that is less productive and less happy! Rather than compromising our own satisfaction and the satisfaction of others, we should keep an eye out for the possible symptoms of a sleep disorder and learn to ask our doctor about this potential threat to our well-being. By staying aware, we learn to stay healthy. This will all start by maintaining a solid and worthwhile sleep and by making our lives happy and peaceful from now on!

                          

Hi, my name is Kristy. I have a worrying problem, every so often I
 wake my partner with either light hearted “silly”  remarks or actions or
 harsh abuse. only a couple of times I have realised I have done something but most times I am told by morning about it. it is highly embarrassing and  concerns me as some of the stuff that I have said I would never dream of saying to him.

My partner is doing well to understand I don’t mean anything
by it but I’m just wondering what’s causing it. I am very clear when it
 does happen. It can not happen for a few months then it will come out of nowhere and continue for a few nights. Thank you for your time, I value any input you may have.

Kristy

Hello Kristy

It sounds like a simple case of sleep talking. No one really knows what
makes some people talk in their sleep but it can be associated with
anxiety. If you are experiencing a lot of anxiety, try to work on
lessening it.

Other ways of reducing sleep talking..

Don’t eat a heavy meal just before bed
Try to go to bed and get up at the same times each day
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprived people sleep talk more often.

Hope this helps!

                          

Sleep talking, or somniloquy, is usually caused by stress, anxiety, or not getting enough sleep. It is also common for people to talk in their sleep if they have a fever. There are a few things you can do if you’re a sleep talker who wants to stop this humiliating condition.

First and foremost you must get yourself into a good sleeping routine that will give you plenty hours of rest. Let’s say you usually sleep for eight hours a day – try and increase this to 10 hours. It’s surprising what a difference those two extra hours can make.

The benefits of a getting into the habit of having a good night’s sleep are twofold: the first is that you won’t be going to bed worrying about that early alarm clock – you’ll be good and ready to wake. The other benefit is that your stress levels will reduce, your anxiety will decrease, and you’ll be less prone to sleep talking.

Going to bed after a large meal is bad for you. You may fall asleep alright, but your stomach will be working overtime. This may cause indigestion and throw your sleep pattern into disarray. Change your eating habits – for example, eat four times a day instead of three, and make the servings smaller.

Monitor your stress levels and try not to feel anxious about things. You can do this by keeping positive thoughts in your mind, doing meditation, or even going for a walk. You need to try and keep your days peaceful and your evenings relaxed. Yoga is also great therapy for improving sleep.

                          

When you do so you aren’t even aware of it, you’ll be so unconscious and dead asleep you won’t hear it. Causes that have been listed include anxiety; stress; inadequate sleep and fevers. Fortunately there are ways of how to stop sleep talking; they’re catalogued below for you to try out.

Ensure that you maintain a proper sleeping routine that affords you enough hours of rest. If you sleep eight hours a day then increase it to maybe ten hours a day, a shift that will give you more rest and reduce the pressure on you to rise early or sleep less. If conditions like this persist your stress levels will go down gradually y and you won’t have to worry about the anxiety that can trigger your somniloquy.

Try not to eat heavy meals before going to bed. Being too full can give you indigestion that will disturb your sleep and eventually disrupt your sleeping patterns. Eat a quarter less than usual or space out your meals to make them smaller and more satisfying. With this done you can move to the next tip.

Yoga and meditation are relaxation techniques that have been used for centuries to calm the body down. The light breathing drills and positive thought patterns that are encouraged set you up for a restful sleep. Both will provide the peaceful inner comfort that will make sure your pulse rate is regulated. Stress levels will go down considerably and so will the anxiety, two things you must destroy if you want an end to the somniloquy.

More than likely disturbances to your sleep have to be dealt with. This includes horror movies with horrific images and violent pictures that can remain stuck in your head to the point of upsetting your sleep. Soft music blends in well with the other tips included here and it has a good calming effect.

Sleeping disorders are not fatal. With a bit of focus and patience you will be able to get over sleep talking.

                          

Among many possible causes for sleep talking, the most common is stress. Sometimes the mind is just unable to stop replaying all of the troubling events of the day. There are also many other reasons that sleep talking might occur, including lack of sleep, eating too much before bed and not eating enough before going to sleep.

There is not a magic pill or cure for sleep talking, but there are some things you can do to help the situation:

Relaxation: Finding a good way to unwind could truly help the sleep talker’s nightmare. Types of relaxation might include things such as exercise (walking or yoga are good choices), prayer or meditation, massage or anything that might ease the stress of the day.

Hypnosis: There are those people that say that since sleep talking is not a conscious decision, that hypnosis, which deals with the unconscious mind, is a good option. Hypnotists feel that treating the disorder with hypnotic therapy has the potential to work well because it reaches the subconscious mind where the root of the problem lies.

Diet: Be careful what is eaten in the hours before going to bed. Meals that are large and heavy, and high in fat are a bad option, especially right before going to sleep. Do your best to eat a nutritious meal that is light before bed. Things like alcohol, caffeine and energy drinks should also be avoided.

The final and most important piece of advice is to seek professional assistance from a psychologist or licensed sleep specialist. Sometimes evaluation at a sleep center is necessary and is the only way a proper diagnosis can be made.