Devils of the Dreamland

Dream anxiety attacks, nightmares, devils of the dreamland, whatever you want to call them, they are intense, distressful and anxiety provoking.

Interestingly it is not always the content of the nightmare that is frightening; it is the experience of the dream as negative that is distressing.  The same dark shadow in the corner of your room that you saw as your deceased loved in last night’s dream could become the grim reaper tonight.  Instead of imparting a comforting feeling, the reaper scares your pants, or rather PJs, right off! (read more)

Napping on the Job

Many companies are now establishing nap rooms and slumber chambers for their employees so that they can take a snooze during their breaks. The concept began in Japan where companies would set up tents and provide sleep masks and ear plugs so that their workers could take naps. This concept is now just reaching Canada and some companies have spent as much as $50,000 USD to set up elaborate nap rooms. Some nap rooms include comfy recliners, blackout curtains and white-noise generators and one even displays an actual running waterfall! (read more)

Feel like it’s Summer All Year Long

It’s cold, it’s dark, you feel like hibernating....welcome to winter.  If you are like most people, you probably find yourself less energetic in the winter months.  One of the main reasons we all tend to slow down at this time of year is because the warming glow of the sun does not grace us as much.  For many people, this means they wake up when it is still dark out, are stuck in an office without any windows all day and after drudging through the 7.5 hours, they return home in the dark.  It’s almost like we become nocturnal rats, living only at night.  In fact, that is...(read more)

Sleep Less Live Longer

People who sleep less may live longer. These are the results from a large study conducted by Dr. Daniel Kripke and the American Cancer Society on data of more than a million people.  Researchers compared people that were equal in age, diet, health and lifestyle. They found that...(read more)

Sleep in Space

A Canadian researcher has led a team of scientists in a study of sleep in space . Dr. Harvey Moldofsky conducted the research for the Canadian Space Agency.  The longer people stay in space, the more deep sleep they lose.  Dr. Moldofsky and his team also found that after the astronauts returned to earth, they continued to have less of the deep sleep stages (stages 3 and 4) for up to three months.  Although he is not sure...(read more)

Senior’s Sleep

As we enter adulthood there is a shift in our biological clock that makes us sleep less. Often times noise disruptions become more bothersome and our sleep becomes fragmented. Seniors rarely get the recommend dose of sleep. Many of us believe the myths that seniors require less sleep than younger people and that napping is the past time of retirees. However, sleep researchers suggest that seniors require seven to nine hours of sleep each night and that napping can actually increase the struggle with one’s biological clock. A fragmented sleep pattern like...(read more)

Night Flights

The Red-Eye flights (the ones that depart at night and arrive the following morning) are often thought of as some kind of modern day torture. Something that you are forced to endure just because your evil boss and the ever-looming accountant want to pinch a few pennies from the travel budget. Would you believe...(read more)

Somnoplasty

The often irregular patterns of snoring and not snoring can make it difficult to isolate snoring’s cause.  It is often related to obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking. In these cases, changes to your lifestyle will make the biggest difference. But where do you start?  The Sleep Coach can help you through this process and within a few sessions you will be on your way to a new snoreless life. Send him an e-mail to get started today.
But when snoring's cause is related to sleep apnea, the best treatment is...(read more)

A Hard Day’s Night

The first long night I can remember was when I was fourteen, sitting at the kitchen table at four in the morning, glass of milk in hand, listening to the buzz of the refrigerator.  How could I be so awake when everyone else is asleep?
If you’re anything like me, and an estimated one in ten Canadians, this is a familiar tale.  Insomnia is one of the most common disorders, and it can have serious side-effects.  Researchers in Australia and New Zealand have found that sleep deprivation can impair the mind just as much as...(read more)

Coffee, It’s How it All Starts

I give numerous talks about sleep and fatigue.  What happens when you talk about sleep and fatigue?  Very predictably, people become sleepy, especially during my afternoon talks.  Right when audiences‘ circadian rhythms are forcing a body temperature plunge, the heads always start to nod off.  At least I hope it’s the biology and not my presentation.
I like to try and get a few laughs going to wake people up at these times and one of the stories I use goes something like this...(read more)

Back Pain?

Back pain is a common complaint especially when trying to get comfortable in bed.  Recent studies have shown that choosing the right type of mattress may go a long way in decreasing the stress on those aching back muscles.  The correct spinal position while standing and relaxed is...(read more)

Sleep and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful life event, but like most great accomplishments, it comes with some sacrifice.  Sleep and your usual sleep patterns become compromised. In the first stages of pregnancy you’ll probably be able to sleep in the same position with little physical discomfort. But what changes is...(read more)

An Inside Look at the Polysomnogram

Has your doctor told you that you will have to get all wired up and then sleep in a lab while the technicians and sleep specialists watch you sleep?  This is one way to find out what is going on with your sleep.  It can be a little frightening and stressful so a little demystification of the process will be helpful.  When you sleep in the lab, the multitude of...(read more)

Awakening our Knowledge of Sleeping Pills

Australian born actor, Heath Ledger, died on January 22, 2008.  Many of the news reports concentrated on Heath’s struggle and growing frustration with insomnia.  It’s a sentiment that many of us can relate to as we lie flat on our backs, neck muscles tensed and eyes wide awake at 3 o’clock in the morning.  The National Sleep Foundation estimates that over 1/3...(read more)

Exercise and Sleep

Exercise is a very important factor to consider when it comes to establishing good sleep habits. It has been shown that exercise can improve your sleep, if it is done properly. The deepest stages of sleep, stages 3 and 4, are known for their role in...(read more)

Bridget Green’s Notes

First, let me state that it is never a good idea to self treat insomnia with any over the counter medication regardless of how harmless it may seem. Contact your doctor before beginning any treatment. Some studies have shown that Valerian Root may be a good alternative for people who are suffering from insomnia and that it may also help you relax. The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) gives valerian a...(read more)

Technicolour Dreams

“Do you dream in colour?”  For most people, this is a hard question to answer.  It’s surprising though because colour is everywhere in our waking lives and you would expect it to be everywhere in our dreams. But this omnipresence is probably the exact reason why people don’t mention colour all that often when recalling a dream. It’s there, but we just don’t notice it.  In our dreams and in our awake experiences, colour is ...(read more)

Children and Bedwetting

As every parent quickly learns, bedwetting is common.  It occurs in as many as 30% of all 4 year-olds. At the first appearance of bedwetting, some parents become disappointed because it seems like their child is taking a backwards step in development.  Many even suspect that the child is wetting the bed voluntarily for attention or that their child is...(read more)

Dream Recall

Typically people enter dreaming (REM - rapid eye movement) sleep four or five times per night. Research has shown that dreams can also occur during non-REM periods. This means we may be dreaming all night long. This may seem strange to most people because...(read more)

Lurking Sleep Problems

Many people feel tired all day long.  When asked "Why?" they normally say that they sleep very lightly or that they don't sleep well.  But that is as much as they know.  In reality, there could be one of almost 90 underlying sleep problems influencing their daytime fatigue.  The Sleep Advisor will uncover ...(read more)

Sleep Terrors

Have you ever seen a child sit bolt upright in bed and start screaming or an adult roll over in a state of confused panic?  Chances are they could be experiencing sleep terrors. The intensely distressing fear reactions usually begin with ...(read more)

Yoga and Dreams

Here are two simple techniques from Dr. Jenkins’ Yoga and Dreams course that you can use on your own to begin to combine dream work and body work.
Upon Awakening:
As you wake up, your body is, in effect , telling you what it was like for you to have been ...(read more)

Acting Out Your Dreams

Lots of people know that dreaming tends to occur during REM sleep. What many people do not realize however, is that when we are in REM sleep our bodies are paralyzed.  It’s Mother Nature’s protection mechanism to keep us from acting out our dreams.  It is a good thing that this happens because it allows us to remain peacefully in our beds as our dreams play out.  There are a few people in whom this  ...(read more)

Do you have insomnia?

Poor sleep plagues many North Americans.  Unfortunately, troublesome nights are a chronic condition for a large portion of sleepers.  Fifteen percent of poor sleepers have psychophysiological insomnia. According to  the International Classification of Sleep Disorders ...(read more)

Sleep Hygiene

These tips are commonly referred to as sleep hygiene. They are good sleep rules for everyone to follow.  If however, you are struggling with a sleep challenge or if you have tried these tips already, you may need to take a different approach, like using the Sleep Advisor System.
SLEEP HYGIENE:
1.  Never try to ...(read more)

Fright Night

Nightmares are frightening dreams that often awaken the sleeper from Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM) sleep. REM sleep is the stage of sleep when we are most likely to have a dream. If you wake up from REM sleep , 8 times out of 10 you will recall a dream. We first hit REM sleep about 90 minutes after we fall asleep. After a REM period our brains ...(read more)

Stimulus Control

Dr. R. Bootzin pioneered the use of stimulus control instructions as a behavioural treatment for insomnia in 1972.  Treatment involves the use of six instructions with logical ties to good sleep.  The first thing people are required to do is to attempt to sleep only when they are sleepy.  Frustration is often the byproduct of unsuccessful attempts of the completion of any task.  Sleep is not exempt from this rule.  This instruction not only avoids undue ...(read more)

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a disorder where a person stops breathing several times while asleep.  Each cessation of breath, or apneic episode, lasts at least ten seconds and is often associated with a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the person's blood.  Some people will actually stop breathing for more than a minute at a time.  Sleep apnea can have detrimental effects on ...(read more)

Periodic Limb Movements

Periodic Limb Movements (PLMs), also known as nocturnal myoclonus, are characterized by repetitive movements of the limbs during sleep.  The movements can result in several arousals or awakenings during the night . If the movements wake you up, then you may feel like you have insomnia because you can’t seem to stay asleep.  If the movements only cause arousals, small changes in brainwave patterns, you my feel like you have excessive daytime sleepiness because even though you are not waking up, your sleep is still disturbed. People are usually unaware of ...(read more)

Sleep Restriction

The longer you stay awake the more likely you will start to feel sleepy and have a hard time staying awake.  Seems like basic common knowledge doesn’t it? This increasing sleepiness is known as the homeostatic sleep drive in scientific circles. In 1987, Dr. Spielman and his colleagues created a therapy for insomnia based on this biological drive.
This therapy is known as Sleep Restriction Therapy and it is very effective at eliminating insomnia in a very short time...providing you are tough enough to endure it.  I say tough enough because ...(read more)

The Most Effective Treatment for OSA

As many as 4% of all adults have some degree of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is used to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
What is OSA?: During sleep, the upper airway collapses and causes an obstruction. This cuts off your airflow and results in a pause in your breathing and what can be a very brief awakening. The pauses in breathing are called ...(read more)

Great Tips to Sleep Through the Stress

Dr. P. Hauri first summarized a set of nine better sleep promoting tips in 1977 and called them Sleep Hygiene.  They are a great set of tips for everyone to follow. They will promote better sleep and keep your sleep healthy even if you are stressed out. You can try them on their own or combine them with the Stimulus Control and Sleep Restriction approaches. Here are the Nine Sleep Hygiene Tips ...(read more)

Central Sleep Apnea

As “I feel like I have insomnia because I wake up a lot.”  Central sleep apnea (CSA) is less common than obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  With central sleep apnea, not only are you not getting any air in or out, but your body shows no effort to breathe. It’s almost like your brain forgets to tell your body to ...(read more)

Effective Ways to Control Snoring

As a Sleep Coach I am frequently asked what to do about snoring and whether a certain home remedy will help.  I've heard quite a few interesting ones over the years and I'm always surprised about what does work.  Although, to my knowledge, no study comparing home remedies has been completed, some of the wisdom is  ...(read more)

Three Types of Sleep Hypopneas

Hypopneas are not quite apneas in that you don’t completely stop breathing.  There are reductions in airflow or respiratory effort but no full cessation of breath. That means some air is still getting to your lungs. These reductions are called hypopneas.  They are like putting part of your hand over the suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner, for obstructive hypopneas.  Central hypopneas would be more like running the vacuum on less electricity than is actually required.  In both situations ...(read more)

Is better sleep possible without medication?

A lot of people feel that they have insomnia because they can’t fall asleep or they wake up all the time.  While this may feel like insomnia, it is often another sleep problem. Without a proper assessment of your sleep, you may end up trying to fix your sleep problem with the wrong solution. The fastest and easiest way to figure out what is going on with your sleep is to use the Sleep Advisor CD. Simply pop the CD into your computer, answer the Sleep Advisor’s customized questions and your problem will be accurately identified in under 20 minutes! Not only that, but the Sleep Advisor CD will also ...(read more)
 

Obstructuve Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of apnea.  With OSA, your body tries to breathe but it can’t get any air in or out.  Think of it as putting your hand over the suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner:  the vacuum motor strains to suck something in, but your hand is a physical obstruction which prevents anything from getting through.  In much the same way, OSA is caused by a ...(read more)
 

Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a sleep problem that interferes with falling asleep.  While trying to fall asleep, people suffering from RLS will experience sensations in their legs that can only be relieved by movement.  The sensations have been described as aches, discomfort,  ...(read more)

Narcolepsy

“Help me” she moaned as she slumped into the chair. Narcolepsy is a serious and lifelong sleep disorder. It affects 1 out of every 1000 people (about 27,000 Canadians). Narcolepsy is a physiological sleep disorder that makes people sleepy all the time. People with the disorder may fall asleep uncontrollably, anywhere, and at any time. They can even have ...(read more)
 

Diagnosing Narcolepsy

Night and Day Testing:  A person with the symptoms of narcolepsy needs to have testing done in a sleep lab. First they will be required to spend a night being monitored in the lab in order to rule out other sleep disorders and also to detect the timing of REM sleep. In the morning, they will be awakened and will continue to stay at the lab for daytime ...(read more)
 

The Best New Sleep Aid

I have been searching for a great new product to add to my catalogue for quite some time. Finally I found one. SleepPhones are earphones embedded in a soft, comfortable head wrap that you can easily wear while sleeping.  They can be used to help you relax or to drown-out unwanted noises like a bedpartner’s snoring. You will be able to relieve stress and listen  ...(read more)

New Discovery in Sleep Disorders Research

A recent article by Dr. Emmanuel Mignot of Stanford University reveals that researchers have made a breakthrough in narcolepsy research. The Stanford team discovered that most narcoleptics have no hypocretin -1 molecules (also called orexin A) in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Dr. Mignot explains that hypocretins (orexins) are molecules ...(read more)

Drowsy Driving

If you are planning a road trip this summer, keep in mind that sleepiness will slow down your reaction time, decrease your awareness of what is going on around you, and impair your good driving judgment. These effects happen even if you aren’t sleepy enough to nod right off.  They begin when you start to feel the nice, comfortable level of relaxation, just before sleepiness sets in! So don’t think that as long as you....(read more)