Obviously, for those of us living in Alaska it’s no secret that we are operating under “unique” circumstances in summer and winter: mainly, lots of light, and lots of darkness. Though it might seem counter intuitive, the amount of excess darkness, which is significant in the Southeast and oppressive in the Far North, actually makes sleep more difficult for many people.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a nervous system disorder that causes uncomfortable feelings in your legs, making you want to move them. The discomfort of RLS is usually enough that it interferes with sleep (causing sleep deprivation) and so it is conserved a sleep disorder as well.
Sleep studies are important diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian and rhythm disorders. Sleep studies have proven to be particularly important in Alaska where the extreme darkness and lightness tend to either cause or worsen sleep disorders.
Some sleep disorders are actually fairly common. They all have one thing in common: they disrupt healthy sleep.
You’ve probably heard of the term “sleep debt.” It’s the term that refers how much less sleep you are getting than what you should be getting. The idea is that over time, a “sleep debt” forms that you need to get extra sleep to “pay back” your debt. To list it more succinctly:
Living in Alaska poses unique sleeping challenges most months out of the year. Other than a few months out of the year between “spring” and “fall” in Alaska, we are dealing with darkness that lasts most (or all) of the day, or light that lasts most (or all) of the night.
Sleep studies are important diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders. Sleep studies have proven to be particularly important in Alaska where the extreme darkness and lightness tend to either cause or worsen sleep disorders.
Does your partner wear earplugs to ward off the blows of your nightly, nasally inhales? Is your snoring the rule, not the exception? Is your snoring a common joke among family members?
Is your or your partner’s snoring the primer for family jokes? Does your loud snoring require come with an “earplugs required” caveat for your partner? Is your snoring the rule, not the exception?
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that prevents you from getting enough sleep because: