ANCSLEEP BLOG

Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone that your brain releases when the eyes sense darkness. For those who do not produce enough melatonin, it can also be purchased in a supplement form. Available forms of melatonin include tablets, liquids, patches, gummies and sprays. 

Melatonin is normally used, and intended to be used on a short-term basis for temporary sleep issues. Melatonin can help individuals with shift-work disorder, sleep-wake phase disorder, and jet lag. Melatonin is normally well tolerated without causing many side effects, but because it is not Food and Drug Administration regulated, it is not monitored. This means there could be variations in dosage, as well as other potential health concerns if it is not taken with caution. 

Continue reading to find out more about melatonin dosage by age.  

Apnea is the term for brief pauses in breathing. In children, these events can be common, and very scary for parents. It's important to know common causes of apnea in children, so parents and practitioners know when to be concerned, and when not to be. Pauses in breathing, cyanosis (turning blue), unresponsiveness, are all signs to look out for and can determine the severity of the issue. Here are possible causes of apnea in children and neonates.  

Adults use weighted blankets as ways to improve their sleep. However, weighted blankets can be problematic for children, especially small children. 

This is unfortunate because weighted blankets have been shown to decrease anxiety and decrease insomnia symptoms. Hug-like feelings have been shown to promote relaxation, decrease stress, and improve sleep. This is especially helpful in those with autism and ADHD.  Continue reading to learn more about the new product, weighted stuffed animals, that can provide children these benefits without the risks associated with weighted blankets. 

We often emphasize the need for good sleep. But sometimes, it can be hard to know what defines "good sleep". You may ask yourself, how do you know if you're sleeping well, or if you need some improvement? 

That's why understanding how to measure sleep is useful, because you'll have a parameter against which to judge how good or bad your sleep is. Once you know how to measure your sleep, you can then determine if you are getting adequate sleep, or if you need to talk to a sleep specialist. Here are the best ways to measure sleep.  

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric mood disorder that consists of fluctuating emotions, threats of self-harm, and attention seeking behavior. BPD requires various modalities of treatment, including psychotherapy, medication, and behavioral interventions. 

One activity that may help reduce the severity of the symptoms of BPD is sleeping. Insomnia treatment may be important for managing BPD symptoms according to a recent study. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship, and ways to improve sleep in patients with BPD. 

If you have had trouble sleeping, you may be willing to try anything. One option is icing your vagus nerve. Using an ice pack, you may be able to unlock better sleep with things in your own home. A new TikTok trends seems to be placing ice on your chest, which can help put you in a more relaxed state that can help you fall into a deep sleep. 

Although you cannot believe everything you see on social media, there may be some science behind this hack. Cold therapy on the chest is supposed to stimulate the vagus nerve which is a cranial nerve that runs from the brainstem to the torso. This can help to regulate the body's parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

The PNS is the "rest and digest" system responsible for putting the body in a calm state. After a stressful day where the fight or flight response is activated, this may be a useful trick to put your mind at ease enough for a good night's sleep. 

Continue reading to learn if this trick is for you! 

Research shows that 1 in 4 women have at least one symptom of insomnia. That could be difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or some combination of the two. Women are 40% more likely to have insomnia at some point in their life compared to men, even though women actually need more sleep than men. 

Different sleep strategies could be helpful depending on the source of insomnia. Here are some common sleep tips that could help women, specifically, in terms of treating their insomnia. 

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that is characterized b y hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized or paranoid thinking. 

This condition is lifelong, and often needs treatment for the entirety of one's life. Schizophrenia first appears in one's mid 20s, but it can occur earlier or later. 

Some original symptoms include disruption to your usual sleep pattern and can lead to insomnia and increased sleep latency. Circadian rhythm disruption is also an early sign of schizophrenia and can appear prior to any delusions, hallucinations, or other noticeable symptoms. 

The relationship between schizophrenia and sleep are closely related, and understanding the relationship may help with management and treatment. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship. 

If you have ever gotten a professional massage, you may have found yourself drifting in and out of sleep. When you come out of that dark room, you may have even felt in a haze. You can experiencing this same effect while getting your shoulders or feet rubbed before bed. Why is that? Many people find that being massaged makes them feel sleepy.

Part of this is due to the fact that your muscles are rubbed into a more relaxed stated. When muscles are tense, it makes it hard for you to be as relaxed as is required when you go to sleep. The other reason for this is because you are often in a dark, quiet room with your eyes closed. Your brain gets a chance to relax as you enter this spa-like era.

Continue reading to learn why massages have this effect, and how it can help with different sleep disorders.

Sunlight was the natural alarm clock of our ancestors, which is probably why our body responds to it the way that it does. Before technology and alarm clocks, the sun and presence of light dictated circadian rhythms. 

Today, that is still true, but we are just exposed to so much artificial light, that our circadian rhythms are not as synchronized to the sun as they once were. 

Balancing your circadian rhythm is important for helping you wake up and go to sleep everyday. One way to help manage that is to get exposure to sunlight or sleep early in the morning, and reduce it late at night. Continue reading for information on sunlight's impact on sleep!