ANCSLEEP BLOG

Whenever we talk about sleep hygiene, we always highlight the "holy trinity" - dark, quiet and cool. However, music may actually help some people go to sleep, especially those who have sleep issues that they would like to address without using sleep aids. Music therapists are an emerging group of professionals who are using music to help those who struggle with anxiety and other mental health disorders that can stop people from getting the sleep that they need. Here is some more information on how music can help with sleep. 

Sleeping problems during the menstrual cycle is very common. In fact, women have more sleeping problems than men, and that's partly due to the constant fluctuation of hormones that happen throughout the month. In the days leading up to a woman's period, she may experience something called premenstrual syndrome (PMS), or something more severe called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). In this article, we will talk about how PMS can lead to insomnia, and what are some ways to improve one's sleep while traversing through a menstrual cycle. 

Sleep quality tends to decline with age, making it very difficult for older adults to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, Pink noise may be just the thing to help these individuals get the sleep they need. Pink noises include sounds like falling rain, a flowing river, crashing waves, or other sounds from nature that cover a wide range of frequencies. It better emphasize lower frequencies, however.

Researchers played pink noise audio through a headband to older adults while they slept, and the study showed that pink nose during deep sleep increased slow waves in the brain for some participants. Continue reading for more information regarding deep sleep for older adults and pink noise. 

Sleep apnea occurs when one stops breathing throughout the night, taking small pauses, and then begins gasping for air to begin breathing again. It can be very disruptive to one's sleep, and very concerning for those who observe this sleep pattern. Sleep apnea can be divided into central (CSA) and obstructive (OSA). Obstructive occurs when something in the back of the throat prevents one from breathing. Those who are overweight, have a wide neck, and males are at increased risk for developing OSA. 

CSA can be a bit more alarming because it's an issue with the brain, and not with the muscles in the back of the neck. We are going to talk about CSA in children, and what are appropriate treatment steps. 

It is no secret that older individuals may struggle more with insomnia than any other group. This is due to a variety of physiological changes that make it harder to get a good night's sleep. 

For most insomniacs, the best solution is a pharmaceutical intervention. However, for older adults, sleeping pills may not be the best first-line solution. This is due to the fact that sleeping pills have more adverse reactions and increased risks for older adults, than they do for other populations. Continue reading for more information on how sleep aids affect older adults. 

If you really love your job and want to be good at it, then it's pretty important that you get a good night's sleep. The link between sleep and job performance is a positive linear relationship meaning that the better you sleep, the better you work. This article will dive into why that is and how you can improve your job performance. 

When you're trying to go to sleep, sometimes, for whatever reason, your body is just not ready to go to sleep. You may feel excited, antsy, or just not very tired. However, you know that if you don't go to sleep soon and your wake time doesn't change to make sure you can get adequate amount of sleep, that you're going to be dragging the next day. 

Therefore, it's important to learn some tips and tricks for when you need to relax so you can go to bed. Here are some relaxation exercises to help you fall asleep. Most of these can be done in your bed so you can fall asleep right where you are relaxing. 

Nightmares and night terrors may easily be confused with one another because they share some similar features. They both can be frightening and cause trouble going back to sleep and/or staying asleep. But it's important to understand the difference between them as they are two different events. This can really impact how they are both treated as well. Continue reading to find out more about these two different sleeping events and what do do about them. 

The pandemic has really blurred the lines between the end of the workday and the beginning of at-home leisure time. Even if you had a demanding job before the pandemic, then you may have experienced similar overflow of one world into the other. Working from home continues to complicate this boundary because there is no significant moment to define the end of the day (such as logging off and driving home). 

It's up to employees and workers what time and how they are going to end their workday. If you find yourself working all the way up until it's time to go to bed, you may begin having sleep trouble (if you haven't already). This article will talk about the negative effects of working right up until bedtime instead of taking a break to decompress before bed. 

Night sweats are extremely discomforting. They make you feel gross and can interrupt your sleep. Getting good sleep is essential for memory, focus, mood regulation, and overall well being. It's hard to do this when you can feel yourself sweating and wake up feeling drenched. Some of the causes for night sweats are fixable, but others may be an underlying sign of something else that is happening. Continue reading for the reasons you may be sweating at night.