Forty percent of Americans report having symptoms of insomnia at some point within a given year, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This alarming statistic identifies a common problem across the country affecting millions of adults. Not only does being tired detract from you quality of life, poor sleep is also detrimental for your health, causing or exacerbating conditions like heart disease and depression.

Before reaching for a prescription drug, there are some lifestyle factors that may actually improve your sleep outcomes. One lifestyle factor is diet. Revamping your diet can go a long way towards improving your sleep quality, provided you opt for foods rich in the right sleep-inducing ingredients. Continue reading to learn about 7 foods that can help you sleep better. 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a waxing and waning disease characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects as many as 1.6 million Americans, most of whom are diagnosed before age 30. Since there is no cure for these diseases, patients are relieved when they enter remission.

What is Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by a frequent, and sometimes uncontrollable, desire for sleep. This can result in sudden lapses into sleep at any time, any place. Normal patterns and rhythms of sleeping become abnormal. For example, someone suffering from narcolepsy may end up sleeping several times during the day and then having trouble sleeping at night.

Irregular sleeping patterns are not only inconvenient, they can have medical, emotional, and psychological consequences.

Are you or a loved one a CPAP user? They are the mainstay treatment for significantly improving sleep apnea, but up to 50% of people stop using them within one year. Why? One reason is how daunting the maintenance of their equipment is. At first, it might seem overwhelming but understand with time it will become as routine as brushing your teeth. 

What is a Sleep Diary

A sleep diary is a record of your sleep that includes all of the aspects of your sleep. Sleep diaries might be requested of you by your doctor or a sleep center in order to get more accurate data about your sleeping habits. They can be extremely important in identifying the causes of sleep problems or conditions.

Sleep diaries includes data about:

• Your sleep quality
• Your patterns of sleep
• Your pre-sleep habits

Even if not requested by your doctor, it's a good idea to keep one if you are struggling with sleep - it really only takes a few minutes each day.

Is it time to upgrade your CPAP?

Alaskans have enjoyed another Summer of the Midnight Sun, but winter is upon us, so here come those dark days. We now have our next challenge to face, Polar Nights. As the bears crawl into their dens for their long winter naps, we would be glad to join them. The sun-driven energy from the summer is gone, and we are up against the health challenges of trying to be awake while it is dark. 

The holiday season has arrived! Not only should you be excited, but there is so much to look forward to. Time with family and friends, shopping, and traveling are all many things that we take part in during the holiday season. However, for patients with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), going untreated while traveling can put them at risk for serious health consequences and, perhaps, ruin their trip as well. Sleep apnea doesn’t take a holiday, so it's important to continue treating it during yours. Here are a few quick tips to make traveling with sleep apnea a little less cumbersome.

An extra hour of sleep can welcome a short period of rest for many people. However, it can also disrupt normal sleep patterns, which puts strain on the body. The schedule change can throw off the body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. It is great to have the extra hour of sleep, but a few days later that can lead to worse sleep. Continue reading to learn more about the negative effects of daylight savings.

When Sleep Isn’t Restful – It’s a Sign

There are two kinds of sleep, and the question you need to ask yourself is which kind are you getting? One kind of sleep involves falling asleep, sleeping deeply, and waking up feeling mostly or completely refreshed. Another kind of sleep involves closing your eyes at night, waking up in the morning, and feeling like you could have slept another 3 hours. Which kind of sleep are you getting, the first or the second one?

If you wake up feeling like you hardly slept, even if you slept all night, it’s going to inhibit your ability to enjoy life. When you are tired all the time:

• You are moodier
• You perform worse in nearly every task
• You lose motivation to do things for yourself
• Your social life might dry up with others
• You will have reduced sex drive

Any of that sound familiar? It can also be especially frustrating if you are 'sleeping' for at least 7 hours and feel like you should be rested and happy. This phenomenon is generally a strong symptom of either of the following:

• Bad habits and/or cognitive conditions
• Sleep disorders
• Bad sleeping environment
• Medical problem

Let’s look at these in more detail.