ANCSLEEP BLOG

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that involves certain joints and bones in various regions of your body. It can be very painful and discomforting, as well as debilitating. One way that it really disrupts life is by interrupting one's ability to sleep. 

Sleep can be vital in the healing and rehabilitation process. However, the pain from OA can cause many barriers to getting that sleep. Continue reading for more information on the relationship between OA and sleep, and how you can get good rest if you do have OA.  

Not sleeping enough can have severe consequences for your health and daily functioning. But did you know one of those affects is on your eating habits? Being tired has been shown to increase the number of calories that you consume. Your diet also decreases in quality and can cause an increase in body weight.

Part of this relationship is due to hormonal changes in the body that make it more difficult to balance hormones responsible for metabolism. Continue reading to learn more about how sleep and your appetite are connected.   

Sleep is one of the most vital pieces of human health. It is necessary for almost all bodily functions to run optimally, and without it, there are so many things we can't do. Our bodies turn into "low battery mode" and simply focus on getting us through the day. But, when we get great sleep, then we are able to accomplish so much because we feel good, motivated, and well-rested. 

One barrier to getting good sleep may actually be our mattress. If we are sleeping on an old, lumpy and uncomfortable mattress, then no matter how much time we spend in bed, it doesn't matter. Our bodies flop around all night trying to find a comfortable position to lie in. If this sounds like you, then it may be time to replace your mattress. Continue reading to find out if you have a couple of years left, or if you're overdue for a new set of springs. 

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric disorder of an intense feeling of anxiety about most aspects of life. It consists of the inability to manage your stress and form appropriate reactions to stressors and non-stressors. Aside from being fairly debilitating towards most aspects of your life, GAD can also negatively affect sleep.

Not only can GAD affect sleep, but a lack of sleep can further contribute to feelings of stress and anxiety. This bidirectional relationship makes sleep an important factor to care for in the treatment of GAD, but sometimes GAD has to be treated in order to improve one's sleep health. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship and what the most appropriate management tips are. 

The new trend on TikTok is for one to tape their lips while sleeping. Users have claimed that they have noticed many benefits of this practice, including:

• More energy 
• Sharper jawline 
• Better skin, mood, and digestion 
• Reduced brain fog 
• Less cavities, gum disease and bad breath
• Strengthened immune system

The benefits of mouth taping involve taking a piece of skin-friendly tape and placing them over both lips to keep your mouth closed throughout the night have recently become a major media sensation. 

But is it safe? Does it work? Does science support this practice? Continue reading to learn more about mouth taping and what experts are saying. 

Do you ever find yourself have the same dream over and over? One that is quite distressing and freaks you out, leaving you wondering what it means for days after? You are not alone, as 60-75% of Americans experience these "recurring" dreams. They are a part of normal sleep for most people, but their content can be the most distressing part of them, causing sleep loss and anxiety revolving around sleep. 

Certain disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can often have these dreams at a level that is extremely distressing because it relates to something over which they feel stressed. Continue reading to find out more about what these dreams mean, and what you can do if they are negatively impacting your sleep.

Insomnia is the inability to go to sleep. Primary insomnia means there is no underlying reason why you cannot go to sleep, but you are simply having trouble getting a good night's rest. Secondary insomnia is an identifiable cause that is preventing you from going to sleep. 

One common secondary cause is painsomnia. Painsomnia is a term that combines the words pain and insomnia, and refers to insomnia caused by pain. Paincan making sleeping almost impossible, as you are unable to relax enough to go to sleep. Not only does painsomnia make it impossible to sleep, but having a lack of sleep can make pain symptoms worse. So it very much is a double edged sword, the relationship between sleep and pain.

Continue reading to find out more about painsomnia and what are some steps you can take to reduce the disruptions you currently face. 

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a depressive mood disorder that affects people only at certain parts of the year. It mostly affects people in the winter months, after daylights savings, when it gets dark very early in the day. The lack of light that most people are exposed to during this part of the year can create feelings of sadness, a lack of motivation, the desire to sleep a lot, and other symptoms synonymous with depression. 

The thing that makes SAD unique from depression is that it is not year round. It affects as much as 3% of people inthe US, with lower energy, a lack of concentration and irritability, and sleeping issues. Continue reading to learn more about SAD's effect on sleep.  

Sleep apnea is a common sleeping disorder that involves brief cessation in breathing called apneas. These apneic events can be due to an obstruction (the most common) or a brain stem disorder (central sleep apnea). Although these brief pauses only last for a few seconds, they are still quite concerning to bed partners and are detrimental to your health. 

In this article, we are going to talk about arrhythmias and their connection with sleep apnea. Arrhythmias are just one of the ways that sleep apnea can negatively affect one's health. Although one of the lesser known causes of arrhythmias, they are serious enough that any risk factors must be addressed as soon as possible. Continue reading for more information. 

COVID-19 unfortunately is far from being over. New strains seem to be arising quite often, and as life tries to get to a new normal, there always seems to be this imminent threat. Aside from the stress that causes, COVID itself causes many problems, particularly at night. 

It's not new information that a connection exists between your immune system and sleep. So if your illness causes you to have trouble sleeping, then that could inherently make your immune system weaker, giving you more trouble fighting the virus and getting better. Here are a few COVID-19 symptoms that ruin sleep, and ways you can help yourself get the rest you need for a good recovery.