ANCSLEEP BLOG

Older adults commonly have sleep troubles, mostly due to physiological changes that can interrupt normal sleep patterns, but sometimes due to underlying disorders that can manifest into insomnia. It's important to identify these underlying disorders for accurate treatment. Sleep aids can have detrimental effects in elderly adults, so if they can be avoided through accurate diagnoses, then that will be better for their health. 

Below are some common underlying disorders that can negatively affect health. If you think one of these impacts you or a loved one, then it's important to speak with your primary care physician immediately. 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory joint disease. The immune system is overactivated and begins to attack some of the tissues of the person impacted. Sleep issues impact more than 80% of those with RA, as fatigue is the main reported symptom. Here is some more information on how RA impacts sleep and vice versa, as well as some techniques to help alleviate the impact that one has on the other.

Substance abuse disorders and addiction are complicated diseases that involve the overwhelming desire or craving for drugs, alcohol, and other medications of abuse. Addiction and substance abuse disorders can cause turmoil for the individual, families, and can even result in permanent debilitation and death. 

Connections between substance abuse and mental health disorders have been well established, as well as mental health disorders and sleep disturbances. However, now researchers are starting to draw connections between sleep disturbances and substance use disorders. The causes of addiction are multifactorial and include both environmental and biochemical alterations, but sleep may play a key role in the development of addiction. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship. 

Hydration is important, and is connected to the types and amounts of liquid that you consume. However, when traveling, it's easy to overindulge in drinks that we normally wouldn't because of how much traveling can throw off our normal schedule. We may consume less water, and find ourselves drinking more unhealthy beverages. Unfortunately, poor drink choices on vacation can lead to dehydration which can impact sleep even more than traveling already does. Continue reading to find out more about this relationship and how you can help yourself get better sleep on vacation. 

We have all had those moments where it's the night before Christmas, a birthday, a big interview, test, etc., and it's nearly impossible to sleep. We are wired, excited, nervous, and have too much stimulation to go to sleep. 

Although we feel nervous, it's important for us to still get adequate sleep. If we have a test or interview, the last thing we want to do is look or feel tired. If it's a celebratory day, eventually the lack of sleep will catch up to you and cause an early retirement. 

There are some tips and tricks to try when you need to get good sleep even though you are nervous. 

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.