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Simply Healthy Sleep - The online-magazine for your perfect sleep experience - Powered by SAMINA

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lack of sleep

Physiotherapy and yoga for better sleep

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• Chronic back pain and sleep disorders often go hand in hand
• Physiotherapy and yoga reduce the need for pain relievers
• Pain-relieving regeneration is not possible without sleep

March 15: Back Health Day

On this annual theme day, the focus was again on the key role of the back for a vital, fulfilling life. Sleep behavior is particularly important for a back-friendly life – in more ways than one: chronic back pain and sleep disorders often occur together, the combination of medicinal treatments can be dangerous. A holistic approach is designed to prevent this risk.

Sleepless nights are not uncommon for people with chronic lower back pain. According to research, 59% of those affected suffer from poor sleep, 53% of them live with insomnia. In addition to reduced quality of life, this results in a particularly sensitive problem: since both chronic pain and sleep problems are often treated pharmaceutically, a combination of medications can result in a whole series of serious side effects. Anyone taking painkillers and sleeping pills simultaneously exposes themselves to serious risks. In the worst case, it can even lead to a fatal overdose.

Physiotherapy and yoga: effective against sleep disorders and back pain

The Boston Medical Center recommends a risk-free, yet effective alternative to these medicines: in a study, both yoga and physical therapy proved to be effective methods for treating back pain, but also for getting a grip on chronic sleep disorders. The reasons for the choice of these methods were previous research results, according to which yoga and physiotherapy are similarly effective in terms of pain reduction and functional improvement.

320 adults with chronic back pain took part in the BMC study, of which over 90% suffered from poor sleep. The test subjects were divided into three groups and each treated with different measures: While reading material was allocated to the control group, the other two groups received weekly physiotherapy or yoga classes. The experiment lasted 12 weeks. During this time, the sleep quality of the participants was checked several times and checked again a year later. The result: both yoga and physiotherapy treatment showed a significant improvement in sleep quality that persisted even a year later. In addition to improving the symptoms, the need for painkillers also decreased.

Holistically effective instead of risky

“With holistic therapy measures, one can avoid the risk of addiction to conventional medication, and still enable patients to live a safe but also painless life,” says Eric Roseen from the Boston Medical Center.

The team led by Roseen shows that patients with chronic pain and sleeping problems can also be harmed health wise, since regeneration cannot fully take place at night.

Based on their observations, the researchers recommend the treating physicians to question patients with chronic back pain regarding the quality of sleep, and help to improve it if necessary. In general, bearing in mind the high risk potential that comes from a combination of pain and sleep medication, non-pharmacological approaches should be considered.

 

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Lack of sleep makes more vulnerable for colds

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During sleep, the body’s defense system is strengthened. But, did you know that lack of sleep has a stronger impact on our immune system than other factors like age, alcohol consumption, smoking, stress, and nutrition? A fact proven by a study from the University of California. Scientist Aric Prather and his team found out, that lack of sleep significantly influences our immune system.

Lack of sleep increases susceptibility to colds

One week before the testing started, the sleep duration of the 164 test persons was examined by means of a sensor worn on the wrist. Additionally, the participants where asked about their nutrition, consumption of alcohol and nicotine, stress level etc. Following this week, in the laboratory the participants were subjected to cold viruses in the form of nasal drops.

Via the nasal mucosa the viruses enter the body, multiply there and lead to the known cold symptoms. Is your immune defense strong enough the process is interrupted and the viruses are fend off. In fact, the progression of the disease strongly varied amongst the participants.

People with

  • less than five hours sleep on average became sick with nearly 50 per cent
  • more than seven hours sleep were able to fight the viruses and remained healthy for more than 80 per cent
  • five to six hours sleep got sick to 30 per cent
  • six to seven hours sleep got sick to about 23 per cent.

This result clearly shows that sufficient sleep offers the best protection against a cold.

Furthermore, it became that the sleep duration had more influence on the progression of the disease than factors like age, stress as well as alcohol- and nicotine-consumption.

Health pillar sleep

The scientists emphasize that sleep is just as important for our health as nutrition and exercise. Besides sleep duration, sleeping quality is especially decisive. Disturbances to fall asleep and to sleep through are often the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle and bad sleep hygiene.

Important steps toward healthy and restful sleep are

  • an optimal sleep surrounding
  • a suitable sleeping underlay
  • a regular sleep-wake-rhythm
  • a balanced nutrition as well as
  • regular exercise in fresh air.

Study Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold, (http://docs.dpaq.de/9524-prather_et_al.pdf)

Imagesource: @fotolia

Is too much sleep unhealthy?

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It is obvious: lack of sleep is negatively affecting our well-being. Besides tiredness, fatigue, head ache, concentration disturbances and irritability a sleep debt also might entail serious health consequences. Lack of sleep increases risk for diabetes type II, cardio-vascular-diseases as well as obesity, amongst others. So it seems logical to try to spend more time in bed. But be careful! Did you know that too much sleep might be unhealthy, too? In the long term, it might have negative consequences on your physical and mental well-being, too, when you frequently spend more than nine hours in bed.

Consequences of too much sleep

Diabetes: As the Canadian Laval University found out in a study, too much sleep might increase the risk of diabetes type II, just like lack of sleep.

Depressions: In 2014, a twin study proved that the risk of developing a depression increases by 49 per cent with people who constantly sleep more than nine hours. When sleeping seven to nine hours the predisposition was 27 per cent.

Memory performance: A study of the University College London revealed that not only lack of sleep but also too much sleep negatively affects memory performance. The memory performance of more than 5,000 women and men were tested over a period of five years.

Weight gain: Canadian scientists detected in a long-term study that the sleep duration significantly influences weight. Although the participants payed attention to a balanced nutrition and regular exercise, they had to deal with a weight gain of five kilos when sleeping more than nine hours compared to those with an average sleep duration (seven to eight hours).

Heart diseases

A Taiwanese full scale study indicates that coronary heart diseases and strokes are associated with sleep duration. Finally, the scientists concluded that an appropriate sleep duration (not too long and not too short) are a significant aspect of a healthy life style.

Imagesource: @fotolia

Sources:

Laval University: Too much or too little sleep increases risk of diabetes (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ul-tmo042109.php)

Twin study 2014: Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms (https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/37/2/351/2558968?searchresult=1)

University College London: Change in sleep duration and cognitive function (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21532949)

Quebec Family Study: The Association Between Sleep Duration and Weight Gain in Adults (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2279744/)

Snoring in children – risk for developmental disorder

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Especially in young years, snoring in children might lead to health impairments and to secondary diseases. The brain of children and juveniles is still developing. Due to breathing stops, obstructive sleep apnea can lead to developmental disorders. Is the nasal breathing impaired the sleeping quality will be diminished. Sleep fragmentation, restlessness and disturbance of sleep architecture are the consequences.

Therefore, regeneration of body, mind and soul is disturbed. Daytime sleepiness, irritability and concentration disturbances are the consequences. Under no circumstances, snoring in children should be regarded as being harmless. According to studies, regular snoring in children doubles the risk of developing learning difficulties.

Consequences of snoring in children

  • Exhaustion: Due to lack of sleep, the children find it hard to concentrate. Often, increased daytime sleepiness occurs.
  • Hyperactivity: Often, exhaustion is “compensated” with an aggressive attitude and hyperactivity.
  • Learning difficulties: Due to the occurring concentration disturbances and the daytime sleepiness the scholastic achievements decrease.
  • Susceptibility for infection: Healthy, restful sleep is important for strengthening the immune system. Lack of sleep increases the risk of falling ill with an infection.
  • Health disturbances: Besides infections, other health disturbances might arise, too. High blood pressure, altered blood fat levels, insulin resistance, sharp under- or overweight as well as lung diseases. Furthermore, growth disturbances might arise.

So, finding out and treating nightly snoring early might prevent from learning and developmental disorders. Have you already tried inclined sleeping? Seek medical advice, when no improvements are noticeable resp. when noticing any abnormalities.

Imagesource: @fotolia

 

 

Healthy sleep: Everyone talks about it – but what does it actually mean? #1

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The understanding of us human beings that sleep is the decisive factor for our physical and mental health is constantly getting better. Because, more than 70 % of physical recovery depend on healthy sleep – and even 100 % of mental regeneration! Only during sleep, the powers of self-regulation, self-repairing and self-healing are activated. But, what does healthy sleep actually mean?

The facts are alarming: more than half of all grown-ups suffer under sleep disturbances, lack of sleep and no longer restful sleep. There are more than 100 different forms of sleep disturbances. They affect health, support diseases and block healing. But, how to find out whether the own sleep is good and healthy?

Healthy sleep

On an average, every grown-up should spend seven to nine hours with restful sleep. Every day. Here, the personal needs differ – the amount of sleep needed even depends on our genes. There are people, who need eight hours of sleep while others do perfect with just six to seven hours. Some people can easily change their sleeping plan or duration while others experience severe physical and mental problems when sleep is lacking.

Check your sleeping behavior

The best way to check your sleep and whether you have sufficient phases of deep– and REM-sleep would be a sleep screening. But, there are also other clear hints that reveal your sleeping quality. The following questions show, whether you are on the right track for healthy sleep. If you have to struggle with sleep disturbances or a non-restful sleep, a sleep-healthy-advice might be valuable.

The secret lies in restful sleep

From the scientific point of view, sufficient and restful sleep is the best and cost-efficient “anti-stress-remedy” there is. Furthermore, the best prevention from many civilization diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal disturbances and so on is healthy sleep. According to WHO, sleep disturbances and lack of sleep have serious effects on health and are classified as being “carcinogenic”. Our immune-system is weakened. This influences the regulation of more than 700 genes, especially the one’s responsible for immune-reactions, inflammations and stress reactions.

Effects and consequences of lack of sleep

Already in 2007, scientists of the University of Warwick have found out the effects of lack of sleep. More than 10,000 people were involved in this study. The scientists were able to prove that in the long run too few sleep doubles the infarction risk and so clearly shortens life expectancy. Furthermore, they determined that the brain detoxifies during sleep. And this detoxification is essential. So, in case you are not sleeping at least from seven to nine hours each night in long-term you are accepting degenerative damages of your brain.

Imagesource: @fotolia

The secret of beauty sleep

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Which skin care is the right one for me? Surely, many have thought about this question. And tried out several possibilities. But, did you know that not only a high-quality skin care is responsible for a flawless complexion and beauty? Learn more about the secret of beauty sleep.

The secret of beauty sleep

Especially our lifestyle contributes to beauty. Balanced nutrition, sufficient movement as well as healthy and restful sleep takes an essential part. Sufficient and high-quality sleep care for good looking and a beautiful skin.

During night, important regeneration processes take place. For regeneration and repair of skin cells, hormones mainly produced at night are responsible. The sleeping hormone melatonin supports falling asleep and sleeping through. It also is a radical catcher and acts as important skin protector. The happy hormone serotonin is said to be precursor for melatonin. We need natural daylight to produce serotonin; therefore, it also is important to spend time in fresh air during daylight to have a good night sleep. The interaction of darkness, sleep and daylight care for a balance of these two hormones.

Somatropin is a further “anti-aging-hormone”. It is a growth hormone that is responsible for repair of damaged cells and skin tissue. The release of somatropin mainly takes place during deep sleep. Therefore, not only sleep duration but also sleep quality is decisive for a healthy skin.

Sallow and lifeless skin due to lack of sleep

Due to sleep disturbances and lack of sleep for a longer period of time, the skin looks sallow and lifeless. Furthermore, wrinkling increases. The elasticity and resistance of the skin is diminished and the aging process increased.

In “Beauty needs sleep” you will find some tips for your perfect beauty sleep.

Imagesource: @istock