NUTRITION ADVOCATE

Sleep problems are nothing new. Today, millions of people have difficulty sleeping well. It is estimated that about 35 percent of the world’s population suffers from insomnia (the inability to enjoy normal and sufficient sleep). It is one of the most serious epidemics today. To make matters worse, many insomniacs suffer in ignorance. Many simply accept sleeping badly as part of life and resign themselves to spending their waking hours feeling irritated and drowsy. The principal causes of insomnia can be grouped into 4 categories; Medical: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, apnea, closure of the upper air passage during sleep, asthma, heart, and digestive diseases. Psychiatric: depression, anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress disorder Environmental: light, noise, heat, cold, restless mate Other Causes: Alcohol and drug abuse, and side effects of some drugs. Recognizing the need for help is half the battle of curing a sleep disorder. However, for appropriate treatmen...

Some people view sleep as a waste of time. They prefer a very busy daily schedule of business and social engagements and only surrender to sleep when tired. In contrast, others endure night after night of tossing and turning on the bed until morning and would give anything for a good night's sleep. The question now is; why do some find it hard to sleep, while others are desperate to stay awake? Should we view sleep as a superfluity (something unnecessary) or a necessity? First, let us know what goes on while asleep. It has been established that sleep is a complex process regulated by the brain and it obeys a 24-hour biological clock. As we get older, our sleeping habits change. A newborn sleep for frequent short periods that total about 18 hours a day. According to sleep specialists, some adults appear to need only 3 hours of sleep a day, while others need up to 10 hours. Research has also shown that variations in our biological clock explain why some teenagers stru...