According to a recent study conducted by Dr. Yaremchuk, Dr. George Miguel and their research team from the Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, insomnia can make the emotional and functional effects of tinnitus worse.
A significant association between insomnia and the severity of perceived tinnitus symptoms such as hissing, buzzing, ringing and clicking was shown by the study and the emotional distress from the chronic of tinnitus was reported as being greater by patients with insomnia.
The study found that the greater the degree of insomnia, the more severe the patient's complaints were regarding the tinnitus.
Dr. Yaremchuk notes that a chronic tinnitus patient presents a challenging clinical picture that may include anxiety, depression, annoyance, or self-reported emotional distress. And one of most frequent self-reported complaint of tinnitus patients is 'getting to sleep.'
This study underlines the importance of evaluating and treating insomnia patients with tinnitus as this may result in a reduction in tinnitus symptom severity and improve their quality of life.
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Do You Need Less Sleep As You Get Older?
The amount of sleep needed as we get older is a controversial subject.
Some say that you do need less sleep as you get older.
The University of Surrey conducted a study where the researchers wer surpised to find that decrease in sleep that comes with advancing years is a normal part of aging.
According to them, this is because aging brings less time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep, the "dead" phase where nothing wakes you. Despite this, the older subjects still displayed less daytime sleepiness than the younger subjects. They say that the fact that older people need less sleep is explained by the fact that they get a better quality of sleep, and the older the brain, the more effectively it cycles through the stages of sleep.
Others disagree and say that getting older can bring real sleep issues to many who slept just fine when younger.
This is due to many reasons:
- hormonal changes after menopause in women
- changes in levels of melatonin
- secreting less growth hormone as we age
- medical issues that cause pain and discomfort
- depression, anxiety and dementia
- side effects of medications
The most important thing is how you feel after a night's sleep. Do you feel rested and refreshed or tired and lethargic? If you are in the latter group, you can try some natural ways to help you sleep better,such as yoga or any other gentle exercise, acupuncture, herbs or supplements and try to spend some time in the sunlight or bright light every day.
Some say that you do need less sleep as you get older.
The University of Surrey conducted a study where the researchers wer surpised to find that decrease in sleep that comes with advancing years is a normal part of aging.
According to them, this is because aging brings less time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep, the "dead" phase where nothing wakes you. Despite this, the older subjects still displayed less daytime sleepiness than the younger subjects. They say that the fact that older people need less sleep is explained by the fact that they get a better quality of sleep, and the older the brain, the more effectively it cycles through the stages of sleep.
Others disagree and say that getting older can bring real sleep issues to many who slept just fine when younger.
This is due to many reasons:
- hormonal changes after menopause in women
- changes in levels of melatonin
- secreting less growth hormone as we age
- medical issues that cause pain and discomfort
- depression, anxiety and dementia
- side effects of medications
The most important thing is how you feel after a night's sleep. Do you feel rested and refreshed or tired and lethargic? If you are in the latter group, you can try some natural ways to help you sleep better,such as yoga or any other gentle exercise, acupuncture, herbs or supplements and try to spend some time in the sunlight or bright light every day.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Eight Hour Sleep May Be Unnatural
I've just read an interesting article on the BBC website saying that the eight hour sleep may be unnatural and that in the past, we used to sleep in two segments, often four hour stretches with a couple of hours in between
To quote 'We often worry about people who lie awake in the middle of the night - but it could be good for you. Scientists have been saying for 20 years that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural, and historians increasingly are backing them up.'
Psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment in the early nineties, in which, for one month, a group of people were plunged into darkness for 14 hours every day.
Interestingly, by the fourth week, the subjects had settled into a pattern of sleeping for four hours, waking up for one or two hours and then going back to sleep for another four hours.
The theory that humans naturally slept in two distinct chunks has come up again, as historian Roger Ekirch at Virginia Tech undertook an intensive study into the human relationship with night, and found more than 500 references to a segmented sleeping pattern.
Sleep psychologist Gregg Jacobs says that waking up during the night is part of normal human physiology.
He says the idea that we must sleep in a consolidated block could be damaging, if it makes people who wake up at night anxious, as this anxiety can itself stop you from sleeping and is likely to trickle into your waking life too.
Source: BBC - Myth of the eight-hour sleep
To quote 'We often worry about people who lie awake in the middle of the night - but it could be good for you. Scientists have been saying for 20 years that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural, and historians increasingly are backing them up.'
Psychiatrist Thomas Wehr conducted an experiment in the early nineties, in which, for one month, a group of people were plunged into darkness for 14 hours every day.
Interestingly, by the fourth week, the subjects had settled into a pattern of sleeping for four hours, waking up for one or two hours and then going back to sleep for another four hours.
The theory that humans naturally slept in two distinct chunks has come up again, as historian Roger Ekirch at Virginia Tech undertook an intensive study into the human relationship with night, and found more than 500 references to a segmented sleeping pattern.
Sleep psychologist Gregg Jacobs says that waking up during the night is part of normal human physiology.
He says the idea that we must sleep in a consolidated block could be damaging, if it makes people who wake up at night anxious, as this anxiety can itself stop you from sleeping and is likely to trickle into your waking life too.
Source: BBC - Myth of the eight-hour sleep
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Chronic Insomnia May Lead To Depression And Anxiety
Long term insomnia may lead to health problems including anxiety and depression if left untreated.
A study conducted by Dag Neckelmann from the Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, was based on data collected from two general health surveys involving 25,130 adults. Dr. Neckelmann found significant correlations between chronic insomnia and the development of anxiety disorders and depression, compared to the control group of participants without chronic insomnia.
He says, "Chronic insomnia is a state marker of both anxiety disorder and depression. From a clinical point of view, these results imply that individuals reporting chronic insomnia, in addition to receiving adequate treatment for their sleep disturbance, should be carefully examined for the presence of anxiety disorder as well as depression.
Focusing on chronic insomnia as a symptom of both anxiety and depression may facilitate the early detection of a mental disorder, as well as the detection of comorbidity. Though not demonstrated, alleviating chronic insomnia may reduce the risk of developing anxiety disorders."
A study conducted by Dag Neckelmann from the Haukeland University Hospital in Norway, was based on data collected from two general health surveys involving 25,130 adults. Dr. Neckelmann found significant correlations between chronic insomnia and the development of anxiety disorders and depression, compared to the control group of participants without chronic insomnia.
He says, "Chronic insomnia is a state marker of both anxiety disorder and depression. From a clinical point of view, these results imply that individuals reporting chronic insomnia, in addition to receiving adequate treatment for their sleep disturbance, should be carefully examined for the presence of anxiety disorder as well as depression.
Focusing on chronic insomnia as a symptom of both anxiety and depression may facilitate the early detection of a mental disorder, as well as the detection of comorbidity. Though not demonstrated, alleviating chronic insomnia may reduce the risk of developing anxiety disorders."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Insomnia - Credit Worries Disrupting Sleep
According to Channel 4 news a new poll carried out for The Body Shop, has found that about 49% of people are getting a worse night's sleep and suffering from insomnia than this time last year.
About 50% of these were due to money worries and anxiety brought about by the credit crunch.
People were worried about not being able to pay bills, mortgage and rent and also about job security.
The participants top tips for a good night's rest were sex (twice as many men than women said this), hot milky drinks and a hot bath!
About 50% of these were due to money worries and anxiety brought about by the credit crunch.
People were worried about not being able to pay bills, mortgage and rent and also about job security.
The participants top tips for a good night's rest were sex (twice as many men than women said this), hot milky drinks and a hot bath!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Nothing works for you? Try Inositol.
Inositol or myo-inositol is a relative of the vitamin B complex family.
It encourages sounder sleep and relaxes nervous tension.
It has been used for various problems besides insomnia, including depression, anxiety, alzheimer's, diabetic neuropathy, obsessive compulsive disorder and even obesity.
Doses are in the region of 500-1500mg in the case of temporary or full blown insomnia, 1-2g for moderate anxiety and more for other conditions.
It is prudent to start with a 500mg dose and see how you react before taking any more.
It encourages sounder sleep and relaxes nervous tension.
It has been used for various problems besides insomnia, including depression, anxiety, alzheimer's, diabetic neuropathy, obsessive compulsive disorder and even obesity.
Doses are in the region of 500-1500mg in the case of temporary or full blown insomnia, 1-2g for moderate anxiety and more for other conditions.
It is prudent to start with a 500mg dose and see how you react before taking any more.
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