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A healthy amount of sleep is paramount to living a healthy life. Good quality sleep is an important part not only for living healthy but also for leading a productive life, physically and mentally. Chronic sleep restriction in todays demanding lifestyle, however, is very common (1). Sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders can have serious effects on health. Research shows that all mammals need sleep, and that sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions. Inadequate rest impairs a persons ability to think, handle stress, maintain a healthy immune system and control emotions. People who regularly engage in exercise have fewer episodes of sleeplessness. Exercise promotes improved sleep quality by allowing smoother and more regular transition between the cycles and phases of sleep. Moderate exercises lasting 20 to 30 minutes four to five times a week helps in sleeping better. Vigorous exercise during the day and mild exercise at bedtime not only aids in falling asleep easily but also increases the amount of time spent in deepest stage 4 sleep. For some people, exercise alone is sufficient to overcome their sleep problems. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers studied the effects of exercise on the sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 years who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia. These adults were asked to exercise for 25 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The result showed that time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and sleep time increased by almost one hour.
Improved lung capacity: If you do not exercise regularly, your lung capacity reduces over time in response to the lower need. Full breathe takes effort but fuller the size of breathe, the easier it is to breathe in your normal range. If you dont keep your capacity up then it falls finally to a level where your full capacity is your normal breathe and even normal breathing becomes forced and difficult. Toned muscles: If you exercise more including breathing muscles, they become more toned. If you breathe more through your nose, it is easier to breathe through your nose and your nasal passages are less likely to collapse. Balanced muscles: Due to unbalanced muscle groups, airways get collapsed and cause obstructive sleep apnea. If neck and throat muscles become unbalanced, it can lead to snoring and sleep apnea. Exercise and stretching means more balanced muscles. Neck length and size are related to snoring. If you have short or thick neck, you are more likely to snore. Exercise increases the bodys production of endorphins, which create a sense of well-being and reduce anxiety spells that interfere in restful sleep. Exercise can improve sleep quality without the potential side effects of sleep medications.
Snoring Sleep walking Narcolepsy Night terrors REM sleep behavior disorder Restless leg syndrome
Insomnia
Insomnia is the second most common complaint, after pain, in the primary care settings (1). It is defined as the experience of inadequate/poor quality sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep and/or maintaining sleep, and sleep that is not restorative and/or refreshing (1,3,4). Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. Psycho-physiological insomnia, a subcategory of insomnia, is the most extensively researched sleep disorder (2). Patients with insomnia often have symptoms like tension, anxiety, depression, fatigue and irritability (5,6,8). Frequently, insomnia begins in conjunction with significant stress (11,17). A study results showed increased rectal temperature, heart rate, basal skin resistance and phasic vasoconstriction 30 minutes before sleep and during sleep in patients with insomnia as compared to normal sleepers (7). Thus, it has been hypothesized that insomnia can develop entirely from physiological activation. Other studies have shown that patients with problems falling asleep had increased frontalis (8-10,18) and mentalis electromyogram(EMG) (10,18), increased heart rate (12), increased finger temperature and more beta and less alpha frequencies in electroencephalogram(EEG). The primary treatment of insomnia is medications and pharmacological agents (19-21) associated though with disadvantages (22,23), side-effects (24-27), tolerance (22-27) and rebound effects at withdrawal (27-31). Drug therapy does not address the underlying etiological and perpetuating factors. Insomnia improves with regular exercise, according to a report from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2008). Moderate exercise seems to help reduce anxiety that interferes with sleep. Exercises aid sleep by releasing tension and contributing to a drop in body temperature that makes it easier to fall asleep.
Aerobic exercises are the best to combat sleeplessness. These cardiovascular exercises increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the blood .To get maximum benefit, aim for some type of cardiovascular exercise at least 4 to 5 times a week, and for 20 to 30 minutes. Examples of aerobic exercises are walking, jogging, swimming, stationary bicycle, jumping rope, dancing, kick-boxing, etc .These exercises involve vigorous use of leg muscles and the fatigue produced acts as a tranquilizer. The most beneficial time to exercise for insomniacs is in the late afternoon or early evening. This raises body temperature above normal a few hours before bed, allowing it start falling just prior to bed-time. Decrease in body temperature triggers sleep.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is believed to affect at least 1 out of every 200 Americans, 70 to 90 percent of them men, mostly middle-aged and over weight. The most common form of this disorder is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a serious health issue strongly associated with excess body weight. OSA is a common syndrome that has been estimated to affect 4% of middle-aged men and 2% of middle-aged women (32), with prevalence increasing with age (33). The pathophysiology of OSA involves repeated complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, with associated brief arousals leading to significant sleep fragmentation. Patients with OSA often have symptoms like loud and intermittent snoring, choking sensation during sleep, early morning headache, extreme daytime sleepiness and other consequences of sleep disruption such as impairments in cognitive function (34). During an apnea attack, the snorer may seem to gasp for breath, and oxygen level in the blood may become abnormally low.
A study has shown that exercising muscles in the upper airway may help improve the symptoms of moderate OSA (36). A set of oropharyngeal exercises is a promising alternative for the treatment of moderate OSA. Performing breathing exercises is one treatment technique which strengthens the throat muscles, reducing sleep apnea symptoms. People who suffer from heart problems, hypertension, panic attacks, or migraine headaches should avoid any breath holds.
signals to the brain that you are calm, which in turn can slow down your heart rate and nervous activity.
Breathe Correctly
The idea is to focus on allowing your diaphragm to drop when you inhale so your lungs can fully expand. You then want to allow the diaphragm to rise as you exhale, which will compress the lungs and push the air out as you breathe out.
Nasal Breathing
Breathing through the nose is physiologically more relaxing for the body. Your nasal cavity is especially designed to warm and filter air you inhale. The mouth does not have these same structures. Breathing through the nose allows your body to process the air more efficiently, which will slow down the activity of your heart and nervous system.
The Technique
Inhale through your nose and allow the belly to move outward. As the abdomen moves out, room is created for the diaphragm to drop. Then exhale through the nose and let the belly move inward so the diaphragm presses up. If you are dealing with sinus or respiratory issues, try breathing in through the nose and exhaling through pursed lips.
Focus Attention
To help slow down the mind to encourage sleep, keep your attention on the movement of the breath. Make each breath a little slower and a little deeper. With each exhale, allow your body to feel heavy and sink into the bed.
Relaxation Techniques
In the face of sleep disorders, relaxation techniques are the key to a good nights sleep. Sleep relaxation techniques decrease the wear and tear on the mind and body and reduce stress symptoms. In general, relaxation techniques involve re-focusing the attention to something calming and increasing awareness of the body. Health Benefits of Relaxation Techniques: Slowing the heart rate and breathing rate
Lowering blood pressure Increasing blood flow to major muscles Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain Boosting confidence to handle problems Improving concentration
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