OTC Sleep Aids May Affect Driving

A news study revealed that the danger by a person taking medication for anxiety depression and insomnia is equal to the danger that an alcohol impaired driver imposes while on the road.

Considering that such drugs change brain functioning and could impair a patient’s driving ability, researchers from Taiwan encourage physicians to advise their patients not to drive while taking medications like OTC sleep aids. 

In his own words which were quoted below, the lead researcher, Hui-Ju Tsai of the National Health Research Institutes in Zhunan said:

"Our findings underscore that people taking these psychotropic drugs should pay increased attention to their driving performance in order to prevent motor vehicle accidents,"

The researchers came up to the result of the study upon participating approximately 5,200 people involved in fatal car accidents and then compared their drug use with that of more than 31,000 people with no record of any severe traffic accidents.

The said study that was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology last September 13, suggested that those people involved in car accidents were more likely to have been taking psychotropic drugs for any span of time.

Incidentally, based on previous research, there was a link found between certain drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia, known as benzodiazepines and car crashes. Other than that, the researchers also inspected the effects of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and latest medications used to treat insomnia, known as Z-drugs.

It could be remembered that almost a couple of months ago, the estranged wife of New York governor, Andrew Kuono and daughter of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy was involved in a car accident that led to her arrest. Accordingly, the incident was blamed to sleeping pill which Kennedy probably mistakenly taken instead of her daily thyroid pill.

Going back to the said study, the researchers further claimed that the link between benzodiazephines and car accidents was also found to both Z-drugs and anti-depressants. They also pointed out that, however, even high doses of antipsychotics were not directly associated with an increased risk of serious car accidents.

Furthermore, Tsai stated in the journal’s news release that physicians and pharmacists should prefer safer treatments and natural sleep remedies, give their patients with accurate information and advise them not to drive while taking certain psychotropic medications.

Moreover, the study found out that the higher the dosage of the psychotropic drugs, the higher the patients’ accident risk increases.

Meanwhile, the researchers claimed that patients should not be refrained from taking their medication. They just have to consult their doctors if they are concerned about the increased risk of car accidents.

Although the recent study revealed a link between psychotropic medication and car accidents it does not impose a cause-and-effect relationship, reminded by the researchers.

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Experts Reveal 4 Foods to Avoid Before Bed Time

Everyone loves to eat or have a mid night snack before going to sleep. However, research revealed that mid-night dining can have a negative effect on our sleep. Provided that there are some foods that aid us to get to sleep, there are also foods that should be avoided before going to bed.

Experts provided 4 foods that we should avoid before bed time:

Pasta

Although it is easy to prepare a bowl of pasta, it is not the best food to eat before bed time. According to experts, pasta is full of carbohydrates. Therefore, if we go the sleep right after eating pasta, carbohydrates will be turned into fat. Other than that, its other ingredients like oil, cheese, and tomato juice is another source of fat. In addition to that, pasta contains glycemic index which contains high-sugar level. High amount of sugar affects the blood-sugar levels in the body that may cause sleep disruption.

Ice Cream

A scoop of ice cream before bed time might be the most delicious treat. However, its effect into our body is not as soothing as its taste. Ice cream has a high content of fat. Eating a scoop of ice cream before bed time will allow the body to burn all the fat before you sleep while its sugar content will give us an energy boost which will make us awake all night. Worst of all is that some research studies show a link between eating food with high-sugar content and nightmares.

Pizza

If you prefer to stay awake all night, then have a slice of some greasy pizza. Pizza is actually a heavy meal. Just a slice of pizza can make your stomach to go into overdrive. Moreover, its tomato sauce contains a high concentration of acidity which can cause acid reflux and heartburn. High-fat and acid content foods will make you active and awake all night. 

Alcohol

It is no longer surprising to know that drinking alcoholic beverages will do no good to your sleep. It is true that alcohol can somewhat send people to sleep, but its sleeping effect does not last for so long. Studies show that alcohol interrupts the restorative process of our body while we sleep which can cause several wake-up calls. Furthermore, those people who drink alcohol to send them to sleep tend to develop an alcohol dependency which may eventually cause serious addiction problem. Experts suggest that rather than drinking alcohol, it is best to go after healthy sleeping aids to help us fall asleep.

Experts further claimed that if you want to ensure a complete and undisrupted sleep, avoid the above-said foods before going to bed.

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Study Found Link between Children Snoring and Behavioral Problems

A new study found out that those children who persistently snore during their early childhood may be more possibly to have behavioral problems like aggression and hyperactivity.

In a recent study, the researchers include 249 pairs of mother and child and found that those children who snored at age of 2 to 3 were mostly 3.5 times more possibly to have signs of behavioral problems when compared with those who did not snore at the said age or those who only snored during any of those years. Among the kids who snored at both ages, 35 percent of which showed signs of behavioral problem while only 10 percent of those who do not snore and 12 percent in kids who only snored for a year, showed such signs of behavioral issues.

The said findings revealed the importance of getting a good night sleep according to the researchers.

The study’s lead author, Dean Beebe said that he and his team are aware that if naps are taken away from preschoolers and then give them challenging tasks, they become grumpier. Beebe is the director of the neuropsychology program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

The researchers tracked down the history of children beginning during the pregnancy of their mother until they were 3 years old. The researchers conducted interviews with mothers every several months to get knowledge of their children’s sleeping patterns and other activities. Also, the researchers met with the children every to evaluate levels of behavioral issues in a face-to-face setting.

The findings come after the previous work showing a link between snoring and behavioral issues especially when the snoring is constant.

Snoring imposes health problems. A person who snores could probably mean that the person is having difficulty in breathing during sleep. Such difficulties could be the result of anything from a cold or allergies or enlarged adenoid glands. In each of the said cases, snoring causes problems through distracting sleep, restricting oxygen and requiring more effort to breathe.

Beebe further implies in his statement that what we see in cartoons wherein snoring signifies sleep is opposite from the reality.

In cases of cold, snoring is not problematic if it only occurs in a short span of time. It only becomes problematic if it becomes consistent over months or years since it can affect a child’s mod and brain as well.

Incidentally, children who do not get a good sleep will not be as easygoing as the other children, and will be more possibly to have behavioral issues because of this grumpiness. Consequently, adults will come to expect aggressiveness from the child and may treat him or her in a different manner.

Coming from a neurologists’ point of view, lack of proper sleep inhibits the growth of pathways between brain neurons.

Beeber explained that the brain constantly remodels through early childhood, with link being strengthened being and weakened.

Addressing the problem regarding the underlying cause of snoring can help to reverse said effects. Unfortunately, parents don’t realize the problems with snoring. Therefore, the condition often goes untreated.

In children with conditions and other related sleeping problems, doctors encouraged parents to buy natural sleeping supplement for safety concerns.

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Guides on how to get a good night’s sleep

The increasing rate of people who suffer some sort of sleeping difficulty is much more rampant now than it was approximately ten years ago. People are so busy nowadays. There are bills to pay, deadlines to meet, a demand in your social circles. Juggling all those tasks is not easy and time is always short. The solution that most people think of is to have shortened sleeping time, thus endangering their health in the process.

It is a well-known fact that sleep is one of the body’s coping mechanisms, and it is the process of restoring energy. A night of good sleep can do a lot of wonders. Certain studies show that sleeping well during the night can not only make you perform well but also gives you a positive disposition. People who get eight hours of sleep are lesser prone to heart ailments such as stroke. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious heath issues. As much as possible, get as much sleep as you can. But be careful not to oversleep. Oversleeping does not make up for lost sleep. What is lost can never be regained. Oversleeping will only wear you down instead of giving you a perk-up.

Good sleeping habits are essential in your over-all health. So do not take it for granted and try to do these things to have long and sound sleep:

The right thing to do in order to have a good night’s sleep is to establish a sleeping pattern. Be sure you sleep at the exact time you need to every night. Eight hours of sleep is ideal, but if you really find it hard to do so, seven or six will do. But make sure to follow this pattern and you’re on your way to having a good sleep.

It is also advisable to stay off any kind of beverages that include caffeine. Coffee, sodas, and energy drinks are not necessary if you had substantial amount of sleep.

Eating the right kind of food also makes a lot of difference. Replace your diet of fast food gourmet to more natural fruits and vegetables that will go well in your plan of having a natural aid to sleep. (Some of these aids are available in the nearest drug store too if you want to take them.)

Exercise helps a lot too. It increases blood circulation and can help you have a well-rounded lifestyle. By the end of the day, you will have a good reason to go to sleep.

All of these tips will go to waste, however, if you do not find it in yourself to make it work. It is easy to find excuses such as being busy and does not have enough time. Being a well-rounded individual starts form having a good night’s sleep.

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Sleep Deprivation Blamed for Pilot’s March Rant

The pilot of a JetBlue airline who went on a frightening in-flight rant way back in March, causing the flight to be diverted, was having a “brief psychotic disorder” brought by sleep deprivation. A psychologist was called at the hearing to testify. The psychologist’s testimony that was given last week was shown in court papers released today.

Witnesses said that the JetBlue pilot, Clayton Osbon, 49, was flying a New York to Las Vegas jet liner on  March 27 when the jet went on a rampage in the cabin, raving about the Sept. 11, 2001, creating allusions to terrorists and yelling, “Guys, push it to full throttle”.

According to a criminal complaint, Osbon also yelled jumbled comments about Jesus, September 11, Iraq, Iran and terrorists. The plane was carrying 131 passengers and six crew members.

One passenger told news reporters that the captain went crazy, came of the other end of the plane, ran back to the cockpit, shouted out numbers and then started banging on the cockpit door.

Fortunately, a passenger with knowledge about operating jet subdued Osbon. Therefore, the flight was diverted safely to Amarillo, Texas. Consequently, Osbon was suspended from his duties and charged with interfering with flight crew instructions.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not argue the psychologist’s testimony on July 3 and a federal judge in Texas found Osbon and a federal judge in Texas found Osbon not guilty due to a reason of insanity.

The U.S. District Judge Mary Lous Robinson said that Osbon seems to suffer from a severe mental disease of defect that weakened his ability to appreciate the nature, quality or wrongfulness of his behavior.

Osbon was subsequently sent to a mental health facility in Fort Worth for further treatment.

During the investigation following the incident, authorities found out that large numbers of pilots have reported for duty every day after having only a few hours of what fatigue experts referred to as “destructive sleep” in crowded crew lounges and often called “crash pads”.

Many critics and even authorities claimed that prevalent pilot fatigue is putting airline passengers at risk and may already have claimed lives.

On the other hand, the airline claimed that it continues to comply with the modified rules established by the Federal Aviation Administration in December that require a 10-hour rest period for pilots between flights and 30 consecutive hours off within a week.

A spokesperson from the JetBlue said that Osbon was still employed at the airlines on an inactive status. On August, Osbon is expected to have another hearing. A judge will determine whether he can be permanently released of admitted to a facility.

Although, sleep deprivation can be treated with natural sleep remedies, fatigue cannot be resolved by such aids. Therefore, pilot’s fatigue should be given with proper attention.


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Sleep Disorders and Its Causes

Sleep disorders are disturbances of a person’s sleep cycle or the quality of sleep. Based on statistics, approximately 40 million Americans are believed to suffer from chronic sleep disorders, with millions more affected on an occasional manner. Doctors have defined more than 70 different types of sleep disorders.

Below are some of the most common sleep disorders and its definition.

Insomnia – it is the sense of poor quality sleep, including the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Since people differ in their required amount of sleep, there are no fixed standard that define insomnia. Insomnia is very common among Americans and in fact, it occurs in 30 percent t 50 percent of the general population. Nearly 10 percent of the population may suffer from chronic (long standing) insomnia.

Sleep apnea – it is characterized by a reduction or pause of breathing during sleep. Central Sleep apnea occurs when the brain failed to send signal to the muscles to breath. As a result of which, no muscular effort to take a breath occurs.

Moreover, in obstructive sleep apnea, the brain sends the signal to the muscles but although the muscles make an effort to take a breath, the process becomes unsuccessful because of the airway that becomes obstructed and prevents an adequate flow of air.  Meanwhile, in mixed sleep apnea, it is when both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea take place.

Restless leg syndrome – it is also referred to as nocturnal myoclonus. It is characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable desire to move the legs. The abnormal sensation commonly occurs in the lower legs shortly after going to bed and during the early stages of sleep, these series of leg movement often last up to an hour. The abnormal sensations brought by the RLS are quite inconsistent. Sensations are in fact described as crawling, creeping, pulling, drawing, tingling, pins and needles or prickly discomfort. However, cramping is not included in its character.

Narcolepsy – it is a disease of the central nervous system that eventually resulted uniformly in excessive daytime sleepiness. The disease is characterized by loss of muscle tone called cataplexy, distorted perceptions called hypnagogic hallucination and the inability to move ot talk called sleep paralysis. Other symptoms of narcolepsy include disturbed sleep and automatic behaviors. Unfortunately, the affected person carries out certain actions without their consciousness. All of the said symptoms of the disease may be present in various combinations and degrees of severity.

Some sleep disorders can be treated with natural sleep remedies. However, in severe cases, it is strongly recommended to seek medical attention from professionals to give you the right prescription. 

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Smoking and Head Injury Linked to Rare Sleep Disorder

According to a research published in the June 27, 2012 online issue of Neurology, smoking, head injury, pesticide exposure, farming and lack of education may be risk factors for a rar sleep disorder that results to kicking or punching of a person during sleep. Neurology is the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

People with a sleep behavior disorder called REM do not have the usual lack of muscle tone that takes place during rapid eye movement or REM sleep, enabling them to act out their dreams. Sometimes, the movement can be violent, causing injury to the person itself or to their bed partner. The disorder is approximately to occur in 0.5 percent of adults.

The study’s author, Ronald B. Postuma, MD, MSc, said that until present, he and his co-researchers do not know much about the risk factors for the disorder, except the fact that the disorder is more common in men and in older adults. Postuma is with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. Postuma further claimed that since it is a rare disorder, it was difficult to gather information about enough patients for a full study. In fact, Postuma and his team worked with 13 institutions in 10 countries to get a completely analyse the disorder.

The disorder can likewise be a forerunner to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and a kind of dementia. Studies have revealed that more than 50 percent of people with REM sleep behavior disorder continue to develop a neurodegenerative disorder after several years and even decades.

Due to the said correlation, the researchers claimed that they wanted to further investigate to determine whether the risk factors for REM sleep behavior disorder were similar to those for Parkinson’s disease or dementia.

The results were mixed. While smoking has found to be a shielding factor for Parkinson’s disease, people who smoked were found to be more possibly to develop REM sleep behavior disorder. Meanwhile, exposure to pesticide is a risk factor for both disorders. Studies have presented that people who drink caffeinated drinks are less possibly to develop Parkinson’s disease. However, the study found no relationship between drinking coffee and REM sleep behavior disorder.

The study includes 347 people with REM sleep behavior disorder and another 347 people who did not have the disorder. 218 of which had other sleep disorders and some 129 had no sleep disorders.

Those participants with REM sleep behavior disorder were 43 percent more possibly to be smokers, with 64 percent of those with the disorder having ever smoked, compared to 56 percent of those without the disorder. Participants were 59 percent more possibly to have had a head injury with loss of consciousness from the past, 67 percent were more possibly to have worked as farmers and more than twice as possibly to have been exposed to pesticides through work. Also, those with the disorder had lesser years of education, with an average 11.1 years, compared to 12.7 years for those without the disorder.

In such circumstances of rare sleep disorder, natural sleep remedies seems to be far impossible to resolve the problem. Further studies are definitely needed for the treatment of such disorder.

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