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Frankincense in Aromatherapy - Tree, Gum, and Essential Oil
Frankincese has been used for thousands of years in churches and temples to carry prayers upon it's smoke to the heavens. What is it about this mysterious tree who's sap was once valued as highly as gold?
The Mysterious Frankincense ...
Living on Purpose: Achieving Balance Between Work And the Rest of Your Life
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures that we often find ourselves reacting to external demands rather than designing lives that really fulfill us. While in today’s economic environment we face many stresses in our jobs, it is...
Mindfulness and Flirting: Seizing The Moment
Have you ever been called a flirt? Good for you! You see, flirting is an excellent indication that you are Paying Attention. In fact, it is impossible to flirt without being mindful. You can’t be all wrapped up in your thoughts, or distracted...
Residential Drug Treatment Centers - Overcome Addictions
Chemical dependency recovery provides with positive changes in reactions and behaviors. Residential Treatment Centers can be accommodate those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and more. Treating both men and women...
Success—two critical questions to ask, and answer
Success is one of those words that we all understand, or at first glance, we think we do. We hear that someone is a big success, and we nod in agreement and apparent understanding. But what is success? Webster defines success as reaching a...
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Sleep Apnea - An Extremely Common and Dangerous Sleep Disorder
Sleep apnea refers to a sleep disorder characterized by the interruption of breathing during sleep, such that respiration stops for ten or more seconds, cutting off valuable oxygen supplies to the brain. This interruption of the body’s breathing cycle can recur hundreds of times each night, with potentially fatal results. Even more alarming, sleep apnea, the most dangerous of all sleep disorders, also represents one of the most commonly identified sleep disorders, affecting as many as eighteen million Americans each year.
This condition can be divided into two primary categories. “Central sleep apnea”, caused by a neurological malfunction in which the brain somehow disrupts the normal signal to breathe and “Obstructive sleep apnea”, characterized by the excessive relaxation or the collapse of muscles around the windpipe, which in turn causes windpipe obstruction. Both forms involve the frequent cessation of breathing and the temporary suspension of the oxygen supply to the brain, putting sleep apnea sufferers at a significantly greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Diagnosing sleep apnea can be difficult. Snoring, one of the most common symptoms associated with sleep apnea (resulting in many people referring to this as “the snoring disease”), often leads to an erroneous diagnosis of the condition. In fact, snoring can be associated with a variety of other sleep disorders and conditions unrelated to sleep apnea.
When the brain senses a lack of oxygen, as a result of an obstructed windpipe, it reacts by waking the suffer sufficiently to start breathing again, often causing snoring or sometimes coughing. As a result, sleep apnea suffers enjoy a very poor quality of sleep and wake up feeling even more tired than before they went to bed.
Feelings of exhaustion, fatigue and an overwhelming desire to sleep during the day, known as excessive daytime sleepiness, characterize sleep apnea; especially if seen in conjunction with other symptoms such as morning headaches, noticeable lethargy, loss of interest in sex, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
The ongoing exhaustion and physical fatigue brought on by undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea can also lead to the onset of serious psychological symptoms such as depression, irritability and changes in mood and behavior.
If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea, you should seek immediate medical guidance and, if necessary, arrange the appropriate tests.
There are a variety of effective
treatments available for both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Most patients benefit significantly from one or more of these treatments, which primarily involve simple behavioral adjustments like changing or modifying your sleeping position. Sufferers of mild obstructive sleep apnea as a result of persistent nasal congestion may simply require a course of decongestants, while more severe sleep apnea may need the use of an oxygen mask to stimulate consistent breathing while asleep. In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, certain surgical procedures can help to restore effective and consistent respiration during sleep, although sufferers should proceed down this particular route with caution, as surgery can often lead to added complications.
One important point to note is that, because of the risk of potentially fatal respiratory arrest, sleep apnea sufferers should refrain from taking sleeping pills or artificial sleep enhancers because of the associated respiratory dangers.
Natural sleep remedies provide an effective complement to medically prescribed treatments and can certainly help sufferers to enjoy a better night's sleep. Herbal remedies designed to improve the quality and duration of sleep can assist patients in managing and even reducing the excessive daytime sleepiness otherwise brought on by sleep apnea.
Similarly, the use of aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help to reduce the anxiety and insomnia sleep apnea patients experience as they learn to manage their sleep disorder.
Copyright © 2005 Donald Saunders Help Me To Sleep Affiliates
About the Author
Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including: "Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques" For further details please visit Sleep Apnea
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Meditation Room |
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Vipassana Meditation Website |
Homepage of the organization which offers Vipassana Meditation courses as taught by SN Goenka. |
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Welcome to Meditation Mount |
Meditation training programs and group meditation as a service to humanity. Worldwide organization based in Ojai, California. |
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Wildmind | Learn Meditation Online |
Wildmind provides a complete guide to simple meditation techniques. |
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Meditation |
An article By Dr Tom J. Chalko explaining the process and stressing the need for a spiritual teacher. |
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Details of activities, events, and classes in Wollongong University, Australia. Also offer a free online Meditation course. |
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Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
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Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
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Stress Reducers: Articles index |
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Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
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Siddha Yoga path - Gurumayi - Swami Muktananda founder |
Under the guidance and teachings of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Siddha Yoga meditation students embrace the spiritual practices of yoga. |
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Meditation Handbook |
Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
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Healing Products offers healing music for your Mind, Body & Soul at low prices. Use sound and music to heal and relax. |
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