FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2009 (Health.com) — Whether they blame it on the kids, stress, or the lure of the Internet, most Americans feel like they’re not getting enough sleep.
And people in the eastern United States—particularly West Virginians—have it the worst, according to the first survey to take a state-by-state look at people’s perceptions of sleep—or [...]
A jaunt to London, Milan, or Paris just won’t feel like a vacation if you can’t shake off the time-zone shake-up. That’s why Health magazine asked Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center expert Carlos Schenck, MD, author of Sleep: The Mysteries, The Problems, and The Solutions (Penguin/Avery Press, 2007), to share his tricks for combating jet [...]
Poor sleep is nothing to yawn at—it takes a toll on everything from your job performance and sex life to overall health. And in women it’s been associated with feelings of hostility, depression, and anger, as well as higher risks of diabetes and heart disease. Here, real ways to get the z’s you need. View [...]
The ongoing recession—and November’s staggering loss of U.S. jobs—is enough to keep anyone up at night. If you’ve ever experienced stress-related insomnia, you probably know the basic sleep rules: Relax before bed, set a consistent schedule, and as you’re lying awake at 3 a.m., try not to think about things that are bothering you.
But with [...]
If you’ve ever taken medicine to help you sleep, you’re probably in one of two camps: Either it worked well and provided much needed relief—or it was a waste of money, caused a slew of side effects, and left you wondering what better options were out there. While there are plenty of sleep drugs available [...]
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Obstructive sleep apnea is not generally treated with medication; in fact, sleeping pills and other sedatives can worsen the condition. But if a patient suffers from excessive daytime sleepiness even while using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine at night, there are medication options that can promote wakefulness.
These drugs are available by prescription [...]
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When used correctly, prescription sleep medications may provide rapid relief of the symptoms of insomnia—and may be safer and more effective than over-the-counter medicines that don’t require a doctor’s permission to purchase.
But not all prescription options have been shown to be effective for long-term treatment of insomnia. And many of these medicines can cause [...]
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