Month: August 2020

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General about sleep

Information about coffee

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that can be found naturally in plants we use to make coffee, tea, and chocolate. Even though many people believe caffeine to be a supplement, that is not the case. Caffeine is the world’s most used psychoactive drug, and, contrary to most, it is legal.

Caffeine affects your body in multiple ways. Many of us rely on caffeine every day to reduce fatigue and increase focus. Caffeine temporarily increases our energy and alertness, but it can also cause irritability, anxiety, nausea, and headaches, as well as negatively affecting our sleep.

How does it work?
For every hour that we stay awake, a compound called adenosine starts to pile up in our brain, binding to certain receptors that gradually increase our need for sleep. Eventually, this need becomes so strong that sleep becomes inevitable, whether we like it or not.

However, there is a way around this. Caffeine binds to the same receptors as adenosine, blocking it from sending signals to our brain and allowing us to stay awake even though the amount of adenosine has come to a critical point. Nevertheless, consuming caffeine does not stop adenosine from piling up in our brain, resulting in a so-called caffeine crash when our body finally breaks down the caffeine, freeing the adenosine.

Caffeine has a half-life of about six hours, meaning that six hours after being consumed, 50% of the caffeine is still in effect. Even though you might find it easy to sleep after consuming caffeine, it does not mean that you sleep well. Caffeine impairs our sleep quality significantly, especially when it comes to our deep sleep. Deep sleep is essential for all human beings, contributing greatly to muscle growth/repair and waste removal in our brain, allowing us to feel invigorated after a good night’s sleep. Thus, it is recommended to minimize the consumption of caffeine in the afternoon, promoting better sleep.

Side Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms
Caffeine is usually harmless when consumed in moderate amounts. However, it can cause various side effects, such as tremors, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and breathing, high blood pressure, headaches, nausea, irritability, and stress. When you consume caffeine regularly, your body develops a tolerance to it, making you less responsive to its effects. For this reason, many people become dependent on caffeine and experience withdrawal symptoms once they stop consuming it. These withdrawal symptoms include headaches, muscle pain and fatigue. Withdrawal from caffeine is not considered dangerous but it is recommended to gradually reduce the consumption to minimize discomfort.

Moderate amount
Caffeine should be consumed moderately, 400mg a day (4-5 cups of coffee) has been cited as a safe amount. Of course, this varies between individuals, some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, and it is important to take body weight, health, and caffeine tolerance into account. Women who are pregnant or nursing are advised to limit their consumption to 200mg a day. Caffeine consumption can be harmful to children and teenagers, and should, therefore, be avoided. Caffeine has no nutritional value, so there is no need for it in our diet.

References and further information can be found on the following sites: 

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much 

https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body#3 

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/caffeine-and-sleep 

https://examine.com/nutrition/how-caffeine-works-in-your-brain/ 

Categories
Sleep disorders

Sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder resulting in the inability to move the body, before or after you wake up, despite being awake and conscious. In this state, you will most likely lose the ability to speak and move any muscle, except your eyes, causing you to feel paralyzed.

As if this is not startling enough, the disorder is often accompanied by hallucinations. You may see and even hear things that are nowhere to be found. Creatures in a shadowlike form, the sound of a footstep or a voice, and the assurance that someone is present in the room with you are all common descriptions from people who suffer from sleep paralysis. This often leaves a feeling of fear and can cause the person to feel anxious and dread going to sleep.

Even though it can be very frightening, sleeping paralysis is not a dangerous disorder. You will still be able to breathe normally and the episode will usually pass by in a few seconds or minutes. Being aware of what is happening might help calm you down during an episode.

Sleep paralysis generally takes place in the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of our sleep, the stage where dreaming occurs. Normally, when we sleep, our brain sends signals to the muscles, causing them to relax completely as if they were paralyzed. This prevents you from acting out your dream while sleeping and invigorates your muscles. When we wake up, our brain immediately stops these signals and we can move again, without ever knowing that our muscles were completely “paralyzed” just a few seconds ago. However, these signals sometimes seem to go awry, causing us to wake up only to find out we cannot move at all. Our brain seems to be awake while our body is still in sleep mode.

Sleep paralysis most often appears in the teen years and can be prominent in your 20s and 30s. The symptoms tend to emerge during stressful times or when you suffer from a lack of sleep. It is therefore recommended to keep a consistent sleep schedule, stay away from caffeine and alcohol, exercise regularly, and limit screen time right before sleep.

It is worthwhile to mention that sleep paralysis can be a sign of narcolepsy, which is a dangerous disorder. However, narcolepsy is uncommon and has other, much more prominent, symptoms as well.

References and further information can be found on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s website:
http://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders-by-category/parasomnias/sleep-paralysis

Categories
Podcast

Prodcast: Feel better, Live More

Video: What happens to your body and brain if you do not get sleep. In the radio show Feel Better, Live More, Dr. Chatterjee with sleep researcher Matthew Walker on sleep.

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Lectures on sleep

Video: What happens to your body and brain if you don’t get sleep

What Happens To Your Body And Brain If You Don’t Get Sleep? 

Sufficient sleep is essential for healthy brain and body function. In this video, sleep expert Matthew Walker discusses the effects of sleep deprivation on your brain and body. 

Categories
Lectures on sleep

Video: Effects of caffeinated beverages on youth sleep

Energy drinks and sleep 

Caffeinated soft drinks are very popular with young people today. Studies have shown that caffeine has a detrimental effect on sleep, but caffeine is much longer in the blood than people realize and it both delays sleep and reduces the quality of sleep. In this video, Erna Sif Arnardóttir and Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir review the effects of caffinated energy drinks on sleep. 

Categories
Lectures on sleep

Video: Good advice for sleep problems for children and teenagers

Tips for helping children and adolescents with sleep problems 

Sleep is especially important for children and adolescents, but research has shown that a large proportion of Icelandic children and adolescents are not getting enough sleep. If parents have children or adolescents who are struggling with sleep problems, it is good to be able to resort to general sleep advice. In this video, Erna Sif Arnardóttir, research specialist at RU, discusses tips for improving sleep. 

Categories
Lectures on sleep

Lecture: Children and adolescents on a reversal – Erna Sif Arnardóttir and Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir

Children and adolescents on a reversal – the importance of nutrition and sleep for young Icelanders.

Erna Sif Arnardóttir, PhD at the University of Iceland School of Medicine, and Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir, Professor at the University’s Faculty of Food and Nutrition, discuss the importance of sleep and nutrition for children and young people and the interrelationships between these factors.

The event is part of the University of Iceland’s lecture series, Best for children. The meeting was in the lecture hall of Veraldar – Vigdís’ house on 9 May 2018.

Categories
Sleep disorders

Jet lag

Jet lag occurs when we travel between time zones, disrupting our circadian rhythm. The primary symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, stomach problems, mild sickness, and trouble falling asleep in the evening.

The circadian rhythm, or the body clock, operates on a roughly 24-hour schedule and affects many aspects of our body. These include hunger, digestion, body temperature, hormones, and urine production. However, our body clock’s most significant impact is regarding our sleep schedule.

When it gets dark, we start to get sleepy, and in the same way, we find it easier to wake up once the sun has risen. Our body clock is, therefore, affected by brightness. Even so, these adjustments take time, so when travelling between time zones, our body clock will remain the same despite external conditions changing. Our body clock is no longer in sync with the local time.

Jet lag is a temporary state. Typically, it takes our body one day to recover for every time zone passed. For example, if we fly from New York to London (4-hour difference), it will take us about four days to recover. The severity of the jet lag depends on how many time zones were passed and in which direction. It is easier to adjust when flying from the east to the west (going back a few time zones), as staying up longer comes more naturally for us than going too early to sleep.

For most people, jet lag is nothing of concern. Nevertheless, for people who fly very regularly, such as pilots and flight attendants, jet lag can cause problems. Older adults are also more likely to have severe jet lag.

To reduce the symptoms, it is recommended to minimize caffeine- and alcohol consumption, spend time outdoors, exercise, and eat and drink in accordance with the current local time. Melatonin intake can also be helpful but should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

References and further information can be found on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s website:
http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/jet-lag/overview
https://www.visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=10612

Categories
Sleep disorders

Sleep walking

Sleepwalking is a sleep disorder, causing you to arise and perform various, everyday actions, while you are still asleep.

During sleepwalking, the eyes are usually wide open but have a distant, glassy look to them. The subject may sit up in its bed, walk around, talk, and perform simple actions, such as getting dressed, urinating, or eating. Often, these actions are not performed correctly, the subject may urinate in a trash can, dress incorrectly or go out the window. The actions can also be more complicated, some sleepwalkers have even managed to drive a car a long distance.

Sleep can be divided into REM-sleep (rapid eye movement sleep) and NREM-sleep (non-rapid eye movement sleep). REM-sleep is usually where our dreams take place, while NREM-sleep is where our deep sleep occurs. Contrary to what most people may think, sleepwalking does not occur in the REM-stage, but the NREM-stage. Therefore, people are usually not dreaming while they sleep-walk. Generally, they have no memory of sleepwalking and are often unaware of it.

Sleepwalkers can be very hard to wake up and are often confused if they wake up during an episode. Usually, it is not considered dangerous to wake a sleepwalker. It can even be necessary if the subject, or its partner, is in danger. Some sleepwalkers, men especially, may express violent behavior when awoken.

Sleepwalking is much more common among children than adults. The behavior will usually fade over time and can be considered a normal part of a child’s sleeping pattern. Although uncertain, this might be since we get way more NREM-sleep during our childhood, increasing our chances of sleepwalking. Sleepwalking is also more prone to occur during the first third of a night’s sleep, where most of our NREM-sleep takes place.

The frequency of the episodes varies between individuals. Some people rarely have episodes, while others have a few episodes in one night, even many nights in a row. Children, who sleepwalk, will often talk in their sleep, have sleep terrors, and suffer from bedwetting.

Sleepwalking is often associated with an irregular sleep schedule and stressful environment. It is recommended to keep a consistent sleep schedule and, in some cases, consult a doctor.

References and further information can be found on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine‘s website: 
http://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders-by-category/parasomnias/sleepwalking/overview-facts 
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleepwalking 

Categories
Sleep disorders

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a sleep disorder that causes you to act out your dreams while sleeping.

REM-sleep (rapid eye movement sleep) is the stage of sleep where dreaming usually occurs. Normally, when we sleep, our brain sends out signals, ordering our muscles to relax. This prevents us from being able to move our muscles while sleeping, our muscles are in a temporary state of paralysis. However, this seems to go awry in people with RBD, causing them to move during sleep. Their dreams are often vivid and even violent.

Over time, RBD tends to get worse. This can result in injury, affecting either the person dreaming or its partner. The actions of a person with RBD resemble its actions in the current dream in detail. Common actions include screaming, kicking, punching, jumping, and running. Usually, the subject’s eyes are closed the whole time, separating this disorder from sleepwalking, to which it is often confused with.

As REM-sleep stages occur approximately every 90 minutes during sleep, REM behavior usually takes place at least one and a half-hour after the subject falls asleep. The episodes can occur up to four times in a single night but are also known to happen less frequently, such as weekly or monthly.

RBD can appear at any age, although it is the most likely to appear after the age of 50. It is more common among men and people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease or MSA (Multiple system atrophy). RBD does usually not cause daytime sleepiness, but other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, may follow and cause such symptoms.

It is recommended that people who suffer from RBD keep a consistent sleep schedule and avoid consuming alcohol before sleep, as it can increase the symptoms.

As the symptoms of RBD usually get worse over time, you might want to see a doctor if you think you suffer from the disorder.

References and further information can be found on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s website:

http://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders-by-category/parasomnias/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder