Sleep Disorders For Dummies

by Hirshkowitz, Max; Smith, Patricia B.; Dement, William C.

• ISBN13: 9780764539015
• ISBN10: 0764539019
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-07
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

When the last dinner dishes have been put away and the evening news is over, most of us think about going to bed. But for the millions who suffer from a chronic sleep disorder, going to bed doesn't necessarily mean going to sleep. And for millions more who experience occasional sleep disturbances, nighttime might not be such a picnic, either.Now there's an easy-to-follow guide to help you get a good night's rest. Sleep Disorders For Dummies is for anyone who has trouble sleeping-or has a loved one who suffers from a sleep disorder. Written by a sleep specialist and a medical reporter, this no-nonsense guide helps you: Prevent and manage sleep disorders Improve your sleep habits Find relief from your symptoms Ask your doctor the right questions Enhance the quality of sleepThis fact-packed guide walks you through the different types of sleep disorders, includin g sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. You'll discover the causes and symptoms of each disorder, the various medical conditions that can disrupt sleep, and the most common treatments. Plus, you'll see how to use good nutrition and exercise to promote sounder sleep and avoid known sleep disrupters such as caffeine and problem foods. The authors also give you solid, reassuring advice on: Finding the right doctor to diagnose and treat your sleep disorder Managing stress and anxiety Turning your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary Choosing between the different types of sleep clinics Handling sleep disorders in childrenFeaturing savvy tips on preventing jet lag, sleeping well if you work the night shift, and getting kids to bed without fuss, Sleep Disorders for Dummies will help you get your zzzzzzzzs!

Author Biography

Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, DABSM (Houston, TX) is the Clinical Director of the Methodist Diagnostic Hospital Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Houston, TX and also Director of the Sleep Disorders and Research Center of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). In addition, he serves as an Associate Professor in both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. He is an elected Fellow of the American Sleep Disorders Association and in 1990, was certified as a Sleep Specialist by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. He received his Masters and Ph.D. in Psychology  from Tufts University. Dr. Hirshkowitz serves on the editorial board for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Magazine. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, Association for the Study of Dreams, and Sleep Research Society. He has presented more than 200 lectures on sleep disorders throughout the world, including an address at the World Federation of Sleep Research in Dresden, Germany.

Patricia B. Smith (The Woodlands, TX) is a freelance medical writer who has been working for the Houston (now Austin) bureau of People Magazine since August of 1996. During her tenure, she has received the 1999 2nd place Henry Luce Award for co-reporting a People Magazine cover story on anorexia and the 1998 Peter Lisagor Award for co-reporting a People Magazine cover story on breast cancer. Ms. Smith is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

Table of Contents

Foreword	xxi
Introduction	1	(6)
About This Book	2	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
What You Can Skip	3	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: I Couldn't Sleep at All Last Night	4	(1)
Part II: Insomnia: The Most Famous Dyssomnia of Them All	4	(1)
Part III: Everything You Need to Know about Other Troubling Dyssomnias	4	(1)
Part IV: Walking, Talking, and Other Parasomnias	5	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	6	(1)
Part I: I Couldn't Steep at All Last Night	7	(50)
Chapter 1: Sleep, Blessed Sleep	9	(18)
Sleep: Recharging Your Brain and Body	10	(5)
While you were out	11	(2)
Telling time - your brain's internal clock	13	(1)
Deciding how much sleep is enough	13	(2)
Recognizing the Dangers of Sleep Deprivation	15	(4)
Problems associated with poor sleep	16	(1)
Sleepiness and driving	17	(1)
Sleepiness and industrial accidents	18	(1)
What Sound Sleep Giveth, Sleep Disorders Taketh Away	19	(8)
Do you need help? Examining your symptoms	20	(1)
Reviewing the diagnostic process	20	(2)
Taking a quick look at sleep and sleep disorders	22	(5)
Chapter 2: Evaluating Your Sleep	27	(14)
Considering the Causes of Poor Sleep - Is Your Problem Chronic or Temporary?	28	(4)
Identifying causes of temporary sleeplessness	29	(1)
Pinpointing chronic sleeplessness	30	(2)
Taking the First Steps toward Diagnosis	32	(6)
Keeping a sleep diary	32	(4)
Adding up your sleep debt	36	(2)
Calling Mr. Sandman - Seeking Professional Help	38	(3)
Chapter 3: What's Up, Doc? Getting a Diagnosis	41	(16)
Consulting a Doctor	42	(6)
Starting with your PCP	42	(2)
Being referred to a sleep specialist	44	(4)
Getting Current on Your Insurance Coverage	48	(2)
Testing, Testing - One, Two, Zzzzz: Undergoing Evaluation at a Sleep Lab	50	(9)
Locating an accredited sleep lab	50	(1)
Touring a sleep lab	51	(1)
Being tested	52	(4)
Receiving the results	56	(1)
Part II: Insomnia: The Most Famous Dyssormnia of Them All	57	(104)
Chapter 4: I Can't Sleep a Wink: Examining Insomnia	59	(34)
So What Is Insomnia, Anyway?	60	(1)
Who Gets Insomnia?	61	(3)
Why women have insomnia more frequently than men	61	(1)
Growing older with insomnia	62	(1)
Insomnia and depression	63	(1)
Classifying the Types of Insomnia	64	(8)
According to the type of sleep disturbance	64	(1)
According to the duration of symptoms	65	(2)
According to underlying causes	67	(3)
Sleep mechanisms gone awry	70	(2)
Considering Common Causes of Insomnia	72	(1)
Focusing on the Symptoms of Primary Insomnia	73	(2)
Diagnosing Insomnia	75	(2)
Sleep history	76	(1)
Sleep studies	76	(1)
Treating Insomnia	77	(11)
Using prescription sleep aids	78	(3)
Using OTC sleep aids	81	(1)
Using herbal sleep aids	82	(2)
Effective behavioral treatments	84	(4)
Kicking the Sleep Habit - Movement Disorders and Insomnia	88	(5)
The creepy crawlers - RLS	89	(2)
Shake a leg - PLMD	91	(2)
Chapter 5: Dealing with Secondary Insomnia	93	(18)
Howling at the Moon: Pain - The Great Awakener	94	(6)
Looking at how pain disrupts sleep	95	(1)
Identifying the most common causes of nighttime pain	96	(4)
Alleviating pain for a good night's sleep	100	(1)
Fighting for Breath - Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	100	(2)
How breathing problems make sleep difficult	101	(1)
Promoting better sleep in patients with breathing problems	101	(1)
Worrying about Heart Disease	102	(2)
Sleep apnea and heart disease	102	(1)
Anxiety and sleeplessness in cardiac patients	103	(1)
I Shouldn't Have Eaten That Anchovy Pizza - Indigestion and Sleeplessness	104	(1)
Burning the Midnight Oil - Sleep and Mental Health	105	(6)
Battling the blues - sleep and depression	106	(1)
Who's that hiding underneath my bed? Paranoia	106	(1)
Too wired to sleep, or too sad - bipolar disorder	107	(1)
Fretting the night away - anxiety disorders	108	(1)
It's happening again - post traumatic stress disorder	108	(1)
Wintering the storm - seasonal affective disorder	109	(2)
Chapter 6: Adopting a Sleep-Well Lifestyle	111	(30)
Promoting Good Sleep Hygiene	111	(2)
Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits	113	(5)
Including sleep in your regular daily routine	113	(1)
Making sleep a priority	114	(2)
Choosing your bedtime	116	(2)
Planning ahead for bedtime	118	(1)
A Good Book, a Glass of Milk, and You: Benefiting from a Bedtime Routine	118	(8)
Putting a plan in place	119	(1)
Winding down: Considering activities conducive to sleep	120	(6)
Avoiding Known Sleep Disrupters	126	(15)
Managing stress	126	(5)
Feeling your pain	131	(1)
Illness	131	(1)
Battling nasal congestion	132	(1)
Reconsidering stimulating herbal supplements	133	(1)
Getting "un-wired" - avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco late at night	133	(4)
Avoiding problem foods	137	(4)
Chapter 7: Adjusting Your Bedroom Environment for a Better Night's Sleep	141	(20)
Keeping Negative Emotional Energy Out of the Bedroom	141	(2)
Canning Clutter	143	(1)
Tempering the Temperature	143	(1)
Tracking Down the Invisible Sleep Interrupter: Poor Air Quality	144	(5)
Ahchoo! Dealing with aggravating allergens	145	(3)
Handling humidity	148	(1)
Sleeping with the Lights On	149	(1)
Blocking Out Noise for Some Zzzzzzs	150	(1)
Getting the Lumps Out - Choosing Comfortable Bedding	151	(5)
Removing the pea from under your mattress	152	(2)
Picking the pillow that's right for you	154	(1)
Loving the linens you're lying on	154	(2)
Reconsidering Your Bedfellows	156	(2)
Catering to your kids' needs without sacrificing your sleep	157	(1)
Putting your pets in their place	157	(1)
Sleeping with a restless spouse	158	(1)
Sleeping Safety	158	(5)
Burning issues - nighttime fires	158	(1)
Breathing in danger	159	(2)
Part III: Everything You Need to know about Other Troubling Dyssomnias	161
Chapter 8: Mixing Up Day for Night: Circadian Rhythm Disorders	163	(20)
Understanding Circadian Rhythm Disorders	164	(2)
Leaving on a Jet Plane: Jet Lag	166	(6)
How does jet lag affect you?	166	(2)
Preventing jet lag	168	(3)
Treating jet lag	171	(1)
Working Odd Hours: Shift-Work Sleep Disorder	172	(4)
Factories go all night - why can't yogi?	173	(1)
Connecting sleep problems and night-shift workers	174	(1)
How does shift-work sleep disorder affect you?	174	(1)
Treating shift-work sleep disorder	175	(1)
Coping with Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome	176	(2)
How does DSPS affect you?	177	(1)
Treating DSPS	178	(1)
Reviewing the Less Common Circadian Rhythm Disorders	178	(5)
Dealing with an irregular sleep-wake pattern	179	(1)
Handling advanced sleep-phase syndrome	180	(1)
Looking at non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome	181	(2)
Chapter 9: There's Snoring, and Then There's Snoring: Dealing with Sleep Apnea	183	(24)
Snoring 101	184	(12)
Looking at the science of snoring	184	(3)
Considering some causes	187	(3)
Evaluating your treatment options	190	(6)
Knowing When Snoring Is Dangerous: Sleep Apnea	196	(11)
Categorizing sleep apnea	197	(1)
Wrecking sleep: What sleep apnea does	197	(1)
Understanding risk factors for sleep apnea	198	(1)
Recognizing symptoms of sleep apnea for an accurate diagnosis	199	(3)
Diagnosing sleep apnea	202	(1)
Treating sleep apnea	203	(4)
Chapter 10: Falling Asleep Standing Up: Narcolepsy and Hypersomnia	207
Understanding Narcolepsy	208	(16)
Pinpointing narcolepsy's causes	210	(3)
Identifying narcolepsy's symptoms	213	(4)
Diagnosing and treating narcolepsy	217	(4)
Living with narcolepsy	221	(3)
Coping with Hypersomnia	224	(5)
Hypersomnia versus narcolepsy	225	(1)
Getting a diagnosis and treatment	225
Part IV: Walking, Talking, and Other Parasomnias 22	7	(294)
Chapter 11: While You Were Sleeping: Walking, Talking, and Other Strange Nighttime Activities	229	(18)
Figuring Out What Parasomnia Means	230	(3)
What causes parasomnias?	231	(1)
Genetic predisposition	232	(1)
Diagnosing and treating parasomnias	232	(1)
I Was Up Last Night, but Didn't Even Know It - Arousal Disorders	233	(7)
The midnight strider - sleepwalking	233	(3)
Confusional arousals	236	(1)
The midnight raider - eating while sleeping	237	(3)
Rough Passage - Sleep-Wake Transition Disorders	240	(4)
Talking in your sleep - somniloquy	240	(1)
Headbanging and bodyrocking - rhythmic movement disorder	241	(1)
Ouch! Now I'm awake for sure! - nocturnal leg cramps	242	(2)
Please help me, I'm falling - sleep starts	244	(1)
Grinding Your Teeth: Bruxism	244	(2)
Dripping with Night Sweat	246	(1)
Causes	246	(1)
Symptoms	246	(1)
Treatment	246	(1)
Chapter 12: Night Terrors and Other Frightening or Unpleasant Sleep Problems	247	(20)
Being Scared Out of Your Wits and Not Knowing Why - Night Terrors	248	(4)
Causes	250	(1)
Symptoms	251	(1)
Treatment	251	(1)
Confronting the Monster in the Closet - Nightmares	252	(4)
Causes	253	(1)
Symptoms	254	(2)
Treatment	256	(1)
Hypnagogic Hallucinations (Sometimes Terrifying, Usually Not)	256	(2)
Causes	257	(1)
Symptoms	257	(1)
Treatment	258	(1)
When Sleep Turns Violent - REM Sleep Behavior Disorder	258	(2)
Causes	259	(1)
Symptoms	260	(1)
Treatment	260	(1)
Frozen to the Bed - Sleep Paralysis	260	(2)
Causes	261	(1)
Symptoms	261	(1)
Treatment	262	(1)
Dealing with Nocturnal Seizures or Sleep Epilepsy	262	(2)
Causes	263	(1)
Symptoms	263	(1)
Treatment	263	(1)
Suffering with Sleep-Related Painful Erections	264	(1)
Causes	264	(1)
Symptoms	265	(1)
Treatment	265	(1)
Hidden Danger - REM-Related Sinus Arrest	265	(2)
Causes	265	(1)
Symptoms	265	(1)
Treatment	266	(1)
Chapter 13: Living with a Parasomnia	267	(16)
Staying Safe	268	(10)
Making a plan	269	(1)
"Sleep-proofing" your bedroom	269	(4)
Down the up staircase	273	(1)
File under "sleep" - considering the bedroom office	273	(1)
Securing the kitchen and bathroom	273	(3)
Escape-proofing your house	276	(2)
Managing a Sleepwalking or Dream-Enactment Parasomnia Episode	278	(3)
Don't fence me in - pondering restraints	278	(1)
Padding for protection	279	(1)
Sleeping in separate bedrooms	279	(2)
Sleeping in the same room, but separate beds	281	(1)
Adjusting to Your New Routine	281	(2)
Chapter 14: Battling the Midnight Blues: Pediatric Sleep Disorders	283	(18)
Grappling with Why Your Child Won't Go to Bed	284	(7)
Showing your child good sleep habits	286	(2)
Building a bedtime routine	288	(3)
Analyzing Your Child's Possible Sleep Disorder	291	(1)
Identifying Pediatric Sleep Disorders	292	(11)
Infant and childhood sleep apnea	292	(2)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome	294	(1)
Sleepwalking and sleep talking	295	(2)
Sleep terrors and nightmares	297	(1)
Bedwetting	297	(2)
Rhythmic movement disorders	299	(1)
Teeth grinding	299	(2)
Part V: The Part of Tens	301	(24)
Chapter 15: The Top Ten Sleep Disrupters - And How to Deal with 'Em	303	(8)
Pain	304	(1)
High Caffeine Consumption	304	(1)
Emotional Upsets	305	(1)
Too Darn Hot (or Too Darn Cold)	306	(1)
Stress	306	(1)
Illness	307	(1)
Indigestion	308	(1)
Reaction to Medication	308	(1)
Unfamiliar Environment	309	(1)
Exercise	309	(2)
Chapter 16: Ten Signs That Your Bedmate Has a Sleep Disorder	311	(8)
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness	312	(1)
Snoring Really Loud	312	(1)
Sleepwalking	313	(1)
Eating in the Middle of the Night but Denying It in the Morning	314	(1)
Grinding Teeth	314	(1)
Restlessly Moving Your Limbs	315	(1)
Unexplained Bruises or Other Injuries upon Awakening	316	(1)
Cranky, Irritable Mood	316	(1)
Poor Judgment and Memory Lapses	317	(1)
Recurrent Nightmares	317	(2)
Chapter 17: Ten Tips to Help You Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep Sanctuary	319	(6)
Change the Lighting	319	(1)
Keep Cool with a Ceiling Fan	320	(1)
Get a Comfier Mattress	321	(1)
Paint the Walls a Soothing Color	321	(1)
Add a Tabletop Fountain	322	(1)
Use an Aromatherapy Diffuser	322	(1)
Scent Your Bed Linens	323	(1)
"Home Office" Doesn't Mean "Bedroom Office"	323	(1)
Throw Out Decorative Items You Hate	324	(1)
Declutter	324	(1)
Appendix: Resources and Products	325	(8)
Finding Helpful Information Online	325	(5)
Sleep organization sites	325	(4)
General information sites	329	(1)
Purchasing Valuable Products	330	(3)
Pillow cooler	330	(1)
Memory foam mattresses	330	(1)
Feather beds	331	(1)
Dream pillows	331	(1)
Jet lag visors and light boxes	331	(1)
Earplugs	332	(1)
Index	333