Archive for the ‘Medical Articles’ Category

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Bruxism

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Bruxism, also known as tooth grinding is a sleep disorder which affects about 10% of adults although it’s thought everyone exhibits symptoms occasionally. Many of those with bruxism will not be aware they have it; usually it comes to people’s attention when those sleeping nearby mention the loud grinding noise. When it is severe people can wake up with headaches, earaches and jaw pain as well as seriously damaging their teeth over time.

Tooth grinding is the action of clenching the upper and lower teeth together, especially at the back of the mouth and sleep bruxism is a subconscious reflex. It can also include circular movements or those similar to chewing. Over time this wears down the tooth enamel despite it being one of the hardest wearing materials. Teeth can be ground down considerably and fillings and other dental work can be disturbed. The tensing of muscles while clenching teeth is thought to be the cause of the headaches and even arthritis of some bruxism sufferers.

The causes of bruxism aren’t known although there are links to stress, smoking and other sleep disorders. Treating the symptoms can be difficult as well since there is no one size fits all solution. The most common treatment is a mouth guard which protects the teeth and may reduce the grinding. These can be designed individually by dentists to suit the person’s teeth and minimise further damage.

Many of those with bruxism find alternative therapies such as acupuncture help lessen the grinding, and if stress is a factor then massage or aromatherapy might be relaxing enough to ease it. Behavioural therapy has also proved effective for some people. This involves wearing a sensor which lets you know when you are grinding your teeth at night by making a sound in an earphone or releasing an unpleasant taste into your mouth. In theory this helps the body learn to stop the action.

For the best cheap beds online and some amazing discounts check out the bedstar catalogue. We’ve got everything you need to get a great night’s sleep from chic bedroom furniture to orthapedic mattresses and much more.

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Polyphasic Sleep

Monday, April 21st, 2008

We understand that everyone sleeps differently. That’s why bedstar has an entire knowledgebase dedicated to different sleep types and problems as well as a massive catalogue of the cheapest beds online, so you can find the bed that really suits your needs.

Polyphasic sleep involves sleeping several times in 24 hours, as opposed to monophasic which is the usual 8 hour block of sleep and 16 hours of waking. It aims to reduce the total sleep time from 8 hours down to fewer than 3, allowing more time awake for other activities. Polyphasic sleep is used by people in extreme situations such as in the military and is common in long distance boat racers and astronauts. But other people choose to use this pattern long term in their regular lives.

A typical polyphasic sleep schedule might involve having 6 naps at 2, 6 and 10 am and 2, 6 and 10 pm for just 20 – 30 minutes at a time. So you end up with a total of 2 or 3 hours sleep but theoretically still functioning well. It is reported to take about a week or two to adapt if you really stick to the schedule, and then the hardest part is working out how to fill all the extra time - of which you have around 40 hours a week!

In order to make the transition to polyphasic sleep you need to be disciplined, making sure you don’t miss naps and setting alarms to prevent oversleeping. It also requires quite a flexible timetable - in many jobs taking 30 minute naps at 10 am and 2 pm just won’t work. Support from family and friends plays a key role in the adaptation too as they have to be understanding when you run off for your scheduled naps.

Normal 90 minute sleep cycles involve 65 minutes of non-REM, 20 minutes REM and 5 minutes non-REM. So whilst the polyphasic pattern sounds like dangerous sleep deprivation, the theory behind it says that the body will learn to enter REM sleep much earlier than usual, so you can still go through all the vital stages of sleep, just much faster.

People who have tried this have had mixed success with some stopping after a couple of days and others continuing long term. A primary reason for changing back to monophasic sleep is the social aspect – you are awake when everyone else is sleeping and then have to fit in naps every 4 hours when others are awake.

In general experts think that the long term effects of this sleeping pattern will be detrimental to physical and mental health. But as yet no one has evidence of its success or failure over periods greater than a couple of years.

Whether you’re thinking of trying polyphasic sleep or not it’s important to have a sleep environment that helps you drop off quickly. So to help you get the best possible rest, day or night, bedstar have a massive range of the cheapest beds online. We stock all the major bed brands at very competitive prices so check out our catalogue to find your bargain bed.

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Why do we sleep?

Monday, March 31st, 2008

One of the most common questions we hear at bedstar is ‘why do we sleep?’ Sleep is increasingly considered an inconvenient necessity, something which takes up time we could spend doing other useful things. Many people are proud that they can get by just fine on 5 hours of sleep a night, but are they actually operating at full capacity? And why should we sleep at all?

In evolutionary terms sleep is rather hard to explain. While they are sleeping, animals are not able to eat or reproduce and are at greater risk from predators. And yet all animals seem to need varying amounts of sleep, some less than an hour and others up to 20 hours a day. It has been shown many times that animals do not survive when deprived of sleep, so it must be more important than just habit.

No one is sure exactly what role sleep plays that makes it so essential, or why humans have evolved to need their 8 solid hours a night. But there are lots of good theories and there is no shortage of evidence that sleep is at least as important for us as the rest of the animal kingdom.

Sleeping has been shown to improve memory and concentration so it could be a time when the brain does its learning and consolidation. This idea is supported by looking at how people deprived of sleep struggle to think straight. In fact, sleep deprived brains have many similarities to those of people with mental disorders.

Sleeping is not just for the brain, our bodies also use the time to recuperate. Just a week of reduced sleep time can cause reactions in the body comparable to diabetes and has been linked to obesity. Athletes value good sleep very highly and we all know that aches and pains are usually eased by curling up for a long nap.

One purpose of sleep that is rarely considered is that whilst in the land of slumber, animals are safer than when they are awake. Although the risk from predators is higher, when they are asleep the animals are unlikely to get injured and can conserve energy in a fairly low risk manner.

Although the definitive reason behind sleep is still something of a mystery, it’s undoubtedly in everyone’s best interest to get a good night’s rest. And bedstar are here to help you do that. You can browse through the best bed discounts online by taking a look at our extensive online catalogue. You’re sure to find the perfect bed at an unbelievable price.

We stock all the big bed brands, so you know that you’re buying a quality product that will last.

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Shift Work

Monday, March 31st, 2008

Here at bedstar we like to find out about anything and everything that can affect your sleep, and then we suggest ways to help. So after you’ve looked through our fantastic selection of online beds and seen our great discounted mattresses take a look at our knowledgebase to find the answers to all your sleep-related questions.

Shift work is a fact of life for many people and is increasingly common as our 24 hour society evolves. But people who work outside the standard office hours of 9-5 are particularly prone to sleep problems since their work time often overlaps with their natural sleep time.

The standard shifts are 7am – 3pm, 3pm - 11pm and the night shift 11pm – 7am which encompasses the usual sleep time for individuals. Around 1 in 5 people who work shifts report falling asleep during work. Most shift workers also experience a reduced amount of sleep and poorer quality sleep in comparison to those not working shifts.

When you are tired your ability to concentrate is decreased and this can lead to accidents at work and whilst travelling there and back. It is especially dangerous if the work involves operating machinery where injuries can happen if concentration lapses. Being constantly tired is detrimental to all aspects of a person’s life including their health and social time, so it’s not just at work that the negative effects show up.

Your body has a 24 hour circadian rhythm which tells you when to sleep and wake up, usually according to the day and night time. Deliberately staying awake all night and then trying to sleep during daylight hours is a difficult adjustment for your body and it can take a long time to adapt. Whether you work the same shift or mix different ones it’s likely that during days off you will go back to ‘normal’ waking and sleeping times to fit in with friends and family. This makes it even harder to get used to the shift sleeping pattern.

There are a few simple ways that people can improve their sleep around whichever shifts they are working, but the most important is to prioritise sleep. It is vital for people’s health and safety that they get enough sleep to function properly so if you find yourself dropping off at work try to find a couple more hours each day to rest.

Having people at home be considerate of your sleep can be a big help too. Ask them to avoid vacuuming, listening to loud music or coming in and out of your bedroom whilst you are trying to sleep. If you are alone then turn the phone ringer off so calls from day time telemarketers don’t wake you, and get some blackout curtains in the bedroom to simulate night time.

Here at bedstar we help you take the first step towards great sleep – a comfortable bed. Our online bed catalogue has the cheapest beds and discounted mattresses around so you can pick the one which suits your routine.

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Sleep your back better?

Monday, March 31st, 2008

How many times have you woken up with aching muscles and back or neck pain? Sometimes there is an obvious explanation – intense exercise the previous day for example. But when there is no clear cause this is often blamed on ‘sleeping funny’. Luckily, bedstar is here to tell you what exactly this might mean and why is it not funny in reality.

Back pain plagues many people and one of the most significant, but frequently forgotten influences on our back’s health is our bed. UK adults will spend on average 7.5 hours in bed each night and this is when your body needs to rejuvenate. Your back and neck support you all the way through the day, and deserve the benefit of a good night’s sleep.

Your spine has a natural curve to it which arches your back slightly and curves again at your neck. This is the position it needs to be allowed to maintain in bed so it can repair itself. If you sleep in a position which puts your spine out of alignment your back muscles will have to work all night, so it’s no wonder you’ll wake up achy.

Some beds that are too soft will let you sink into them creating an unnatural body shape. Whereas beds that are too hard will put pressure on parts of your body and interfere with your circulation. Any of these problems can inhibit comfortable sleep and if you can feel the springs it’s certainly time to take a look at our comprehensive bed and mattress catalogue!

Whilst there is no absolute rule about the best sleep position to alleviate back pain, there are suggestions which commonly work. If you usually sleep on your back then your body can relax to an extent, but only if your mattress lets you. You can help it out by placing a pillow under your knees to increase the spine’s curve.

Sleeping on your side can be helped by tying a towel or sheet around your waist to provide lumbar support. The position that usually puts the most strain on your back is sleeping on your front. This involves twisting your neck, compressing your lungs and skewing the spine’s natural alignment. Try to edge onto your side if possible if morning neck pain is a problem.

Once you find a bed that gives your back all the support it needs, round off the bedroom furniture with a decent pillow. You need a pillow that supports your head in the position you naturally sleep whilst allowing your neck to relax and take a break. It should also feel soft enough not to irritate your skin and allow air to flow around your mouth and nose.

Buying a new orthopedic mattress may be the solution to all your problems, but if you are a regular sufferer of back pain talk to your GP, and pick your new mattress carefully. Bedstar has a huge selection of beds online so you can find your ideal mattress or dream divan. UK deliveries can be next day for stock items so order a new bargain bed today.

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The Lullaby Effect

Monday, March 17th, 2008

Here at Bedstar, not only do we have fantastic deals on beds online, but we also like to offer some expert advice on getting a good night’s sleep. After you’ve looked through our sleep tips, why not browse through our catalogue for some great bed discounts! (more…)

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Exercise Yourself to Sleep

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

The Bedstar knowledgebase is full of articles all aimed at helping you get a better nights sleep. We know that healthy sleep is important to our customers, that’s why we offer great advice, as well as a massive selection of cheap beds online. (more…)

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Sleep and Depression

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

Depression can affect your sleep more than most people realise, so read on for the latest installment in our Knowledgebase series. If you are looking to buy a new bed, you can browse through our online catalogue full of the cheapest beds online.

Sleep and depression are inextricably linked in a cause and effect relationship that can make both worse. Sleep disturbance is a core symptom of clinical depression and there is also a lot of evidence that people with insomnia can go on to develop depression.
Sleep and depression form a vicious circle which is hard to get out of: you are worried so you can’t sleep, you get tired and worry about not sleeping makes it worse, the more tired you get the harder it is to handle the rest of your life.

How depression can lead to sleep problems
When you are depressed, sleeping can be harder due to worried thoughts going round in your head, frequent night awakenings, and not relaxing enough in bed to drop back off again. 80% of people with depression have some sort of problem with their sleep
In about 15% of people with depression, oversleeping can occur. This is especially common amongst young adults and those with manic depression. Sometimes those with depression want to escape from how they feel and all the things that worry them, so staying in bed is a way to stay separate.

Depression also affects people’s appetites, often making them stop eating and lose weight but sometimes ‘comfort eating’ and gaining weight. Changes in weight affect your health in general, with repercussions on your sleep.

How sleep problems can cause depression
We all know that having a couple of bad night’s sleep affects our performance and mood, and a sleep disorder can be long running and sap much of your energy. As your mood deteriorates it can make getting on with your life harder and take the enjoyment out of things - potentially leading to depression.

Insomnia suffers are more likely to develop depressive disorders and those who have been depressed in the past can relapse if their sleep becomes disrupted. Very severe sleep problems in people with depression have been linked with increased suicide risk, on the other hand improving sleep quality can also help people’s moods.

Treatments
Exercise is increasingly considered to have anti depressant properties, and it’s proven to help people sleep better. So doing some exercise during the day could help both problems as well as provide a good distraction from other things you might be dwelling on. Try not to exercise within a few hours of going to bed though as this makes sleeping harder.

It’s often a good idea to try to handle sleep disorders and depression through behavioural changes before trying medication but the symptoms are diverse, so everyone will need treating differently. Antidepressants sometimes have sedative side effects so can treat both insomnia and depression; there is a huge range of options to treat different types of depression and sleep disorders. Consult your GP if you think you may be suffering from any of the above.

Bedstar not only bring you up to date information on sleep related topics, we’ve also got the biggest selection of cheap beds online. You can find discounted mattresses in all shapes and sizes to help you get a great night’s sleep.

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A Guide to Lucid Dreaming

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Bedstar not only have cheap beds, mattresses and bedroom furniture from all the main brands, we also know about sleep. Here in the bedstar knowledgebase we have articles on all the aspects of sleep and hints on how to sleep well. So before you browse our selection of bargain beds online here’s a guide to one of sleep’s interesting phenomena – lucid dreaming.

Lucid dreaming is simply being aware that you are dreaming whilst dreaming. There are different degrees of lucidity from just thinking to yourself ‘this is a dream’ to being able to fully control the dream world. You can learn to have lucid dreams and with practice gain control over them and we’ve got a few suggestions how to do it.

A lucid dream can be very exciting, you can try things that you could never do normally like flying, conjuring up the people you want to see and thinking through problems that are occurring in real life. It is also a great technique for regular sufferers of nightmares since once you are in control you can stop things happening, control you fear and alter the situation to make it better.

Before you try lucid dreaming it’s important to work on remembering your dreams, try to write them down as soon as you wake up so gradually you will remember some dreams most nights. Lucid dreaming mostly occurs when the deepest dreaming occurs during REM sleep which is just before waking, so don’t jump straight out of bed but try to stay still and remember what just happened!

The most common technique to achieve lucid dreaming is by performing reality checks regularly which establish whether you are dreaming or not. In dreams strange things happen but don’t seem unusual and you just accept such as breathing underwater, the grass being bright red or all your teeth falling out.

If you get into the habit of reality checks during your waking time then you will start doing them in dreams, triggering awareness of the dream. Simple reality checks are looking at a clock or piece of text to see if it stays constant or pinching yourself to see if it hurts. The more often you can train yourself to do these the more likely you’ll spot a dream sign.

Once you have established you’re dreaming it just takes practice (and a bit of creativity) to learn to control what happens. It’s easy to get distracted and lose your lucidity, or become excited and wake up, but dream spinning can help keep you there. This simply involves spinning in circles in your dream, like children do, and when you stop your dream will likely have regained clarity.

Since lucid dreaming requires a deep sleep combined with high awareness, the last thing you want is to be woken up by an annoying spring sticking into your back. So take a look at bedstar’s massive online catalogue of bargain beds and cheap mattresses to find a bed that will help you to relax and focus on your dreams.

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The Lowdown on Jetlag

Friday, January 11th, 2008

Here at bedstar we continue to bring you anything and everything you need to know relating to sleep. As well as bargain beds and advice on which bed is for you, we have tips on getting a good night’s sleep and explanations of common problems.

Jetlag is the sleep disorder caused by travelling through time zones. It is a temporary affliction which can last up to a few days depending on how many time zones you’ve gone through. Your circadian rhythm (commonly known as your body clock) regulates your sleepiness in a 24 hour period. It takes a little while to adjust to your destination’s time, how long depends hugely on personal susceptibility and age (people over 50 tend to get worse jetlag).

What might help?

There are some ways you can change your behaviour before and after travelling that can minimise the jetlag you experience. When you arrive try not to sleep until after 10pm local time, if you must nap make it less than 2 hours in the early afternoon. It may help to reset your watch to the destination time when you get on the plane, and of course you will sleep better at both ends if you are in a comfortable bed.

Travelling East (e.g. to Europe/Asia)
Jetlag typically lasts longer when you travel in this direction. But there are some things that you can do to help:

• Before you go - Go to bed and wake up an hour earlier each day, seek light in the mornings by going outside.
• When you arrive – Try to get lots of light in the evenings, sunlight is the most effective way to get yourself awake!

Travelling West (e.g. to the America’s)

• Before you go - Go to bed and wake up an hour later for a couple of days and seek evening light.
• When you arrive - Try to get light in the mornings and avoid it in the evening.

Medication – sleeping tablets, either prescription or over the counter can help with jet lag as a short term solution to help you adapt faster. The hints above can be just as effective however and make sure you consult you GP before taking any sleep medication.

As frustrating as jetlag is, it does pass. So if your sleep problems last more than a couple of days you may be suffering from another sleep disorder. You can rest assured that bedstar will bring you everything you need to know about the world of sleep, as well as the biggest selection of bargain beds online. Check out our massive catalogue here to see lots of great bed discounts.

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