Impaired sleep is widespread across all age groups, infants between the ages of 6 months to 3 years often have problems initiating sleep, many in this age group are unable to sleep because of upsets to their routine. Many in this age group may require either food or drink to help them to sleep, this particular habit may be detrimental to their dental health, particularly if the child is given a bottle of fruit juice to suck on. It is not uncommon for children who have acquired this habit to have many decayed first teeth.
Many children experience parasomnias, such as sleep walking, sleep terrors, and nightmares, these may persist in a small number of children up to 12 years of age. Enuresis or bed wetting occurs mostly in children around the age of 4 years, although it does occur in older children, the percentage is very small, and it is rarely found in adults.
Teenagers and college students frequently suffer from insufficient sleep syndrome which may be as a result of either the demands of their studies or their social life. A much larger percentage of the adult population experience impaired sleep, there may be any number of reasons for this from a simple case of faulty sleep hygiene to a life threatening episode of obstructive sleep apnea.
If the impaired sleep results from faulty sleep hygiene then the problem can be easily corrected by establishing a regular routine of : going to bed at the same time each night and rising at the same time each morning, abstaining from caffeine and alcohol before bed, not eating heavy meals at night but eating only a light dinner at the same time each night some hours before bed, leaving any thoughts of work at work, keeping the bedroom temperature at a comfortable level conducive to sleep, eliminating noise as much as possible, establishing a regular routine of exercise early in the day, and generally slowing down to a relaxed state before bed.
The importance of establishing a healthy routine around sleep can not be over emphasized, circadian function is closely tied to the maintenance of a regular sleep pattern throughout life.
If the impaired sleep results from sleep apnea, or worse, obstructive sleep apnea, then it will be necessary to attend a sleep clinic to have your sleep pattern monitored in order to have the condition treated successfully.
Illness may disrupt sleep due to pain, respiratory or cardiac problems, esophageal reflux, arthritis, anxiety or panic attacks, mood disorders, anxiety or panic attacks, and dementia patients also experience very disrupted sleep patterns.
Aging can also affect sleep quality, this may be due to retirement and consequent boredom, too much snoozing during the day, not enough interests to replace work, loss of connection with friends, loss of a partner, or declining health.
Whatever the reason may be for the insufficient sleep syndrome, when seeking solutions for the impaired sleep it would be far better to look for natural healthy remedies for the sleep impairement, rather than to take drugs, for although the drug may initially help you to sleep, it will reduce the quality of your sleep, and may result in addiction.
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