In order for our bodies to perform at optimal levels, we need to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Although millions of people suffered from sleep disorders before the pandemic, COVID-19 has introduced new stressors causing negative effects on sleep schedules. Good sleep helps regulate our immune system and rests our bodies from the chaos of day-to-day life. Adding an integrative approach such as neurofeedback can reduce difficulty falling and staying asleep.
What are Sleep Disorders?
Sleep disorders are characterized as problems with quality and amount of sleep. Interruption of sleep typically results in cognitive impairment and difficulty with memory consolidation, this disrupts our daily life. Not getting enough sleep is linked to many chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and depression.
It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 70 million people are affected by sleep disorders. Those that heavily drink or have substance-use disorders are more likely to report difficulty with regulating sleep.
What are the Symptoms of Sleep Disorders?
- Excessive daytime fatigue
- Unusual breathing patterns
- Unusual movements while asleep
- Uncomfortable urges to move during sleep
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times
- Nightmares or night terrors
What are some Different Types of Sleep Disorders?
- Insomnia: persistent difficulty falling and staying asleep. Most cases of insomnia come from poor sleep patterns, depression, and anxiety.
- Sleep apnea: breathing-related sleep disorder where breathing starts and stops throughout a sleep cycle. Sleep apnea may result in excessive sleep apnea, insomnia, and irritability.
- Narcolepsy: causes sudden sleep attacks, people with narcolepsy may experience cataplexy, hallucinations, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sleep paralysis.
- Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorder: typically caused by dysregulation between internal sleep-wake rhythms and light-darkness cycle.
- Substance/Medication Induced Sleep Disorder: the official name for insomnia caused by alcohol or other substance abuse disorders.
How can Sleep Disorders symptoms be Treated?
Typical treatment for sleep disorders includes medication for temporary or as-needed use. Long-term usage of prescription sleep medications has been correlated with higher rates of cancer. Sleep medications also do not allow the brain to go into Stage 4 of a person’s sleep cycle, which is where the brain is cleansed of all the neurotoxins it picks up during the wake cycle. Sleep is the cleansing cycle of the brain. This cleansing cycle is called the glymphatic system.
At Healthy Within, we do not diagnose medical conditions nor prescribe medications. Instead, we provide a non-medication, non-invasive approach for adults and children called neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, like EEG biofeedback, relies on changing the electrical output in your brain. We place electrodes on numerous places on the head and observe the electrical impulses from moment to moment. Your brain observes itself as it is taught to self regulate. This rewiring of the brain is why sleep is one of the first issues to improve with Neurofeedback. Think of Neurofeedback as an exercise for your brain!
Contact us for more information about how we can help you get your mind back to functioning at its calm, confident self.
