Dying To Sleep (Battling The Disorders Of Insomnia)

There are millions of people within society who suffer from insomnia the comfort of relaxation so many people who are denied. Some factoring culprits could be stress, menopause, sickness, and sleep apnea.
  
What happens to the body, and the mind, when you cannot fall asleep naturally whereas, the hemisphere of your brain is too fatigue to counteract the three stages of sleep.    
   
Let’s first explore the five natural stages of sleep and how its patterns are beneficial to us getting a basic eight hours of restful slumber.  
   
I will briefly elaborate on the fundamentals due in part, there are several other aspects which would hinder a person from sleeping, and some of these findings are generic, in my expertise from a medical profession, on one who has studied the dynamics of the mind, I will at best explore in depth as we come together and understand just what it really means to sleep.  
   
The Stages Of Sleep  
   
The first stage of sleep is considered light sleep. During this beginning stage, you are prone to drift in and out of sleep, your eyes will move slowly, your muscle activity starts to wind down. It's very easy to be startled and awaken when you're in the first stage of sleep. This is also when you might experience the feeling of falling that can cause sudden muscle contractions, a phenomenon known as hypnic myoclonia. If you're woken suddenly during this first sleep stage, you most likely feel like you haven't slept at all.  
   
Stage Two  
   
This is also considered a light sleep stage. During this second stage of sleep, your body starts to prepare itself for the upcoming deep sleep stages following. Your eye movement gradually stops, your brain waves slow, body temperature starts to drop, and heart rate slows down as well.  
   
Stage Three  
   
This is the imperial stages I like to refer to as the deep sleep  
   
The third stage of sleep bridges the transition from light to a conventional deep sleep.  
Stages three and four of your sleep rhythm sleep are characterized by sluggish delta brain waves. If you’re woken up during a deep sleep stage, you will most likely feel disoriented for a while, however, but it might be very difficult to be woken up at all in this point in your sleep cycle.  
   
Take this into consideration certain unfavorable subtleties, which causes greater complications beyond insomnia.  
   
Sleep Study  
   
A Polysomnography is what we medically refer to as a Sleep Study. During a sleep study activity of your brain waves are recorded, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements are documented to complete the finding.  
   
In most instances, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep latency, obstructive apnea hypopnea index. There is various deterrence to render someone from not getting a proper sleep, just to name a few. An assessment of comorbid conditions is what emotional disorders, gastrointestinal disturbances, musculoskeletal pain, restless leg syndrome, and a review of medications that may or may night contribute to insomnia.  
   
The most reverent condition that would be beneficial in the conclusion of a Sleep Study, is the diagnosis of someone who has Sleep Apnea.  
   
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, most people who have been diagnosed will usually be prescribed a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.    
   
There are three types of Sleep Apnea  
   
Obstructive sleep apnea. The most common form of sleep apnea    
Central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea also inhibits breathing at night, but it does not occur due to upper airway obstruction.  
Complex sleep apnea syndrome. Having one type of sleep apnea does not necessarily mean that a person cannot have another.  
   
You can live a normal life you have Sleep Apnea, however, if left untreated or correctly diagnosed it can lead to Daytime fatigue: People with sleep apnea may often feel drowsy, fatigue and irritable. Mood changes and depression are common.  
   
High blood pressure: People with sleep apnea will have varying oxygen content in blood; sudden change in oxygen can increase blood pressure and put a strain on cardiovascular system, many segment of people for Type 2 diabetes, also take into advisement most who have Sleep Apnea had more problems with their liver, and then you have what we refer to as, metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance, whereas, the body does not respond to insulin, abdominal obesity, also you are more susceptible to get gout.  
   
The true complications of sleep when it becomes frighten to the person who is experience, as well as the caregiver who must oversee their general welcome, night terrors are broken down to its basis. Most toddlers seem to have early onset of night terror. I will break them down where we can get a better understanding, in its reference.  
 
Night Terrors And The Conditions Related To This Disorder  
   
Sleep Paralysis (The feeling of being awake but not being able to move- there is an saying, and I quote, this is when a succubus/incubus is riding one’s back.  
   
Nightmare (A nightmare, is characterized as having a bad dream, which is in its vividness cab provoke a strong emotional reaction upon awaking.  
     
Parasomnia (Are sleep disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions.  
   
Sleep Walking (A disorder that results in walking or performing other complex behaviors while asleep).  
   
Those above are what the mind must adhere when the sleep patter n has been disruptive from the normalcy when the five stages of sleep are not being met.  
   
There are million companies make off the unvoiced society who just cannot get a sleep, or better yet, the one who refuses to sleep. Most in society utilizing caffeine pick me up to get them through say, drinks that are not good for the heart, or severely disrupts the sleep patterns, the longer you engage in depending on what I refer to as a caffeine high on the run.  
   
During my undergrad studies,  exams,, thesis, field work, internship/externship, and trying to get an A plus in several of my Nursing theory classes, there were several occasions, I wanted to sip on the reward, of pushing myself, between being a full time Director Of Nursing, and an undergrad student, the stress of the job and carrying a grade B, oh many several times I carried those Monster High Power drinks to the counter only to convince myself I would be cheating my fate, and it was a time during my studies when no matter what I did, I could not maintain 4.00 GPA, to me from a lack of not enough time in the day to study,  
   
Therefore, I can understand the average person, running on low energy, working toward any academic goal, in the truth of that statement, you most find better ways to reap the benefits of relying on the natural chemistry of your body in a conductive state of existence.  
   
The most traumatic sleep that I have had the pleasure of researching in an eye opener, being that I am into Forensic Psychology, and what that confession means in general, insignificant sleep disorders and using those subjective diagnoses and its  catalyst as a defense, In as much, one insomnia that comes to mind I would like to give credence to is what’s known as Fatal Familia Insomnia, a medical sleep depressant that is a progressive sleep hindrance that gets worse once diagnosed, eventually leading to death, since there is no known cure.  
   
A Better Understanding Of Fatal Familia Insomnia  
   
Fatal Familia Insomnia is what is referred to as a prion disease (prion disease represents a group of conditions that affect the nervous system in humans and animals. In people, these conditions impair brain function. Fatal familial insomnia is an inherited prion disease that mainly affects the thalamus. The thalamus is the part of the brain that controls the sleep-wake cycle.  
   
This deadly insomnia has four stages from the onset to the one who have been diagnoses and succumb to death.  
   
Profound dementia is noted. Fatal Familia Insomnia is believed to follow four stages:    
Progressive insomnia, which may feature increased anxiety, panic attacks and phobias.    
A worsening of panic attacks and hallucinations.    
Rapid weight loss paired with a complete loss of the ability to sleep  
   
Be advised Fatal insomnia is an extremely ‘rare genetic disorder’ that results in trouble sleeping. The problems with sleeping typically start out gradually and worsen over time, leading to death.  
   
Treatment involves palliative care. The life expectancy ranges from seven months to six years, with an average of 18 months.    
   
I chose to bring the enlightenment of insomnia, to give you an angled view and a more meaningful understanding to advise anyone you are not alone in your medical complex diagnosis, there are many sufferers who deal with this one a daily basis, and that is not even mentioning narcolepsy (A neurological condition that disturb the sleep wake cycles. Characterized by excessive sleepiness in the daytime and may also suddenly fall asleep during any activity).  
   
If you have insomnia where it is becoming increasing bothersome, and it is hindering your way of sleeping, please seek the care of a physician to get a complete physical, blood work and if needed, a referral to have a Sleep Study, and if your diagnoses do not fit the criteria of sleep deprivation, you may want to discuss with your physician, seeing a Neurologist to assess the brain function and any possible abnormalities.  
   
This is another medical summary from my heart and mind to your eyes.  
   
Please smile as you place your best foot forward, and give the love of your heart as you greet people in your travels.  
   
SKC, Interim DON, APRN