In a country where a full 1/5 of adults do not get enough sleep, being tired sounds like the norm! In our last post, we talked about the dangers of sleep deprivation. But what if you're still tired despite the fact that you're sleeping enough, or even more than normal? This condition of being constantly sleepy and perhaps sleeping excessively is called hypersomnia. 

You've crawled into bed ready for a good night's sleep. You begin to nod off, but haven't completely fallen asleep yet. That's when you sense something in the room near your bed. Despite your fright, you can't cry out, run, or scream. You're frozen with fear. This experience is known as sleep paralysis. 

Everyone has had trouble sleeping at some point in their lives. Maybe nerves about an upcoming presentation, a late-afternoon nap, or a hefty before-bed snack kept you up into the wee hours of the night. The next day probably wasn't one of your best--maybe you felt sluggish, exhausted, and irritable. 

But for insomniacs, this experience can become a common one. Here are the signs, causes, and potential treatments for insomnia. 

Have you ever been trying to sleep in the same room with someone who snores like a freight train? It can be about as easy as sleeping on a bed of gravel. But unfortunately, that snoring could indicate deeper issues than a need for earplugs. 

In fact, snoring is one of the most visible symptoms of sleep apnea, as well as gasping, choking, or cessation of breathing during the night. That's why oftentimes bed partners are the first ones to notice that their loved ones have a sleep disorder. Read on to figure out what to keep an eye out for in your partner. 

Sleeping disorders are very common among adults with alcohol and drug abuse problems. In the past, many addiction specialists have just assumed that the substance abuse is causing the sleep disorder--after all, drugs and alcohol are well-known sleep disruptors. However, scientific studies are finding that sleep disorders seem to occur before substance abuse, not as a consequence of it. 

If you’ve been trying to conceive a child without success, no doubt you’ve heard much advice regarding how to increase your chances: weight control, cutting down on alcohol and caffeine, or using an ovulation calendar, to name a few. But there’s another, frequently overlooked barrier to conception: sleep deprivation or a sleep disorder in either the male or the female. And such disorders are common. Consider the following statistics:

You know when you’ve been sitting down for a really long time—during a car ride, or maybe a boring movie—and you can’t wait to stand up and stretch your legs? Can you imagine feeling like that all the time, even when you’re trying to go to sleep? That’s what people with a common disorder called restless leg syndrome experience.

Sleep disorders can affect the way people function on a day-to-day basis. According to one study, they may affect certain groups of people more than others. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) claim they are particularly troublesome for firefighters, who are at an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents and health problems when affected by a sleep disorder.

You may have read our blog post on the difference between an at-home HST (Home Sleep Test) and an in-lab PSG (polysomnography), both of which test for sleep apnea. But that’s just scratching the surface of the sometimes complex and confusing terminology used to describe sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment. What’s the difference between a BiPAP titration and an ASV Titration? What’s a MWT (Maintenance of Wakefulness Test)? Which applies to me?

You’re in luck, because we have the answers.

BOO! It’s getting late in October, which means that Halloween is almost upon us! Soon we’ll be surrounded by spooky ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, and blood-sucking vampires. But if you find yourself dreaming about creepy critters or things that go bump in the dark, you might not be so excited about the Halloween spirit.

If you suffer from bad dreams, you’re not in the minority! Nightmares affect almost everyone: 85% of adults and even a greater proportion of children. Let’s take a look at the causes of nightmares and what you can do to overcome them for a restful night’s sleep.