There are many factors that go into a good night’s sleep. Your sleeping environment is the most essential to sleeping well. The room that you sleep in must be free from noise, free from bright lights, free from clutter and have a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed involves clean sheets, the right type of pillow for you and just the right mattress.

A good mattress is essential to a good night’s sleep. What qualifies as a good mattress? The optimal mattress will offer comfort in the form of proper cushion and recoil, while providing firm enough support for a person’s back, legs and neck. The best mattress will distribute a person’s weight evenly so that you won’t wake up sore. This comes from the firmness of the mattress. While a great deal of people seem to prefer a very firm mattress, scientific research has been inconclusive due to the differences in every person.

How long does a mattress last or when should I buy a new mattress? The life of the mattress is  reliant on whether  the mattress is used everyday or for guests only, the quality in which the mattress was created, along with the weight and sleep patterns of the user. Taking all of these things into consideration , the average mattress should be replaced every 5-7 years.

When shopping for a mattress, doctors recommend that you purchase a mattress that supports the natural ‘S’ curve of your back while allowing you to completely relax. You should spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes ‘trying out’ a mattress. That’s right. Lie down in the middle of the mattress store and  turn over just like you were sleeping. Now don’t do this quickly. It takes your body 15-30 minutes to relax, so lay down and wait for relaxation to happen.

Keep in mind that there are many types of mattresses. There are traditional coil, air, latex and memory foam. A good mattress is not made up of all the bells and whistles, nor is it the most expensive. It is the one that fits your needs and your body. The one that offers support and evenly distributes your weight. A good mattress allows you a deep, restful sleep so that you can wake in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated not groggy, sore, achy and tired.

Keep in mind, when you’ve eliminated the stress from your bedroom and eliminated any other issues that might be interfering with your sleep patterns, it’s time to look at getting a new mattress. If you’re mattress is over 8 years old don’t try to justify keeping it.  A good mattress equals a good night’s sleep which equals better health.

Are you looking for more information about sleepwalking? You can find what you are looking for here.

Overview

Sleepwalking is a type of a sleep disorder that is characterized by series of motor activities, such rising, walking, sitting, and among others, while the person is asleep. The affected person is not conscious during the event of sleepwalking and it may just go unnoticed.

Episodes of sleepwalking occur before the stage of rapid eye movement and are common early in the night. These episodes can last a few seconds and can go as long as 30 minutes or more.

Other terms for sleepwalking are somnambulism and noctambulism. It can affect people of any age but are more common in children 4-8 years old.

Causes

The common causes of sleepwalking are psychological factors such as stress and anxiety. It is hereditary in nature. It can also be caused by lack of sleep, fatigue, or adverse effects to some drugs and alcohol. Mental and neurologic disorders that can cause sleepwalking are seizures, REM behavior disorders, and organic brain syndrome.

Symptoms

The symptoms of sleepwalking may include the following:

* Episodes of rising from a sleep but is still asleep, which usually happens early in the night.

* The person may not respond if communicated, but he may utter words that don’t make any sense. The person’s eyes are open, the pupils are dilated, and there will only be blank stares. The person is very difficult to awaken.

* If the person is not awakened during the incident, he will just return to bed or sleep in another place.

* The person will not remember anything from the event.

* All brain functions return to normal once the person wakes up. If the person wakes up during a sleepwalking episode, then most likely he will have a short period of confusion.

When to get help

If the following occur, it is necessary to visit a doctor:

* If the episodes of sleepwalking become more frequent

* If dangerous activities are being performed while sleepwalking

* If the episodes of sleepwalking are accompanied by other symptoms aside from what is being outlined above

Treatment

Treatment may be unnecessary for sleepwalking as it will cease with time. You need to put away harmful objects in the house or in the person’s room to insure safety.

Lifestyle changes may be necessary such as avoiding the use of alcohol or any of the central nervous system depressants, preventing insomnia, and avoiding stress, anxiety, conflicts, and fatigue.

Short acting tranquilizers may be prescribed in some cases to help reduce episodes of sleepwalking.

Some physicians may recommend the use of polysomnography. It is a type of test that is used to study a person’s sleep cycle and to determine the type of treatment necessary. Stress management, relaxation techniques, hypnosis, psychotherapy, and biofeedback training are some alternatives used to treat sleepwalking.

If the condition still persists, the physician may prescribe medications such as anti-anxiety drugs like the diazepam and alprazolam.

Prognosis

The prognosis for sleepwalking is usually good. Most of the cases just subside over time. Children who experience sleepwalking may stop experiencing it by age 15 without any treatments.

The above video is about 30 minutes long and goes over many different sleeping disorders. It has some great information on types of sleep, the need for sleep, the different types of medications and how they can effect you etc. I included it on my blog because it covers a lot of what we talk about on the cant sleep forums.

This next video talks about sleep apnea and the equipment used if you go the Cpap route. I am posting this video on the blog because it goes over some very interesting points about sleep apnea in children. A topic that very little is known about at this time.