It’s Barnaby, and I just wanted to pop in to address some questions I’ve recently been receiving from loyal CantSleep readers. Many who believe that they suffer from sleep apnea have asked about all sorts of bizarre cures they’ve read about online. First and foremost, it is important to point out that only a qualified health care professional can accurately diagnose and devise the appropriate course of treating sleep apnea for your personal instance. That being said, there are some purported cures that are absolute nonsense. I’ve seen advice ranging from hanging upsidedown from a bar for 20 minutes before sleep, eating 10oz of dark chocolate each night (a bogus cure, but sounds fun anyway!) or using black sheets only. All of these are Internet myths, and they will not prove to be an effective way of treating sleep apnea.
The appropriate way for treating sleep apnea depends upon the type of sleep apnea you were diagnosed with. For some, losing weight is key towards treating sleep apnea. Others can benefit by using a better pillow and/or changing their sleeping posture. Treating sleep apnea in some instances requires a CPAP mask. In the most severe cases, treating sleep apnea can involve surgical intervention. As I indicated, treating sleep apnea effectively can only be done by a qualified health provider, so if you are suffering from sleep apnea symptoms you should seek help immediately.
As for my own sleep problems — they are getting much better. My hypnotherapy sessions are continuing, and the past week or so have been relatively insomnia-free. I don’t want to get my hopes too high seeing I’ve experienced prior remissions from my insomnia, but I think maybe this time it might be for good. I’ll update everyone again soon!
It’s Barnaby, and I’d like to share some interesting tidbits I learned from my hypnotherapist, Sharon. Sleep disorders insomnia, narcolepsy and others are among the most intriguing ailments suffered by us. Very little is known about the human brain, and even more mysterious are our sleep and dreams. Although much remains unknown about sleep, it is known that without it, we can not live. Sleep — and dreams, too — are necessary for a person to live. Sadly, in some of the severest sleep disorders insomnia people who can not sleep for long durations can entail a fatal result. These cases are extremely rare, and the vast majority of sleep disorders insomnia cases are relatively mild. Nonetheless, I can attest from personal experience that even moderate insomnia can truly impinge upon one’s life.
I have been experiencing sleep issues for several months now, and I have tried sleep aids, changing my sleep environment and a whole list of other potential sleep treatments. My test ruled out sleep apnea, and a professional ruled out the possibility of clinical depression. Recently, I turned to hypnotherapy for help, and my therapist Sharon has been great. Today she was telling me about a patient who suffers from narcolepsy. She advised him that hypnotherapy has not been shown to help narcolepsy at all, and that it was a medical condition requiring serious treatment. He knew this, but was so desperate that he was willing to try anything no matter how remote the chances of it helping. Sharon figured that no harm could come from hypnotherapy, and it might serve to just relax him if not help his sleep condition.
When she was describing to me how much he suffers, I felt almost lucky to have the opposite condition of insomnia. Those with narcolepsy can fall asleep immediately — even if driving or doing other dangerous activities. This presents far more danger than frustrating nights tossing and turning in bed. Hopefully, science makes some inroads and gains insight into sleep disorders, insomnia and narcolepsy — many of us truly need the help.
It’s Barnaby, and unfortunately I have returned. Not that I didn’t miss all the wonderful feedback from the readers of CantSleep.com — but I had thought I had put my trouble sleeping to bed once and for all (no pun intended). For around two weeks, Valerian was working perfectly — but, to my dismay, last weekend I once again had trouble sleeping. I at first chalked it up to a temporary relapse into insomnia, but after tossing and turning the entirety of last night I realized my trouble sleeping has returned with a vengeance. I’ve previously enumerated here at CantSleep my search for the root cause of my insomnia — to no avail. My sleep apnea test came back negative, I don’t suffer from depression and I’ve severely limited my consumption of caffeine and alcohol since my trouble sleeping began several months ago.
I thought I had found the magic bullet to cure my trouble sleeping with Valerian — but alas, that was too good to be true. Well, I’m going to have to delve back into my insomnia research and unfortunately start again appointments with specialists in my seemingly never-ending quest for a good night’s sleep. I shall keep everyone updated on my sleep (or lack thereof).
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