Showing posts with label alternative medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative medicine. Show all posts

02 January 2016

This Week's Sleep News, Dec 27 - Jan 2

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 SPECIAL  || Recalls, special announcements, breaking news, events
CHADD NYC presents "Delta Sleep Dysfunction," a webinar slated for Mon, Jan 4 from 6-730pm (ET) featuring Dr. Vatsal Thakkar. The free presentation ($10 donation requested) will discuss normal sleep architecture, the importance of delta (deep) sleep, the problems that arise from lack of delta sleep and the causes of delta sleep dysfunction. More info here

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 TOP TEN  || Sleep news picks this week -- newest to oldest
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
1. JAN 1 || SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Pharma Watch: A User's Guide to Sleeping Pills
Drugs
From the curator: If you read nothing else today, read this (well, this and the entry on public transporation in the Public Health & Safety section below.)

  CURATOR'S CHOICE 
2. DEC 31 || ATTN
The Scientific Reason You Should Drink Coffee Before You Nap
Drugs
From the curator: I can personally vouch for this.

 3. DEC 31 || FORBES
Tweak Your Tech To Improve Your Sleep (New Year's Revolutions, Part 2)
Technology

 4. DEC 31 || MEDPAGE TODAY
Game-Changers in 2015 || SERVE-HF Upends ASV in Sleep Apnea: Study found mortality risk with adaptive servo-ventilation
Technology

 5. DEC 31 || YAHOO!
Make Sleep a Priority This New Year
Lifestyle & Hygiene

  CURATOR'S CHOICE 
6. DEC 30 || PLOS ONE
Is Zolpidem Associated with Increased Risk of Fractures in the Elderly with Sleep Disorders? A Nationwide Case Cross-Over Study in Taiwan
Seniors
From the curator: Very important! If you have elderly loved ones who qualify as major "fall risks," please-please-please review their sleep medications, especially dosages.

  CURATOR'S CHOICE 
7. DEC 30 || YAHOO! PARENTING
Why SIDS Skyrockets On New Year's Day
Babies
From the curator: SIDS is not just a mystery illness; it may perhaps also be the negative outcome for sleep hygiene decisions made by caretakers. Problems with drinking and smoking in particular increase SIDS statistics. 

8. DEC 29 || YAHOO.com
Here's Why You Want to Sleep More in the Winter
The Science of Sleep

 9. DEC 28 || 10 MAGAZINE
Sleep Hygiene: Five tips for improving quality of sleep
Lifestyle & Hygiene

 10. DEC 28 || YORKSHIRE EVENING POST
10 ways you can improve your sleep in the New Year
Lifestyle & Hygiene

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 WORLD  || International sleep news
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 27 || THE PROVINCE [CANADA]
Lack of sleep is hurting Canada's kids — and parents are drugging them to try to help out, new study shows
From the curator: My opinion, but: please make drugs the last resort, parents. Most sleep medications are not tested on young people, not even melatonin can be shown to be safe in the systems of young people.

 DEC 27 || THE TIMES OF INDIA [INDIA]
Snoring could be a warning sign for heart ailments, say experts

DEC 28 || MALAYSIAN DIGEST [MALAYSIA]
Malaysian Parents Should Take Their Children’s Bedtime Seriously – Child Expert
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 NATIONAL  || Sleep news across the U.S.
DEC 29 || MIDDLETOWN TRANSCRIPT [DE]
Car overturns in crash after teen falls asleep at the wheel near Townsend

 DEC 29 || WNDU [IN]
Tractor trailer crashes into median on the bypass just west of US 331: The driver claims that he was cut off by another vehicle, causing the accident. However, the indication is that he gently went off the side of the road before any crash, which is a common sign of falling asleep at the wheel

DEC 31 || CHICAGO TRIBUNE [IL]

DEC 31 || KHQ.com [WA]
Troopers: Man fell asleep at the wheel, caused crash that killed one of his passengers

 JAN 1 || REPORTER-HERALD (CO)
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 PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY  || Community health: epidemiology, transportation, industry, education
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 30 || POLITICO
Asleep at the wheel || The federal agency overseeing America’s trains has been too slow to address medical conditions that have caused a series of deadly accidents, watchdogs say
Public Health & Safety
From the curator: The only other thing you should read today besides the top article on sleep medications at the top of this curation.

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 BUSINESS & WORKPLACE  || Workplace safety, corporate news, the business of sleep
DEC 27 || VAN WINKLE'S
New Website Connects Patients with Sleep Doctors for Live Consultations
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 THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP  || Scientific research and basic sleep health resources
DEC 28 || THE NEW YORK TIMES 
DEC 28 || THE NEWS TRIBE
Are you a victim of restless legs syndrome?
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 TECHNOLOGY  || Devices and tools for diagnosing and treating sleep health issues

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 DRUGS & THERAPIES  || Pharmacology, therapeutics, alternative medicine
DEC 28 || SPORTAL
Katusha doctor claims use of sleeping pills worse than doping in cycling
Drugs

 DEC 30 || THE NEW YORK TIMES
Ask Well: Does Melatonin Aid Sleep?
Drugs

 DEC 31 || ST JOE CHANNEL
Dangerous Mix: Alcohol & No Sleep
Drugs

 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 31 || US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Too Often, CPAP Is Only Sleep Apnea Treatment Offered
Drugs
From the curator: As a patient, you have a right to demand all the options available to you as well as seek a second opinion.

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 CULTURE  || Cultural and social expressions and discussions about sleep
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 30 || UNION LEADER
Patient set for medical center sleep study gets unexpected visitor Christmas Eve
Holidays
From the curator: Let's start off the New Year with a sleep lab story we can all get behind. 

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 LIFESTYLE & HYGIENE  || Helps for patients and clues for sleep self-improvement
DEC 27 || ATTN:
How To Beat Jet Lag

 DEC 28 || CARE 2

DEC 28 || VAN WINKLE'S
The Best Sleep Positions for a Bad Back, Knee or Shoulder

DEC 30 || US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
To Sleep Better, Stay Cool and Cut Clutter

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 FAMILY  || Sleep health through the lifespan: pediatrics, womens health, family health, eldercare
DEC 28 || CARTHAGE PRESS
Message from Mercy: Sleep health and you -- Millions of older Americans look back on the days in the distant past when they were getting a good night’s sleep
Seniors

 DEC 28 || THE HEALTH SITE
9 causes of snoring and sleep apnea in kids
Kids

 DEC 28 || WINK NEWS
Smartphones and sleep problems in teens
Teens

  CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 29 || NJTV ONLINE
Sleep Study Finds Texting Source of Sleep Deprivation in Teens
Teens
From the curator: Parents, this is YOUR wake-up call. I have teens, too, and we have rules. It's not impossible to bring your teens on board with better phone habits if they understand the price they will pay if they don't get their sleep. That extra hour of sleep in the morning for those districts which have successfully delayed bell times won't matter much if Jr. is up all night texting anyway.

 DEC 29 || SCIENCE NORDIC
Teens with ADHD need more sleep
Teens

 DEC 30 || DAILY MAIL
Why you really ARE more tired than your other half - and what you can do about it
Women

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 MULTIMEDIA || Sleep health education and issues captured in graphics, photos, audio, film
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
DEC 28 || BĒHANCE
NHS Insomnia Awareness Campaign
Awareness poster concepts
From the curator: Nice work here.

  CURATOR'S CHOICE 
JAN 1 || FREAKONOMICS
The Economics of Sleep, Part 2
(here is Part 1 from last July)
Podcast episodes
From the curator: Good information if you are trying to educate yourself. Big business is looking closely at this data as well.

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 FIRST PERSON  || Individual accounts of living with sleep disorders
 CURATOR'S CHOICE 
 DEC 27 || THE GOOD MEN PROJECT
The One Question to Ask Yourself to Be a Better Man: We men are especially guilty of taking our “no pain, no gain” culture a little too far—especially when it comes to sleep
Editorial
From the curator: Being sleep deprived is no longer a macho badge of fortitude but a big red flag. Be the smart guy and get your sleep. 

 DEC 27 || NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS
LETTER: Let students sleep
Letter to the Editor

 DEC 30 || ESQUIRE
Here Are My Secrets To Kicking Seasonal Affective Disorder
Essay

 JAN 2 || HUFFINGTON POST HEALTHY LIVING
Inspiration in Insomnia: Resolving to Turn Dreams Into Realities
Essay

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 DREAM LIFE  || The art and science of dreaming

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30 July 2015

SLEEP STUFF: 7 previous posts on consumer sleep products

SHC has already published some useful content on the subject of consumer sleep products which goes back as far as September 2014. 

 Please scroll down to this custom archive of 9 previous posts to find links related to aromatherapy, baby products, books, CPAP products, electronics, nightstand products and supplements which may also be of special interest to you and your loved ones.

 APR 20, 2015 || A natural approach to achieving PAP mask comfort
CPAP products

 MAR 11, 2015 || Want a great one-stop resource for sleep health problems? Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day: A Doctor's Guide to Solving Your Sleep Problems by Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg (DO, FCCP)
Books

FEB 28, 2015 || Life After Sleep, by Mark Brand, "Hypermodern Edition" , high-quality, signed limited edition handmade book with an intriguing story about living without sleep
Books

DEC 21, 2014 || Pacific Touch Beauty lavender products and Silky Eye Mask "power nap" eye mask
Aromatherapy & Nightstand products

NOV 10, 2014 || Teens can benefit from "happy lights"
Electronics

OCT 26, 2014 || Monster Cuff banishes the things that go bump in the night
Baby products

SEPT 30, 2015 || The Way We Sleep [an anthology of short stories, interviews, and comics all dealing with the way we sleep]
Books



A friendly reminder that links to websites offering products does not imply endorsement by SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com.

 SleepyHeadCENTRAL strongly encourages people with ongoing sleep health problems to approach a medical professional to determine appropriate differential diagnoses and treatment. This post, like all other posts on SHC, is not intended to substitute for medical advice.  

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28 February 2015

Alternatives || Guest Post: Using yoga to achieve relaxation, sleep and stress management [David Schaar]

Sleep technologist and respiratory
therapist David Schaar in a headstand

SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com recently chatted with sleep technologist and yoga studio owner David Schaar (RPSGT, RST) about the value of practicing yoga to improve both breathing and relaxation for better sleep.

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SHC: There are so many types of yoga to practice as well as a wide range of sleep disorders. Which styles of yoga are generally better suited for helping people with sleep disorders, and why?

DS: I think of them as "systems" of yoga. There is yoga for athletes, geriatrics, kids, autism, dancers, runners, etc etc etc. To me personally, yoga is yoga. Of course, a good yoga instructor will modify the practice based on a particular group of participants.

The word yoga means to "yoke." Yoking the breath, body and mind is yoga. Yoga without the breath is simply calisthenics.

The breath is three parts: nose breathing only (if available); complete inhale, filling the lungs to maximum; and complete exhale to the bottom of the lungs, then smoothing it out.

In yoga, you use the Ujjayi breath, sometimes called the ocean breath. You simply press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your teeth and drag the breath through the nose, and then drag it back out (as if you were to fog a mirror only through your nostrils). This is a longer breath than normal, deeper than normal, and takes focus and concentration, which is abnormal. If you are focused on just the breath you cannot think of anything else. In yoga, we call that "meditation in motion."

I think a yoga class that challenges you physically (body) while focusing on the breath (mind) is the best yoga. You choose your level within any class. In other words, as you move through the flows and poses, you skip, take breaks, pace yourself and BREATHE. Think of it like a buffet, only a yoga buffet. If you go to your local buffet style restaurant, eat everything on the line twice and later get sick, you can't blame the chef. The same is true with beginning yoga or any yoga.

SHC: Do you think the positions (asanas) in yoga are at the core of its effectiveness as a therapeutic practice for sleep health, or is it the breathing (pranayama) in yoga that is more beneficial? Or is there something else at work besides these which makes the practice itself beneficial?

DS: For me it is all about the breath. The physical movements can be considered a byproduct of the yoga.

Of course, we want to be fit and strong. Yoga offers us strength, balance, flexibility, stamina and, most importantly, equanimity. What makes yoga the most beneficial is learning to relieve stress. Or, better yet, not producing stress.

The number one killer of women is heart disease. Most studies on heart disease conclude that stress is a factor; some studies conclude stress is the number one factor in heart disease as well as other diseases. Where is stress stored? In the mind.

In yoga, you practice calming the mind (breath) while in a stressful and/or difficult situation (yoga poses/yoga flows). As you progress in your practice and begin to be comfortable with the new breath (Ujjayi), you will learn to calm yourself as you hold any given pose that might, at first, challenge you.

Eventually the point is to take that practice off the mat and into your world for increased calmness and happiness and stronger health.

I'll give you a personal example. In my town, we have new roundabout traffic circles. When you are in the circle, you have the right of way and everyone else has to yield. When I slowly move into the circle and then the person in front of me stops suddenly and motions to the car yielding to "go ahead," my blood pressure goes up. I can choose to yell at the person--"Keep going, you're not supposed to stop!"--or I can choose to take a breath, be patient and move along calmly.

Which way is better for my stress level, for my health, for my happiness?

Another example of how yoga can help you in your everyday life: When your boss comes down the hallway with smoke coming out of his/her ears, red faced and pissed off at something, instead of getting hyped up/stressed, you can learn to breathe and calm yourself. When the boss approaches, your cool head will think more clearly and be better able to work through any stressful situation he brings with him.

SHC: Describe a yoga practice that might be most beneficial for people with sleep disorders.

DS: I believe a well-rounded, solid yoga practice 4-6 times a week is most beneficial.

If someone with a sleep disorder doesn't have a yoga practice or doesn't want a yoga practice, a good yoga discipline would be meditation.

This is simply sitting either in a chair or on the floor, cross legged, hands on your thighs, palms up or down, crown of the head reaching for the ceiling as you sit up straight, with eyes closed while using the Ujjayi breath (ocean breath). Deep, slow breathing. Focus just on the breath, follow it from your nares (nostrils) deep into your lungs and back out again.

Try this: Take 10 of the deepest breaths you have ever taken; during the last five breaths, list five things you are grateful for today. A daily meditation of gratitude can change a life. Each day, add five breaths and attempt for 10-30 minutes of quiet time, just you and the breath.

Did you know 90 percent of the people you encounter every day use 10 percent of their lung capacity 90 percent of the day? Including you. We need to change that.

SHC: Are there any links to clinical evidence or recent studies on the efficacy of yoga as a sleep health aid that you'd like to share?

DS: I don't like the hundreds of articles on "the top 10 poses for insomnia" because who knows which poses are best for whom, and at what level?

A new study indicates that yoga can help improve sleep among people suffering from chronic insomnia. Researchers at Harvard Medical School investigated how a daily yoga practice might affect sleep for people with insomnia and found broad improvements to measurements of sleep quality and quantity. In my opinion it is all about that breath linked to the movement.

SHC: How frequently must a person practice yoga to see its benefits?

DS: Practice once a week to feel good, three times a week for improved fitness, four or more times a week and change your life.

SHC: What advice would you give to someone who is looking into yoga as a practice for the first time? Should they use DVDs, are there good books, or are classes the best option? Tips for finding the class/instructor that best represents how yoga can help with sleep health?

DS: My belief is a yoga studio is best. Being in a room of like-minded people with energy helps keep the practice fun, different and active. But that can be tricky in today's yoga world.

If you live in an area with multiple yoga studios, I would look for the introductory offer and take advantage of that in different studios until you find the one that resonates with you. In my opinion, a studio that offers vinyasa flow, power yoga and/or hot yoga (yes, hot) is where to begin.

If you don't have yoga in your area, there are many people online that offer classes on a monthly subscription. Most of these are around $15 a month and a great bargain if you use them. These are live recorded classes, so it is as if you are in the class, sort of.  If you don't like it after a month you can stop. I like PowerYoga.com with Bryan Kest.

If you aren't challenged on the mat, you won't be able to practice equanimity, which is calming the mind while in a difficult position or circumstance. Learning to be calm, patient and less reactive will increase your health and happiness as well as make you fit along the way. Many diseases begin in the mind. By relieving stress and tension, we become healthier people. With yoga, becoming stronger, more balanced, flexible and having more stamina are the byproducts.

SHC: What else would you like to share about practicing yoga as a therapy for treating sleep health disorders?

DS: Learning to live in the present, in the moment, instead of reliving yesterday or living in the future, worrying about tomorrow, will benefit everyone. There is so much to learn in a mindful, consistent yoga practice, it is hard to touch on all of it.

Let's talk about the number one sleep disorder affecting 40 million people in the U.S. alone--insomnia. Physical exercise of any kind will help release endorphins and help to reduce stress. Yoga is one of these physical exercises with the added benefit of learning to slow the mind and release the mind chatter. Practicing this daily can help many people get a handle on insomnia. I'm one of them.

See you on the mat. I'll end with this famous quote: "The job of a yoga instructor is to bring people to a deep point of relaxation. This is what people want and this is what people need." ~ Linda Schaar, RRT, RPsGT, RST and my yogi

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 David Schaar, RPSGT, RST, practices yoga and leads classes with his wife at their studio, Vibrant Life Yoga. His sleep website is SleepRiteOnline.













A friendly reminder that links to websites offering products does not imply endorsement by SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com.

SleepyHeadCENTRAL strongly encourages people with ongoing sleep health problems to approach a medical professional to determine appropriate differential diagnoses and treatment. This post, like all other posts on SHC, is not intended to substitute for medical advice.  





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25 February 2015

Alternatives || The calming powers of magnesium

Might problems with sleep be as simple as correcting mineral deficiencies? If you search sleep and magnesium on the Internet, you find a lot of claims about magnesium as a quick cure for all kinds of sleep-related problems: restless legs, insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep deprivation, nocturnal presentations of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Here is a breakdown of magnesium as it relates to sleep health. As always, please don't self-diagnose your health problems; see a physician if you think you might have a magnesium deficiency. A simple blood test and review of symptoms and history can help you and your doctor to put together the right treatment for you.

What magnesium is
This is a mineral found in the body which is also amply available in our food supply. Magnesium helps to regulate body chemistry, especially as it relates to muscle and nerve function, blood pressure, blood glucose balance and the building of proteins. The human body carries about 25 grams of magnesium at any given time, half of it in the bones with the remainder stored in soft tissue. Less than 1 percent can be found in the bloodstream itself. The kidneys process most of the body's magnesium and oversupply is typically excreted through the urine. It is difficult to objectively measure magnesium accurately despite the many tests available to do so (urine, saliva, blood and tolerance assessments).

Most healthy people are not magnesium deficient and can obtain a balance of this mineral through a healthy diet which includes whole foods. Though it is commonly said that most middle-aged women are magnesium deficient, this isn't always safe to assume. Please consult a doctor if you feel you are deficient in magnesium.

When the body becomes deficient in magnesium, it is typically due to the presence of certain health conditions, medication use or chronic alcoholism. Health conditions that can lead to magnesium deficiency include gastrointestinal disorders, kidney disease, heart disease and type II diabetes. Early signs of magnesium deficiency (related to sleep health) include fatigue, mood disorders, nocturnal leg cramping, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms. Chronic low intakes of magnesium can also lead to certain health conditions: hypertension and cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and migraine. Also note that low magnesium levels can lead to an increase in stress hormones which encourage the body to excrete magnesium, so people suffering from emotional anxiety may be at risk for magnesium deficiency. Chronic sleep deprivation, too, can result in excess excretion of magnesium through the urine.

It's worth noting that an imbalance of calcium in the body can lead to an imbalance of magnesium as these two minerals are meant to work together harmoniously.

How magnesium helps with sleep
To understand how magnesium helps with sleep, you first need to know what GABA is.

GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) is an amino acid we all have which effectively tranquilizes the brain so that we can fall asleep. Magnesium works in concert with our GABA receptors to ensure that GABA delivers the calm we need in order to sleep. According to research reported in Magnesium and the Central Nervous System (Adelaide Press, 2011; eds. Robert Vink and Mihai Nechifor), "the activation of GABA receptors is very important for the initiation and maintenance of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep... Magnesium has a favorable effect with respect to sleep onset and maintenance and also tiredness, which appears as a consequence of sleep deprivation."

Sleep deprivation comes to us in a multitude of ways. We either choose not to sleep, or we suffer from other health issues that lead to sleep deprivation. Several sleep conditions contribute to sleep deprivation, including various forms of insomnia; Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) and other circadian rhythm disorders; movement disorders of sleep such as Periodic Leg Movement Disorder (PLMD) and/or Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS); Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS). Nighttime bouts with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) can also fragment sleep and leave a person fatigued and sleep deprived during the day.

The most common connection average people make between magnesium and sleep seems to be in the way it helps with relaxation. Muscle cramping at night is often treated with magnesium supplements, as nerves and muscle tissues are calmed by maintaining adequate amounts of magnesium. Insomniacs also often turn to magnesium to help them to fall asleep. Some studies correlate with the notion that subjective measures of insomnia improve with the use of magnesium supplements.

However, other sleep disorders have been shown to have a magnesium connection, including parasomnias such as night terrors, sleep talking, sleep walking and bruxism occurring during slow wave sleep, but not during REM sleep, which may demonstrate potential evidence of brain damage caused by magnesium deficiency.

While there is limited research on the relationship between magnesium levels and sleep apnea, studies done retrospectively on newborn babies with apnea have shown measurable improvement for those infants given magnesium supplements, while their untreated peers experienced more GERD, bradycardia (rapid heartbeat) and apnea.

Research 
Dosage
The recommended supplement of elemental magnesium for adults, based on RDAs (recommended daily amounts) established by the Food and Nutrition Board, is between 400-420 mg daily for men and 310-320 mg daily for women.

Don't overlook the value of eating a magnesium rich diet, however. Dark leafy greens, quinoa, low-fat yogurt, shredded wheat, figs, soybeans, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, brown rice, whole wheat bread, avocado, oatmeal, banana, dark chocolate, fish, raisin bran and beets are all good sources of magnesium.

Types
The easiest forms for the body to metabolize come from our daily diet (see above), but there are a variety of supplementary forms as well. Most recommended are the chelated forms (such as citrate, ascorbate, orotate or glycinate form, or a combination of these). Even then, some people are sensitive to the citrate form.

Note that magnesium oxide salts are not a good delivery of elemental magnesium and should be avoided.

If taking magnesium orally is not a tolerable option for you, you might consider a magnesium spray as the mineral can also be absorbed safely through the skin. Magnesium sprays are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and often used by people to treat arthritis or muscle pain.

Side effects
Magnesium that is consumed from food sources does not pose a risk for side effects; however, higher concentrations of magnesium in oral supplements can lead to diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramping. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests that very high doses may also lead to heart problems.

Risk of addiction
The healthy human body has effective processes for eliminating excess magnesium from the body and there are no known addictive or habituating risks to supplementing with this mineral.

 Risk of overdose
Very high doses (more than 5,000 mg/day magnesium as may be ingested via laxatives and antacids) can lead to magnesium toxicity, so it is very important to follow label directions for these medications so as not to overdose. People who have impaired renal function or kidney failure are at greatest risk because their kidneys can no longer remove excess magnesium efficiently.

Drug interactions
Certain drugs can be rendered less effective if taken with magnesium supplements, such as drugs used for osteoporosis, diuretics, antibiotics, and certain proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs like Nexium and Prevacid.

Sources consulted



A friendly reminder that links to websites offering products does not imply endorsement by SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com.

SleepyHeadCENTRAL strongly encourages people with ongoing sleep health problems to approach a medical professional to determine appropriate differential diagnoses and treatment. This post, like all other posts on SHC, is not intended to substitute for medical advice.  







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19 February 2015

Alternatives || Guest Post: Acupuncture can relieve insomnia and, possibly, more [Dr. Dave Shirazi]

SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com recently chatted with sleep technologist and acupuncturist Dr. Dave Shirazi (DDS MS MA LAc RPSGT) about the value of acupuncture therapy for treating certain kinds of sleep health issues.

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SHC: What sleep issues might benefit from a visit to the acupuncturist?

DS: Predominantly, the three types of insomnia: primary, secondary and tertiary. Others, such as night terrors and REM behavior disorder (RBD) are spoken of in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but I am not aware of any research on them. Possibly in China's database? As for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you can use acupuncture to lose weight and possibly even increase muscle tone in the upper pharyngeal muscles through electro acupuncture.

SHC:  How does acupuncture work (in a nutshell)?

DS:  There are many theories from the Western side: nerve stimulation, endorphin release, connective tissue matrix theory. A couple of fMRI studies have also been done to show 'explanation' at the CNS level with acupuncture. The Eastern explanation is that of the movement and quality of Qi (pronounced 'chi'). Qi is the energy that drives all our cells into function, and it is interconnected throughout the entire body, like an electrical grid, through channels called meridians.

SHC:  What takes place during acupuncture that helps with treating sleep disorders?

DS:  As with anything, it has to do with what the problem actually is. If the issue is overthinking at bedtime, then a specific protocol(s) would be used to release the anxiety of overthinking. If it's waking up at a specific time every night, there are specific protocols just for that. Each two-hour block of time in a day is associated with a meridian.

SHC: Are there any links to clinical evidence or recent studies on the efficacy of acupuncture as a sleep health therapy that you'd like to share?

DS:  Wen, Xiuyun, Qian Wu, Jingshu Du, and Wenbin Fu. "Effect of compatibility of Lie Que (LU7) and Zhao Hai (KI6) on insomnia caused by depression: a randomized controlled trial." Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Engineering 145 (2014): 227. [Curator's note: You can access the interpretation of this study at Acupuncture Beats Drug For Sleep.] 

DS:  You can also read the studies from PubMed by searching acupuncture + sleep. [Curator's note: 
PubMed catalogs more than 23 million citations for biomedical literature from various legitimate sources, which include citations that sometimes offer links to free abstracts or some full-text content in free PDF form for general reader access.]

SHC:  How does one go about finding an acupuncturist who is qualified to handle sleep disorders?

DS:  You want to first find one that is State Board licensed, that was properly trained at an accredited TCM school (with a Masters Degree), and you want to ask specific questions like "what do you treat predominantly?" Like internal medicine, acupuncture can be used for everything, and you want to go to someone that has everyday training with sleep disorders. We don't have 'specialties' from a legal standpoint in TCM, but there are many who limit their practices to specific disorders like pain, gynecology, infertility, etc. If the top three or four answers from local acupuncturists aren't sleep disorders, you may need to ask around.

SHC:  Can relief for sleep health issues be resolved in just one visit to the acupuncturist or will these patients need to make repeat visits?

DS:  As always, the answer is 'it depends.' For very acute issues, often one treatment alone is enough. For more chronic issues, one would need 10 or more visits. Though not as convenient as taking a pill, acupuncture is also more efficacious and with little to no side effects (see article cited).

SHC:  Does insurance cover acupuncture therapy?

DS: Most of the time, yes. Please check with your immediate provider. They will tell you,

SHC:  What about acupressure? Is this therapy comparable to acupuncture for the treatment of sleep disorders?

DS: There are some small studies linking ear acupressure for sleep disorders, but in my own personal experience that would rely on the condition being more acute.

SHC:  What else would you like to share about using acupuncture as a therapy for treating sleep health disorders?

DS: I truly believe that milder conditions are the true home of acupuncture and that emergency situations are at the home of Western allopathic medicine. The efficacy of acupuncture for nearly all issues is clearly documented and well researched. I would go to an acupuncturist to treat most things myself; however, if I had a car accident, or heart attack or stroke, I would first want to go to the hospital.

When I did one of my residencies in Korea's Kyung Hee Medical Hospital, all their doctors were dual degreed western MD's and PhD's in TCM. They would alternate treatment from surgery to acupuncture to drugs to herbs. They were totally integrated and had astounding success rates. We would all do well to mimic that.

____________

   
Dr. Dave Shirazi,
DDS MS MA LAc RPSGT
   For more information about Dr. Shirazi and ways to contact or follow him:

   Twitter.com/DocDavidShirazi (@DocDavidShirazi)
   Facebook profile
   Youtube videos
   http://www.tmjconejo.com (patient success stories)







A friendly reminder that links to websites offering products does not imply endorsement by SleepyHeadCENTRAL.com.

SleepyHeadCENTRAL strongly encourages people with ongoing sleep health problems to approach a medical professional to determine appropriate differential diagnoses and treatment. This post, like all other posts on SHC, is not intended to substitute for medical advice.  




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