Restless legs syndrome (RLS) causes an unpleasant prickling or
tingling in the legs, especially in the calves, that is relieved by moving
or massaging them. This sensation creates a need to stretch or move
the legs to get rid of these uncomfortable or painful feelings. As a
result, a person may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
One or both legs may be affected. In some people, the sensations
are also felt in the arms. These sensations can also occur with lying
down or sitting for prolonged periods of time, such as while at a
desk, riding in a car, or watching a movie. Read The Full Story…

Myth 1: Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation.
No evidence shows that any major organ (including the brain) or regulatory system in the body shuts down during sleep. Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep. For example, secretion of certain hormones is boosted, and activity of the pathways in the brain needed for learning and
memory is heightened.
Myth 2: Getting just 1 hour less sleep per night than needed will not have any effect on your daytime functioning. This lack of sleep may not make you noticeably sleepy during the day. But even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly, and it can compromise your
cardiovascular health and energy balance as well as the ability to fight infections, particularly if lack of sleep continues. If you consistently do not get enough sleep, eventually a sleep debt builds up that will make you excessively tired during the day.
Myth 3: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Your biological clock makes you most alert during the daytime and most drowsy at night. Thus, even if you work the night shift, you will naturally feel sleepy when nighttime comes. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by 1–2 hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust to a dramatically altered sleep/wake cycle, such as you encounter when traveling across several time zones or switching from working the day shift to the night shift.

Myth 4: People need less sleep as they get older. Older people don’t need less sleep, but they often get less sleep or find their sleep less refreshing. That’s because as people age, they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are more easily awakened. Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep. Read The Full Story…

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Narcolepsy’s main symptom is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness, even after adequate nighttime sleep. In addition, nighttime sleep may be fragmented by frequent awakenings. People who
have narcolepsy often fall asleep at inappropriate times and places.
Although television sitcoms occasionally feature these individuals to generate a few laughs, narcolepsy is no laughing matter. People who have narcolepsy experience daytime “sleep attacks” that last
from seconds to more than one-half hour, can occur without warning, and may cause injury. These embarrassing sleep spells can also make it difficult to work and to maintain normal personal or
social relationships.
With narcolepsy, the usually sharp distinctions between being asleep and awake are blurred. Also, people who have narcolepsy tend to fall directly into dream-filled REM sleep, rather than enter REM
sleep gradually after passing through the non-REM sleep stages first. In addition to overwhelming daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy has three other commonly associated symptoms, but these may not
occur in all people: Read The Full Story…

There are a number of reasons why sleep problems can develop:
1. Normal effects of ageing - as mentioned, when people get older they tend to sleep less deeply and need less sleep. Not only this, but sometimes people develop a habit of dropping off to
sleep during the day which again reduces the need for sleep at night. This in itself is not a problem, but often not sleeping becomes a greater cause for worry, frustration and concern, which in turn leads to sleeping less well.

2. Medical reasons for disrupted sleep - medical reasons for poor sleep may or may not be related to getting older. Some examples are:
The need to go to the toilet during the night occurs more in later life. About 60% of women and about 70% of men, aged over 65 get out of bed at least once a night to go to the toilet. This can also happen for other reasons of course, such as pregnancy. Getting out of bed at night isn`t always a great problem, but can be frustrating if it is difficult to get back to sleep.
Another medical reason is pain. This again can be common in older age with joint pains such as arthritis. The emotional upset of loss or bereavement can affect sleep and again this may be more common in older people. Some medicines can interfere with sleep, so it is worth checking with your doctor if you are on any tablets. Read The Full Story…