Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Relieving Those Restless Legs

Let’s continue talking about restless legs syndrome (RLS).   We reviewed some of the symptoms, causes, and adverse effects of restless legs syndrome in the past two blogs, now let’s talk about how RLS is diagnosed.  Due to the unusual sensations that patients with RLS complain of, it is sometimes difficult for a healthcare provider to determine if these complaints are actually related to RLS.  Contrary to popular... Complete news at...

We started our discussion about restless legs syndrome (RLS) in my recent blog, so let’s continue where we left off.   Mild symptoms of RLS occur in 5-15% of the general population, which makes it the second or third most common sleep disorder.  Of these cases, only about 2-3% are considered clinically severe enough to require treatment.  It appears to occur more commonly in females and can even affect children.  Due... Complete news at...

According to a new poll, more than half of U.S. adults surveyed believe the federal agency is falling behind in safeguarding food, drugs. Complete news at...

The Alternative Medicine site at About.com describes acupressure as "The application of pressure to certain points along the flow of energy or "qi" in the body. This therapy is used to promote health, prevent and treat disease, and relieve pain."   Some reports tell us that acupuncture (acupressure using needles) has a 90% success rate when it comes to insomnia. Pressure on certain points on the energy chain of the body encourages an... Complete news at...

But the new study also suggests that infants' sleep disturbances are reversible with behavioral, environmental changes. Complete news at...

It's common knowledge that snoring is both annoying and dangerous. Loud snoring is a sign of a much more serious sleep disorder - sleep apnea. A person suffering from sleep apnea stops breathing hundreds of times a night only to start again with a loud gasp. This puts a strain on the entire body, and especially on the heart. It also decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood stream and in the brain.   Anyone can become a victim of sleep... Complete news at...

According to a new government report, women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from major depression, three times more likely to attempt suicide, and two to three times more likely to experience anxiety disorders than men. Complete news at...

In my last blog we discussed at length the different stages of sleep, namely non-REM and REM, the biological need for sleep to stay alive, and started discussing what some researchers believe may be the function of some portions of non-REM sleep.  We reviewed how there is some evidence linking declarative memory (memory of facts and figures) to slow wave sleep and procedural memory (the ability to perform tasks like riding a bike or playing... Complete news at...