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Why You Should Ditch Your Alarm Clock

Written by Sam

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What if you didn’t need an alarm clock? Imagine waking up naturally to pleasant daylight with plenty of time for a hot shower, a cup of coffee, and a croissant. Imagine arriving at work on time, feeling rested and ready to go.

Sound like a fairy tale? It’s not.

In fact, the more impossible ditching your alarm clock sounds to you, the more you should probably consider doing so.

alarm-clock-sleep

Why Alarm Clocks and Good Sleep Don’t Mix

Sleep occurs in stages that repeat throughout each night. This repetition is called the sleep cycle. Read our article on The Stages of Sleep and Sleep Cycles. Every cycle includes four stages:

  • Stage One Stage One is the lightest stages. Your body relaxes, your mind drifts, and you may not even realize you are asleep. During this stage, you can wake easily.
  • Stage Two Stage Two sleep is similar to Stage One but deeper. Your brain begins to actively block out external noises and disruptions and waking is more difficult.
  • Stage Three During Stage Three you are in a deep and dreamless state. Waking is very difficult. Night terrors and sleepwalking can happen during Stage Three.
  • REM Sleep REM is when dreams occur. Your mind reviews and interprets events of the day using the language of dreams. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. During REM your eyes move behind your closed eyelids as if you were awake and experiencing real events, but your body remains immobile so you don’t hurt yourself.

Throughout the night, your mind and body cycle between Stage Two, Stage Three, and REM Sleep. All stages of sleep are necessary for good health and adequate rest. When you use an alarm to wake up, the alarm can interrupt any of these stages, depriving your mind and body of the restoration a particular stage of sleep provides.

Some people wake up an hour or two before the alarm goes off and sleep lightly, checking the time every ten or fifteen minutes until it is time to rise. This habit is every bit as bad as being jolted out of a deep sleep by a blaring alarm. Instead of only one stage being interrupted, an hour or two of light sleep is substituted for the deep and dreaming stages you actually need.

How to Live Without an Alarm

Living without an alarm is all about understanding your sleep habits and how much you actually need and then giving yourself the time and space to achieve that. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. A recent Gallup poll shows that an astonishing 40% of Americans get less than 6 hours, and 14% get less than 5 hours.

In fact, the average amount of sleep an adult American gets is 6.9 hours, less than the minimum amount recommended. Add to that the disrupting presence of LED alarms and multiple screened devices in the bedroom and you have a recipe for a chronically sleep-deprived nation.

Reversing this trend is fairly simple. First, make sure you are practicing good sleep hygiene. Make sure you have no TVs in the bedroom, no laptops, no work files, just a calm, cool place to get a good night’s rest.

Next, for two weeks simply record how long you sleep when you don’t have an alarm waking you up. Write the number down for each night. You may be surprised to discover that you wake up naturally without even completing the two-week sleep diary, but do it anyway. Once you have the average number, give yourself at least that much time per night.

For instance, if you find you need 8 hours of sleep per night and you need to get up at 6:00 am, that means you need to be in bed and ready for sleep by 10:00 pm. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends, and you’ll find waking up without an alarm is easy.

A Sunny Workaround

If waking up on your own means waking up in a dark room, you do have a natural and safe option to help you out. A sunrise alarm is an alarm that emits a small amount of light about a half-hour before your waking time and increases the amount of light until your room is as bright as day.

Sunrise alarms mimic the natural world and keep your natural rhythms and your sleep cycle intact, so long as you continue to give yourself enough hours in bed to sleep well.

No Time for Sleep?

Although recent polls make it clear that Americans are cutting corners by sleeping less, you may be surprised to learn that shaving even an hour off can impact your health in significantly negative ways.

Health problems associated with sleep deprivation include decreased performance and alertness, increased injury in the workplace and increased car accidents, anxiety and depression, heart problems, as well as memory and cognitive disorders.

You need good sleep the same way you need good food to eat and good air to breathe. If you don’t make it a priority, you could feel effects like increased illness, poor quality of life, reduced job performance, and stress at home.

The good news is that the same technology that seems to be robbing us of sleep can also help us get back to getting the sleep we need. High-tech foam, organic materials, and supportive construction are now used to create some of the most comfortable mattresses and bedding ever designed. Sunrise alarms mimic natural cycles effectively, and blackout curtains and shades keep bedrooms free from light pollution.

So make a commitment to ditch that alarm today. Your body, and your life, will thank you for it.

How Marijuana Affects Your Sleep

Written by Andrew

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We’re all familiar with the stereotypical “stoner,” that heavy user of marijuana who is more often than not hungry, spaced-out, and…sleepy? But does marijuana affect your sleep?

There is no doubt that smoking marijuana has intense psychological and physical effects on its users. But how exactly does using marijuana affect our sleep quality and what are the effects on sleep?

With the easing of laws surrounding the illegality of medical marijuana and even recreational marijuana use across the country, there is a renewed interest in the substance as a possibly important piece in the wellness puzzle. Claims that marijuana, and especially CBD (a specific psychoactive ingredient found in the marijuana plant) can aid in maintaining healthy sleep patterns have popped up across the web, as well as in marketing materials for the numerous companies making products which supposedly offer a myriad of health benefits.

Considering that over 1 in 3 Americans reportedly use traditional over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids and that a whopping sixty-percent of them reported having serious side-effects the next day, a natural alternative like cannabis could be a game-changer if it is as safe and effective as some claim.

Before you rush out to become a cannabis user to help you catch some Zs, it’s important to understand how exactly this substance is related to sleep.

marijuana thc pills medicine

How Does Cannabis Affect the Brain?

Before digging into the relationships between cannabis and sleep, it’s helpful to know a little background on the general affects the drug can have on users.

Marijuana is a plant that can be smoked, inhaled, or ingested to activate its active ingredients. The plant itself can also be processed into a number of products that isolate certain chemicals of its composition. There are hundreds of chemicals in cannabis, referred to as cannabinoids, but the two most well-researched chemicals are tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, and cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. While it is important to note that cannabis seems to affect every person slightly differently, researchers have noted the following qualities of each compound.

  • THC: This ingredient is the one most responsible for the classic “high” feeling people often refer to. It works by stimulating the release of dopamine, generally resulting in euphoria and feelings of deep relaxation.
  • CBD: CBD is the second most prevalent psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. It does not seem to induce the same “high” feeling as THC, but has been linked to a number of therapeutic uses including chronic pain management, seizure prevention, and more.

Cannabis comes in a variety of strains, or slightly different varieties, each containing differing amounts of each psychoactive ingredient. Some strains have been anecdotally reported to be better for sleeping than others. The Growth Op, a cannabis news and trends website, suggests asking your “budtender” (an operator of a legal cannabis dispensary) for help in choosing a strain that will be right for you.

does marijuana extract affect your sleep

THC and Sleep

The research on THC and sleep is decidedly mixed. A review of the scientific literature, conducted in 2017, concluded that the current body of research indicated THC has a “short term sleep benefit.” Studies showed that THC might help to treat sleep apnea, prevent nightmares in patients with PTSD, and shorten the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

However, that same paper found that over the long term, the use of THC to sleep could interfere with circadian rhythm, and create “delayed sleep onset latency,” or lengthen the amount of time it took to fall asleep. The paper generally concluded that THC was most effective as a general sleep aid when used at a relatively low dose, for a short period of time.

Interestingly, preliminary research shows that synthetic THC, or versions of the chemical made in a lab as opposed to being derived from the cannabis plant, shows promise as a sleep aid. Further research on that subject will certainly have important results.

CBD and Sleep

CBD on the other hand, seems to have a much stronger reputation as a sleep aid.

In the 2017 review, CBD appeared to offer different results based on the dose it was administered in. At very low doses, CBD was shown to be simulating, while at medium and high doses the drug was sedating. These higher doses were associated with increased sleep time (longer sleep) and improve sleep. CBD was also found to reduce insomnia and sleep-related symptoms of PTSD when administered in higher doses.

Another scientific review of cannabis and sleep found CBD could “hold promise” for treatment of REM sleep behavior disorder, a strange occurrence where sleepers act out their dreams.

CBD has also been found to aid in pain relief and as a treatment for anxiety, two conditions that may make it difficult to sleep.

All of this research, combined with a litany of claims about other uses for CBD, has led to an explosion of CBD products in the last few years, some of them marketing specifically as sleep aids.

cannabidiol CBD Extract Sleep

Should I Try Marijuana for Sleep?

The bottom line on how marijuana affects your sleep is this: while some forms of the drug have proven helpful in helping people at bedtime, marijuana affects everybody differently, and it is certainly no silver bullet. In fact, some users may find that taking cannabis or cannabis products makes sleeping well more difficult and choose to continue natural sleep.

If you are interested in trying cannabis or edibles for use as a sleep aid, you might want to consider taking the following actions.

  • Talk to your doctor: before trying any new medication, speak with your physician about risks and potential benefits.
  • Make sure to obey all laws and regulations: Cannabis and its component chemical compounds have varying legal statuses across the United States. Make sure to purchase your products from licensed vendors.
  • Speak with dispensary operators about a product for you: employees and operators of cannabis dispensaries can help you navigate the sometimes overwhelming selection of products to ensure you are receiving the best one for your needs.
  • Use cannabis in conjunction with other healthy sleep routines: getting a proper amount of exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, and avoiding excessive alcohol and nicotine will increase the chance that you get a good night’s sleep, with or without the help of cannabis.
  • Additional Tips: Read our article on 8 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

Has marijuana affected your sleep? let us know!

All About Restless Legs Syndrome

Written by Andrew

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Although it is one of the most common sleep disorders (affecting nearly 3 million Americans, according to the Mayo Clinic) Restless Legs Syndrome is also one of the most widely misunderstood. The urge to move your legs hardly seems like a serious medical issue.

But the truth is that restless legs syndrome can be a serious impediment to getting the proper amount of sleep, which in turn can cause other significant problems to health and wellness. Anyone who has experienced the frustration of not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep because of physical discomfort can attest to that.

Taking time to understand the underlying causes and steps for treatment are important in managing the symptoms of restless legs syndrome and ensuring the disorder does not prevent you from living an ordinary and healthy life.

All About Restless Legs Syndrome

What exactly is Restless Legs Syndrome?

Sometimes known as Willis-Ekbom Disease, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological sensory disorder characterized mainly by the experience of severe discomfort in the legs which can only be relieved through movement. RLS can also be classified as a sleep disorder—as it often impairs the ability to sleep soundly—as well as a movement disorder.

The main symptom of RLS is the uncontrollable desire to move the legs. This impulse is caused by an unpleasant and uncomfortable sensation in the legs that ceases when moved. Patients describe this feeling anywhere from tingling and slightly annoying, to burning and painful. These sensations are mostly experienced in the evening, and especially when the legs have been inactive for some time (when resting in bed, sitting down for a while, etc.).

Other symptoms of RLS include periodic limb movement of sleep (PLMS), twitching of the legs, and other muscles when you are asleep or falling asleep. These involuntary movements can occur throughout the night, sometimes occurring up to every 15 seconds in extreme cases. More than three-quarters of RLS patients experience PLMS, though many people who do not have RLS also experience PLMS.

Because these symptoms are most strongly felt in the evening, and especially when patients are in bed, they cause a severe disruption to the sleep cycle by making it very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. RLS patients typically report that their best sleep comes in the early morning when symptoms seem to abate.

Though anyone can develop RLS at any time, older adults and women are the most likely candidates to experience the disease.

What causes Restless Legs Syndrome?

Unfortunately, the causes and mechanics of RLS are still mostly a mystery to science. Some studies suggest that RLS may be related to the regulation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a big role in stimulating movement.

However, researchers have linked the likelihood of getting RLS to a number of other factors. For one, family history is extremely important; up to half of all RLS cases are thought to be genetic, and having relatives with the disorder increases the chances you will get it by up to six times the normal odds. Patients with genetic causes of RLS are more likely to develop symptoms of the disease earlier in life.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, other conditions that contribute to the likelihood of getting RLS include:

Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Iron deficiencies
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Pregnancy after 20 weeks gestation
  • Receiving dialysis treatment
  • Taking certain antidepressants, antihistamines or anti-nausea medications

How do I know if I have Restless Legs Syndrome?

According to the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness about the disorder, to receive a diagnosis you must demonstrate the following five symptoms:

  • Extreme urge to move your legs: Usually accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and sometimes affecting the trunk and arms as well.
  • Worsening of symptoms with inactivity: Sitting, resting, and especially lying down are all triggers of the symptoms of RLS
  • Movement helps relieve symptoms: Engaging your muscles helps to ease the discomfort, at least in the moment you are using them.
  • Most symptoms occur in the evening: RLS seems to exacerbate at night, and often are never even experienced during daytime hours.
  • There is no other symptom-causing disorder: Some of the symptoms of RLS can be caused by arthritis, swelling, cramps or other disorders. Only when a doctor rules out these factors can all of the aforementioned symptoms be linked to RLS.

If all of the following conditions are met, your doctor will likely perform a few more tests to ensure that no other disease is causing your symptoms before passing down a diagnosis of RLS.

How do you treat Restless Legs Syndrome?

Because there is no cure for RLS, treating the disease is focused on managing its symptoms through lifestyle changes, and in some cases medication. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and the underlying cause of each patient’s RLS, different courses of action are prescribed.

For more mild symptoms, doctors often recommend changes to lifestyle aimed at combating symptoms. The most commonly prescribed include:

  • Avoiding drugs and alcohol (Read more on the effects of alcohol and sleep), including smoking or vaping nicotine
  • Maintaining a regular, healthy sleep schedule
  • Implementing a regular exercise schedule, with particular focus on the leg muscles
  • Regular massaging of the legs or affected areas
  • Stretching and aerobic exercises before bed
  • Use of heating and cooling pads, as well as other specialized medical equipment on the legs

For more severe cases of RLS, different medications may be prescribed depending on the particulars of an individual patient. Some of the most commonly used medications for RLS include:

  • Iron supplements
  • Anti-seizure drugs
  • Dopaminergic agents
  • Opioids
  • Benzodiazepines

With all medications, there are significant risks and side effects. Additionally, symptoms of RLS have been known to rebound after initially successful treatments with medications, sometimes coming back with increased severity, in a process known as augmentation. Make sure to discuss your medical history and options for treatment at length with your doctor when seeking medications to treat RLS.

The Effects of Alcohol on Sleep

Written by Will

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Do you like to have a drink or two before bed? Does a glass of wine (or three) help you ease into sleep at night? Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, making you feel drowsy. It certainly can help you fall asleep faster if you drink before bed. The problem is, the effects of alcohol on sleep can cause you feeling tired and unfocused the next day. Simply put, although you may fall asleep more quickly when you drink, you will not get the same quality and you’ll wake up less rested.

Alcohol Disrupts Normal Sleep Cycles

A review of 27 different studies showed that alcohol has an overall negative effect on sleep, and may lead to addiction. Alcohol does help healthy people fall asleep faster and rest more deeply, at least for the first half of the night. But alcohol reduces REM sleep, which should begin about ninety minutes after you first fall asleep. REM is short for Rapid Eye Movement and REM is necessary to healthy daytime functioning. During REM, your eyes move quickly beneath your eyelids as you dream, just as if you were still awake, but your body stays immobile so you don’t harm yourself. During REM, your mind processes the information and events of the previous day and prepares for the following day to come. People who short themselves on REM by heavy drinking before bedtime are more likely to feel tired the next day and have trouble concentrating. The more drinks you have before bed, the stronger the negative effects on your sleep quality will be. Reduced REM also increases the likelihood that you will sleepwalk, sleep talk, and have trouble remembering things. In addition to reducing the amount of restorative REM sleep, alcohol creates more abrupt shifts between different stages of sleep. You think you are sleeping more deeply, but in fact, you are not.

Alcohol Increases the Risk of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop for short periods throughout the night. Even if you don’t have sleep apnea, drinking alcohol to fall asleep can cause you do develop it, especially if you are prone to snoring. People who already have sleep apnea and drink to fall asleep can make their apnea worse, lengthening the time it takes to start breathing again once breathing stops. This, in turn, reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and increases the amount of carbon dioxide. In severe cases, increased carbon dioxide in the blood during sleep can result in death. Alcohol suppresses breathing. In people who have sleep apnea or who snore, drinking alcohol to fall asleep can actually cause your upper airway to collapse. The best prevention is to avoid alcohol completely. You may also need to consider using a CPAP machine to keep your airway open by artificially maintaining Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. alcoholic drinks and reading before bedtime

Using Alcohol as a Sleep Aid Can Cause Addiction

Recent research in addiction reveals that while anyone can become addicted to alcohol or drugs, some people are born with a genetic predisposition to addiction. When this genetic predisposition is combined with sufficient stress, the brain produces less and less of the specific chemicals needed to create feelings of happiness and stability. Reduced production of these necessary chemicals causes cravings for the addictive substance. The more you drink, the more you need to drink. Doctors now understand that addiction is not a character flaw, but rather a physical illness caused by having brain chemistry that reacts to addictive substances. Addiction often starts as an attempt to self-medicate while dealing with anxiety or depression. Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep are symptoms of both conditions. If you are drinking to fall asleep, you may already have untreated anxiety, depression, or stress, and if you happen to also have a genetic marker for alcoholism, you can become addicted before you even realize it. Alcohol should not be used as a sleep aid. A better strategy is to speak frankly with your doctor about your sleep problems and what might be causing them. Alcohol may seem to work for a while, but in the end, you’re liable to end up with a drinking problem on top of your sleep issues.

How to Promote Good Sleep Without Alcohol

Develop good sleep habits and you will benefit from it all day, every day. Most people tend to skimp when life gets stressful, but a good restful night is more important than ever when you are stressed. Here are some basic tips for improving your sleep, even under stress:
  • Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only.
  • No TVs, laptops, lighted alarms, or other screened devices in the bedroom.
  • Keep your bedroom clean and calm, and the temperature a bit cool.
  • At least an hour before going to bed, turn off all lighted devices and read or take a long bath.
  • If you must have a bedtime snack, have a little starch and a glass of milk. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and greasy foods.
  • Check your caffeine consumption. Switch to tea or water if you drink more than a cup per day.
  • Take chronic sleep problems seriously and talk to your doctor about underlying causes.
  • For more tips read our article, 8 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep.
For those without addiction issues, a glass of wine or beer each day can be a healthy addition to a healthy lifestyle. But depending on alcohol to fall asleep is a bad strategy that masks underlying health problems robs you of the sleep you need, and can cause addiction.