Astro AEC 《健康123》as one of the Expert Panels to discuss Insomnia Issues

你是否在晚上总是睡不着，因而长期睡眠不足？😭
还是你认为自己睡眠充足，但每天还是觉得很疲倦？😴

假如你一直面对这些困扰，别担心，或许你的失眠问题有救了！

本集《健康123》将与你分享你如何对抗失眠，希望能帮助你提升睡眠素质，健康过每一天。

📆 ⏰
【首播】每逢星期六晚上10pm
【重播】星期日早上 10am
【重播】星期一早上 11am
【重播】星期一下午 5.30pm
【重播】星期二凌晨 1am
【重播】星期二凌晨 5am
📺 播出频道：Astro AEC (301) 及 AEC HD (306)
💻 你亦可随时透过 Astro GO (https://bit.ly/2XOH4Ko) 或 On Demand 点播观赏。

文章转自: Astro AEC facebook Page

3 Reasons Perfectionists Are More Likely to Fail at Sleep

You might not consider yourself a perfectionist, but many of us apply unrealistic standards to sleep. We're brought up being asked seemingly innocuous questions such as, Did you sleep well? Are you a good sleeper? Those are yes or no questions, but they set us up to think about sleep in all-or-nothing terms. If sleep isn't good, it's bad. And so bad sleep starts to feel like a failure

We're also told that we need to sleep "well" in order to function. Big day tomorrow? Get some good sleep. If you don't, you certainly won't perform your best. These messages set us up to worry about sleep, making it into something that we have to accomplish in order to succeed at whatever tasks are in store. Suddenly, you have performance anxiety...about sleep. And the more you worry about sleep, the harder it is to relax. And, as we all know, worrying produces a physical stress response that keeps us awake. Here, three sleep myths that are needlessly keeping us up at night.

Myth #1: "I need (X number) hours of sleep."

We are bombarded with information about how much sleep we need. It seems as though new studies emerge daily, telling us that if we don't get a certain amount of sleep, we'll get fat, crash our cars, make cognitive errors, get the flu, develop diabetes…the list goes on.

These are important messages, especially for those who believe that sleep is a waste of time. But standards can backfire for people who hold to them too rigidly. If a study says people should get seven hours of sleep and you need just six-and-a-half, your effort to get that extra half hour can fragment your sleep and make it less restorative. Stressing out about that half hour can cause performance anxiety and insomnia, leading to less sleep instead of more.

If you fall asleep relatively easily, sleep relatively soundly, and feel reasonably rested during the day, you are probably getting enough sleep. Track your sleep for a couple of weeks to see what your true average is.

Myth #2: "I must sleep soundly all night."

Sleep differs from person to person. This is especially apparent when you share a bed with someone. Maybe your partner falls asleep immediately and it takes you 15-20 minutes. That's not wrong—it's just different.

It's also normal to wake up during the night. Most people wake up as they complete a sleep cycle and enter a lighter sleep phase. You might remember waking or you might not. You might go right back to sleep or you might be awake for a period of time. Sleep is not seamless. But we often get frustrated by normal nighttime arousals. And this frustration and anxiety will prolong the awakening and cause bigger sleep issues.

Myth #3: "If I'm tired, I can't function."

No one likes to feel tired, but feeling sluggish—or even exhausted—is not a catastrophe. With so much focus on productivity and performance, we fall into the perfectionist trap of striving to give 110% all of the time. And we know that sleep can improve performance, so we become distressed when it doesn't cooperate. That distress contributes to sleep-killing performance anxiety.

It's true that sleep deprivation will cause performance impairments. But there is a huge difference between occasional sleep loss and the type of chronic sleep deprivation that causes significant impairment. Conflating the two just causes more anxiety and makes temporary sleep problems into something bigger.

When we tell ourselves that we won't be able to make it through the day if we're tired, we are lying to ourselves. We get tired for all sorts of reasons: stress, blood sugar fluctuations, circadian rhythms, mood, even the weather. Sleep contributes to our energy level during the day, but it is not solely responsible for it.

Instead of telling yourself that a rough night is going to mean disaster, remind yourself of all the times you've managed to do just fine on less-than-perfect sleep. Take care of yourself and focus on the tasks of your day. Engaging in activity will improve your energy and mood. You might not feel fantastic, but you will manage.

Source:

http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/how-to/a29220/sleep-tips-for-bad-sleepers/

Sleep disorder-Insomnia therapy in Malaysia (Neurofeedback method)

Sleep Difficulties Have a Variety of Contributors 
Many complex factors contribute to sleeplessness and insomnia including stress, anxiety, trauma, and habitual over-thinking resulting in abnormal brain wave function.

Why am I Tired All of the Time? 
Until recently, insomnia was studied from a behavioral perspective, but as this problem grows, new research and insights have been discovered. Recent studies suggest that in cases of insomnia, the brain is unable to process information properly due to cortical hyperarousal. This creates abnormal brainwave function.

Restore Sleep Naturally
By retraining the brain and improving brainwave function in those key areas affected by insomnia, the brain is rewarded through neurofeedback for creating healthier patterns. As the brain learns new responses, new patterns and pathways develop improving brainwave function as you begin to sleep better, longer.

Does Neurofeedback Work? 
Clinical studies have shown neurofeedback to be an effective, drugless, natural approach to insomnia, especially for people who have struggled for years. If you are ready to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep, for improved energy, health and wellbeing, then it’s time to relax and reward your brain.


Why Does Neurofeedback Work? 
Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain’s ability to change itself through a process known as Neuroplasticity. It utilizes the same learning process that occurs whenever we acquire a new skill. The brain learns by forming connections between nerve cells and utilizing important pathways that connect different locations in the brain. The more frequently you utilize these pathways the better the brain becomes at performing the associated task. In psychology, this type of leaning is called “Operant Conditioning”. It is a type of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences. Quite simply, Neurofeedback offers the perfect learning conditions, since it facilitates awareness of when the brain is producing healthier brainwave patterns, provides reinforcement for the positive change and multiple opportunities to provide practice during a training session.

How do I start with neurofeedback?
A comprehensive assessment is where neurofeedback therapy begins. The assessment allows me to determine whether a client’s brainwave patterns are different from normal. Based on your brainwaves analysis results, we then create a restorative plan of care. Each assessment provides me with neurofeedback training protocols. These protocols are designed to retrain the brainwave patterns towards better pattern. The result of rebalancing these brain waves improve health, healing and functionality for lasting results.


Contact us if you would like to do a brainwaves analysis assessment. 
Kindly note that this is not a medical diagnostic but merely provides additional information for your brain to run more efficiently and sleep better. 
The price of this assessment is RM190 (Report will be provided).



Source:
https://braincoretherapy.com/brainwaves/

How to Overcome Insomnia in Malaysia - CBT | Hypnotherapy Treatment | Drug-Free Approach

Common causes of insomnia
Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation or a painful breakup. Chronic insomnia, however, is usually tied to an underlying psychological or medical issue.

Psychological problems and emotional distress. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Other common emotional and psychological causes include chronic or significant life stress, anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma.

Medical problems or illness. Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, including asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, and cancer. Chronic pain is also a very common cause of insomnia.

Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants, stimulants for ADHD, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives. Common over-the-counter culprits include cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin), diuretics, and slimming pills.

Sleep disorders. Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work.


When to seek professional treatment 
If you’ve tried the insomnia self-help strategies above and are still having trouble getting the sleep you need, a doctor or sleep disorder specialist may be able to help.
Seek professional help for insomnia if:

• Your insomnia doesn’t respond to self-help 
• Your insomnia is causing major problems at home, work, or school 
• You’re experiencing scary symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath 
• Your insomnia occurs almost every night and is getting worse 

Bring a sleep diary with you. Your doctor may be able to diagnose an illness or sleep disorder that's causing your insomnia, or refer you to a sleep specialist or cognitive behavioral therapist.



Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for Insomnia

CBT is aimed at breaking the cycle of insomnia. Poor sleep tends to lead to stress and anxious thoughts about not being able to sleep. This in turn leads to stress and tension, which leads to poor sleeping habits, such as the use of sleeping pills. This leads to worsening insomnia and so on.

In addition to improving sleep habits, CBT is aimed at changing thoughts and feelings about sleep that may be causing stress and contributing to your insomnia. A therapist may also recommend sleep restriction therapy, whereby you initially shorten your sleep time. The idea is that by limiting the time you spend in bed to the number of hours you actually sleep, say from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., you'll spend less time awake and more time asleep. As your sleep efficiency increases you'll gradually start going to bed earlier and getting up later until you reach your optimum sleep schedule.

Clinical Hypnotherapy for Insomnia
It is important to contact your GP if you are experiencing a sleep disorder. They will be able to provide you with a diagnosis and advice, as well as being able to rule out any underlying medical conditions. At this stage your doctor may recommend a special treatment or service, such as hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy focuses on understanding and changing patterns of behaviour. Though the cause of the problem will vary for each individual, there are many conditions that may increase the risk of developing a sleep disorder. Certain psychiatric disorders, sleep deprivation, various medical conditions and medications, as well as previous trauma are thought to be underlying causes of sleep disorders.

Hypnotherapy has been used as a way of altering and reconditioning negative patterns of behaviour for many years. Hypnotherapy for sleep disorders will do this by seeking out the root cause of the problem and altering the individual’s perception of it. Many sleep disorders are fuelled and worsened by issues that can be effectively treated with hypnotherapy, such as stress and anxiety. Usually it is not the situation itself that causes stress but the way we react to it. By inducing a state of deep relaxation, the hypnotherapist will be able to gain access to the unconscious mind. The hypnotherapist will target the negative thought patterns, teaching the individual how to manage the feelings and view them in a positive perspective.

A clinical hypnotherapist may use a combination of the techniques mentioned, or they may think you will benefit from just one. To achieve the most effective outcome, the practitioner will consider your concerns. After this, they will tailor the treatment to your personal circumstances.


Message from Hiro Koo: 
We have succefully treated many patients who suffering insomnia. They were treated with clinical hypnosis combined with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and EEG biofeedback method. If you’ve had insomnia for a long period of time, if you have tried sleep medications and haven’t had significant relief, or if there’s no obvious medical or psychiatric cause you’re aware of, then it’s likely you’ll want to address your concerns about the sleep disturbance as well as habits you’ve developed over time that will perpetuate insomnia. Clinical hypnotherapy combined with CBT and EEG biofeedback training method might be your key to improve your symptoms. 
Our unique drug-free approach will help you sleep better from today onward. 
Contact us now for more info.




Source;
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/cant-sleep-insomnia-treatment.htm
https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/choosing-cbt-insomnia-specialist
http://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/articles/sleep-disorders.html

Insomnia Treatment in Malaysia

Insomnia Meaning:
Insomnia is a lack of sleep due to insufficient sleep quality or quantity. The insomniac’s major complaint is awakening during sleep, followed by difficulty falling asleep. An insomniac may sleep but experience poor sleep quality, also known as nonrestorative sleep. As a result of a lack of quality sleep, impairments are experienced in social and occupational functioning.

The three types of insomnia are sleep insomnia involving difficulty falling asleep, sleep maintenance involving awakening during sleep, and late insomnia involving early morning awakenings. Insomnia can be episodic lasting for a period of one month within 3 months, or persistent lasting longer than 3 months. Recurrent insomnia is two or more episodes within a year. Insomnia disorder is one of the major three groupings of sleep disorders under DSM-5, together with hypersomnia and arousal disorders.


Insomnia Symptoms:
The DSM-5’s major criteria for a diagnosis of insomnia, in brief, are (APA, 2013):

1. Dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality, with one or more of the following symptoms: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening 
2. The sleep disturbance causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning 
3. The sleep difficulty occurs at least 3 nights per week, is present for at least 3 months, and despite adequate opportunity for sleep 
4. The insomnia does not co-occur with another sleep disorder 
5. The insomnia is not explained by coexisting mental disorders or medical condition

Insomnia is a precursor to, and comorbid with, a number of mental and medical disorders. To ensure proper treatment, DSM-5 recognizes that one or more disorders may be present at the same time. A medical condition such as chronic pain or mental disorder such as breathing-related sleep disorder may be the cause of the insomnia. However, DSM-5 does stipulate that the insomnia should be clinically significant on its own to warrant a diagnosis.


Insomnia Treatment:
Medication is the most commonly used treatment for insomnia. A class of sedatives called hypnotics is typically prescribed. Benzodiazepine has a high risk of side effects and long-term dependence, and therefore is recommended for short-term use. Nonbenzodiazepines are more commonly prescribed today but still have a risk of side effects and are habit forming. Doctors will first try non-drug approaches to treat insomnia. These may include mind relaxation exercises and avoiding stimulants before bedtime such as caffeine. Despite the complications, insomnia worsens when patients go off medication for insomnia.

Psychotherapy approaches (Such as CBT-I) include stimulus control to teach the association between the bed and sleeping, sleep restriction to restore sleep regulation, and cognitive restructuring to address anxiety-related thoughts that lead to a lack of sleep (Mitchell, 2012).
While almost half of us report being kept awake by stress or worry, increasing evidence suggests that a large proportion of chronic, long-term insomnia is caused not by environmental factors but by the very worry we feel about getting our prescribed eight hours. In short, this sleep performance anxiety – our worries about getting enough sleep – is stopping us from getting the sleep we need. Thus, sleep performance anxiety issue should be addressed first during the therapy session.
Study also finds that those highly suggestible to clinical hypnosis can have deeper sleep after hypnotic suggestion.


Message from Hiro Koo:
Our psychological hypnosis approach will combine psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis methods to deal with your insomnia problem. First, we will do an initial consultation (Include brainwaves analysis method) to find out the root cause of your insomnia problem. After that, we will recommend the most helpful method to deal with your insomnia. Please drop me an email if you need more info: [email protected]



Source:
http://www.theravive.com/therapedia/Insomnia-Disorder-DSM--5-780.52-(G47.00)
http://www.healthista.com/want-better-sleep-worry-less-about-how-much-youre-getting/

为何失眠？如何治疗失眠？何谓睡眠表现焦虑？ | 无药无副作用 | 马来西亚

来中心找我看诊的病人里，有50%以上都面对失眠问题。

或许是基于“催眠”二字出发，让人觉得对治疗睡眠问题来说是最理想的选择吧！因此，很多人都是因失眠问题来向我寻求解决方案。当然，我并不是指这想法是错误的，许多研究与实例亦证明临床催眠疗法确实对治疗失眠问题颇好。

从失眠者的脑波层面，我察觉到他们大多都面对焦虑与压力相关问题。

（脑电波检测并不是根据心理学诊断手册DSM的方法来操作的，我们有独特的解读脑波科学方法。当然脑波检测也不属于Diagnosis，而是让我更好的了解病人的潜意识状态的方法。）

而绝大部分面对失眠问题的病患都有着情绪管理相关问题。

睡眠问题大多来自于饮食习惯、工作压力与人际关系。

因此，在我让他们理解相关问题并协助他们进行情绪和心理层面调整后，问题都会得到极大的改善。

此外，也有一部分的人是因为“睡眠表现焦虑”症状而无法入睡。

什么是“睡眠表现焦虑Sleep Performance Anxiety”症状呢？

这是一种”担心睡不着“的心理状态；就好比说你平时能够顺畅地说话，然而一上台你就因为害怕而开始口吃和忘词的道理相同。整体的状况其实并不是你无法睡着，而是你心中害怕睡不着（就好比说害怕上台说不出话）然后就因而变得真的就睡不着了（就好像上台后真的说不出话来了）。

那么怎么改变这个问题呢？

如果说告诉自己不要害怕就能不焦虑了，那么世界上也不会有人面对任何问题了（开玩笑）。打个比方说，你害怕上舞台演说，那你应当怎么解决呢？

方法只有一个：做好心理建设，并且不断的练习，最终方才能掌握舞台演说技巧。睡眠表现焦虑的问题也一样。

所以说如果你面对的是睡眠表现焦虑问题，却一直使用药物来解决问题，那么你会发现成效或许颇为有限。这是因为真实的问题来源和你的心态有着绝大的关系。

药物是不会改变你的心态的，因此它的效力是有所局限的。它或许能让你镇定下来，却不一定能让你不再害怕。

再问一问你自己，如果你害怕蟑螂或壁虎，你又会如何解决呢？是选择逃避还是寻求帮助呢？

你要的不是每次都靠别人打死蟑螂，而是学习如何与之共处在同一个世上啊。

如果你愿意，心理治疗配合催眠疗法将帮助你克服你的失眠问题。

临床催眠配合心理治疗法能帮你改善你的心态，然后在运用你的潜意识让你放松，继而轻松入睡的。

有更多疑问，欢迎email我咨询更多：[email protected]

第11届马来西亚华社辅导研讨会11th Malaysian Chinese Counseling Conference - Research Paper Presentation by Hiro Koo

I was sharing about my research related to clinical hypnotherapy and sleep quality in this national counseling conference in Malaysia. This is research for my master's thesis. I am grateful to my advisor and supervisor for their guidance. To the event organizer, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your invite and the excellent organized Conference.

研讨会主题源自于生命线协会去年所推展“我听见了你”运动。生命线协会透过全国巡迴讲座、工作坊、青少年营、父母成长班、教师工作坊等，唤醒社会大众对“倾听”的觉醒，希望校园、企业界及社区等，皆能理解“倾听”的可贵及重要，一起建立“会倾听，愿倾听”的社会，陪伴家人朋友及时面对压力、困扰与生活瓶颈，进而达到减压力、抗忧鬱、防自杀的健康社会目标。

除了工作坊，研讨会的内容还包括研究报告、研讨课题、公开演讲及华社辅导机构交流会。感谢主办单位，让我有幸可以在这个意义非凡的活动中与大家分享我的研究报告。让心理健康工作者了解到临床催眠和脑电波反馈疗法对心理健康所扮演的角色。也感谢在场500名参与者的支持与鼓励。

Jasmine Magazine茉莉杂志 - J Mental by Hiro Koo (July 2016 Issue) 失眠症

 

在我中心里，因失眠问题而求医的人不计其数。

许多人在练习了我教导的自我催眠法后，睡眠都得以改善。

承蒙茉莉杂志对心理健康的醒觉活动，我有这个机会跟大家分享一套简易的助眠秘籍。

现在就去临近书摊找出7月份的<Jasmine Magazine茉莉杂志>,

你就可以学到一个由我教导的简单易学自我催眠术来改善你的睡眠质感哦！

 

《健康时尚A Healthy Lifestyle Magazine》March 2016 - All about sleep apnea and snoring 睡眠窒息症与打鼾

转载自《健康时尚A Healthy Lifestyle Magazine》March 2016 - 生活专题：睡眠窒息症与打鼾
欢迎留言咨询更多治疗详情。

Natural Health Magazine (March 2016 Issue) "Snoring and Sleep Apnea, symptoms too loud to ignore" by Hiro Koo

Natural Health Magazine (March 2016 Issue)  

"Snoring and Sleep Apnea, symptoms too loud to ignore" by Hiro Koo

SLEEP MANAGEMENT MALAYSIA

How can someone measure his/her sleeping quality?

How important water is for our daily living, sleep is equally as important to rejuvenate our body. Imagine yourself not having a quality sleep can have an impact on your performance the next day at work, the reason is sleep deprivation which to large extent affects our prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is just like the cream on our cakes located front of the brain just behind the forehead, in charge of abstract thinking and thought analysis, it is also responsible for regulating behavior. This includes mediating conflicting thoughts, making choices between right and wrong, and predicting the probable outcomes of actions or events. It acts as a filter to prevent oneself from irrelevant information interfering the task on hand.

With years of experience in this field, I have analyzed quite a number of brain waves using EEG Bio feedback at SOL, in most cases clients with sleep issue often lack in focus and have higher tendency to become restless. E.g. even for young kids with excessive slow brain waves on the prefrontal cortex tend to suffer from attention deficit, hyperactive behavior which is not very surprising because at the end of the day I often check with the parents on their sleeping patterns and there it goes.

Sometimes craving for sweet or high carbohydrate diet such as rice, noodles can be result of insufficient sleep, this is due to sleep deprivation that disrupts your body function which is responsible for regulating your appetite and research have proven.

I would like to share my experience in helping a client, Juliet to manage her sleeping problems and issues caused by sleep deprivation.

Finding it difficult to stay focused and remain calm

“Juliet is a corporate executive, and recently she was bothered by some health concerns which worried her so much that she sought help from us. She was losing focus in her work and experiencing fatigue very frequently. She did not take these signs seriously until one day she passed out in her office. Initially, she thought she was having autonomic nervous system dysfunction as she experienced symptoms such as excessive fatigue, blood pressure fluctuations, rapid heart rate, dizziness and digestive problem.Autonomic nervous system dysfunction generally involves impairment of the sympathetic or parasympathetic components of our autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system functions like a gas pedal in a car. It triggers the fight-or-flight response, giving the body a burst of energy to respond to perceived dangers. The parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It arouses the “rest and digest” response that can calm the body down after the danger has passed. Just imagine that, if your brake and gas pedal is not working accordingly? You might experience symptoms similar to Juliet’s or even worst.

Juliet had undergone a health assessment in our centre and the result showed that the main issue in Juliet is not the autonomic nervous system dysfunction but related to her sleeping quality and quantity. To find out more about her concern, a brainwave assessment was conducted on her. According to the result, it showed that there are excessive slow brainwaves on her prefrontal cortex which would lead to impairment on her executive functioning. This is the major reason why she was having focus problem, poor mental stamina, short attention span and related issue. Scientific studies have shown that sleep deprivation would bring negative impacts on brain regions like memory and emotions causing development of anxiety related issue. Therefore, Juliet was having anxiety symptoms like indigestion, rapid heart rate and dizziness issue as well.

Solutions to end her daily-struggles

Issues related to Juliet’s sleep deprivation have affected her work performance and daily activities. To help her effectively improve her sleeping quality, Brain Trainer, the non-drug, evidence - based EEG Biofeedback therapy and Neuro-hypnotherapy are suggested to her. Sleeping pills are not recommended as sleeping pills may only improve the duration and quantity of sleep but not the quality of sleep in long run. Juliet was feeling better and her sleeping quality has improved remarkably after completing the program. Besides, a good sleep at night has brought down her anxiety level.

Apart from the cutting-edge therapies, some sleep hygiene tips were given to help her sleep better. For example, stop using her phone at least 30 minutes before bed and reduce her coffee intake or any beverage containing caffeine after 2pm. Moreover, Juliet needs to monitor herself that she needs at least 8 hours of sleep every day instead of 6 hours which previously she thought it is enough for her. Sometimes she is having insomnia, then she would need to practice self-hypnosis techniques tailored for her and shortly, she will be able to fall asleep easily. Juliet’s ability to focus has improved and interestingly, she lost about 5kgs in just 3-month time without any strict diet plan! The reason of her weight loss is simply because she has better sleep quality now.

What is neuro-hypnotherapy and EEG biofeedback therapy?

Researchers at Harvard University found that hypnotherapy actually promotes faster healing. Many insomniacs have tried this intervention with great success. Under hypnosis, you might work out any personal issues that are robbing you of sleep. A clinical hypnotherapist can also "program" you to sleep. Our neuro-hypnotherapy technique is first of its kind in Malaysia which is able to help you to improve your sleep quality. Personalized self-hypnosis method to fall asleep will be developed based on your brainwave response.

EEG biofeedback or brain trainer is based on the international standardized 10-20 electrode location system. It is essentially a way of teaching you how to self-regulate your own electrical activity in the brain and strengthen your sleep spindle activity indirectly. A powerful tool for helping people fall asleep and stay asleep. People who produce more frequent or greater amounts of sleep spindles than the average person require a higher decibel noise level to be roused out of a sound sleep. As we age, we produce fewer spindles and are more sensitive to noises around us. This can be one of the explanations why older people don't seem to sleep as well.

So are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep? Do you wake up feeling refreshed? If not, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Author:

Hiro Koo

Is There A Connection Between Sleep And Depression?

Introduction

Is your sleep routine off? Are you sleeping less than normal? Are you depressed? Are you wondering if there is a connection between your irregular sleep pattern and your depressed mood? Well, keep reading this article because the answer is yes. There indeed is a relationship between sleep and depression. According to the National Sleep Foundation (2016), “The relationship between sleep and depressive illness is complex – depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depressive disorders. For some people, symptoms of depression occur before the onset of sleep problems. For others, sleep problems appear first. Sleep problems and depression may also share risk factors and biological features and the two conditions may respond to some of the same treatment strategies. Sleep problems are also associated with more severe depressive illness.” For the purposes of this article, we will focus on how irregular sleeping patterns result in the development of a depressive mood.

There Is a Relationship Between Insomnia And Depression

According to http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood, “Chronic insomnia may increase the risk of developing a mood disorder, such as depression.” Think about it. If you are tired and have not gotten a good night sleep, you are going to have a lack of energy in your daily routine. This, in return, is going to impact your mood. You are going to feel depressed. This is supported by evidence. According to http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood, “In one major study of 10,000 adults, people with insomnia were five times more likely to develop depression.” In addition, http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood indicates that “Difficulty sleeping is sometimes the first symptom of depression. Studies have found that 15 to 20 percent of people diagnosed with insomnia will develop major depression.”

What Can Be Done?

You may be wondering if you are depressed, how can you improve your sleep? Well the answer is quite simple. Set a regular sleep routine. Have a set time for going to sleep and a set time for waking up in the morning. On an even further note, do not even think about hitting the snooze button. Just don’t hit it. You will feel better when you don’t touch it. Trust me on this one.

Conclusion

Despite the relationship between sleep and and a depressed mood, you can still feel better about yourself and lead a healthy lifestyle. Just start by adjusting your sleep routine. You will see the difference in how you feel in no time.

Source:

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/coping-depression/2016/02/is-there-a-connection-between-sleep-and-depression/

What is insomnia?

What is insomnia? 

 

Often take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep for 3 or more nights a week?

 

Yes, individual who suffer for insomnia often have trouble staying asleep or falling asleep or both. Here’s what you might experience:

• Hard to fall asleep
• Wake up in the middle of the night
• Wake up in the early morning
• Feel drowsy and sleepy after a night's sleep
• Trouble staying awake during daytime
• Anger, depression or anxiety related issues
• Difficulty paying attention or focusing, such as when reading or listening to others
• Unable to think critically
• Trouble making decisions
• Migraine or headache
• Making careless mistakes
• Forgetful
• Indigestion related issues
• Worrying about sleep

 

What cause insomnia?

 

According to the research study done by Bonnet and Arand (2010), Individual suffer for insomnia related issues have increased high-frequency EEG brainwaves activation which known as hyper arousal. Hyper arousal is reflected in brainwaves and it can elevated sympathetic nervous system and heart rate during sleep time (Bonnet & Arand, 2010).  

 

In the field of EEG biofeedback (Brain Trainer), we can understand the hyper arousal state better by peek into the brainwave. "high beta" brainwave is associated with stress, tension, nervous or anxiety state. Work, school, health or family related stress can keep your brainwaves overactive at night and then lead to insomnia. Breathing difficulty, urination problem and chronic pain can cause insomnia as well.

Due to day time sleepiness, some people use stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol to stay awake. It is not a long term solution because stimulants cannot overcome the effects of severe sleep deprivation.For example, alcohol helps induce to light sleep stages but it prevents deeper stages of sleep which can adversely affect the brain and cognitive function. If you always stay in the light sleep stages, it is more likely you will wake up in the middle of the night and wake up feeling tired.

Drug-free Insomnia Solution

Neuroscientists have identified specific brainwave patterns that relate to specific disorders. Individual who suffer for insomnia is more likely to experience hyper arousal state in the brain. Brain trainer can help correct this problem. Brain trainer (EEG biofeedback) which is a safe, non-invasive, drug free and no side effect technology has been shown to effectively address anxiety symptoms. Brain trainer training teaches you to balance your brain's arousal state. It helps teach you how to calm down your brain during stressful event and night.

Neuro-Hypnotherapy is based on EEG brainwave frequency monitoring. It is non-invasive, painless, and safe with no side effects. All of our mind activity can be measured scientifically by utilizing an EEG biofeedback tool. With the Neuro-Hypnotherapy technology, you can scientifically see yourself going into states of “Alpha", "Theta", and "Delta”, and these three levels can be considered states or depths of sleep. After your therapy session, you will learn how to self-regulate your own brainwave pattern and improving your sleep quality by practicing your personalized self-hypnosis technique.

Brain trainer and Neuro-hypnotherapy together help the individual who suffer for insomnia to calm hyper arousal brainwave activity, fine-tuning the central nervous system and reprogram your subconscious mind to achieve deep sleep and relaxation.

 

Contributor:

Hiro Koo

Licensed Clinical Hypnotherapist (AHPM & APA-Society of Psychological Hypnosis). BSocSc(Hons) in Psychology, Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis, Certified EEG biofeedback practitioner.

 

Reference:

Bonnet, M. H., & Arand, D. L. (2010). Hyperarousal and insomnia: State of the science. Sleep Medicine Reviews. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2009.05.002

Improving sleep and cognition by clinical hypnotherapy in the elderly

Sleep quality markedly declines across the human lifespan. Particularly the amount of slow-wave sleep (SWS) decreases with age and this decrease is paralleled by a loss of cognitive functioning in the elderly. Here we show in healthy elderly females that the amount of SWS can be extended by a hypnotic suggestion "to sleep deeper" before sleep. In a placebo-controlled cross-over design, participants listened to hypnotic suggestions or a control tape before a midday nap while high density electroencephalography was recorded. After the hypnotic suggestion, we observed a 57% increase in SWS in females suggestible to hypnosis as compared to the control condition. 

Furthermore, left frontal slow-wave activity (SWA), characteristic for SWS, was significantly increased, followed by a significant improvement in prefrontal cognitive functioning after sleep. 

Our results suggest that hypnotic suggestions might be a successful alternative for widely-used sleep-enhancing medication to extend SWS and improve cognition in the elderly.


Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25660206/

During sleep, the brain cleans itself

Every night since humans first evolved, we have made what might be considered a baffling, dangerous mistake. Despite the once-prevalent threat of being eaten by predators, and the loss of valuable time for gathering food, accumulating wealth, or having sex, we go to sleep. Scientists have long speculated and argued about why we devote roughly a third of our lives to sleep, but with little concrete data to support any particular theory. Now, new evidence has refreshed a long-held hypothesis: During sleep, the brain cleans itself.

Many neurological diseases—from Alzheimer's disease to stroke and dementia—are associated with sleep disturbances, Nedergaard notes. The study suggests that lack of sleep could have a causal role, by allowing the byproducts to build up and cause brain damage. "This could open a lot of debate for shift workers, who work during the nighttime,” Nedergaard predicts. "You probably develop damage if you don’t get your sleep."

Source: http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2013/10/sleep-ultimate-brainwasher

Member of Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia (Persatuan Permasalahan Tidur Malaysia)

I am happy that I am qualified to be the member of Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia (Persatuan Permasalahan Tidur Malaysia)! 

As a licensed hypnotherapist, I am eager to contribute my abilities and experiences to our society.

Feel free to contact me for sleep disorder related problem.

I am specialized in clinical hypnotherapy and EEG biofeedback therapy for improving sleep related issues.

My email: [email protected]

10 medical reasons for feeling tired

Any serious illness, especially painful ones, can make you tired. But some quite minor illnesses can also leave you feeling washed out. Here are 10 health conditions that are known to cause fatigue.

1. Coeliac disease

This is a type of food intolerance, where your body reacts badly when you eat gluten – a substance found in bread, cakes and cereals. One in 100 people in the UK are affected, but research suggests that up to 90% of them don’t know they have the condition, according to patient group Coeliac UK. Other symptoms of coeliac disease, apart from tiredness, are diarrhoea, anaemia and weight loss. Your GP can check if you have coeliac disease through a blood test.

2. Anaemia

One of the most common medical reasons for feeling constantly run down is iron deficiency anaemia. It affects around one in 20 men and post-menopausal women, but may be even more common in women who are still having periods.

Typically, you’ll feel you can’t be bothered to do anything, your muscles will feel heavy and you’ll get tired very quickly. Women with heavy periods and pregnant women are especially prone to anaemia.

3. Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME) is a severe and disabling tiredness that goes on for at least six months. There are usually other symptoms, such as a sore throat, muscle or joint pain and headache.

4. Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where your throat narrows or closes during sleep and repeatedly interrupts your breathing. This results in bad snoring and a drop in your blood's oxygen levels. The difficulty in breathing means that you wake up often in the night, and feel exhausted the next day.

It’s most common in overweight, middle-aged men. Drinking alcohol and smoking makes it worse.

5. Underactive thyroid

An underactive thyroid gland means that you have too little thyroid hormone (thyroxine) in your body. This makes you feel tired. You’re also likely to put on weight and have aching muscles. It’s most common in women, and it happens more often as you get older.

Your GP can diagnose an underactive thyroid by taking a blood test.

6. Diabetes

One of the main symptoms of diabetes, a long-term condition caused by too much sugar in the blood, is feeling very tired. The other key symptoms are feeling very thirsty, going to the toilet a lot and weight loss. Your GP can diagnose diabetes with a blood test.

7. Glandular fever

Glandular fever is a common viral infection that causes fatigue, along with fever, sore throat and swollen glands. Most cases happen in teenagers and young adults. Symptoms usually clear up within four to six weeks, but the fatigue can linger for several more months.

8. Depression

As well as making you feel very sad, depression can also make you feel drained of energy. It can stop you falling asleep or cause you to wake up early in the morning, which makes you feel more tired during the day.

9. Restless legs

This is when you get uncomfortable sensations in your legs, which keep you awake at night. You might have an overwhelming urge to keep moving your legs, a deep ache in your legs, or your legs might jerk spontaneously through the night. Whatever your symptoms, your sleep will be disrupted and of poor quality, so you’ll feel very tired throughout the day.

10. Anxiety

Feeling anxious is sometimes perfectly normal. However, some people have constant, uncontrollable feelings of anxiety, which are so strong they affect their daily life. Doctors call this generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). It affects around around one in 20 people in the UK. As well as feeling worried and irritable, people with GAD often feel tired.

Source；

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/medical-causes-of-tiredness.aspx