Merck & Co. are developing a new drug that is said to help improve sleep and people suffering from insomnia. The drug is called the MK-4305 and belongs to a new class of sleep drugs which inhibit production of orexins in the brain, blocking stimulation of the brain’s arousal system.

Orexin is a neuropeptide that is believed to play a key role in regulation of the brain’s sleep/wake process.

The MK-4305 is made up of different dosages which are now being used in studies. 40 mg and 20 mg doses are being used on younger patients while elderly folks are using the 30 mg and 15 mg dosages.

There were no reports of serious adverse side effects. The most common side effects included upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, dizziness, drowsiness on waking, headache and vivid dreams.

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Coffee has always been known to help people stay awake but can also be addicting. You can perhaps liken it to smoking which to many is a hard habit to break. Immediate withdrawal is perhaps close to imminent failure but incremental or withdrawal can be done to try and regulate coffee intake.

But that may be easier said than done, especially for people who consume 600 to 700 grams of coffee. The withdrawal syndrome usually occurs 18 to 24 hours later. It consists of severe fatigue, irritability, mood swings, headache and flu-like symptoms. This can be avoided by a gradual taper.

Hence a better approach would be to decrease consumption by one cup every two days to help yourself get off the caffeine addiction as far as coffee is concerned.

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A sleep expert has been called upon by the Warren County Court of Common Pleas to shed more light on claims surrounding the bathtub drowning of Sarah Widmer. Finding showed that Sarah Widmer had a seizure although her husband, Ryan Widmer is being charged with intentionally drowning her wife.

Dr. James Moore said that it was possible that she did fall asleep, evidence gathered showed that it was only her hair that was wet and not the entire body. However this may not be enough to truly find out the cause of Sarah Widmer’s death, meaning that Ryan Widmer is not totally off the hook.

Moore said that people who have seizures can train themselves to recognize signs of an impending seizure. Those signs could range from a bad taste in the mouth or the sensation of “butterflies in the stomach” or feeling dizzy or woozy. The day Sarah Widmer died, she described a headache and stomach ache.

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The continued journey towards finding a reasonable solution for sleep-related patterns continues and this time around, it is Zeo’s (formerly Axon Labs), turn to try and track sleep patterns and determine if there are sleep disruptions or disorders that can be addressed.

Zeo is based on a headband that tracks your sleep patterns via a sensor that monitors electrical signals from your brain. The headband transmits data wirelessly to a bedside display, where it’s stored on an SD card.

The sleep information can then be uploaded to the “myZeo Personal Coaching” Web site, where the beauty begins with concepts such as a personal sleep score or “ZQ;” information on the “7 Sleep Stealers;” and a full “7 Step Sleep Fitness Program.” The site notes that sleeplessness “is now the third biggest health complaint in the world after headache and cold, and there are currently over 80 known kinds of chronic sleep disorders.”

Now how is that for a new way to figure out the sleeping issues that people are experiencing. Surely, this is one gadget that people will want to check out.

This product is not affiliated with Sleepzine.

(Source) CNet

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One thing you cannot avoid when you are resting would be the sudden attack of allergies. Normally, this pertains to sneezing or any form of irritating manner that can most likely be a problem for health reasons and sleep. But with the SneezerBeam, all that could possibly be addressed.

SneezerBeam is a non-invasive light therapy that treats allergic symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, watery eyes and a headache using only light. SneezerBeam works by using two combined beams of light to inhibit the cells in your nose that release histamine, which is at the center of what triggers your allergic symptoms.

The technology is based upon a clinical trial on 40 patients suffering from allergic rhinitis. During the trial 20 patients were given the same light therapy used in Sneezer Beam and 20 received a placebo. The results showed 72% of patients using the light therapy showed a marked improvement of their symptoms (compared to just 24% in the placebo group) and were published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

For £39.95 a pop, it is well worth a try especially when you’ve run out of options to combat your allergies over the years. Just don’t share this with anyone else for hygienic purposes.

This device is not available on Sleepzine.

(Source) Coolest Gadgets

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How does this oral spray work?

Zolpimist is an oral spray that contains zolpidem tartrate, the same active ingredient found in the widely used prescription sleep aid Ambien. The substance is absorbed through the oral mucosa directly into systemic circulation. According to NovaDel, the most commonly observed side effects in clinical trials were headache, sleepiness and dizziness.

So if you are tired of the usual sleeping aids and pills, this can be a good alternative that will be worth trying out. You can get more information at their website here.

(Source) eFlux Media

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So now it can be told. Just when we thought that the best cure for migraines was to sleep on it, studies have now revealed that it can actually aggravate it! Apparently, the common knowledge and belief we had ever since was that migraines can be cure by sleep or from pain killers.

But now, this may explain on why at times we are wondering why migraines continue to persist even if we do sleep more than 9 hours. Thus, it is best we follow the standard sleeping hours and try not to sleep more unless we can handle these migraine attacks.

Researchers at the Clinic of Neurology at University Hospital Zvezdara in Belgrade found that patients who slept for longer than nine hours had more frequent migraine attacks than those who slept less.

The findings were released at the European Headache and Migraine Trust International Congress in London on Sunday, at the start of Migraine Awareness Week.

(Source) The Press Association

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Exercise is something good for the heart and is associated and getting great sleep. Routine exercise such as yoga or tai chi can be helpful to our bodies as far as making sure our blood flow is better. But for some people, particularly the elderly, our body metabolism is likewise important. As we age, it slows down and in the process we may find ourselves becoming idle and even reach the point of unhealthy.

Exercise regularly and you may finally get that great sleep. It doesn’t have to be hectic. Just make sure your body can have a proper circulation since in the end, your health may be relying a lot on it.

(Source) Seattlepi.com

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Bruxism Sleep Disorder is something not all people are quite familiar with.

“Bruxism is known to stand and destroy the gum tissue and may even go as far as creating problems with a person’s jaw”

So with this category of Bruxism sleep disorder, perhaps some people can now understand clearly why they suddenly wake up with sore jaws or even a headache. Chances are there are clenching activities going on while you are sleeping.

Source: Bruxism Sleeping Disorder: grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep

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