Sleep SOS

Four sleeping snags that could be telling you something

Snoring

Annoying? Yes. Harmless? Not always. Studies show loud snoring may indicate a risk of higher cholesterol, blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. "This risk increases if you have obstructive sleep apnoea - pauses in breathing that deprive the body of oxygen," says Dr Delwyn Bartlett, psychologist and insomnia specialist at University of Sydney's Woolcock Clinic. "Common apnoea signs include daytime sleepiness, or fatigue, and morning headaches."

Try:
• A mouthguard-like device to push your jaw forward – available from your dentist
• Losing some kilos if you're overweight
• Cutting back on alcohol and sedatives

Teeth grinding

If you're waking up with pain in your jaw or face, an earache or even sore, cracked teeth, you could be grinding your teeth. The number one culprit? Stress. Or, you could be attempting to align your teeth – a common cause of teeth grinding is the misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. But if you keep gnashing you can wear down your enamel and end up with sensitive teeth.

Try:
• Relaxing. Deal with daytime stress levels to help reduce physical symptoms at night.
• Visiting your dentist. "They may suggest mouthguard, muscle relaxant tablets or muscle massage," says Dr Neil Hewson of the Australian Dental Association.

Intense dreams

Have your dreams become more vivid or frequent? Depression could be to blame. "Studies indicate that some depressed people have more Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and their dreams are more intense," says Associate Professor Michael Baigent, clinical adviser to Beyondblue, the national depression initiative. "This can contribute to more broken sleep and result in morning tiredness."

Try:
• Cognitive behavioural therapy with a counsellor, to help combat depression
• Daily exercise, which can help reduce mild to moderate depression

Night sweats

"Waking overnight drenched with perspiration can indicate hormonal changes," says Dr Bartlett, including the onset of menopause. Medications (think steroids and antidepressants) and conditions like overactive thyroid, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and bacterial infection may also be responsible.

Try:
• Seeing your GP to discount underlying causes or discuss medication changes.
• Cutting back on caffeine, which can overstimulate your metabolism.
• Practising yoga by day and meditation at night - both can help lower body temperature and stress.

Siesta stealers

Want a cruisy eight hours of slumber? Then minimise...

• Caffeine
A strong afternoon latte may still be in your bloodstream at night and cause wakefulness, hijacking zzzs.

• Exercise
Avoid hitting the gym any later than around 6–7pm. "Late exercise raises body temperature and metabolism when they should be getting lower," says Professor Leon Lack, who runs a sleep clinic and is a professor of psychology at Flinders University.

• Alcohol
When the sedative effect wears off you may experience rebound alertness or thirst.

• Computer screens
The bright light can delay sleep onset by interfering with the production of melatonin, a hormone that lowers body temperature in readiness for sleep.

While You Weren't Sleeping

Up to 30 per cent of Australians suffer at least one symptom of sleeplessness at any time, with around 15 per cent suffering from chronic insomnia*. Identify your problem and try these solutions.

Trouble Falling Asleep: "Stress is a common culprit and so are weekend sleep-ins, which can shift your body clock out of sequence," says Flinders University's Professor Leon Lack.
Self-Help: Let in the light as soon as you wake up. "If you don't usually fall asleep until 3am, aim to get your bright light exposure around 10am for a few days, then 9.30am for a few days and so on to help set your body clock back," says Professor Lack. "Another strategy is to go to bed the time you normally fall asleep and get up at your usual time. Doing this often helps reduce conditioned insomnia, where wakefulness is an anxious habit."
5am waking: May indicate depression, but can also point to problems like asthma or low blood sugar.
Self-Help: See your GP about problems like allergy, diabetes or the blues. "Ask for a referral to a sleep disorders centre for a bright-light stimulation course to reset your body clock," advises Professor Lack.
Waking Constantly: Anxiety, nightmares or drinking too much fluid late in the evening are common culprits.
Self-Help: "Try to relax and remind yourself that three to four wakenings a night are quite normal as you move from deep to light sleep," explains Professor Lack.