What Is Sleepwalking?

Some people who sleepwalk perform complex behaviors while asleep, such as driving.

Formally known as somnambulism, sleepwalking is a sleep disorder in which a person gets out of bed and walks around, or performs other activities, while still sleeping or in a sleeplike state.

Sleep is divided into two distinct states: rapid-eye movement (REM), during which vivid dreams occur, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM).                                                                                                                                                                                       
NREM is further divided into three stages associated with different electrical activities in the brain and deepness of sleep.

Each night, you go through several cycles of REM and NREM sleep.

Sleepwalking most often occurs during the deepest NREM sleep stage — known as N3, or slow-wave sleep.

It can also occur during N2, or light sleep, according to a 2013 study.

Why Do People Sleepwalk?

It's unclear what exactly causes people to sleepwalk.

Sleepwalking has long been thought of as a disorder of arousal, in which certain parts of the brain don't fully activate after NREM — causing a person to be stuck between being fully asleep and fully awake.

Another theory holds that sleepwalking may be the result of a dysfunction in slow-wave-sleep regulation.

Whatever the case, there are many factors that can contribute to sleepwalking, including:

• Various stimulant and depressant medications, such as lithiul, Ambien and Welbutrin or Zyban
• Sleep deprivation
• Alcohol consumption
• Airway disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea
• Psychological disturbances, such as stress, anxiety, or depression
• Childhood trauma
• Migraine headaches
• Other sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome
• Certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, head injury, gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD), and stroke
• Travel

Sleepwalking also appears to run in families.
About 80 percent of adult sleepwalkers have at least one family member who also sleepwalks, and sleepwalking is more common in children with a parent who has a history of it, according to report.

Sleepwalking Prevalence

Sleepwalking is more common in children, most likely because people experience less N3 sleep as they grow older, according to the doctors.
According to a review, the prevalence of sleepwalking rises and falls throughout childhood. Sleepwalking affects:
About 3 percent of toddlers between 2.5 and 4 years old
About 11 percent of 7- to 8-year-olds
About 13.5 percent of 10-year-olds
About 12.7 percent of 12-year-olds

The rate of sleepwalking then rapidly drops in adolescence. Only about 2 to 4 percent of adults sleepwalk.

Sleepwalking Symptoms

Sleepwalking often occurs soon after a person goes to sleep, usually within one to two hours. Even though the condition is called "sleepwalking," people often engage in numerous other types of behavior.

Sometimes these behaviors are simple, such as gesturing or pointing at a wall, or talking. But certain behaviors can be more complex.

These behaviors can include:
Getting dressed
Cooking or preparing a snack
Driving a vehicle
Playing a musical instrument
Engaging in sexual activity (this is sometimes considered a separate issue distinct from sleepwalking, called sexsomnia)
Engaging in unusual activities, such as urinating in a closet (generally occurs in children)
Engaging in dangerous activities, such as jumping out a window

People who sleepwalk may also exhibit other symptoms during or after an episode, such as:
Sitting up in bed and opening their eyes, often with a glazed-over expression or blank look on their face
Confusion or disorientation after waking up
Amnesia of the sleepwalking episode (partial or total loss of memory)
Difficulty arousing from sleepwalking
Being aggressive after being woken up

Research also suggests that sleepwalking can cause excessive sleepiness or drowsiness during the day.

Sleepwalking Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis of sleepwalking from a healthcare professional usually isn't necessary, because it's likely you'll notice your behavior on your own (unless you live alone and are completely unaware of your nighttime habits).

But your doctor may give you a physical or psychological exam to rule out other possible causes of your behavior.

Certain conditions, such as REM-sleep behavior disorder and nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, can cause complex sleep behaviors that may appear similar to sleepwalking.

In some cases, a sleep study ( polysonogram) — in which you spend a night in a sleep lab, where technicians take physiological measurements while you sleep — may be required for an accurate diagnosis.

Sleepwalking Treatment

Treatment generally isn't necessary for occasional sleepwalking. But your doctor may suggest treatment if your condition is resulting in disturbing or dangerous behaviors.
Treatment may involve:

Correcting the underlying cause of sleepwalking, such as sleep deprivation or a medical condition

Anticipatory awakenings, in which you're awoken shortly before the time you normally start to sleepwalk

Sedative medication in the benzodiazepine class, such as Valium, Klonopin, or Tofranil 

Hypnosis

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
 PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                               
     https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                     
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                              https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

How to Forgive Yourself in 7 Steps

We all have relationships in our lives that have lasted long enough for us to have hurt that person at one point or another. For this reason, we try to learn from mistakes, to behave differently, and of course to ask forgiveness from those who we’ve hurt. However, many of us forget to ask forgiveness from ourselves. This is despite the fact that some of the time we feel disappointed by certain things we did, said and thought, or vice versa, things we didn’t do even though we needed to. Feelings of disappointment or anger stand in our way of learning, correcting, and behaving differently the next time. The following tips will help you learn to forgive yourself, an action that is not only important, enriching and empowering, but may also be the biggest obstacle you face which prevents you from turning a new page.

1. Stop punishing yourself

Just as we punish our children when they do something wrong, we continue to punish ourselves but choose an inefficient way to do so. Anger and disappointment are a self-punishment mechanism that most of us implement without thinking twice because we often err and think that self-forgiveness is like forgetting what we did. If this is why you find it difficult to forgive yourself, remember that the more effective way to look at things is to understand that forgiveness is a process of being aware of what happened, and not reversing a mistake. It makes sense to tell ourselves that we aren’t proud of what we’ve done, but we want to move on in order to protect ourselves, our health and our relationships with those around us. This statement allows us to begin to find the way forward, instead of falling into a dangerous cycle of self-harm on an emotional level.

2. Categorize the source of your anger

We may walk around with a sense of self-disappointment for a long time, without stopping to think about what exactly disappointed us in the way we acted. Our reluctance to classify the mistake we’ve made may stem from fear of dealing with the past and placing a mirror in front of an action we aren’t proud of. However, it is, of course, difficult and impossible to forgive ourselves for something we are trying to repress. Try to go back to the moment when you felt you were wrong, and ask yourself why this is a mistake that makes you feel bad today. If we fight with our partner, we may feel bad because in our opinion this is a sign of our failure in the relationship. If we lead an unhealthy lifestyle, we may be angry at hurting ourselves, and if we refrain from intervening in a family conflict we may be angry at ourselves for not acting, where in hindsight, we should have acted.

3. Think about the values that guide you today

The reason most of us feel guilty or ashamed about past actions is that these actions are incompatible with our values today. Try to identify and define which values that accompany you now conflict with what you’ve done or haven’t done before, and in what way. Defining the values and identifying the precise location of the incompatibility allows us to get a clearer picture not only of the reason we regret what we did but also of the issue of whether we feel bad because our way of thinking has changed, or rather a clash of values we experienced the second we made the mistake.

4. Do not allow one action to define who you are

Once you know the cause of your self-anger and why these feelings came up, remind yourself that this is a case, an act, or period in your life that is unable to define who you are as a person. Some of us tend to think of a mistake we made in work or relationships as a sign that we aren’t successful in what we are doing, rather than treating it as it is: a mistake. Of course, if we define ourselves by these mistakes, we won’t be able to emerge from the cycle that will enable us to be better partners or more efficient employees. Remember that every person, even the most successful, fails or makes a couple mistakes in their lifetime.
Accepting the fact that these mishaps don’t affect who we are doesn’t mean that we’re ignoring our flaws or that we aren’t trying to improve ourselves. This means that our strength is embodied in the fact that we value ourselves enough to rise above these moments, so as not to stop our progress. One of the things that can help you is to speak about the problem to a person you trust and try to use their point of view to see it in a less serious and even comic way. Such a conversation will give you the support and freedom you need to stop taking the problem too seriously and to realize that for the people you care about, you are much more than just your mistakes.

5. Create a "redo" list

Go back to the day you feel you made the mistake, and think how you would react if you were warned about what was to happen. Your "re-do" list is the warning and tool that will allow you to be more prepared for the next time. Try to think or register to yourself how you would have acted otherwise if you could do things again. Thus, you can be sure that not only did you identify the problem and learn from the mistake, but that you’re allowing yourself to acquire knowledge and skills in order to do things differently in the future. Even if it is more than one mistake, don’t be discouraged by the size of the “project”. If the next time you encounter a similar situation you make all of the same mistakes except for one, know that you have internalized, improved and progressed, which is no small feat!

6. Move forward using the “bike-riding” method

When we learned to ride a bike as children, most of us realized that it was a process and that we would need several attempts before we stopped falling. New patterns of behavior and thinking are no different, since here too we are learning acquired skills. Remember that there is no reason for you not to be wrong before you can move on, and if you hadn’t forgiven yourself for every fall while learning to ride a bike, you probably wouldn’t be able to ride properly today.
The way we respond to situations depends on the basket of skills we have, our mood, and how we perceive a situation at that time. Maybe we did not see things as they were, we acted out of defense or we were stressed. However, allow yourself to err in order to move towards your ultimate goal, that is to act more correctly next time. Look at the list of "re-doing" you created and remember that if you learn from your mistakes, they’ll never have been made in vain.

7. If possible - improve. If not, move on

If you’ve hurt someone or you didn’t do something you were supposed to do, try asking for forgiveness and correcting what you can. Those who surround you knowing that you own your mistakes doesn’t diminish your value, in fact, it does the opposite. If you’ve made a few mistakes, don’t expect yourself to immediately improve and correct them all. Focus on the most important things, and remind yourself that you are on the right path even if you haven’t fixed everything.
At the same time, remember that not everything is fixable and that at some point you must accept that some things have happened and can’t be erased. The last step is to finally turn the page and accept what happened as a past event. Look forward, set new goals for yourself and move on to new destinations knowing that you’ll be able to do them more easily this time.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
 PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                               
     https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                     
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                              https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

10 Harmful Habits That Cause Depression

Most of us see depression as a phenomenon caused mainly by various negative events we have experienced and unfortunate circumstances that make us feel down and gloomy. However, there are a variety of everyday causes of depression that most people ignore and that actually affect the quality of our lives in a significant way.
So, if you feel unexplained sadness, are overwhelmed with constant negative thoughts, and have a host of other symptoms that indicate that you may be depressed, it is time to check whether you’ve adopted these 10 daily habits that have an adverse effect on the mind.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
 PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                               
     https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                     
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                              https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com

1. Excessive use of technology

Smartphones, tablets, televisions, and computers - all of them pass our time pleasantly and allow us to consume information whenever and wherever we wish. However, a study, which examined media consumption habits of 318 participants, showed that various media outlets also act as a double-edged sword and may encourage symptoms of depression. The emergence of these symptoms was explained by the fact that multitasking, such as watching TV and reading news on a smartphone simultaneously, overloads the brain with too much information to work properly, leading to exhaustion and ultimately depression.

2. Poor nutrition

It’s no secret that our dietary habits have a direct impact on our overall health. But while many choose to focus on negative effects such as being overweight, our food also has the power to change our mood completely. In a study published, participants that ate more processed foods had more symptoms of depression than their counterparts who avoided doing so. Another study found that participants whose diets were low in fish suffered more depression than their counterparts, probably due to lack of omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are commonly associated with regulating levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that affects our mood. 

3. Going to sleep late

Sometimes all we want to do at the end of a hard and busy day is to zone out and watch TV, spend time at a restaurant or engage in a favorite hobby. A study found that the next morning may be grayer than expected when you chose to go to bed later than usual, although you spent that time at rest and relaxation.
The reason for this is that a severe lack of sleep disrupts the functioning of the brain and significantly harms attention, concentration, and memory. Thus, apart from the sense of exhaustion that will accompany you throughout the day, the great effort to maintain normal functioning will only trigger stronger feelings of frustration and anxiety. 

4. Keeping pessimistic company

It is very possible that the negative criticism and comments from the circle of people closest to you come from their genuine desire to provide you with good advice. However, as in many other cases, even negative and pessimistic feelings should be taken at the right dosage. According to a clinical psychologist, spending many hours together with a negative person may change our worldview for the worse, make us identify with the negative thoughts of the other person and compare them to many events in our lives.
This doesn’t mean you have to write off people who are close to you, just try to talk to them about the fact that negative conversations don’t benefit you, and perhaps you will make them see the world in a much more positive way. 

5. Spending too much time in a busy and overcrowded environment

Life in the center of the city has many advantages such as proximity to many restaurants, public transportation availability, various public facilities, vibrant nightlife, many employment opportunities and more. In a study conducted in 2011, it was found that the rapid and noisy pace of life that characterizes large cities may also create a great deal of mental stress, manifested in symptoms of anxiety and depression. So, despite your great love for these areas, try to spend a little more time in public parks and gardens close to your home where you can connect to nature and enjoy some peace and quiet.

6. Isolating yourself for a long time

After a busy day of chores, it is only natural that we feel the need to isolate ourselves and get the peace and quiet we craved throughout the day. In addition, there are quite a few studies that testify to the many benefits of having a little quality time with ourselves because it allows us to solve problems more efficiently and process the vast amount of information we were exposed to throughout the day.
Nevertheless, it is recommended that this habit not be overdone, and clinical psychologist also warns against the gradual emergence of symptoms of depression and anxiety if one isn’t careful. She says that as part of our coping with the challenges of everyday life, it is important that we strengthen our existing friendships and create new relationships that will enable us to share and express our feelings.

7. Inaction

Although we all like to be idle in front of the TV screen from time to time, we also want to know how to set some boundaries and challenge ourselves in a variety of tasks and hobbies. According to a Dr., doing different tasks, even those that aren’t part of our interests, gives us a sense of meaning, distracts us from negative thoughts and improves our mood significantly. Even having a strict and consistent exercise regimen is an excellent anti-depressant, due to the various chemicals, such as endorphins, released in our brains which promote a sense of calm and tranquility.

8. Not enough daylight exposure

Our busy lives can often have us sitting in front of a screen for hours on end, sometimes without even having a short outdoor break. If you notice that you don’t usually go out during the day, this may explain the gloomy mood that overcomes you out of nowhere. Apart from our natural need to get some fresh air and clear our head, sun exposure accelerates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a central role in emotional regulation. In addition, daylight stimulates the production of vitamin D essential to brain health that allows us to stay sharp and logical.

9. Taking various medications

Most of us think that drugs only have physical side effects such as rash, diarrhea, and vomiting. However, you should know that some of the side effects of drugs such as oral contraceptives, anti-epileptic drugs, and corticosteroids may have associated symptoms of depression and anxiety. In a study in 2016, researchers corroborated this hypothesis regarding oral contraceptives and found that any drug with hormonal effects led to extreme mood swings among participants. Therefore, even if you can’t avoid the use of certain medications, you should know the various side effects and when they appear, talk to your doctor about it and see where you go from there.

10. Poor posture

It is no secret that our posture conveys what we feel to the environment, and shows whether we are self-confident, scared, sad and so on. In a study, it was found that our posture has a direct effect on us emotionally; Participants who walked with their backs bent, shoulders slumped forward and a slightly bowed head, made their brains feel depressed and, as a result, began to experience symptoms of depression.

The Embodiment Method

When we feel threatened or shaken, we can see it through our posture, breathing and movement, our bodies can go into shock or sometimes even crash. Many people think that the solution to overcoming a crisis or challenge comes primarily from a change in mind, but the truth is that 98% of our thoughts come from the subconscious and no thought will be fully realized if it isn’t connected to the body. In order to easily cope with the pitfalls of our lives, we must understand that our bodies have a great influence on our behavior, and it is important that we learn how to know our bodies and not separate them from the way we act and think. Precisely this principle focuses on the Embodiment approach, which teaches us how to build awareness of our bodies and properly cope with stress and obstacles. With this approach, we will present you with exercises to work with the body that will reconnect you to your mental abilities and help you stand up any challenge.

What is the Embodiment Approach?

We all have automatic trigger responses to different situations, for example, if we were to be called to our boss’s office, we would get nervous or start feeling stress. However, what people aren’t aware of is that our bodies also react instinctually. The way we walk, breathe and stand, consciously or unconsciously, affects our mentality and our experiences. The key to changing these responses is to think of our body as a sequence of sensations and to examine more positive and calming response patterns based on listening, movement, breathing, and other physical activities. Therefore, the solution must begin with control of the body and the feelings leading to the reaction, and by changing your automatic reaction patterns you will achieve significant results that, over time, will turn into a habit. By knowing your physical experience, you will learn how to control your thoughts, how to overcome stressful situations and confront your body's responses to panic and stress.

Exercises for working with the body according to the Embodiment approach:

Working with the body is very easy and effective because the body responds to every form of distress and this allows us to "read it" easily. When you change your negative response pattern in a different format that involves setting boundaries, listening or controlling pain, you change consciousness through your body. Once you identify these familiar patterns of action, you can change the response you feel to a more responsible, and calculated response. With the 7 Embodiment method-based exercises, you can increase the space of your body's responses and move closer to realizing your personal potential.
1. Relaxation between the eyes, tongue, diaphragm, and body – it’s not for nothing that Mystics believe in the third eye and that its closely related to the knowledge and vision of humans, which is why it’s important to keep this area relaxed. Start with the area between the eyes, try to relax, and make sure your tongue is not constricted your abdomen and diaphragm are relaxed and the body is loose and not tense. 
2. Posture - the body and mind work together, so it's important to be aware of how we stand. Posture is expressed in awareness of the environment, smells and the body itself. 
3. Breathing - A short breath is a breath that brings in a small amount of air and is designed to wake us up. In contrast, a long, deep breath from the diaphragm brings more air into the body, allowing it to relax and choose the desired response more considerately. 
4. Control of pain - If you notice, when you feel physical pain your body tenses up, the pain is sharp and breathing stops for a moment. Now try to relax, practice the previous 3 sections, breathe deeply with your stomach, release your tongue and loosen up your body. When the same pain is applied this time (with the same intensity), you’ll hardly feel it. The reason for this is your relaxed body that made it easier to feel pain, try it and you will certainly be surprised by the results!
5. A new approach to aggression - repeat the previous section while another person recites annoying sentences to you ("You're weak", "You're not good enough ...") and see how you react. Try it again only this time you have to calm your body and concentrate on breathing, note that the body is not tense. Not only will you feel less pain, but you will also be less aggressive towards the person in front of you. When we are in situations of stress or confrontation, the body tends to contract and tense up. Our typical reaction is to defend ourselves (even violently). But once we bring the body's awareness into play, we change our response and can replace it with more balanced behavior. 
6. Lie - The body signals to you and the people around you when you are lying. Ask another person to push you and try to resist them with your body, at this time you will say one truth and one lie. while lying, you’ll feel your eyebrows rising and your body will have a hard time resisting. The reason for this is that our bodies are "transparent" and cannot conceal lies, the inevitable raising of eyebrows, distracts your attention from the resistance. Now consider what this means about you... 

7. Decision Making - When you are required to make a decision under pressure, the choice you make will arise from stress. When your body is relaxed, your decision may be different and much smarter. It is therefore important to train the body how to deal with stress, with limits, lies or any other challenge that may arise in the future.

Training Workshop: The three-dimensional body

We will now present 3 simple exercises from the Embodiment Training Workshop, which focuses on the three dimensions of our bodies. Each physical object has three dimensions: width, length, and depth, as does the human body. The difference between our body and a chair or table lies in the fact that we have an experience of life and energy. To begin the first exercise, stand on your feet and observe the way you stand.
Length – as you stand on your legs picture them as roots of a tree. If you sink a little more into the ground, you’ll feel heavier – usually, those who are depressed, powerless or stubborn will seem as though they can’t be moved. If you imagine your body as a tree, your trunk should grow upwards and your treetop should reach your neck. If you lift your head up, you’ll feel slightly arrogant or condescending, but, if you straighten your back and neck, you’ll feel more relaxed and confident.
Width - width is actually a perception of place, think of thin people who stand with their hands together, people who are cold and hold themselves, or people who swing from side to side (just as they do in life). Part of embodiment is presence and visibility, but you don’t have to stretch out your hands and take over a space all the time. However, if you’re having difficulty feeling your presence, try to raise your arms along your shoulders, as if touching an invisible wall, feel your width and then bring your hands back towards your body while you stay with that feeling.

Depth - in this dimension we are not talking about muscles or weight, rather about movements. For example, if you run and rush to a certain place, your body will tilt forward, however, if you look at someone your body will move backward as if hesitant. In addition, depth is very connected to your culture, for example, people who maintain personal space as opposed to people who are more open to the environment. If you try to stand still and swing back and forth without moving your legs, you’ll feel the depth of your body and the trust you feel towards the person standing in front of you.

In the second exercise, after you’ve found and explored the three dimensions of your body, take a short walk, concentrate on the dimensions of your body and examine how you respond to objects and people (e.g., do you shrink back when smiled at or do smile back).
In the last exercise, try to think of something or someone that warms your heart. Start walking again, keeping in mind the 3 dimensions of your body, and think about the person you chose. Pay attention to your walking, your rhythm, and the dimensionality your body creates. Soon you will notice the difference in your walking and posture and after that success, you will be one step closer to embodiment!

 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                
 PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                               
     https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                     
  FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                              https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com