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Alcohol is the most common type of sleep aid. But drinking alcohol regularly can interfere with your sleeping pattern. It may affect sleep quality, too. Does this mean that you need to give up alcohol altogether? No. You simply need to be smarter about how you manage your liquor consumption, instead. Caption: How to sleep better after drinking alcohol Source: Pexels There are several strategies that you can use to ensure better sleep after drinking alcohol. Avoid Caffeine If you want to sleep better after having a drink, stay away from caffeine. This does not only refer to coffee. You must refrain from consuming other caffeinated drinks like sodas, teas, and energy drinks. They will keep you awake at night. If you combine that with the effect of alcohol in your body, it will be hard to enjoy a restful night. If a night of drinking is on the horizon, no worries. Whether you are out with friends or enjoying the game with any of these great tasting beers, you should be smart. Make sure you avoid having any caffeinated drinks, especially during the hours close to when you plan to hit the sack. Have a Balanced Meal Drinking your favorite beer or wine on a full belly can reduce the impact of alcohol on your sleep (versus not having a full meal). When you are going out for a drink or sipping some spirits at home, don’t skip dinner. A solid and balanced meal can regulate your body’s absorption of the alcohol. Make sure you have enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates. This will allow the alcohol to be gradually introduced to your bloodstream, reducing its overall impact on your body. The less disruption your body has, the better your sleep will be. Drink Plenty of Water Alcoholic drinks, like beer, can make you dehydrated. When your body is dehydrated, you not only toss and turn during your sleep, you can also suffer from a headache the next morning. So keep yourself hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can combat the diuretic effect of alcohol on your body. Tips for better sleep after drinking alcohol Source: Pexels The goal is to drink as much water as the alcohol you consume. When it is not possible, just try to drink as much water as possible. This will help keep your body hydrated. Another benefit to drinking plenty of water is that it fills you up quickly. As a result, you don’t consume as much alcohol as you normally would. Say No to Smoking Aside from staying away from the bad combination of alcohol and caffeine, smoking should be avoided too. A lot of people like to drink and smoke at the same time. If you are one of them, don’t be surprised if you have trouble sleeping at night. Nicotine (found in cigarettes) is a stimulant. If you smoke, it can definitely keep you awake at night. By reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke (or by not smoking at all), you will be able to sleep faster. This can also improve the quality of your sleep. Turn Off the Alarm If you have an alarm set on the regular, turn it off just before hitting the bed. Give your body a chance to recover from the effects of alcohol during your sleep. Do not disrupt that sleeping cycle with an alarm going off. If possible, keep your phone away from your bed, too. You would not want to be woken up by a text message or call. After all, you are going to be highly sensitive to any noise so you want to minimize any disruptions as much as possible. Stay off Alcohol Before Hitting the Bed A lot of people have relied on alcoholic drinks such as beer or wine to help them get to sleep. But studies have shown that this is actually doing the opposite. It is time to change your habit of getting a drink right before you hit the bed. This habit of yours can make you feel more awake and energetic, instead, which can then cause a disruption in your sleep cycle. It is best to get started early on your alcohol consumption – this is called the ‘happy hour’. Do not wait until much later in the night when you are just about to go to bed to get your drink. You are more likely to sleep faster and more soundly when you have had your drink a few hours earlier. Make Your Bedroom Cozy Sleep better even with alcohol Source: Pexels This might seem like a simple step but it can be very effective if you want to fall asleep faster. A cozy bedroom is one that is dim and has a comfortable temperature that will help you doze off. Darker colors on the bedroom wall are also suitable for sleeping. If you are not into dark wall colors, neutral hues can create a relaxing atmosphere in the bedroom. Ideally, your bedroom should be somewhere that is far from any sources of noise (such as the living room or a noisy street). The less disruptive noises there are, the sooner you can sleep. The quality of your sleep will be better, too. Setting the ideal temperature within your room can also make sleeping easier. Aim for a temperature range of 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Switching to new bedding such as microfiber sheets can improve the quality of your sleep as well. The goal is to make your sleeping space as cozy as possible. Final Reminders Heavy drinking is associated with sleep disorders. If you want to reduce the impact of alcohol on your sleep, you might want to lower your consumption. Instead of drinking as a regular nightcap, you can skip some nights. If you can, limit alcohol consumption to 2-3 times a week. Follow a pattern that works for you to improve your sleep quality. It is always a good practice to keep things in moderation.

Have you ever experienced excessive daytime sleepiness, so much so that you almost fell asleep at the wheel of your car? Or maybe you dozed off at your desk, only to be seen by your boss. Yeah, that was bad. According to National Sleep Foundation, everyone suffers from daytime sleepiness at some point. When the condition persists and becomes chronic, it is called hypersomnia (or hypersomnolence). Not all cases of daytime sleepiness can be called hypersomnia. For instance, if you do not get enough sleep at night for a long stretch it may result in daytime sleepiness, but getting enough sleep again is going to make it all right. When sleep alone does not cure the sleepiness and fatigue it usually is a symptom of hypersomnia. This condition is often accompanied by other symptoms like poor concentration and lack of energy. Hypersomnia can disrupt day to day life, and severely affect productivity. In some cases, it may even cause accidents if the person falls asleep while driving. Hypersomnia can be properly diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. Causes of Hypersomnia There are several causes of hypersomnia: Sleep Disorders: More often than not, sleep disorders cause excessive daytime sleepiness. When a person does not get enough sleep at night, it results in fatigue and sleepiness during the day. Two major sleep disorders that cause hypersomnia are narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Narcolepsy is a central nervous system disorder that causes daytime sleepiness, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, muscle weakness, and disturbed sleep at night, whereas sleep apnea is a breathing disorder in which the air passage is blocked by the tissues of the throat and the roof of the mouth (soft palate), resulting in snoring and disturbed sleep. Sleep Deprivation: This is often the most common cause of EDS, and can be cured with enough night-time sleep and short naps in the day. Lack of sleep is mostly caused by stress, little or no exercise, shortage of vitamin D, or a pair diet. Managing these helps in dealing with hypersomnia. Obesity: Being overweight can give rise to a number of health problems, including EDS. When a person is obese or overweight, they are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, because fatty tissue in the throat and the soft palate obstruct the air passage in the supine position. The difficulty in breathing results in unsound sleep, several episodes of gasping awake, and also snoring. This leads to sleep deprivation and hypersomnia. Neurological Disorders: Quite often, neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis or even a head injury can have symptoms resembling hypersomnia. When EDS develops after a head injury, it is called post-traumatic hypersomnia. This is not exactly hypersomnolence but has some of the same symptoms. Excessive sleepiness is also one of the earliest signs of brain tumor even when other symptoms are not present. Substance Abuse: Addiction problems like substance abuse are often the reason behind a number of sleep disorders. Withdrawal can also give rise Insomnia sleep apnea and other disorders. Prolonged use of prescription drugs can also lead sleep disorders by affecting normal body functions. All these result in disrupted sleep at night and excessive sleepiness during the day. Smoking, caffeine, and other lifestyle problems also result in sleep disorders and hypersomnia. Genetics: Research has found that sleep disorders run in the family. So if any member of your family suffers (or suffered in the past) from sleep disorders or hypersomnia, you may be at a greater risk of EDS. Diagnosis of Hypersomnia Not all daytime drowsiness is hypersomnia, and only a qualified medical professional can diagnose if you are suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness. If you feel excessively drowsy during the day, try making some lifestyle changes first. Cut down on the consumption of caffeine and alcohol, and get enough exercise and sunlight during the day. Even after making these changes, your symptoms persist, talk to your GP. The doctor is going to talk to you about your medical history and your lifestyle to try and find out if you have any sleep or neurological disorder. Hypersomnia is usually caused by an underlying condition, and the doctor will attempt to treat that condition to eliminate EDS. Treatment of Hypersomnia There are various treatments for excessive daytime sleepiness, but it will depend on your symptoms and the underlying cause. The first thing your doctor will try to find out is if you suffer from a sleep disorder. To diagnose this, you have to undergo certain tests, including a polysomnography, in which you have to stay overnight at a sleep center to analyze abnormalities in your sleep pattern. If you are found to have sleep apnea, then a proper course of treatment is going to be prescribed. Two of the most common treatments for sleep apnea are Oral mouthpieces, where dental appliances are fitted to your mouth to correct the jaw, tongue and soft palate position for unblocking the airway, and Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that involves wearing a pressurized mask over your mouth and nose during sleep, to keep the air passage open by forcing air through it. If your hypersomnia is being caused certain prescriptions drugs that make you drowsy during the day, then the doctor may change the medication or stop it altogether for some time to check for any improvement in your condition. Excess weight should be reduced if the sleep disorder is being caused by obesity. Your doctor may suggest a diet, exercise, and medications to bring down your weight and unblock the air passage while sleeping. In extreme cases, surgical options may also opt for quick weight loss. Iron and Vitamin D deficiency can also cause daytime sleepiness. In such cases, you will be given supplements, and also advised to be on a healthy diet. Making lifestyle changes is the most recommended treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness. Setting a proper bedtime every day, getting more sleep, quitting caffeine and smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption are some of the ways hypersomnia can be treated effectively. If a sedentary lifestyle is the problem, thirty minutes of physical activity daily could be beneficial in treating hypersomnia. In extreme cases, your doctor may prescribe certain medications to treat the condition. These include stimulants like Provigil or Ritalin, sodium oxybate to treat narcolepsy, and antidepressants. However, in most cases, making lifestyle changes and treating sleep disorders are enough to cure excessive daytime sleepiness. A thorough diagnosis by a doctor is necessary before jumping to any conclusion. Excessive daytime sleepiness can be a nuisance that affects normal life and even gives rise to risks like road accidents. Whether you are driving, crossing the street, climbing the stairs, being drowsy can result in freak accidents and injury. Hypersomnia may not always be serious. Taking iron and Vitamin D supplements and proper diet and exercise can often help when the symptoms are mild. In more severe cases, a doctor’s opinion must be sought, and the appropriate course of treatment taken to cure the condition. Hypersomnia is a curable condition that affects several people throughout the world. If you suffer from excessive drowsiness during the day, make an appointment with your doctor to get to the root cause and start the journey to a more productive life.

Sleep is one of the most mysterious phenomena in living beings, and it has intrigued since the dawn of civilization. Although science has been able to understand much of the processes in living beings, sleep is still mostly a mystery. Much of this is because we aren’t conscious when sleep happens and it’s impossible to tell what happened while we were sleeping after we wake up. For years, scientists have been studying sleep and associated phenomenons like sleep paralysis and have also managed to figure out a lot about what happens in the brain and the body when a person is asleep. However, some aspects of sleep are yet to be demystified, and one of them is the REM stage. The final of the four stages of sleep is called the Rapid Eye Movement stage because the brain is active in this phase and the eyes move rapidly behind closed eyelids. Many interesting things happen during this stage. Dreams, for instance, have intrigued both scientists and the common man for the longest time, and they happen during the REM phase. When dreams happen, the brain is active, but the body is still inactive, in a state of paralysis, to prevent it from acting out the dreams. Another mysterious phenomenon is linked to the REM stage, and this is sleep paralysis. Decoding Sleep Paralysis? Have you ever woken up from sleep, only to find that you couldn’t move or talk or get out of bed for a few moments? That’s what is sleep paralysis. In ancient times, it was linked to supernatural creatures. When the episode occurs, everyone thought that is supernatural creature had possessed him. This made sleep paralysis a very scary phenomenon for everyone. The condition was also termed a type of nightmare. But after a lot of scientific research, it is now known that the condition is nothing but being mentally aware while still asleep. This can happen either during falling asleep or waking up. The REM stage is the most complicated phenomenon associated with sleep, mainly because the brain becomes active and is conscious enough to experience life-like visions in the form of dreams, but the body is still inactive. Although the cause of sleep paralysis has been learned, the reason behind it still remains unclear. What Causes Sleep Paralysis? Although science is still unsure about the exact cause of sleep paralysis, global folklore has had explanations for centuries. These include visits from supernatural beings like ghosts, witches, and demons. In recent cases in the US, sleep paralysis has also been called “alien abductions.” These associations to supernatural activity make sense because during sleep paralysis many people experience pressure on the chest, the feeling of being secretly watched by an intruder, and other hallucinations. However, none of these actually happen. These are only sensory perceptions because the brain is still in the REM phase and the body is inactive. This means the person has woken up when he is not supposed to be awake. Because sleep paralysis is a complex phenomenon, it has been widely studied by scientists. The most common cause is waking up in the middle of REM stage sleep. When a person wakes up when the REM stage is still active, he is able to see, hear and feel because the brain is awake, but is unable to move because the body has not yet come out of the REM stage. Although this sounds scary, it lasts only a few seconds because the body realizes that the brain is already awake and slowly begins to move again. In the number of studies conducted over the years to find out more about sleep paralysis, the most common cause has been identified as sleep deprivation. When a person is deprived of the normal sleep cycle, he is more likely to wake up in the middle of the REM stage. Usually, we are supposed to wake up at the end of the REM stage, but if we don’t have a normal sleep cycle, the possibility of waking up in the middle of the REM stage increases. This is when sleep paralysis is most likely to happen. Sleep paralysis is also common in narcolepsy patients, according to sleep experts at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Health System, New York. Because narcolepsy is the result of a disrupted sleep cycle, sleep paralysis is more likely to happen, in combination with hallucinations. Napping also increases the possibility of sleep paralysis because it disrupts the natural sleep pattern. If you oversleep while napping, you may experience sleep paralysis. Young age also is likely to be a cause behind sleep paralysis. The Mayo Clinic says that sleep paralysis is most common in the age range of 10 and 25. This means even children can be affected by this disorder and also get very frightened. In people with anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or panic disorder, sleep paralysis is very likely, according to a 2017 report published by the National Institutes of Health. Since these emotional disorders result in nightmares and insomnia, they also increase the possibility of sleep paralysis. According to a 2011 study by Pennsylvania State University, nearly eight percent of the general population experienced sleep paralysis. Among them, about 31 percent of people suffer from mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Although this was a small study, it does go a long way in proving that mental disorders are associated with sleep paralysis to a certain extent. However, this doesn’t mean that every person with anxiety or PTSD will get sleep paralysis. Genetics may also have a role to play in sleep paralysis. According to the findings of a 2015 sleep study involving 862 twins and siblings by the University of Sheffield, genetics could influence sleep paralysis is some people. Although this study was also preliminary, the researchers added that it does provide a basic idea about the involvement of circadian rhythms in sleep paralysis. Symptoms of Sleep Paralysis Those who have experienced sleep paralysis find it to be scary. It almost seems like you were having a stroke, where your entire body was paralyzed, and you couldn’t move or speak. These are the most important symptoms of sleep paralysis. People are unable to move any part of their bodies or speak right after waking up or right when falling asleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, this can last a few seconds or up to a minute. Along with paralysis of the body, people may also experience tightness or pressure on their chest, as well as a choking feeling. Hallucinations are also not uncommon during an episode of sleep paralysis. This is because the brain is still in a dream-state and hasn’t fully woken up. These visions or hallucinations can be an extension of an ongoing dream. Aside from these, there are no other symptoms of sleep paralysis. The person is awake and aware during sleep paralysis episodes and can later recount the experience. Sleep Paralysis Prevention and Treatment There are no short or long term effects of sleep paralysis. Hence, there is no treatment for it. What can be treated is an underlying cause that could be contributing to sleep paralysis. Rather than treatment, this is an effort to prevent sleep paralysis. Sleep experts suggest that medical help is not required after only one rare episode of sleep paralysis. What is important is to check your sleep hygiene. Often, sleep paralysis is a sign of sleep deprivation. If you have experienced sleep paralysis only once or twice, you should make sure to get enough sleep daily, limit caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and all other drugs, and stop using electronics at bedtime. Medical help might be needed to treat underlying causes if the above doesn’t help and sleep paralysis episodes keep becoming more frequent. A sleep specialist is a person to see if you have recurrent sleep paralysis episodes. Although sleep paralysis is not dangerous, if you experience extreme episodes, you may be prescribed a short course of antidepressants. This helps to treat any underlying stress or mental disorder that might be the reason. Sleep experts suggest that during a sleep paralysis episode, it is important to remain calm and keep telling yourself that it will soon pass. There’s not much else that you can do. No one has ever remained in a sleep paralysis forever, so it’s important to understand that it’s only temporary and pass very soon. However, this is possible only when you’ve experienced an episode or two before. The first time, such episodes can really be frightening. Risk Factors of Sleep Paralysis Sleep paralysis is a fairly common phenomenon and can affect anyone in any age group. It is most likely to begin between age 14 and 17 years and decreases after the age of 30. A person is more likely to experience it if there someone in the family with the disorder. Some of the risk factors are: Bipolar disorder Anxiety, depression or PTSD Sleeping on your back Excessive stress The use of certain medications Interesting Facts About Sleep Paralysis In the past, before science could explain everything, it used to be believed that ghosts and demons caused sleep paralysis by pinning people down by sitting on their chest. However, these visions were mere hallucinations, a common symptom of sleep paralysis. In fact, most people who report seeing apparitions actually had sleep paralysis. People also use different methods to shake themselves out of the episode. Some wiggle their toes while others cough. However, it isn’t possible to wake oneself up from an episode of sleep paralysis, until it passes.

Research published by the Annals American Thoracic Society states that the ill effects of air pollution may cause many people to lose sleep. Researchers have found that people living in regions with high air pollution are likely to face sleep problems compared to those living in areas with less air pollution. Low quality and lack of sleep have adverse effects on humans. It increases the chances of accidents and also makes them moody. If this becomes a habit, then it can be harmful to your health. People not having adequate sleep are more likely to suffer from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. How Air Pollution Affects your Airways Poor air quality could affect your upper airways and also increase the chances of sleep apnea. Dr. Ryan Donald, sleep medicine expert at The Ohio State University, said that they need to research more to conclude if poor air quality and sleep are interconnected. There are many reasons for sleep apnea. Air pollution causes congestion in upper airway but things like mold, dust, and pollen can cause allergies and increase the chances of sleep apnea. A study has found the association of air pollution and sleep but not a cause-effect relationship. Dr. Martha E. Billings professor of Medicine at the University of Washington stated that there is no direct relationship between air pollution and sleep, but yes, pollution causes people not to have a sound sleep. It makes them toss and turn while they are asleep. Billings said that more studies are required to understand the direct link between air quality and sleep. Air Pollution and Mood Adverse air pollution also affects your mood. A research published a few months back on people’s happiness pointed out that people living in more polluted areas are less happier. Researcher Siqi Zheng of MIT China Future City Lab stated that pollution has an emotional effect as well. Pollution makes people unhappy and makes them take irrational decisions. Researchers also noticed that people who do not like to live in air polluted areas, move to clean cities, and are likely to experience mood swings when they live in more polluted areas. Also, people living in cities with adverse air pollution are aware of and worried about their adverse health effects. Air Pollution and Health Problems Air pollution has a direct link to increased chances of respiratory problems like asthma and lung cancer. Studies have shown a relation between air pollution and many health problems. A study published in 2017 by the researchers of the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, stated that every additional 10 micrograms of PM 2.5/cubic meter of air increased the chances of cancer by 22% in seniors. Another research stated that there are increased chances of premature birth if the pregnant woman is breathing highly polluted air. Other research stated that air pollution particles in the human brain could lead to dementia. Indoor Air Quality and Sleep Indoor air pollution could be more harmful than outdoor air. The outdoor air is around 4 to 5 times less polluted than the air indoors. People are becoming more careful about what they eat and drink but airborne chemicals enter your body easily. One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is by having more organic options at home. One of the common airborne chemicals in our houses are toxic gases like Volatile Organic Compounds and PBDEs. It is next to impossible to find a house to stay in the United States that does not have any airborne chemicals present. VOCs are found in homes in different forms like paints, hobby supplies, dry cleaned clothes, aerosol spray, air fresheners etc. Your bedroom is the place where you could avoid toxic chemicals. Converting your bedroom into a healthy retreat can be a positive impact on your health and your children. Clean air helps you have a good night’s sleep and is significant for overall health. Quality Air Purifier Investing in a quality air purifier is the best thing that you can do to improve air quality. It is almost impossible to limit the toxins and pollution but an air purifier can help you breathe cleaner air. You should look for an air purifier that is tried and tested by the users. Go for the one that removes more than 99% of airborne contaminants that are larger than 0.3 microns. Also, choose the purifier that eliminates more than 2500 toxic gases and odors that surround you like ammonia, benzene, cooking odor, dry cleaning odor etc. I recently reviewed the Molekule Air Purifier that will eliminate VOCs and goes beyond what a standard HEPA filter can do. I highly recommend it. Frequently Asked Questions Can Air Quality Affect Sleep? The air pollution could affect the quality of your sleep. The researchers have focused on two parts – sleep quality and sleep efficiency. This is measured as the total number of hours you sleep and the times you wake up after falling asleep. Can Air Pollution Make You Feel Tired? The pollutants in the air cause an increase in fatigue. If you feel tired often, you should take some time off from working in poor air quality areas. One of the common symptoms of poor air quality is headache. How Does Poor Air Quality Affect Health? Long term exposure to poor air quality can lead to many health issues like: Development of chronic respiratory diseases Asthma A decrease in lung function Respiratory issues like irritation of airways, difficulty in breathing and coughing. Do Air Purifiers Help You Sleep Better? Yes, air purifiers improve your sleep. They purify the air by trapping more than 99% of up to 0.3-micron airborne allergens like pet hair, molds, bacteria, dust and dust mites. These are the elements that wake you up in the middle of the sleep. Thus, air purifiers help you sleep better. We hope to have helped you give a basic idea of how poor air quality may be affecting your sleep. Investing in a quality air purifier is the only solution so far.

Everything You Need To Know About Night Terrors Have you ever found your child screaming awake in the middle of the night, and wondered what could be wrong? If you answered yes to that, you are not alone. Several parents around the world still don’t quite understand what makes their children wake up screaming and crying from sleep in the middle of the night when nothing is seemingly wrong. What worries parents more is the fact that the children have no memory of what made them wake up agitated. Most people assume such occurrences to be nightmares. But there is something more common than that behind these episodes: night terrors. What Are Night Terrors? Unlike nightmares, night terrors are actually a sleep disorder, mostly affecting children below the age of 12. During a night terror episode, the child may still be partly asleep, and not be aware of their surroundings. Although night terrors are most common in children, it also affects a small percentage of adults. While children grow out of night terrors as they get older, adults may need help to get better. How To Recognize Night Terrors Some of the most common symptoms of night terrors are the same as that of nightmares. These include: Sudden awakening from sleep Crying or screaming Sweating Rapid heartbeats Fear of going back to sleep Harsh breathing While children are more likely to forget these episodes, adults tend to remember them. This is because children don’t fully awaken during a sleep terror episode, but adults wake up completely, allowing them to remember what happened. Quite often, night terrors are accompanied by sleepwalking (also called somnambulism). This creates more danger for the person by increasing the risk of injury and accidents. What Causes Night Terrors? No definite cause has yet been found for night terrors, but a significant factor might be sleep deprivation or too much stress. In children, a very important cause of night terrors is an unhealthy environment at home. When a child is constantly affected by stress and conflict, it may result in sleep disorders like night terrors. These episodes can also occur in children because of their underdeveloped nervous system. This causes the fight or flight mode to be activated at wrong times, resulting in night terrors. Other underlying causes may include illnesses like high fever, tiredness, or head injuries. In adults, the causes of night terrors can be more severe, and often accompanied by other disorders like anxiety or insomnia. Night terrors in adults can also be a result of post traumatic stress disorder or drug abuse. While childhood night terrors usually go away with age, adults need medical help to get better since there are underlying causes that need to be treated. Treatments For Night Terrors Sleep terrors in children are fairly easy to treat since most of the time they are not caused by any underlying condition. The most important treatment for childhood night terrors is a comfort. Being with the child and providing comfort and reassurance is usually enough to pacify them and help them fall back asleep. Parents must be aware of any unusual symptoms they notice about their children’s night terrors. This may include a particular pattern of these episodes, or any underlying causes like anxiety, illnesses, or injury. Doctors treat childhood night terrors by either therapy, medication, or by suggesting relaxation techniques. Therapy includes talking to the patient, finding out underlying conditions, and suggesting coping mechanisms to manage stress. If any particular event has caused stress and anxiety in the child, then the doctor will try to find it out by talking to the patient and gently seeking information. In more severe cases, hypnotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy may also be used to get to the root of the problem and treat sleep terrors. Medications are rarely used to treat night terrors, but if these episodes aren’t caused by any serious condition and still continue to affect the person after therapy, the doctor may prescribe sleeping pills or tranquilizers bring about uninterrupted sleep. In children, the most effective way to cope with night terrors is by establishing a relaxation routine before bedtime. This includes taking a warm bath, having a hot drink, reading or listening to stories, or doing meditation. These techniques must be initiated by parents, and usually, take some time to show results, but are effective in the long run to calm down the child and aid in better sleep. Coping With Night Terrors Comfort and reassurance are usually enough to treat childhood night terrors as long as they are not caused by any underlying condition. Holding the child and assuring them that they aren’t in any danger is the best way to help calm them down. If possible, one of the parents may sleep with the child to provide a sense of safety. Parents must make sure children get proper sleep every day, and eliminate stress by incorporating fun and relaxing activities in the daily routine. The environment at home should be peaceful, and not create stress in the child’s life. If a child doesn’t grow out of these episodes by age 10 or 12, medical help must be sought. Adults can try making some lifestyle changes, like getting more sleep, reducing intake of caffeine or tobacco, and indulging in relaxation before bedtime. Usually, these will suffice unless there is any serious cause behind the sleep terrors. In that case, a doctor must be consulted for appropriate treatment. This might take some time to eliminate the sleep terror episodes but generally, provide relief if treatment is completed. Night terrors are not usually a cause for concern. While both children and adults may experience them, some simple lifestyle changes and proper sleep are enough to provide relief. Any unusual pattern or symptom must be reported to a doctor to rule out any serious medical condition.