Apnea is an episode of complete obstruction of the upper airway, which makes it impossible to breath and reduces oxygen in the blood. Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by multiple apneas during sleep. The sufferer basically stops breathing, which often causes a brief awakening from sleep to resume breathing. Since the awakenings are so …
Narcolepsy is a hypersomnolence disorder, which is unrelated to sleep-related breathing disorders. Hypersomnolence is a state of excessiveness sleep or tiredness. Thus, narcolepsy is a state of excessive sleepiness, not due sleep disturbances, such as sleep apnea or not getting enough sleep, and not due to medical and psychiatric conditions or drug/substance abuse. People who …
Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) is a medical condition which as its name suggests is a sexual dysfunction which occurs after taking SSRI (selective serotonin uptake inhibitor) or SNRI (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) drugs. SSRIs (and SNRIs) are a widely used class of drug used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, …
Inositol is referred to as “nature’s sleeping pills” by Dr. Robert Atkins, one of the fathers of functional medicine, the branch of medicine that employs food supplements in treatment and prevention of disorders. In fact, Atkins writes, inositol “virtually eliminates the need for a whole category of potentially harmful drugs: tranquilizers and sleeping pills.” Inositol …
Ashwagandha (Radix Withaniae) is an Ayurvedic herbal medicine made from the dried roots of Withania somnifera, also known as Physalis somnifera or solanum somniferum, a plant from the nightshade family (Solancaeae). The name ashwagandha comes from Sanskrit and means “the smell and strength of a horse,” possibly alluding to the plant’s aphrodisiac/healing properties, its effects …
Withania somnifera: Ashwagandha Dreams & Benefits for Sleep Read More »
If you are wondering what part of the brain controls sleep and consciousness, then you’ve come to the right place. Several areas of the brain play a role in sleep and consciousness, including: Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is a part of the brain made of different nuclei that serve a variety of functions, such as to …
What Part of the Brain Controls Sleep & Consciousness? Read More »
Dreams, or sleep mentation, consist of the perceptions, thoughts and emotions we experience during sleep. Dreams mostly occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, but they also occur during deep sleep and even when we are awake. Wait, what?! When we are awake? Oh… you must be referring to “daydreaming!” Daydreams are one type of …
Kava kava (Piper methysticum) is a shrub of the Piperaceae Family (Pepper Family), which can be found on some South Pacific islands, where the root has been used medicinally and ceremonially for centuries to prepare a hypnotic and narcotic psychoactive beverage known as kava (the Polynesia Islanders of the Pacific referred to Piper methysticum as …
Turnera diffusa (damiana) is a psychoactive shrub classified as a Turneraceae (Turnera Family) or Passifloraceae. It is native to southern California (Baja), southern Texas, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean, but its main region is in northern Mexico and Baja California. Damiana is the means for loving thy neighbor! Max Amann (1997) The …
The Common Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a hardy, twining climbing vine. When female flowers mature into fruiting heads, the pale green, cone-like female flower clusters (seed cones or strobiles) are harvested. Humulus is from the Latin word for “soil:” humus. This refers to the fact that if it doesn’t climb on anything, it grows on …
