Sleep

I’ve been falling asleep suddenly during the day — what could be causing this?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I'm 40 years old and in good health. But lately I've been falling asleep suddenly during the day. What could be causing this?

DEAR READER: There are many things that can cause a person to fall asleep suddenly. Your sudden bouts of sleep might be caused by a rapid drop in your blood sugar, a side effect of a medication you're taking, or could result from stress, depression or inadequate sleep at night. Another possibility is narcolepsy.

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Does my frequent yawning mean my brain isn’t getting enough oxygen?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I yawn a lot. My friend said this is a sign my brain isn't getting enough oxygen. Is that true?

DEAR READER: Most of us yawn more often in the early morning and late evening. Does it mean you're tired? Bored? Not getting enough oxygen? It turns out that we actually know very little about why we yawn.

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How can I help my child fall asleep?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: My 8-year-old has trouble falling asleep. Can you give me some practical suggestions that may help?

DEAR READER: The pediatricians here at Harvard Medical School who specialize in sleep problems have given me this advice: To help your child (or anyone of any age, for that matter) fall asleep, you must remove the obstacles that may impede or disrupt his sleep. By doing so, you'll make it much easier for your child to settle down and drift off into a restful slumber.

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Do natural sleep remedies work?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I'm a woman in my 60s who struggles with insomnia. A friend recommended melatonin. What do you think of this and other natural sleep aids?

DEAR READER: Many of my patients have trouble with insomnia. Now and then, so do I. There are different types of sleep problems, each treated differently. People can have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up tired.

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What can I do about nightmares?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I've been having terrible nightmares, and I don't know what to do.

DEAR READER: Almost everyone can remember having nightmares now and then. Just as we don't really know why we sleep, we don't really understand nightmares, or why some people are more prone to have them.

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What happens in our bodies when we sleep?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: Why do we need to sleep, and what happens in our bodies while we sleep?

DEAR READER: The honest answer is that we don't know why it is we sleep. We spend about a third of our lives doing it, so nature must have a reason for it. But it's hard to ask nature questions -- or, at least, to get an answer.

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Is lack of sleep harmful to my health?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: Between work and caring for my kids, I barely get four hours of sleep a night. Are there long-term consequences of this kind of sleep deprivation?

DEAR READER: If you are like most people, you're not getting enough sleep, and there could be consequences.

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What treatments are available for restless leg syndrome?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I'm a 55-year-old man with restless legs syndrome for the past several months. The condition is making it impossible for me to get a good night's sleep. What can I do?

DEAR READER: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs. In describing these odd sensations, my patients use words such as "tingling," "prickly," "crawling," "pulling" and, sometimes, "painful."

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How does CPAP help with sleep apnea?

Caucasian male with sleep apnea wears a CPAP machine mask in bed.

DEAR DOCTOR K: I was just diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. My doctor wants me to try CPAP. Can you tell me more about my condition and the proposed treatment?

DEAR READER: We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, so if anything unhealthy happens while we're asleep, that's not good news. Unfortunately, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is unhealthy. About one in 10 adults have this condition, and many don't know they have it. So it's good that you have a diagnosis.

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Could my food choices be making me tired?

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DEAR DOCTOR K: I'm in good health and I've been sleeping well. But I'm tired all the time. Could my food choices be causing this lethargy?

DEAR READER: Most of us experience some mid-afternoon drowsiness — the "3 o'clock slump" or the "4 o'clock fade." But if you feel groggy throughout the day, that could be reason for concern.

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