Finding a Doctor to Diagnose Restless Legs Syndrome

When itchy, tingly legs keep you tossing and turning all night, which doctor do you call? Here’s the 411 on first steps when restless legs syndrome keeps you up all night.

When you’re sniffling and sneezing, you probably head to your primary care doctor for help. But when you’ve got what you suspect is restless legs syndrome — uncomfortable sensations that strike at night and won’t let you sleep — you might be wondering whether a specialist is in order.

Restless legs ...

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1
MAR
0

Restless Legs Syndrome

Fear of Dark May Morph into Insomnia

Fear may contribute to increased arousal once the lights are turned off at bedtime, study shows.

People with insomnia may not sleep well because they have an underlying fear of the dark, researchers suggested here at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

About 46 percent of subjects with insomnia reported they had a fear of the dark compared with 26 percent of good sleepers, said Taryn Moss Atlin, MS, a PhD student at Ryerson University, Toronto.

Poor sleepers also experienced ...

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15
FEB
0

Insomnia

FDA: Lower Ambien’s Dose to Prevent Drowsy Driving

Blood levels from nighttime dose remain too high the next morning, agency says.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is asking manufacturers of sleep medications containing zolpidem — including Ambien — to lower the recommended doses and to provide more safety information to patients.

These sleep medications include Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist, as well as generic versions of Ambien and Ambien CR.

Officials are concerned that blood levels of zolpidem are high enough the morning after taking ...

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1
FEB
0

Doctors Orders

Falling Asleep with Anxiety

Worries keeping you up at night? Anxiety and sleep problems can feed off each other, but practicing relaxation and sound sleep habits can stop the cycle.

Does your mind race as soon your head hits the pillow? Does anxiety over work, money, or relationships keep you from going to sleep?

It’s normal to be anxious from time to time. But when anxiety and emotional problems routinely get in the way of a good night’s sleep, it’s time to take action before a ...

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15
JAN
0

Other Sleep Disorders

ER Visits Tied to Ambien on the Rise

Adverse reactions to popular sleep meds rose almost 220 percent between 2005 and 2010, study finds.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of emergency-room visits related to sleep medications such as Ambien, according to a new U.S. study.

Adverse reactions to zolpidem — the active ingredient in the sleep aids Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar and Zolpimist — rose almost 220 percent between 2005 and 2010, researchers from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found.

The study ...

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1
JAN
0

Sleepless Dangers

Drugs May Help Relieve Restless Legs Syndrome

Review found two types of approved medications helped most patients with moderate to severe symptoms.

People suffering from restless legs syndrome may find some relief by taking one of several drugs approved to treat the condition, a new review confirms.

The medications, which include Requip (ropinirole), levodopa, Neurontin (gabapentin) and Lyrica (pregabalin), appear to reduce symptoms of the syndrome in more than 60 percent of patients, researchers report. The first two drugs raise dopamine levels in the body, and the last two ...

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15
DEC
0

Restless Legs Syndrome

Don’t Bother With Ultrasonic Bedbug Devices

Study of 4 products on market found emitted sounds don’t keep insects away.

Ultrasonic devices sold to repel bedbugs are ineffective, a new study finds.

Many such devices have been marketed in recent years as ways to control insects such as mosquitoes, cockroaches and ants. Few of those products, however, have been demonstrated as being effective. New versions that are supposed to target bedbugs are now available.

The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Researchers K.M. Yturralde and ...

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1
DEC
0

Tips and Tricks

Daylight-Saving Time and Sleep

Daylight-saving time doesn’t have to disrupt your sleep schedule. A few simple tips help ensure sound sleep during daylight-saving time and beyond.

For most of us, the springtime switch from standard to daylight-saving time is merely an inconvenience. It might be the cause of skipped appointments if we manage to miss all those reminders telling us to move our clocks forward one hour on the second Sunday in March.

But for others, the first few days of daylight saving time can mean ...

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15
NOV
0

Sleep 101

Daydreaming Leads to Insomnia, Study Finds

Daydreamers may have trouble turning off the part of their brain linked to a wandering mind, which could put them at risk for insomnia, according to a new study.

Daydreaming may keep you up at night, according to a new study published in the journal Sleep. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego found that people who daydream may be unable to stop thoughts from appearing in their head, which can keep them up at night and cause trouble concentrating ...

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1
NOV
0

Sleep 101

Could a Full Moon Keep You Up at Night?

Study finds it’s a time when people get less shut-eye, have shorter periods of deep sleep.

Many myths have told of the powers of a full moon, from werewolves to sudden madness to unexplained seizures, but new research suggests an impact close to home: Sound sleep may be harder to come by when the moon is in its full glory.

The study suggests that the human body is cued not only to the daily rising and setting of the sun, which regulates ...

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15
OCT
0

Sleep 101

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