Your circadian rhythm is an ingrained biological clock that regulates the timing periods of tiredness and wakefulness throughout the day. Your body clock is calibrated by the appearance and disappearance of natural light in a 24-hour period. The term circadian is derived from the Latin "circa diem" meaning "approximately a day."

The functions of your circadian rhythm are based in the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Within the hypothalamus are a group of cells known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is connected to our optic nerves that sense changes in light. The SCN is also responsible for regulating many body functions that revolve around the 24-hour cycle including: body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and the release of hormones such as melatonin which helps us with sleep.

It may sound a little strange to hear, but not all sleep tests conducted at sleep clinics monitor you as you sleep. One of the tests you may be asked to take is called an MWT, or Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.

While most tests are designed to diagnose sleep disorders during sleep (polysomnogram), monitor how quickly patients fall asleep (MSLT), or to calibrate CPAP machines (CPAP titration) after breathing disorders are diagnosed, the maintenance of wakefulness test is intended to challenge patients to attempt to stay awake during periodic trials. 

Alaska Sleep Clinic is dedicated to raising awareness for diabetic complications and how they correlate with sleep disorders and overall tiredness.

SLEEP PROBLEMS AND SNORING MAY PREDICT DIABETES

Studies have shown that individuals who consistently have a bad night's sleep are more likely to develop conditions linked to diabetes and heart disease.

If you are suffering from sleep troubles at night or experiencing troubles staying awake during the day, there is a good chance that you could have a sleep disorder.

Sleep disorders are medical conditions that can affect people's sleep patterns and habits. Many sleep disorders can also cause complications to your health and general well being if left untreated. The best way to get to the bottom of your sleep troubles is to have a sleep study performed, which can help diagnose your disorder and lead to proper treatment options.

But what exactly is a sleep study? How are they performed? What can they tell you about your sleep? And how do you go about getting one?

Here we walk you through all of the important steps from when you should get a sleep study to complying with your recommended treatment.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders afflicting approximately 20 million adults in the U.S. with an estimated 80% of cases going undiagnosed. Many people may be unaware that a sleep disorder is the underlying cause of their health problems, and others may be aware of their sleep disorder but uninformed of the severe consequences of untreated sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is characterized by frequent breaks or pauses in breathing during sleep. There are 3 forms of sleep apnea: Central sleep apnea (CSA) in which the pauses are due to the brain failing to signal the respiratory system to breathe; obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which breathing is interrupted by a physical blockage in the upper airways, often caused by soft tissues of the throat and tongue collapsing into the airway; and complex/mixed sleep apnea which is a combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.

"I spend several days at a time without enough sleep. At first, normal activities become annoying. When you are too tired to eat, you really need some sleep. A few days later, things become strange. Loud noises become louder and more startling, familiar sounds become unfamiliar, and life reinvents itself as a surrealist dream."

 –Henry Rollins

People suffering from sleep loss may not realize just how many causes to their sleep troubles are out there.

External factors, personal choices, other people, medical conditions, and sleep disorders can all work independently or jointly to rob you of much needed sleep.

Here we compile a list of the most common sets of sleep disturbances that may be causing you to ask "why can't I sleep?"

Most likely you have a favorite sleep position. For most of us, this is the first position in which we lay after getting into bed.  It’s usually our most comfortable position, and most likely the position you’ve been sleeping in for years.

Have you ever thought that your favorite sleeping position may be affecting your sleep? And if so, are there better positions to enhance your sleep?

More Americans are overweight or obese today than ever before. This upward shift in weight has been triggered across the board by easier access to food and, over the course of the last two decades, a movement toward sedentary jobs. PublicHealth.org also notes that fast food, which makes up more than 10% of the average American’s diet, has played a major role in the obesity epidemic.

Trying to cut out sugar?

Getting a good night’s sleep could be your answer.

Despite much research, how sleep, ADHD, medication and other disorders are related remains uncertain. Scientists are working to develop a clearer idea how the different regions of the brain interact and overlap for attention, sleep and functioning.