Deep Sleep At Last

Tyler, a five-year old boy was nicknamed “Twister Tyler” after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) about four months ago. He is currently enrolled in a special education (SPED) school to accommodate his academic and social needs. During the initial pre-enrollment interview, Tyler’s mother said that her son used to study in a regular school but had to be transferred after the teachers complained about the boy’s disturbing behavior in the classroom.

Individuals who have highly pressured work settings, long-term relationship problems, persistent financial worries, and chronic loneliness not only experience depression or insomnia but also make themselves prone to having diabetes, cancer, heart diseases and gastrointestinal problems.

Psychosomatic illnesses are simply described as problems of other organ systems of the body resulting from psychological activities or reactions. One may wonder why something psychological may actually cause a physical manifestation. There should be a factor that mediates between these two systems to enable a cause-and-effect relationship; and this connection, according to existing studies, is made by the nervous system.

To understand how the nervous system connects psychological events and physical manifestations in the form of illnesses or diseases, the case of gastrointestinal problems resulting from chronic stress will be used as an example. Just today, it was announced over the news that the former prime minister of Japan was hospitalized due to gastroenteritis. According to his doctors, his illness resulted from extreme stress and exhaustion. Gastroenteritis is defined as the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract which includes the stomach and the intestines.

When a person experiences extreme or chronic stress, immune factors such as cytokines, neurotransmitters such as serotonin, and digestive acids such as protease are produced. Cytokines are components that cause inflammation in areas of the body with infection, serotonin affects contraction of smooth muscles, and protease controls protein digestion.

A lot of parents, mostly those who have children with ADHD, often wonder how their kids acquired the condition. Based on recent studies done by Dr. Joseph Beiderman, Dr. Dennis Cantwell and Dr. Florence Levy, heredity plays a major role in developing ADHD. Other studies also show that infant exposure to toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol and injury to the brain, especially the frontal lobe, from trauma or tumors can also lead to kids having ADHD.

Hyperactivity is one of the most noticeable characteristics of children with ADHD. It is said that this behavior results from a problem in an executive function of their brain. This executive function is identified as response or behavior inhibition. Because of their difficulty in inhibition, their sleep behaviors are affected. Moreover, children with ADHD are sometimes prescribed medications containing stimulants which also prevent them from being able to sleep. A lot of these kids with this condition, thus, are susceptible to having insomnia.

5. Pray.If you believe in a higher power, you will find prayer very helpful as well. Just turn your problem or situation over to God, the Universe, the higher power, and pray for guidance and right outcome. Then give a prayer of thanks for getting that guidance, maybe even add, Gee.

In summary, this article talks about stress, mainly being a psychological occurrence, does not only impose a threat for possible psychological problems resulting from it. Moreover, stress also causes physical illnesses such as gastrointestinal problems through influencing the nervous system to activate certain reactions within the body. Certain reactions cause changes within the stomach which heighten its vulnerability to harmful bacteria. Probiotics, being bacteria that are not harmful and can be used against harmful bacteria, can then be used as treatment for gastrointestinal problems.

Learn more about Stress Toys. Stop by Severica Vintila’s site where you can find out all about Stress Management and what it can do for you.