Self-Regulation and Biofeedback Applications for Sleep Disorders

Inadequate sleep is at the root of many other health and quality of life problems including hypertension, fatigue, attention problems, irritability, obesity, and stress and stress related disorders. Medications can be effective and helpful. They can also be undesirable due to side-effects, potential for dependence, and a growing desire of people to be more natural in many aspects of their lives. Long ago it used to be much simpler to get enough sleep. Before the invention and widespread availability of electric lighting in the evening when it got dark outside people got ready to go to sleep and they went to sleep. There wasn't much else to do. If you thought of something there wasn't much light to do it in. With electric light came many more choices as to what to do at night. People began to work and play through the night. Night life and shift work have a big effect on amount and quality of sleep. Even when people decide to go to bed there are many forces working against them. Televisions, stereos, laptops, tablets, smart phones are often used up to bedtime and then even in bed. All of these things keep the brain activated. The extra light works against the natural wake/sleep rhythms of the brain and body. This affects even people who don't appear to have sleep disorders. Symptoms are often sub-clinical.