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Trouble Sleeping?- Maybe You Two Should Sleep in Separate Beds!

I am not kidding here—a new study came out suggesting that couples who have trouble sleeping and who sleep in the same bed may get better sleep if they sleep in separate beds. Apparently around 25 percent of U.S. couples sleep in different beds or rooms, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This is no [...]

Night Shift Workers–Health Risks of Poor Sleep

It’s estimated that at least 20% of the workforce in the USA and in Europe work the so-called graveyard shift, either as their primary shift, or at least more than half of the time—that includes yours truly. A new study has confirmed what was suspected by many—that night shift workers face significant health risks, and [...]

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What is Narcolepsy

December 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment
What is Narcolepsy Symptoms

Seeing as it’s slowly becoming a more widespread phenomenon, it is important to take a look at what is narcolepsy. Today about 1 in every 2000 people worldwide are affected by it. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological sleeping disorder, which no treated can result in serious repercussion on your physical, mental and social well-being. While it is a lifelong condition, if you make the correct lifestyle changes and are cautious about medication, you can enjoy a fully normal and active life with heavily reduced symptoms and affects.

What is Narcolepsy – A Definition

It is simply defined as a chronic disorder affecting the central nervous system, whereby the brain in unable to control our sleep-wake cycles, resulting in periods of extreme irresistible daytime sleepiness, lasting from seconds to minutes. There are mixed signals sent by the brain, whereby sleep episodes can come about at anytime, while you’re eating, playing, driving etc. The ambiguous and uncertain sleep patterns often lead to accidents now and then due to the possibility of falling asleep while eating, cooking, driving, playing etc.

What is Narcolepsy – Period of Onset

One can develop narcolepsy at any point in life, though it usually occurs after puberty, during the years of early adulthood. However, it is important to know that even when one has the condition, it’s level of seriousness always varies, it usually takes years for the symptoms to progress to a point where it becomes a matter of concern. Due to it’s slow progressive nature, the disorder commonly goes undiagnosed for a while and when symptoms start to show, it usually points towards a general neurological disorder.

What is Narcolepsy – Causes

Looking at the causes of narcolepsy, much of it is still uncertain, as there is ongoing research to find a specific cause of the condition. There are possibly multiple factors that can bring about narcolepsy in any one person. It is completely sporadic and hence one doesn’t require family history to get it, hence genetics doesn’t play a big role. Other factors such as hormonal changes, high stress levels, trauma or a immune-system dysfunction are said to contribute to the inception of the condition.

What is Narcolepsy – Symptoms

What is Narcolepsy Symptoms

Excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the symptoms of narcolepsy

Individuals suffering from narcolepsy, experience a number of primary symptoms, followed by secondary symptoms, which most often varies from person to person. The main symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, abnormal REM (rapid eye movement) sleep and cataplexy (loss of muscle control). Other symptoms of narcolepsy include the generation of strong emotions such as laughing or crying, one could experience vivid, visual or auditory hallucinations when awakening or dropping asleep. Sleep paralysis is a common side affect for small time periods along with microsleep, which are brief sleep episodes during which your body carries out other functions such as talking, walking etc.

What is Narcolepsy – Diagnosis

When hinted at, though no easily possible, there are certain tests that doctors can perform to test for and diagnose narcolepsy in an individual. In addition to the general symptoms, doctors carry out certain special methods such as, a nocturnal polysomnogram, where by the electrical activity of the brain and heart are measured overnight, along with muscle and eye movement. Sometimes a multiple sleep latency test is carried out, which measures how long it takes one to fall asleep during the day. And finally a spinal fluid analysis, the lack of hypocretin in the fluid can mark narcolepsy, this chemical results for the feeling of alertness when awake and helps in sleep regulation.

Therfore, it is important to look at the root causes, symptoms and ways of diagnosis, to fully understand what is narcolepsy.

Filed Under: Sleeping Disorders Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Sleep Apnea in Children

December 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Increasingly the condition of sleep apnea in children is becoming highly common and widespread. Sleep apnea is characterized by the reduction or blockage of air flow when you breathe while asleep. When occurring repeatedly throughout the night in episodes it is classified as sleep apnea. It can be highly dangerous if left untreated for a prolonged time period, especially so for sleep apnea in children.

Primary types of sleep apnea in children

The two primary types of sleep apnea in children are Obstructive Sleep Apnea and central Sleep Apnea. Methodologically, obstructive sleep apnea in children occurs when there is an obstruction in their airway. This is the most common type of sleep apnea in children, as many as 1-3% of healthy preschool aged kinds suffer from it. The most common causes for this type of sleep apnea in children is either enlarged tonsils or adenoids. On the other hand central sleep apnea in children occurs when their body systems are unable to regulate breathing correctly and their throat muscles aren’t instructed to open and take a breath. This type is seen most in new born babies, up till 9 months, and they mostly grow out of it easily as they develop.

Unlike adults, sleep apnea in children is much harder to diagnose due to their slightly more subtle symptoms. For obstructive sleep apnea in children one can usually notice irregular, heavy breathing, accompanied by snoring. Not all cases of snoring are due to this, but it is best to get it checked out, there could a number of causes such as allergies, respiratory tract infection, tonsils or adenoids. For central sleep apnea in children, one can notice irregularity in breathing along with period of no breathing at all. It may cause babies to choke, appear limp or even turn blue due to the lack of oxygen. For both cases one might also notice restlessness, excessive daytime sleeping, cognitive and behaviour problems, sometimes also hyperactivity.

Sleep apnea in children diagnosis

Sleep apnea in children have high risks if not diagnosed and treated in time. Sound sleep is vital to any child’s healthy growth, therefore sleep apnea runs big risks of harming that. It could possibly induce learning disabilities, beahvious and developmental problems, whereby one might have heart problems, high blood pressure etc. It also results is low productivity having a direct affect on daytime activities and relationships. Kids with ADHD are said to have attention problems due to highly disrupted sleep patterns caused by apnea.

For sleep apnea in children removing the tonsils or adenoids can often get rid of the problem. When that is not so, children are usually treated with continuous positive airway pressure CPAP. This device blows air into their nose through a mask, constantly applying pressure, enough to keep the airway unobstructed. It is not a difficult device to manage but could get intimidating for some children. For more sever cases usually a tracheostomy is prescribed. It is a surgical procedure whereby a tube with a valve is inserted through a hole in the neck and opened at night for breathing. This method is only used in extreme cases of sleep apnea in children.

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Sleep Apnea Training

December 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

If you are interested in finding out effective sleep apnea training, you surely have come to the right place, as the following sections provides useful and effective cures for sleep apnea.

This sleeping disorder is definitely treatable and there are a variety of sleep apnea training techniques, but the main problem lies in the fact that sleep apnea often goes un noticed, which can be quite detrimental for your health. Hence it is essential to make yourself aware of the symptoms of the disorder first, as only then will it help in applying these apnea training and treatment options suggested.

Do you find yourself waking up regularly at night? Do you get up several times because of a tight feeling in the chest making you uncomfortable? Due you suffer from a loud snoring condition? Well if you find yourself answering in the affirmative to the above questions, it is quite likely you suffer from the disorder and hence need to find sleep apnea training tips. Basically, your air passage way is blocked, as a result of which air is unable to pass through easily. Hence it results in the stoppage of breathing for certain periods of time, which in fact can be quite dangerous.

APNEA TRAINING AND TREATMENT #1 – SLEEP POSITION TRAINING

It is quite obvious that you might be snoring regularly because of your sleeping position, hence correcting your sleeping posture is one of the most effective sleep apnea training choices. People tend to snore when they sleep on their back, as it results in your tongue collapsing to the back of your throat, which more often than not results in snoring.

If you are unable to stop yourself from lying on your back while you sleep, an effective apnea training tip would be to take the help of a body pillow which assists in sleeping on your sides. Additionally taping soft balls to the back of night tracks can also be an effective sleep apnea training technique to prevent you from sleeping on your back.

APNEA TRAINING AND TREATMENT #2 – WEIGHT TRAINING

This isn’t to say that only fat people suffer from this disorder; however often gaining those excessive kilos can be a major cause. Additionally, gaining weight around your neck can reduce the air passage, and as a result may lead to sleeping disorders. Hence eating a healthy diet and exercising often are two extremely useful apnea training and treatment tips that should be implemented.

APNEA TRAINING AND TREATMENT #3 – STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL

Alcohol might result in increasing the frequency of your snoring; hence avoiding it is an effective apnea training tip. So too is the case with certain sedatives.

APNEA TRAINING AND TREATMENT #4 – CHANGE/CLEAN YOUR PILLOWS

It is not only your posture and consumption habits that result in sleep apnea, but even accumulated dust and allergens in your pillow and bedroom can have a telling effect. Hence regular dusting and cleaning of your bedroom is a definite apnea training tip that you must not forget in your sleep apnea training.

Filed Under: Sleep Apnea Treatment Tagged With: , , , ,

Functionality of AHI Sleep Apnea

December 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
AHI Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is recorded and assessed by Apnea-hypopnea Index ( AHI Sleep Apnea ), which is used to determine the nature of one’s sleep apnea. For those suffering from sleep apnea, whereby they undergo periods of reduced or stopped air flow during sleep at night, it can be a highly frustrating experience. Not only is it dangerous, posing various risks to one’s health, it also affects one’s mood, behaviour and performance throughout the day. Hence to treat sleep apnea, while diagnosing it the doctor determines the severity of your sleep apnea by reading the AHI on the ploysomnogram report of a sleep study.

What is AHI sleep apnea?

 

Apnea-hypopnea Index AHI Sleep Apnea

AHI Sleep Apnea

AHI sleep apnea is a numerical measuring index, it counts the number of times one stops breathing to then assess how severe the case is. It tracks the breathing pattern of every individual by detecting each pause and the length of the pause of breath, when no air is passing through the respiratory tract and hence calculates the amount of time you actually spent breathing normally while sleeping. Breathing patterns also allow one to deduce oxygen levels in your blood, how little or how much of it you receive at night and whether it is sufficient for full healthy functionality.

As a part of the sleep study to track the AHI, a sensor is placed on the nostrils of your nose, along with two belts that go firmly across over your chest and your stomach. Additionally, an oximeter, which is a sensor that measures the level of oxygen by shining a light through your fingertips. As you sleep, this system is set in place and it records your breathing patterns through your sleep. The information gathered is looked over and comes up with a chart. To determine your AHI the total number of events of cessation is divided by the minutes of sleep. Looking at the chart if you are said to have partial obstruction of your airway passage, it is known as hypopnea, when there is complete obstruction for any amount of time it is then known as apnea.

Counting AHI sleep apnea

 

Looking at the AHI sleep apnea, the numerical value that is calculated and drawn up, follows a fundamental criteria to ascertain the seriousness. If the AHI drawn up is from 5-15 counts per hour of sleep, it is a mild case. If the AHI count is 15-30 counts per hour of sleep it is seen as moderate and if it is 30 counts of more per hour of sleep, you are diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. This classification helps in linking in all the symptoms that have been displayed, the consequences can be predicted well in time to avoid serious situations such as diabetes, strokes etc. as well as your response to the suggested treatment can be guessed. If done thoroughly the sleep apnea AHI can also help in showing ways of reducing the AHI counts, for example the sleep apnea AHI might show that the AHI count is higher when you sleep on your back and hence you could know to avoid it. AHI sleep apnea is efficient and can greatly help in treating you well in time.

Filed Under: Sleep Apnea Treatment Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sleep Apnea Solutions

December 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Sleep Apnea Solutions - CPAP masks and pillows
Sleep Apnea Solutions - CPAP masks and pillows

Sleep Apnea CPAP mask

Sleep apnea can cause high levels of irritation, head aches and continuously prevent from you getting complete sleep at night, therefore to avoid seriously affecting your health it is important to search for and explore sleep apnea solutions and settle for one that suits you most.

Seeing as sleep apnea is a clinical condition and has little to do with the functioning of your body, most sleep apnea solutions can be applied at home to be carried out on a regular basis, instead of having medicines. As there are various sleep apnea solutions available, your doctor will always advise you on one that will be most effective in your case and that solution is highly recommended on a basis of priority as sleep apnea solution methods depend mostly on the severity and the exhibited symptoms.

Simple sleep apnea solutions

 

Before looking into more complicated procedures such as surgery or the usage of a device, doctors try and prescribe simple and common methods as possible. One such sleep apnea solution is using a sleep apnea pillow. This is mostly carried out in relatively milder cases, where one may want to consider these special pillows, which are effective and affordable. These pillows focus on keeping the neck and spine in proper alignment for the air passage to be open and accessible. Using these pillows, if prescribed, is the easiest sleep apnea solution available.

Sleep apnea solutions  – CPAP and MAD

 

Another sleep apnea solution for milder cases is the use of mouth guards such as the Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD). These are guards that fit into your mouth easily, holding the bottom jaw open in a relaxed position, while also pushing the tongue away, keeping the airway open as much as possible, allowing unobstructed breathing. Another device that is used as a sleep apnea solution, but for moderate and sever cases, is continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device. In this case there is a fan that blows in air through tubes into your mouth through a mask you will be wearing, the pressure keeping your air passage constantly unobstructed. Further variations on mask therapy include variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) and automatic positive airway pressure (APAP), both of which are variations of the CPAP but not as effective. Though naturally resistant at first with the idea of sleeping with a mask on, most patients find that the effect it has on their sleep is indeed worth the cumbersome effort made.

Lastly the most serious and extensive sleep apnea solution is surgery. If and when all other sleep apnea solutions fail to have a desired effect, or if the case is too serious to start with, doctors agree to a surgical procedure to cure the problem. Most people look to avoid surgery and find that it is too big a procedure for snoring and interrupted sleep, however, one must keep in mind that doctors prescribe a surgery only when it is most needed and no other sleep apnea solution is appropriate enough. Not curing apnea of such severity can lead to various other health problems and even cause high blood pressure and strokes.

Having considered the nature of your sleep apnea and it’s severity, it shouldn’t be to hard to choose from any of the afore mentioned sleep apnea solutions.

Filed Under: Sleep Apnea Treatment Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Sleep Apnea CPAP

December 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Sleeping Pillow with Sleep Apnea CPAP

Sleep apnea CPAP is now considered worldwide the most popular treatment for moderate and severe cases of sleep apnea, especially Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea is commonly known as the interruption of airflow during sleep, where the airway is obstructed preventing enough air to enter the body and results in the severe dip of oxygen in our blood.

Sleep apnea CPAP Treatment

Sleeping Pillow with Sleep Apnea CPAP

Sleeping Pillow with Sleep Apnea CPAP

Once diagnosed as a clinical condition, sleep apnea must treated to avoid detrimental affects on your health. There are several forms of treatment available for sleep apnea. For instances that aren’t very serious, slight weight loss is suggested to avoid excessive pressure on the muscles in our throat that have a tendency to collapse. Alternatively mandibular advancement devices, that hold the lower jaw and tongue forward, widening the airway and hence creating more space to breathe, are suggested and can result in 100% riddance of sleep apnea. However in more serious cases, weight loss and the use of mandibular advancement devices might be of no avail and in that case, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is advised by the doctor, the most successful treatment for obstructive sleep anea yet.

Sleep apnea CPAP is only prescribed when the case of obstructive sleep apnea is serious enough to be causing too many problems and frequent interruptions in your sleep, causing you to snort, snore or gag quite often. You could also be prescribed sleep apnea CPAP if you experience morning head aches, mood swings, anxiety or depression, as these are all a result of severe sleep apnea. To determine whether you are eligible for the sleep apnea CPAP treatment you may have to submit to a sleep study in a sleep centre and all monitoring of your sleep. If diagnosed as a moderate or serious case, CPAP will be given to you.

Sleep apnea CPAP is carried out using a sleep apnea device, it consists of a mask, tubes and a fan. Air pressure created by the fan is pushed through the tubes, into the mask, breathing into your mouth. The air pressure that is generated is used to push the tongue forward in the mouth and force the throat open wide enough for sufficient breathing to take place. Before starting on sleep apnea CPAP it is important that you try different levels of air pressure with a CPAP device, to figure out how much pressure is required to maintain normal breathing for you. As a general observation, those individuals who are heavier and have a severe case of sleep apnea require sufficiently high pressures. This level of air pressure for sleep apnea CPAP should be determined with the help of your doctor.

Sleep apnea CPAP reduces snoring

 

Using sleep apnea CPAP also reduces snoring and wholly avoids any sleeping interruptions. The sleep apnea CPAP should be put on and applied everytime one goes to sleep, regardless of the duration of your sleep. Though using the sleep apnea CPAP greatly helps by allowing normal breathing and avoiding disturbances in your sleep, it does not help in curing sleep apnea at all. Sleep apnea CPAP is only a temporary relief, not a permanent solution.

Filed Under: Sleep Apnea Treatment Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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