April 17, 2013

Sleep and Genes

We know that sleep problems are related to a whole list of health problems including diabetes, heart disease, immune function, depression and cognitive issue – we just don’t know exactly why. Scientists may be closer to figuring out the “why”. It turns out that insufficient sleep can significantly disrupt and inhibit normal gene activity. This can occur with hundreds of […]
April 12, 2013

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Common and Dangerous

Obstructive sleep apnea is more common than you might think and most people who suffer from sleep apnea do not know they have it. This is dangerous because sleep apnea has been linked to lots of other health problems, many of them serious. If you have received a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea treating your condition is very important for your health.  […]
April 2, 2013

Sleep May Be a Matter of Life and Death

Lots of scientific studies have shown the links between obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia and other sleep disorders on our overall health but can poor sleep be a matter of life and death? Problem sleep has been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and daytime sleepiness. A new study from the Medical College of Georgia has shown a link between […]
February 20, 2013

Healthy Diet, Healthy Sleep in Columbus

There have been very few studies that look at a healthy diet and how it relates to a healthy sleep. A new study to be released in the journal Appetite wanted to know if there were any differences in the diets of people who reported shorter sleep, longer sleep or standard sleep patterns. Study author, Michael A. Grandner of the University […]
February 12, 2013

6 Myths About Sleep

A myth is a story that is repeated often but isn’t actually true. Here are 6 myths about the importance of sleep and the truth behind the myth. Most people don’t realize just how important sleep is for their brain function and overall health – in fact science is just starting to unlock what really happens while we are sleeping! Sleep isn’t that […]
January 18, 2013

Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea? Check for Depression Too

The CDC found that men who were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea were twice as likely to suffer from depression as men who did not have a sleep disorder. It was worse for women with sleep apnea – they were five times more likely to experience major depression compared to those who didn’t have the condition. Both men and women who had […]
January 11, 2013

FDA Changes Dosing of Sleeping Pills

The FDA has reduced dosage recommendations for sleeping pills containing zolpidem as the active ingredient. Ambien and other brands of sleeping aids use this ingredient. Because the ingredient remains in the blood the morning after taking a dose, the blood levels in the morning may still be too high for people to safely drive or operate machinery. The FDA feels […]
December 30, 2012

Improve Your Memory – Treat Sleep Apnea

Memory getting a little fuzzy? You might have sleep apnea. Treating sleep apnea and the snoring that goes along with it has been shown to improve cognitive functions. A study conducted in Sweden and published in the journal Nature and the Science of Sleep studied patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who used an oral appliance to keep their […]
December 18, 2012

Holiday Travel With CPAP

Are you planning to travel during the holiday season? For patients with obstructive sleep apnea holiday travel, especially on airplanes, can be complicated. While airport screeners are familiar with CPAP machines the bins used at the screening area are not particularly clean. I suggest placing your items in plastic bags before placing them in the screening bins to avoid contamination. […]
November 15, 2012

Unusual Signs of Sleep Apnea

People are becoming more aware of sleep apnea and are learning the warning signs of the disease. But do you know the unusual signs that show you might have sleep apnea? The unusual signs you might have sleep apnea include excessive nighttime urination and mouth breathing. Some people also experience a lower threshold for pain, depression, concentration problems or irritability. […]
November 8, 2012

Is Your Sleep Interrupted By Snoring?

Do you miss out on badly needed sleep because your sleep is interrupted by snoring? No, not your snoring but the loud noises made by the person next to you!  If your answer is yes you are not alone. If you have a bed partner that snores it is highly likely that the noise wakes you up many times each […]
November 2, 2012

Sleep Apnea Treatment When You Don't Have Electricity

Superstorm Sandy has shown a large area of the country what it is like to live without electricity. For most this results in boredom and adding more blankets to stay warm but for people with obstructive sleep apnea a power outage can be serious. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep. They are typically prescribed a CPAP device […]
October 3, 2012

Sleepy Workers Cost Companies

Sleepy workers can cost companies money due to errors and accidents. A recent survey suggested that insomnia was linked to a 40% higher risk of accidents that cost a company $500 or more. It was estimated that the total cost to American businesses is about $31 billion each year.  The data from the American Insomnia Survey found that people with […]
September 21, 2012

Sleep Problems May Be Caused By What You Eat

Having problems sleeping? It could be caused by what you eat! Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA found that eating a diet with lots of  fatty foods can diminish the quality of your sleep (and make you gain weight). Of course, being overweight also increases your risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea, […]
July 19, 2012

Sleep Quality May Affect Thinking Later

A study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference showed that poor sleep was linked to an increased risk for cognitive decline. Poor sleep included sleeping too little, too much and having disrupted sleep from a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea. The data came from the Nurses’ Health Study which has 15,000 participants. It showed that women who […]
June 22, 2012

Dental Sleep Medicine Meetings An Educational Experience

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) 21st annual meeting was held  in Boston, MA June 7-9, 2012 and as always, attending this meeting was an unbelievable educational experience for all. The meeting brought together some of the country’s most distinguished practitioners of dental sleep medicine and sessions focused on current research in the field as well as the […]
May 15, 2012

Sleepwalking More Common Than You Think

Sleepwalking is usually portrayed as a rare occurrence but a study published in Neurology suggests that it is more common than we think. According to researchers 8.5 million American adults have experienced sleepwalking. People who suffer from sleep apnea, depression or obsessive compulsive disorders are at higher than average risk. Some medications, including over-the-counter sleeping pills and antidepressants can also […]
May 1, 2012

Treating High Blood Pressure And Sleep Apnea

Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) but treatments just don’t seem to be working? You might want to get checked for obstructive sleep apnea. It is estimated that 40% of people with untreated sleep apnea will develop high blood pressure and 30% of people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure have sleep apnea but most […]
April 16, 2012

Are You Losing Sleep Because of a Snoring Spouse?

A snoring spouse is no joke. Losing sleep because of a bed-partner that snores actually has been given a name by sleep researchers – SAS or Spousal Arousal Syndrome. The health consequences of Spousal Arousal Syndrome can be significant. Spouses lose an average of two hours of sleep per night because of the snoring partner and what sleep they do […]
March 17, 2012

How Do You Know You Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Did you wake up feeling exhausted? Have you ever fallen asleep during a meeting, watching TV, or at a stop light? Has anyone told you that you snore really loudly during sleep? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may have a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA causes people to stop breathing during […]