September 6, 2012

Poor Sleep Causes Educational Issues in Kids

As we have all learned, kids can have sleep disorders too. Pediatric sleep disorders have been linked to behavioral and speech problems in earlier studies. Now a study of British children involved in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (a large group has been followed since 1992 providing data on how genetics and the environment affect health and […]
August 31, 2012

Are Poor Sleep and Breast Cancer Linked?

It seems that insufficient sleep is linked to more aggressive form of breast cancers and the likelihood of its recurrence. A study has revealed led by Cheryl Thompson, Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, analyzed medical records and survey responses from 412 post-menopausal breast cancer patients with Oncotype DX. Oncotype DX is a test used by physicians […]
August 23, 2012

Back to School – Don't Skip Sleep to Study

Since it is back-to-school time I thought I would share some information about all night study sessions – they don’t work! The brain needs sleep and if sleep is sacrificed for study time the brain isn’t going to work like it should. A study conducted by UCLA and published in the journal Child Development showed that if students sacrificed sleep for […]
August 9, 2012

Want A Better Memory – You Need Better Sleep

Do you wish your memory was better? It looks like better sleep might be all you need. Sleep and memory have been linked in various studies throughout the years. We know that one of the functions of sleep is to “file” things that we have learned through the day into the appropriate “file cabinets” in our brain. This enables us […]
July 3, 2012

Frequent Nightmares And Sleep Apnea

Time magazine just published an article about frequent nightmares. While most of us have experienced occasional nightmares about 5% of adults have them frequently and those people have some things in common like PTSD or a sleep breathing disorder like sleep apnea. According to the article 80% of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and 75% of patients with sleep disordered […]
June 21, 2012

Diabetes, Your Dentist and Sleep Apnea

Dentists and diabetes patients have an important relationship because of the link between oral health and blood sugar control. A new link discovered between obstructive sleep apnea and diabetic neuropathy will have us working even closer with our diabetic patients to maintain their overall health. A British study reported that patients with obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes were much more […]
June 13, 2012

Treat Your Sleep Apnea – Improve Your Sex Life

Treating your sleep apnea can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, give you more energy and new research shows it can improve your sex life. No, it wasn’t just because the snoring stopped! Men who have sleep apnea often complain of erectile dysfunction as well. Researchers at the Walter Reed Medical Center followed a group of men who […]
June 4, 2012

Lacking Energy? Check For Sleep Apnea

If you find yourself lacking energy to get through your day or if you experience daytime sleepiness you need to schedule an appointment to get checked for obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep breathing disorder but the vast majority of sufferers have not been diagnosed. Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to heart disease and stroke. […]
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 9, 2012

Sleep Necessary Part of Controlling Your Weight

French scientists have shown that problems with a gene responsible for our internal body clocks can lead to poor weight control. Watching your sleep rhythms may be just as important for weight loss as watching your calorie intake according to Dr. Etienne Challet. “It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting or […]
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 […]
April 4, 2012

Truckers Asleep At The Wheel

If the thought of the trucker driving that 18-wheeler coming up behind you on the highway suddenly falling asleep frightens you – it should. A Texas woman just won a $3.25 million lawsuit against a trucking company because one of their drivers fell asleep at the wheel and rear ended a stopped car at 65 mph – the woman’s husband […]
March 22, 2012

Silent Stroke and Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea has long been linked to stroke risk but it is surprisingly common among silent stroke sufferers. A silent stroke is one that has no visible or outward symptoms and most people don’t even realize they have experienced a stroke. These strokes are typically discovered during a brain scan but are a serious risk. Silent strokes can cause […]
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 […]
March 7, 2012

How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Health

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disease that is both under-diagnosed and under-treated. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea has many effects on your health and quality of life. Which of these common effects are you experiencing? Headaches Depression Weight gain Inflammation and chronic pain Nighttime bathroom visits Heart palpitations and arrhythmias Poor memory and decision making Diabetes Heart disease and stroke Erectile […]
March 1, 2012

Sleeping Pill Use Increases Risk of Death

Using sleeping pills to get a good night’s sleep may be hazardous to your health. We are learning just how important sleep is for our overall health and well-being and our lifestyles are making getting that sleep harder and harder. More and more people are relying on sleeping pills to get to sleep or to stay asleep – about $2 […]
February 25, 2012

Can't Lose Weight? Sleep More

Having trouble losing weight? Getting too little sleep makes you more hungry than normal according to a small study from Uppsala University in Sweden. The researchers used functional MRI to look at the brains of 12 normal sized men while they looked at pictures of food. They completed the functional MRI twice, one after the men had a full night […]
January 27, 2012

Sleep Problems Raise Heart and Obesity Risks

Common sleep problems like difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or even sleeping too much increase the risk of heart disease and obesity. A study reported in the Journal of Sleep Research looked at almost 140,000 people. Those that reported sleep disturbance three nights out of the week were more likely to experience obesity, heart attack and heart disease. When the […]
January 11, 2012

Changing Health Trends for 2012

Health trends for 2012 will be changing. The Values Institute at DGWB, a national research group,  determined the following are going to be hot in 2012: Natural energy drinks – Instead of Red Bull and Monster consumers will be looking for an energy boost from more natural ingredients like vitamins and tea extracts. Sleep – Study after study confirms the […]