Is it Snoring or Sleep Apnea?

About 90 million Americans suffer from snoring activity during sleep. 

While half of these people are “simple snorer’s” or primary snorers, the other half may have a serious sleep disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The two conditions are often inaccurately used interchangeably and may be incorrectly treated as a result. While OSA will almost always leads to loud and frequent snoring, snoring does not always indicate OSA.

Understanding the differences between sleep apnea and primary snoring is the first step to effective treatment of both conditions.  For all the people across the country who are getting nudged or elbowed throughout the night from frustrated bed partners, it’s important to know what their snoring means, and how they can silence it.

Do your research

Knowing the difference between the two conditions is key in determining proper treatment. Snoring is the result of tissues in the throat relaxing enough that they partially block the airway and vibrate, creating a sound. Depending on an individual’s anatomy and other lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and body weight, the sound of the vibration can be louder or softer.
Loud frequent snoring is one of the indicators of OSA, which is a chronic condition characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. When people with OSA fall asleep, they can stop breathing for a few seconds to a minute or more.  Both conditions can be caused or made worse by obesity, large tongue and tonsils, aging and head and neck shape.

Do talk to your doctor

If you or your partner is a frequent loud snorer, stops breathing, gasps or chokes during sleep, experiences excessive restlessness at night or feels sleepy during the day, you may want to bring it up with your doctor to see whether a sleep study is necessary.  Taking this first step to get tested prior to beginning any treatment prevents inaccurate self-diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and/or premature dismissal of the problem. Your primary care physician will be able to refer you to a sleep specialist.

Do get treated

Snoring treatments range from lifestyle alterations, such as weight loss, a decrease in alcohol consumption and changing sleeping positions, to oral devices, nasal strips and even surgery. Treatment of OSA, however, often involves CPAP , a blower connected by a tube to a mask that fits over the mouth or nose, blowing air so that a continuous pressure in the airway is maintained. This constant pressure keeps the airway from collapsing allowing normal breathing.

For 

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep—it’s as vital to our health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise.  However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly one-third of American adults aren’t getting even the minimum amount of sleep they need to be alert the next day.

Most sleep experts recommend that adults obtain seven to nine hours of sleep each night, depending on their own individual need.  Are you getting the ZZZs that you need?  If not, try the following tips to help you perform your best every day.

• Keep a regular schedule.  Even on the weekends, when there is temptation to sleep in, it’s important that you go to sleep each night and wake up each morning at nearly the same time.

• Avoid sleep-disturbing products such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.  Coffee, tea, or sodas may contain caffeine, which is a stimulant, and should be avoided at least six to eight hours before bedtime.  Nicotine is also a stimulant—besides the risk for heart disease and cancer, smoking before bed makes it more difficult to fall asleep.  Many people also think of alcohol as a sleep aid.  While it may make you drowsy, it can actually cause nighttime awakenings and disrupt sleep. 

• Create a sleep-friendly environment that includes a cool, quiet, and dark room where you will not be disturbed.  Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, earplugs or other devices to help block out light and noise.

If you continue to have sleep problems, start a sleep diary to note the symptoms you are experiencing and share that diary and other concerns you may have with your doctor.  There may be an underlying medical cause of your sleep problem and you will want to be properly diagnosed.

Good morning, here is some information on sleep apnea that affects some 26 million Americans including children.  Please remember to complete your surveys and give us feedback on the SleepHealth App and Study at http://talk.sleeptember.org/

What is Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.   Left untreated, sleep apnea increases one’s risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other medical conditions. 

Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes, but there are a number of factors that increase your risk, including:

·       A family history of sleep apnea

·       Having a small upper airway (large tongue, tonsils or uvula)

·       Being overweight

·       Having a recessed chin, small jaw or a large overbite

·       A large neck size (17 inches or greater)

·       Smoking and alcohol use

·       Being age 40 or older

·       Ethnicity (African-Americans, Pacific-Islanders and Hispanics) 

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

 

·       Loud snoring

·       Morning headaches and nausea

·       Gasping or choking while sleeping

·       Loss of sex drive/impotence

·       Excessive daytime sleepiness

·       Irritability and/or feelings of depression

·       Frequent nighttime urination

·       Concentration and memory problems

Have a great and restful weekend.

The SleepHealth Study Team

Occasional Night Shift Work Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Occasional Night Shift Work Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease: A new study shows that working night shifts in conjunction with day shifts can slightly affect worker's health resulting to a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to those who do not have rotating shifts.

Podcast Conversation with Darrel Drobnich about Sleep Apnea and the Development of the SleepHealth App.

New conversation with Darrel Drobnich, President of the American Sleep Apnea Association, about his history with sleep health advocacy, his motivation for the greater good, his work at the American Sleep Apnea Association, and partnering with IBM to release a sleep study on Apple’s ResearchKit platform.

Learn more about the American Sleep Apnea Association at sleepapnea.org, and the

Follow Darrel on Twitter @DarrelDrobnich.


http://justtalkingpodcast.com/2016/03/22/about-american-sleep-apnea-association/

Are You a Healthy Sleeper?

Today is World Sleep Day.  Check out your sleep health.

Remember to complete your SleepHealth surveys.  Each one is extremely important and will only take a couple minutes.  

The more information you provide, the more we will be able to share back with you and the more you will help our research.

Are You a Healthy Sleeper?

Diet and exercise are part of a healthy lifestyle. So is sleep. The problem is, too many people think that sleep is something they can give up to get more things done.
As many as 70 million adults may be putting themselves at risk for injury, health and emotional problems because they aren’t getting the sleep they need.

They are more likely to feel tired and lack energy, have memory and concentration difficulties, and become irritable in stressful situations.  They also may be increasing their
risk for high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, depression

and diabetes.

• If this sounds like you, here are some tips for healthy sleep:

• Sleep enough to feel well rested every day.
• Reduce caffeine, nicotine and alcohol intake, particularly before bedtime
• Don’t eat or drink too much close to bedtime.
• Exercise regularly and at least a few hours before bedtime.
• Use relaxing bedtime rituals.
• Keep your bedroom cool, quiet and dark.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep is a common problem.  These woes—called insomnia—have far-reaching effects including a negative impact on concentration, productivity and mood.  Occasional insomnia is experienced by more than a third of American adults, and chronic insomnia is known to affect more than one in ten.  Insomnia is characterized by one or more of the following sleep complaints:

·       Difficulty falling asleep 

·       Difficulty staying asleep 

·       Waking too early in the morning 

·       Experiencing non-restorative sleep

Research confirms that people with insomnia have poorer overall health, greater work absenteeism, lower job performance, more negative moods and greater use of healthcare services.  People with chronic insomnia also report a higher rate of on-the-job accidents and using more disability days per month compared to other workers.

Types of Insomnia

·       Acute insomnia—sleep disturbances a few nights per week that can last for up to one month due to a temporary situation such as stress, jet lag, grieving, job loss or relationship change.

·       Chronic insomnia—sleep disturbances that occur an average of three nights per week and last more than one month.

·       Primary insomnia—chronic sleep disturbances after underlying conditions are ruled out or treated.

Why Treat Insomnia?

Insomnia is a risk factor for the onset of depression and can significantly affect your quality of life. Consequences of not getting enough good sleep can include daytime sleepiness, impaired mood, depression, psychological distress, decreased ability to concentrate, difficulty solving problems and making decisions, as well as having an increased risk for injury, driving drowsy, and illness.

Insomnia can often be traced to an underlying cause; therefore, it is critical to identify and treat this problem.  Problems or conditions that can lead to insomnia are:

·       A life crisis or stress

·       Environmental noise

·       Side effects of medicine

·       Depression

·       Chronic illness

·       Jet lag

Diagnosis & Treatment

The first step in the treatment of any sleep disorder is to consult your doctor.  Also, consider keeping a sleep diary for one or two weeks to record your sleep and health habits.  Share your sleep diary with your doctor to help them identify any sleep problems you may have and determine appropriate treatment options.  Most sleep disorders can be successfully diagnosed and treated.  Proper treatment can lead to a good sleep and improve your overall health, safety and well-being.