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Why Do You Suffer From Sleep Disorders and Sleeplessness?

July 26th, 2009

Don’t let sleeplessness ruin your long term health.

Everybody has had problems falling asleep and staying asleep in order to get a good night’s rest, especially during stressful times. This can be infrequent and may altogether stop when your stress level drops. If your problem becomes a concern, lasts for more than a month, and is the reason for not functioning properly, you could be diagnosed as having a sleep disorder.

Poor night’s rest, getting too much sleep, having trouble to maintain a regular sleep pattern are considered to be sleep disorders. Other variations of sleep disorders include rare disturbances during sleep, i.e., sleepwalking and nightmares. Most sleep disorders are linked to stress, psychological conflicts, unhealthy lifestyles, and/or medications.

Insomnia, an original Latin word, is a condition where a person finds difficulty going to sleep and/or remaining asleep. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. This is when a person has trouble falling asleep or they may not get enough sleep. When it is time for sleep people with insomnia worry about the circumstances of their life and give themselves a tense feeling. Some of the types of insomnia’s are symptoms of other sleep disorders for example., massive depression, bipolarism, and anxiety disorders.

People that awake frequently from nightmares are frightened and have provoked intense anxiety. People awake suddenly form this disorder. Nightmares are triggered from stressful situations, trauma, or emotional problems. Post-traumatic stress can be associated with some nightmares, and is a disorder that affects many soldiers who have seen live combat.

“Sleep terrors” are another type of sleep disorder Somebody with these sleep disorders awakes suddenly in confusion and panic and can scream and thrash. They usually do not remember doing so.

Another sleep disorder is sleepwalking this type of sleep disorder allows a person to carry out activities but while being in an unresponsive state. People have been known to eat, go to the bathroom, gone outside, gone for walks, some people have even tried to drive! The sleepwalker can see and manages to haphazardly navigate.

Each night if you sleep soundly anywhere between six to nine hours, chances are you don’t have any sleep disorder.

If you care much about your personal health, then don’t let sleepnessness ruin it.

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WhatYou Want Know About Sleep Apnea

June 21st, 2009

When breathing of a person during sleep is reduced or stops, this condition could be diagnosed as sleep apnea.Routine visits to the doctor, however, are usually not enough to detect sleep apnea and this disorder often goes undiagnosed. Most patients would not know if they have sleep apnea because it only happens to them while sleeping. This problem could only surface if a patient’s bed partner or family member notices the condition.

Diagnosis may reveal any of three types of sleep apnea. These apnea types include central apnea, obstructive apnea, and a combination of the two.

Central apnea occurs when the brain of a person asleep fails to activate the muscles for breathing. Obstructive apnea, on the other hand, happens when the person’s airway collapses during sleep. This is the most common type of sleep apnea and occurs mostly in overweight patients. There are several complications of obstructive apnea. These include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, daytime sleepiness, difficulty in concentration and thinking which could result in accidents while driving. To diagnose and evaluate obstructive sleep apnea, a patient will undergo physical examination and polysomnography. If you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea you should see a doctor for sleep apnea treatments.

Seeking treatment is very crucial for a patient diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. It is tempting for most people afflicted with this disorder to forego treatment. The treatment may involve the inconvenience of wearing dental appliances and masks nightly. Using a dental appliance for sleep apnea is uncomfortable at first but you can get used to it. A sleep apnea chin strap is slightly less uncomfortable, but is very unattractive. There’s surgery, but it’s painful and there is no guarantee for successful treatment.For these discouraging reasons on surgery and personal appliances, only 10% of sleep apnea patients have been estimated to have undergone treatment.

It is therefore important to educate the rest of the 90% of those patients of the consequences of non-treatment of their disorder.r In addition to putting themselves at risk, they likewise pose risk to others particularly when driving. To the patient, the non-treatment of obstructive sleep apnea carries the increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, poor work productivity, reduced attentiveness, and in extreme cases, untimely death.

Persons with obstructive sleep apnea should discuss treatment with their doctor right away. Other than surgery, wearing mask and dental appliances, there are more palatable treatments of patients. These include behavioral therapy, continuous positive airway pressure, auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure, and bi-level positive airway pressure.

Changing a patient’s lifestyle could also help treat sleep apnea. These include refraining from taking alcoholic drinks or muscle relaxants, weight reduction and stopping smoking. Having the body at a 30-degree elevation while sleeping to prevent airway collapse due to gravity could also help in apnea treatment. Sleeping on a sideways position may also beneficial in reducing the gravitational cause of sleep apnea.

There are several surgical procedures for those patients who elect surgery. Procedures that may be suggested include, nasal surgery, tongue reduction surgery, palate implants, bariatric surgery, maxi-mandibular advancement and uvulopapatopahryngoplasty.

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What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

May 31st, 2009

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Obstructive sleep apnea affects up to four percent of middle-aged adults, yet often goes undiagnosed. As with other sleep disorders, sufferers often experience sleepiness during the day, irritability and a number of other health problems. However, there are apnea treatment options, including surgery, that can relieve the symptoms of the condition. If you suspect that you have apnea, then read on for a list of symptoms to look for and options for treating the condition.

The most common features in patients with obstructive sleep apnea are loud snoring, disrupted sleep, nocturnal gasping and choking, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, and a short, thick neck. The patient is often brought to the physician’s office by a family member who is being disturbed by the patient’s loud snoring. The partner may describe episodes in which the patient stops breathing and then gives a loud gasp or snort when aroused by the apnea. These episodes may be worse after the patient drinks alcohol or takes sleep medicine because these sedatives decrease pharyngeal muscle tone.

Sleep apnea can come with other health conditions. Cardiovascular disease is common in patients. Hypertension and obesity increase the risk of cardiac disease and are frequent findings in patients with this sleep disorder. Patients with apnea who are smokers may also have coronary artery disease and obstructive airway disease. Psychosocial problems are common in patients who have sleep apnea. These patients often have depression, mood changes, poor memory, irritability and impaired concentration. Nocturnal panic attacks have also been associated with this sleep disorder.

Sleep medicine isn’t enough to treat apnea. Specialists usually recommend weight loss, and dental devices that modify the position of the tongue or jaw. Some doctors may prescribe the use of a CPAP mask. With this method, straps hold the mask firmly over the nose and the CPAP machine that generates the positive airway pressure sits on a table next to the bed. CPAP treatment is used in most patients who have sleep apnea. Jaw surgery is the most invasive surgical procedure used to treat this malady. The surgical procedure may be limited to pulling the tongue forward. An extensive procedure may entail moving both the mandible and maxilla. Extensive jaw surgery has a higher complication rate and a longer recovery time.

The severity of the symptoms will vary by patient, but it’s important to seek help as soon as possible because the condition can severely affect your overall health. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness which can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can improve your quality of life.

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Helping You Understanding Sleep

May 27th, 2009

Sleep apnea is a disorder of interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs in association with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone with aging. These changes allow the windpipe to collapse during breathing when muscles relax during sleep.

This problem, called obstructive sleep apnea, is usually associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this disorder). Sleep apnea also can occur if the neurons that control breathing malfunction during sleep.

During an episode of obstructive apnea, the person’s effort to inhale air creates suction that collapses the windpipe. This blocks the air flow for 10 seconds to a minute while the sleeping person struggles to breathe. When the person’s blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by awakening the person enough to tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe.

The person may snort or gasp, then resume snoring. This cycle may be repeated literally hundreds of times a night. The frequent awakenings that sleep apnea patients experience leave them continually sleepy and may lead to personality changes such as irritability or depression.

Sleep apnea also deprives the person of oxygen, which can lead to morning headaches, a loss of interest in sex, or a decline in mental functioning. It also is linked to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Patients with severe, untreated sleep apnea are two to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population. In some high-risk individuals, sleep apnea can even lead to sudden death from respiratory arrest during sleep.

An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. However, few of them have had the problem adequately diagnosed. Patients with the typical features of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, obesity, and excessive daytime sleepiness, should be referred to a specialized sleep center that can perform a test called polysomnography. This test records the patient’s brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing during an entire night. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, several treatments are available. Mild sleep apnea frequently can be overcome through weight loss or by preventing the person from sleeping on his or her back.

Many people try using an inexpensive anti snoring device prior to conducting exhaustive testing for a sleep apnea cure. These can sometimes reduce snoring so expensive sleep apnea machines are not necessary.

Other people may need special devices or surgery to correct the obstruction. People with sleep apnea should never take sedatives or sleeping pills, which can prevent them from awakening enough to breathe.

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Sleep Apnea Is Both An Extremely Common and Occasionally Fatal Sleep Disorder

May 1st, 2009

Sleep apnea is probably the most commonly seen of all sleep disorders and affects nearly 18 million people in the United States. A sleeping disorder characterized by broken breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is also undoubtedly the most dangerous of all sleeping disorders as it starves the brain of crucial oxygen and can sometimes prove to be fatal.

There are two very different types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is in essence a neurological disorder where breathing is broken as a result of signals sent out by the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea by contrast is basically a mechanical problem where the windpipe is obstructed either by too much tissue or by the unusual collapse or relaxation of the muscles in and around the windpipe. In both cases however the results are essentially identical with frequent interruptions to normal breathing that deprive the brain of oxygen and put the sufferer at greater risk from such things as high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.

Sadly, diagnosing sleep apnea is not always easy because snoring, which is one of its commonest symptoms and frequently leads to sleep apnea being called the snoring disease, is also seen as a symptom of many other medical problems. Snoring is frequently seen in cases of sleep apnea as the brain reacts to a drop in oxygen by waking the sufferer sufficiently to restart breathing and this usually produces snoring.

This repeated awakening during the night also causes a very poor overall quality of sleep and it is not at all uncommon for sufferers to get up in the morning feeling more tired than they were when they went to bed. This also results in feelings of sheer exhaustion during the day and a great desire to sleep.

But, tiredness arising from poor quality sleep is only part of the problem and various other symptoms will also generally be present including headaches in the morning, forgetfulness and a problem in maintaining concentration.

Left untreated the growing tiredness from sleep apnea can lead to serious psychological problems starting with touchiness and progressing to depression with noticeable changes in behavior and mood.

Both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea are treatable and, as long as the condition is caught early enough, this treatment is often relatively easy. For example, a minor case of obstructive sleep apnea caused by nasal congestion can usually be treated with little more than decongestants. In the same way, a lot of cases of sleep apnea which are not especially serious can be treated with the use of a mask that is worn while sleeping and which delivers a constant pressure of air to keep the airway open. Finally, in the most serious cases of sleep apnea surgery may be required and can be very effective, though it could also lead to various complications and has to be approached with caution.

Possibly the most important thing to remember when treating sleep apnea is that because it carries the potentially fatal risk of respiratory failure sufferers should not be tempted to take sleeping pills or to use other forms of artificial sleep enhancers without the approval of a doctor.

Natural sleep remedies unquestionably provide an effective complement to prescribed medication and herbs that are designed to improve both the quality and duration of sleep can be of assistance in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness generally accompanying sleep apnea. Also, things like aromatherapy, chromatherapy and meditation and guided relaxation can help to combat the insomnia and anxiety that go together with sleep apnea.

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The Difference Between Sleep Apnea & Snoring

April 30th, 2009

Many people may relate sleep apnea to snoring, which may seem right. But they should take note that there is a difference between sleep apnea and snoring. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder which causes a person to have shallow breathing patterns or pauses in breathing. Snoring on the other hand is a vibration of the respiratory system that results to sounds because of blocked air movement. Snoring is a result of sleep apnea most of the time because of an obstructed air passageway. Some snores are soft, while some are loud and unpleasant. The respiratory structures that are commonly involved are the uvula and soft palate and this is caused because of any of the following: mispositioned jaw, fat gathering around one’s throat, throat weakness that causes it to close during sleep, and obstruction of airway.

The difference between sleep apnea and snoring is that the former is a cause while the latter may be its result. sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that needs to be treated right away as it has significant effects in the body. An individual who suffers from sleep apnea will stop breathing for a few seconds, which could happen for up to 50 times a night! This will cause the person to get easily tired and sleepy during daytime because these breathing pauses briefly wakes him up in the middle of the night in order to resume breathing.

Snoring on the other hand is also a sleep disorder resulting from congestion or blockage of the airways. Sleep apnea may cause snoring, but other factors such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids may also cause this disorder.

Most people will not be aware if they are snoring or have sleep apnea since this only occurs while he is asleep. A bed partner may notice this in him. If the individual is snoring, this does not mean that he has sleep apnea because snoring may be the result of many other things such as enlarged tonsils. If a doctor diagnoses that a person has sleep apnea, he may recommend treatment right away because this may cause more serious diseases in the future.

If you want to treat your sleep apnea or snoring by natural means, you may find that there are actually simple remedies to have an apnea and snore-free bedtime. First and foremost, leading a healthy lifestyle can help you treat sleep apnea. Have a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine. This also helps reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke. If you snore a lot, changing some lifestyle habits may help you lessen it.

When your sleeping partner makes you aware about your snoring, tell him to change your sleep position every time. Snoring occurs first when you are lying on your back. Because of this position, your tongue falls back, which may increase air passageway resistance. If you regularly snore, sleep on your side. You may also lose body weight to help you stop snoring during the night. Obese or simply overweight individuals have a bulky tissue in the neck and this increases the chance of snoring. Losing even just a modest amount of weight can help you prevent yourself from snoring.

You may also avoid sedatives and alcohol because anything that may cause sedation such as small amounts of alcohol and sleeping pills may increase airway resistance. These may suppress your breathing, thus, causing you to snore.

There are more alternative treatments to sleep apnea and snoring. Consult your sleep therapist about which method is best. If home remedies don’t work for you, have your sleeping habits examined again. This will help you a lot in the long run.

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