Demanding schedules and high stress levels compel almost 78% of the corporate employees to sleep less than 6 hours every day leading to variety of sleep disorders and other health problems.

The ASSOCHAM survey findings revealed that “Loss of sleep has wide ranging effects including daytime fatigue, physical discomfort, psychological stress, performance deterioration, low-pain threshold and increase absenteeism”.

Women are at more risk as they suffer with more sleep problems than men. More than 50% of women said they frequently experience a sleep problem. Read the rest of this entry

Nicholas Jackson puts the latest facts and figures from the all of the most influential medical journals; newspapers; and health, fitness, and wellness websites.

• 5,400,000  – The approximate number of kids in the United States that have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC). Source: “ADHD More Common Among Youngest Kids in Class: Overdiagnosed?” CBS.
• 5.5 — The percentage that diagnosis rates of ADHD have increased, on average, per year from 2003 to 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Source: “ADHD More Common Among Youngest Kids in Class: Overdiagnosed?” CBS.
• 6 — The percentage of airline pilots who work the same shift every day, according to a new 2012 Sleep in America poll, which suggests that variable schedules lead to sleepiness which leads to slower reaction times, decreased attention, and problems processing and learning information.  Source: “One in Five Pilots Report a Serious Error Related to Sleepiness,” the Wall  Street Journal. Read the rest of this entry

If you are getting older you are more likely to sleep like a baby!

Nearly 100 million Americans are suffering from one or other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, sleep disturbance and daytime fatigue to name just a few. But those who are getting older have good news that their sleep is getting better as they grow old. A good night’s sleep just like a baby sleep gets possible in older age.

A research study performed on more than 150,000 Americans concluded recently and published in the March edition of the Journal SLEEP revealed that sleep seems to improve over a lifetime, with the fewest sleep complaints coming from people in their 80s. Read the rest of this entry

Building on their highly successful System One humidification, Philips  Respironics has introduced an additional humidification solution that enhances  performance, flexibility and comfort for the sleep apnea sufferer. The System  One Heated Tube provides CPAP users with air temperature control, improved humidification and rainout  protection. The Heated Tube can only be found on the Philips Respironics System  One REMstar Auto A-Flex with Heated Humidification and Heated Tube model  DS560TS.

The System One Heated Tube takes into account the room temperature and  humidity by using a sensor at the end of the Heated Tube to allow the CPAP user to choose what temperature is  right for them and at the same time protects against rainout. The Heated  Tube is a welcome advance in CPAP therapy and is just another reason why Philips  Respironics is a leader in the sleep therapy market. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep disorders often remain undiagnosed. Untreated sleep disorders among police officers may adversely affect their health and safety and pose a risk to the public.

Researchers examined and evaluated associations between sleep disorder risk and self-reported health, safety, and performance outcomes in police officers.

Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study of North American police officers participating in either an online or an on-site screening (n=4957) and monthly follow-up surveys (n=3545 officers representing 15 735 person-months) between July 2005 and December 2007. A total of 3693 officers in the United States and Canada participated in the online screening survey, and 1264 officers from a municipal police department and a state police department participated in the on-site survey.             Read the rest of this entry

People sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day  if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, a new study  concludes.

A nationally representative sample of more than 2,600 men and women,  ages 18-85, found that 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a  week, which is the national guideline, provided a 65% improvement in  sleep quality. People also said they felt less sleepy during the day,  compared to those with less physical activity.

The study, out in the December issue of the journal Mental  Health and Physical Activity, lends more evidence to mounting  research showing the importance of exercise to a number of health  factors. Read the rest of this entry

Bay Sleep, the West Coast’s largest and fastest growing independent sleep  center, announced the opening of its newest, state-of-the-art sleep clinic in Oakland, California. 

Located one block from Summit Medical Center, this is Bay Sleep’s 16th clinic open  for business. Services include sleep physician consultations, diagnostic in-lab  and home sleep testing and dispensing CPAP and other therapies for patients  diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and other sleep  disorders.

The growth trend continues as the company plans to open  their next full service sleep care facility in Solano County by mid-December.  Read the rest of this entry

The Center at Norwalk Hospital will be hosting its first Sleep Apnea Support Group for Children on Saturday, Nov. 12.  Parents and children are invited to attend the educational event.

Kass will address the group with a talk, “The Significance of Snoring at Any Age.”. In general, symptoms of sleep apnea in toddlers may include tantrums and irritability. As children get older, the lack of sleep may manifest itself as hyperactivity, acting out, poor grades in school, mood swings, and even a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

“In addition to the potential health issues associated with sleep apnea, we see children who suffer from fatigue and attention issues due to interruption in sleep,” said Kass.

The program is being offered as a public service and as part of A.W.A.K.E (Alert, Well, and Keeping Energetic) of the American Sleep Apnea Association.  A.W.A.K.E. is a health awareness program offered to those who suffer from sleep apnea, as well as their family, friends and anyone who is interested in learning more.

The Nov. 12 support group will include face painting and drawing activities for children.  Children are encouraged to bring their CPAP masks for a fitting by experienced sleep technicians.  CPAP users and family are being encouraged to share their tips for successful sleeping with CPAP.

Sleep Apnea Support Group for Children: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, in the fifth floor Patio Room at Norwalk Hospital.  The event is free and seating is limited.  Register by calling (203) 852-2821 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (203) 852-2821     end_of_the_skype_highlighting or (203) 852-2833 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (203) 852-2833     end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Sleep apnea screening is rare among psychiatric patients at present, but it’s important to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) because it can make mental illness worse, contributing to depression and possibly to the risk of manic episodes.

The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea can mimic mental illness as well, making patients irritable and tired. If a patient is diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea it will further complicate the use of benzodiazepines and other respiratory depressants in such patients.

The lead investigator Dr. Vanita Jain, a psychiatry department resident at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City says,” “Sleep problems are so integral to psychiatric problems, [and] we wanted to make sure that along with psychiatric disorders, we were treating obstructive sleep apnea, too”. Read the rest of this entry

Losing weight reduces the risk factors for many diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Shedding just 10 pounds, for example, can lower blood pressure. Weight loss also lowers blood sugar and improves cholesterol levels.

Now, it looks like a new benefit can be added to the list. Losing weight can reduce urinary incontinence in women who are overweight or obese. In a randomized trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, moderate weight loss in a group of heavy women who undertook a six-month diet and exercise program cut the frequency of urinary incontinence episodes by nearly a half.

Urinary incontinence affects more than 13 million women in the United States. It not only causes inconvenience and emotional stress, it also raises the risk of falls, fractures, and nursing home admissions. Obesity has long been associated with urinary leakage in women, but until now, there’s been little research to confirm that losing weight would help reverse the problem — or to suggest how much weight loss would be needed. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea generally causes obstructive breathing in the middle of the night for more than 12 million Americans. Fatigue, high blood pressure and weight gain are just a few of its symptoms.

Several researches concluded during recent past have established that sleep apnea can be a drain on intimacy, causing erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in women.

Scientists suspect this may have to do with sex hormones like testosterone, which rise with sleep and fall when there is a lack of it. Because it causes intermittent waking and chronic sleep deprivation, apnea may directly drive down levels of these hormones, causing sexual dysfunction. Read the rest of this entry

Are you unable to fall asleep? Do you wake up often throughout the night? Do you feel well-rested when you awake in the morning? Do you want to improve your quality and quantity of your sleep? Symptoms of forgetfulness, headaches, lack of focus, itching, moodiness, cravings, headaches, and neck and backaches often disappear with a good night’s sleep.

Restful sleep is a must for health, vitality, longevity and fat loss. Researchers found that sleeping four hours a night interferes with your ability to secrete and regulate hormones, which in turn promote aging, increase appetite, add inches to your waistline and increases your risk of developing diabetes. Lack of sleep promotes an environment prime for inflammation and catabolism (muscle loss).

One loses ”one IQ point” for every hour of lost sleep one didn’t get the night before. Cognitive and mood problems develop, along with an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease are just a few consequences of too little sleep. Read the rest of this entry

Are you sleeping too much or too less during nights? Research concluded in recent past has revealed that inflammation could play a key role in your health condition in such a situation.

Long and short duration sleep has been reported to have an increased risk for several disorders and health problems including coronary heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, and death in many of the previously concluded researches and studies. Inflammation regulating cytokines elevations have been found to have direct linkage with enhanced risk of health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

In this study where 614 participants reported their sleep habits after spending a night in sleep lab the mean self-reported sleep duration was calculated to be only 7.6 hours. The sleep lab reported sleep duration was only 6.2 hours on the contrary. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep disorders, like sleep apnea and insomnia, affect 40 per cent of Canadians, according  to new figures from a Laval University study published in this month’s issue of  the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

Through a survey of 2,000 people across Canada, researchers found 40 per cent  of respondents experienced symptoms of insomnia at least three times a week.  Symptoms include taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep, being awake  during the night for more than 30 minutes, or waking up at least 30 minutes  earlier than planned.

Although 20 per cent of respondents said they were unsatisfied with the  quality of their sleep, only 13 per cent of survey respondents say they visited  a doctor or health-care professional about the problem. Read the rest of this entry

The most effective treatment for the nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, according to a new report.

A CPAP machine pumps air through a mask while the patient sleeps. This treatment is highly effective in improving sleep and reducing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to the review of available evidence.

However, side effects such as dry nose and mouth, nosebleeds, chest discomfort and feeling trapped can cause patients to abandon CPAP treatment, noted the authors of the report, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

One expert called the report’s findings “valuable.” Read the rest of this entry