A nightly breathing treatment may do more than help people with obstructive sleep apnea get a good night’s rest — it may also help prevent heart failure.

In a study published in Circulation: Heart Failure, a journal of the American Heart Association, researchers in the U.K. discovered that moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause changes in the heart’s shape and function, similar to the effects of hypertension. These changes include increased mass, thickening of the heart wall and reduced pumping ability.

But, six months after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, the abnormalities returned to near-normal measurements in sleep apnea patients. Read the rest of this entry

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

A recently concluded research study findings are important for parents who often think that snoring babies are deeply sleeping ones. This research however revealed that snoring, along with mouth-breathing and sleep apnea, are sure symptoms of disordered sleep and the chances of developing long-term problems in children’s behavior and emotional well-being are quite high.

Findings of this research study have been published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers say that babies who have these sleep problems at 6 months may be anywhere from 20% to 100% more likely to have problem behaviors such as hyperactivity by age 7.

The study was conducted with more  than 11,000 children followed for over six years at the at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the researchers found that young children with sleep-disordered breathing are prone to developing behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity and aggressiveness, as well as emotional symptoms and difficulty with peer relationships. Read the rest of this entry

One of the premier providers of innovative supplies for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) products for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Circadiance announces the launch of its latest product evolution with the New and Improved SleepWeaver® Advance soft cloth nasal CPAP mask with the revolutionary Zzzephyr Seal®.

“The evolution of this product is the result of ongoing communication with our customers, reseller network and sleep technicians throughout the world,” said David Groll, CEO. “Our focus on quality through feedback has led to the re-engineering and significant improvement to our successful SleepWeaver® soft cloth nasal CPAP mask providing an even better fit and seal.” 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

Many children with sleep disorders aren’t obviously sleepy during the day but may be hyperactive, inattentive, or have difficulty with focus or memory.Sleep-deprived kids may also have chronic mood swings and aggressive behavior.

Your child’s problems and other related obscure behavior can be changed with better sleep.

Following tips are worth trying:

1. Monitor the hours your child sleeps – not the hours in bed.

2. Provide a consistent, soothing bedtime routine, including a “wind down” time. Read the rest of this entry

The Aviisha Medical Institute’s DriveSafe Program is lowering costs associated with the testing and treatment of sleep apnea for commercial drivers. Launched in February, the program is also aimed at raising awareness about this serious disease and helping drivers stay compliant.

The DriveSafe Program is the institute’s latest effort to combat the effects of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea has recently been spotlighted in the commercial driver industry.

In January, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it had adopted recommendations to have all commercial drivers with a body mass index of 35 or higher tested for sleep apnea. A person with a body mass index of 35 or higher is considered obese and is at high risk of having sleep apnea. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep is sleep, isn’t it?

But have you ever thought about whether your child is getting healthy sleep?

The sleep quality among infants and children generally vary just as the quality of their diets do.

Healthy sleep is as important as good nutrition and exercise for normal growth and development. Sleep also impacts daytime mood and functioning. If your child has poor grades or other difficulties in school, it’s possible that could be traced back to lack of sleep. Read the rest of this entry

Siesta Medical, Inc., a developer of minimally invasive surgical solutions for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announced the U.S. launch of its Encore™ Tongue Suspension System for the treatment of OSA. The Encore™ System simplifies and improves the control of tongue suspension, a procedure shown to be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Dr. Jason van Tassel at Washington Hospital in Fremont, CA performed one of the first patient implants.

“Through a small incision, the Encore System allowed me to navigate the tongue base and easily place suspension loops. Controlling the final tension and advancement of the tongue base was easy and much simpler than with previous tongue suspension devices. This was a quick and minimally invasive surgery and is a potentially attractive surgical option for OSA patients with tongue base obstructions” said Dr. van Tassel. Read the rest of this entry

St. Luke’s Cornwall Center for Sleep Medicine has launched a new, free, support group, for patients with sleep apnea or other sleep disorders.

The first quarterly meeting for the A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well And Keeping Energetic) support group will be held Wednesday, March 21 from 6:15 – 8:15 p.m. at the 2nd Floor Conference Room at the Cornwall campus located on 19 Laurel Avenue in Cornwall. Refreshments will be served.

“We’re excited to launch the Mid-Hudson Valley chapter of this new support group through our Sleep Medicine program,” said Dr. Anita Bhola, Medical Director, St. Luke’s Cornwall Center for Sleep Medicine. Patients will be put in touch with doctors, manufacturing reps, DME and other experts in the field to have their questions answered in an informal patient friendly setting.

St. Luke’s Cornwall Center for Sleep Medicine is committed to enhancing quality of life for those experiencing disruptive sleep. Using advanced diagnostics and the latest research in the field highly qualified staff evaluates patient’s sleep patterns and devise a custom treatment plan to improve their ability to sleep.

JaMarcus Russell earned a reputation as one of the worst disappointments in draft history and argued that sleep apnea was to blame for much of the behavior that earned him widespread criticism and put an end to his NFL career at the tender age of 26.

JaMarcus Russell’s diagnosis and subsequent discussion of sleep apnea may not be enough to restore his much-maligned performance or defunct career; but at a time when nearly 12% of the American public suffers from this serious and potentially life-threatening condition, it may help raise popular awareness of sleep apnea – and encourage patients to thoroughly research their treatment options to find solutions that are both effective and sustainable for the long haul. Read the rest of this entry

A Currently concluded research study based on the large health insurance database revealed that people who’d suffered sudden deafness were more probable to have a previous diagnosis of sleep apnea than a comparison group without hearing loss.

Taiwanese health insurance data analysis revealed that the absolute difference is actually small: 1.7 percent of those with hearing loss had sleep apnea in comparison to 1.2 percent without hearing trouble.

The health records of nearly one million Taiwanese evaluated by Dr. Jau-Jiuan Sheu, of Taipei Medical University Hospital. His team of researchers found that almost 3,200 had been diagnosed with sudden deafness between 2000 and 2008. Comparison was made with other five people of same age and sex without hearing loss. Out of those 19,000 people in total, 240 had been diagnosed with sleep apnea before the episode of sudden deafness occurred. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep affects a person’s waking hours more than a person realizes. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, restless limb syndrome, narcolepsy, delayed or advanced sleep phase syndrome and parasomnias. 

The Alert, Well and Keeping Energy (AWAKE) sleep support group is part of the Piedmont Newnan Sleep Center’s efforts to help patients get the rest they need to lead normal, productive lives.

“People don’t realize the affect and power a good night’s sleep has on people,” says Jennifer Morrow, the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Sleep Center and AWAKE support group coordinator.

Some common symptoms of not getting enough rest include excessive sleepiness during daytime hours, loud snoring, pauses during breathing while asleep, morning headaches, restless legs during sleep and exhaustion despite having enough sleep hours. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring was once considered a simple annoyance for bed partners, but there is a growing awareness in the medical community that the grunts and snorts of noisy sleepers can also be a sign of sleep apnea.

Testing can be a lucrative business, and labs have popped up in free-standing clinics and hospitals across the country. Over the past decade, the number of accredited sleep labs that test for the disorder has quadrupled, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

At the same time, insurer spending on the procedure has skyrocketed. Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General.

Dr. David Gross, medical director of the sleep lab at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C., says more than three-quarters of the patients who come to his lab are diagnosed with sleep apnea. “We are spending more and more money on sleep testing and treatment,” he says.

It’s no secret that the sleep business can be lucrative for physicians. While many sleep centers offer comprehensive care for sleep disorders, others are largely focused on overnight sleep testing, according to Dr. Nancy Collop, president of the academy. “A lot of people have gotten into the sleep business specifically to do that procedure,” she says.

Another option is a home sleep test, which costs less than a fifth as much as a lab test, and is considered effective for most patients. Medicare began paying for home sleep tests in 2008, but the tests have had only modest growth.

Some insurers, including WellPoint, are changing the way they pay for sleep testing to curb the costs.  Those changes are now widespread among Massachusetts insurers and are having an effect on the sleep industry in the state. [ Read Complete Post ... ]