Sleep Apnea Disorder

A recently concluded research study established that the children who experience sleep-disordered breathing are significantly more probably exhibiting maladaptive behaviors subsequent to surgery compared to those children who do not have any respiratory problem.

Researchers from the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor were intrigued by the postoperative behavioral problems—like fussiness, disobedience and introversion, and daytime sleepiness.

“All of us have taken care of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)patients at one time or another,” said Robert E. Christensen, MD, clinical lecturer in anesthesiology at the institution. Read the rest of this entry

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

Sleep is extremely important for the body. It plays an important role on the body weight and metabolism, mood, cardiovascular health, and disease .

The frightening side effects of sleep deprivation are only compounded by the fact that millions of the Americans are sleep deprived. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 40 million Americans suffer from some type of sleeping disorder, with 60% of adults saying that they do have sleep problems a few nights a week, if not more.

A recently concluded research study findings published in the journal Immunity  will sure have people taking their sleep a whole lot more seriously than they have before. Read the rest of this entry

NovaSom, Inc., the leader in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) home testing and cost-containment solutions, has announced UnitedHealthcare plan  participants now have access to NovaSom home sleep testing services for sleep apnea diagnosis. Home sleep testing is a clinically equivalent alternative to in-facility sleep testing that can be performed from the comfort and privacy of a patient’s home, at a fraction of the cost.

NovaSom will utilize its field-based provider relations team to educate physicians on appropriate screening parameters that will help identify clinically appropriate patients for home sleep testing. NovaSom will also make available a customized, provider-friendly workflow process aligned with prior authorization requirements to assure cost-effective diagnosis and initiation of treatment through its proprietary       cloud-based MediTrack^®System.    Read the rest of this entry

UBM Medica’s Psychiatric Times today announced special coverage of sleep disorders that occur in patients with mental illness.

Chronic sleep disturbances can lead to or exacerbate mental illness. The information offered on Psychiatric Times is written by leading psychiatrists for mental health practitioners who want to improve their patients’ “sleep hygiene” and alleviate symptoms of mental illness.

Sleep disorder highlights on Psychiatric Times include:

1. “Sleep Hygiene: Tips on Getting a Restful Night’s Sleep,” offers practitioners simple tips to give their patients who are having difficulty sleeping
2. “Treatment of Insomnia in Anxiety Disorders,” discusses the prevalence of comorbid insomnia in anxiety disorders and how it can be treated
3. “Psychosomatic Symptoms in Children with Chronic Mental Illness,” addresses the needs of the approximately 20 percent of children with chronic medical conditions who also have behavioral and emotional symptoms  Read the rest of this entry

A recently concluded research revealed that the amount and quality of sleep directly affects your memory as you get older.

Yo-El Ju, MD, from Washington University School of Medicine and his colleague researchers tested the sleep patterns of 100 dementia-free people between the ages of 45 and 80, half of whom had a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. A device was used to measure sleep for two weeks, and the participants also kept sleep diaries and filled out questionnaires.

The average time a person spent in bed during the study was about eight hours, but the average sleep time was 6.5 hours due to short periods of wakefulness during the night. Read the rest of this entry

The health condition of children and adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea becomes much better in terms of attention, anxiety and quality of life after treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP).

It delivers a stream of air through a mask into the nose. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a condition of interrupted breathing caused by a narrowing in the throat or upper airway, related to large tonsils, obesity or other medical problems.

Using PAP commonly relieves OSAS in adults, among whom it has been studied extensively. However, there have been few studies of PAP in children with OSAS, the American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine reports.

“The benefits occurred even when children didn’t fully adhere to the treatment,” said study leader Carole L. Marcus, sleep specialist and director of the Sleep Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Sleep Center follows thousands of children and adolescents with sleep problems, according to a Children’s Hospital statement. 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

SleepApneaDisorder/ DEARBORN, MI/ January 28, 2012 /PressRelease/ — Patients suffering from sleep apnea and snoring can now seek treatment from Dr. Bruce Luria, Dearborn dentist. Dr. Bruce Luria is currently a member of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is pleased to share his expertise with other members of Luria & Birnholtz Family Dentistry and his patients to improve their quality of life.

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) is dedicated to the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders through use of oral appliance therapy. As part of the AADSM’s stated mission, Dr. Bruce Luria, Dearborn, MI dentist, works with his patients to create a positive public awareness of sleep disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in Dearborn.  Read the rest of this entry

Home sleep testing devices have become popular among medical providers to  determine whether or not patients may have obstructive sleep apnea.  Left  untreated, sleep apnea can account for higher risks of accidents, obesity, heart  disease, diabetes, and even colon cancer.

Medical professionals upload raw data  off the machine through the pm-Assist?  service that is scored by Registered Polysomnographic Technicians (RPSGT),  interpreted by Board Certified Sleep Physicians, and in as little as 24 hours  receive a diagnostic report.

“The growth of our pm-Assist program parallels the growth of home sleep  testing in the industry,” commented Dr. Benjamin Gerson, Chief Medical Director  of University Services, the parent  company of pm-Assist. Read the rest of this entry

Nemours/Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children (AIDHC) and Delaware Sleep Disorder Centers are pleased to announce a collaboration to provide sleep studies for children ages six to 18.

Adequate, restorative sleep is essential to maintaining good health. If a child has difficulty sleeping, a sleep test and subsequent evaluation can help identify the problem. Under this collaboration, tests are done at the Smyrna, Delaware Sleep Disorder Center in a child friendly atmosphere with state-of-the-art equipment for a full range of sleep disorders. Following the testing, Nemours sleep specialists will interpret all studies and are available for consultations. Read the rest of this entry

A good night’s sleep may seem like a distant memory for many women. Whether the source of these nighttime battles is hormonal changes, a crazy schedule, a snoring spouse, less-than-stellar sleep habits, anxiety, or a multitude of other possibilities — some women not only have a hard time falling asleep — they have a hard time staying asleep and experiencing the level of restorative rest they need.

Ashley Sleep offers easy-to-follow tips for women who want to “do it all” so they can seize their day — every day:

1. Get moving. It’s no secret that exercise has many benefits. Not only can it improve health and physical appearance, some studies suggest that the time it takes to fall asleep may be closely linked with your level of physical activity during the day. That means taking part in more healthy physical activities could lead to a better night’s rest. 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

As the number of patients diagnosed with sleep apnea is increasing the costs related to the health insurance is also increasing exponentially. This skyrocketing of the insurer’s sleep apnea related costs has now compelled the insurance companies to change their health coverage policies for the disorder.

A sleep apnea diagnosis usually requires patients undergo tests overnight in a sleep lab; some patients spend two nights in the lab to separately test for sleep apnea and to try a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Insurers often spend $1,900 for one overnight stay.

As a result of this increased spending, some experts are concerned that overnight tests to diagnose apnea are over-prescribed. Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009.

This contrasts effective home sleep tests that cost less than a fifth of the lab version. Although Medicare began paying for home sleep tests in 2008, the tests have had only modest growth. Read the rest of this entry

Many women are turning to unnatural remedies to get to sleep.

Research finds more and more women are turning to sleeping pills in order to get their beauty sleep. It’s a problem that’s sending many women to rehab clinics.

A study from the National Sleep Foundation found nearly three in ten women say they take sleeping aids at least a few nights a week.

Doctor Nancy Collop at the Emory University’s sleep center reports that three out of four insomnia patients are female.

She examines more over scheduled soccer moms, stressed out working women, and women undergoing hormonal changes taking pills to help them rest. Read the rest of this entry