This medical disorder causes the sufferer to stop breathing during his/her sleep, which leads to a general lack of rest. It can also lead to heart attacks, obesity, and headaches.

The condition is common among middle-aged men and post-menopausal women, which is attributed—by some experts—to the changes in sleep patterns that aging brings. Compared to younger people, older individuals tend to sleep less and in more fragmented patterns.

In America, more than 12 million are affected by the condition, making it a serious health concern.

You can avoid sleep apnea by simply exercising a healthier lifestyle: eat right and avoid alcohol and nicotine. These things can ruin your body clock. The condition can also be cured by consistent treatments and some surgeries.

After examining more than 2,000 patients, all diagnosed with sleep apnea, the researchers discovered that around 54 percent of the population were “positional”, meaning they only snore when lying on their backs, while the rest were considered “nonpositional”, which means they snore regardless of their sleeping position.

Meanwhile, earlier studies compared weight to snoring and found that people who weighed less and were prone to snoring when lying on their backs, while those who are overweight or obese are more likely to snore whatever sleeping position they’re lying in. Scientists also believe that overweight and obese people are more prone to lacking energy after losing sleep the night before.

Source: NYTimes

Researchers in a study involving 394 subjects whose ages ranged from 70 and above explain that “after studying the quality of their sleep, we tracked the volunteers over the course of six years. After which, 20 of the study subjects had suffered a stroke.”

Lead study author, Neurology Service of the Hospital Complex of Navarra physician Roberto Munoz, confirms that aside from sleep apnea being a major contributor to the possibility of ischemic stroke, there are almost 5 percent of all adults who suffer from sleeping problems, which only makes matters even worse. Munoz later sermons obese patients suffering from sleep apnea that “one of the measures for avoiding the problem is losing weight.”

Source: Times of India

Researchers explain that for a person to breathe normally and efficiently during sleep, his or her brain has to be able to release the right amounts of noradrenaline. This chemical is released by a person’s brain during sleep in order to make lung activity as normal as possible.

The study showed that the brain is capability of exhibiting a certain kind of plasticity which helps prevent the lungs from abnormal activity. The plasticity intensifies the brain’s motivation in preventing future occurrences of sleep apnea. The study may help both scientists and pharmaceutical companies formulate brand new drugs to help address sleep apnea by regulating noradrenaline production.

Source: DailyHealthReport

Researchers say that students should sleep for at least four hours and a maximum of eight hours of sleep before taking examinations. Dr. Nitin Pise explains that “when they do not get complete sleep they get exhausted and there are chances that they might forget whatever they studied. Students get hyper during examinations and they always make the mistake of studying late or throughout the night which is a big mistake.”

Pise adds that students should also take lots of fluids in order to avoid dehydration. Meanwhile, dietician Shilpi Roy says that students “need more of protein, vitamin and carbohydrate to keep them fit and active. It’s always better to avoid junk food because there are chances that they might fall ill.”

Source: Mid-Day.com

According to research, there are about 50 to 70 million people in the US who chronically suffer from sleeping disorders, their most noticeable symptom being loud snoring and waking up gasping for breath in the middle of the night. Oexman warns that if apnea is left undiagnosed, there are high chances of the disorder being fatal during sleep.

Meanwhile in another study, Director of Insomnia and Sleep Research Program at Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Andrew Krystal advices apnea patients to invest in a good mattress. If properly matched to a patient’s height and weight, a good mattress can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and a day of muscular aches.

Source: eturbonews

A recent study suggests that acupuncture is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Acupuncture reduces nocturnal respiratory events and sleep disruptions. Researchers say that its anti-inflammatory effects make it an effective sleep disorder treatment.

They say that the neck is the main acupuncture point for people with sleep apnea. One of the main symptoms of sleep apnea is gasping for breath during sleep. The neck stimulates a muscle that allows for easy air flow, resulting in better breathing for the sleep apnea sufferer.

Still, the study needs further research to solidify its claims.

According to a new study, aerobic exercise helps older adults (50 years old and over) sleep better.

The study examined the effect of aerobic exercise among middle-aged individuals with insomnia. Half of the participants exhibited chronic insomnia symptoms.

The exercises resulted in improvement in the patients’ sleep quality, including hours of sleep. There were also fewer depressive symptoms, daytime drowsiness and more vitality.

“Better sleep gave them pep, that magical ingredient that makes you want to get up and get out into the world to do things,” explained Katheryn Reid, the lead author of the study.

Source: ConsumerAffairs.com

The recognition of sleep medicine and sleep science as an independent specialty has brought increased scrutiny regarding the impact of treatment of sleep disorders on health outcomes and health care costs. It is estimated that insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, excessive daytime sleepiness, and restless legs syndrome plague an estimated 40 million Americans.

Lawrence Epstein, Chief Medical Officer for Sleep HealthCenters, will lead a group of distinguished sleep clinicians and scientists from medical campuses including Harvard, Case Western and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to discuss how this era of evidence-based medicine, limited resources and healthcare cost containment will affect the practice of clinical sleep medicine and affect healthcare today.

“Third party payers are trying to manage growth by more tightly defining who can provide care and who can undergo testing. Reimbursement for clinic evaluations has been cut and will likely be cut for diagnostic testing as well,” said Epstein. “At the same time, new populations of the ‘at risk’ patient, such as commercial truck drivers, have been identified. FOCSM allows an opportunity for us to discuss these timely topics, trends and opportunities in clinical sleep medicine.”

Stefanos N. Kales, MD, MPH, Medical Director of Employee & Industrial Medicine for Cambridge Health Alliance and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School will present “The Role of the Occupational Medicine Clinician in Evaluating Sleep and Sleep Disorders.”

Other speakers include Carol Rosen, MD, Medical Director for Pediatric Sleep Services at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio; Steven Lockley, PhD, Associate Neuroscientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Amy Aronsky, DO, Medical Director for The Center for Sleep Disorders at St. John Medical Center, Longview, Washington.

Other topics will include Home Sleep Testing, Melatonin: Diagnosis and Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Disorders, and Coding & Reimbursement.

Dr. Lawrence Epstein is the author of “The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep.” Board certified in Critical Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Epstein is a past president of the AASM (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) and is currently an instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

For more information about attending the Future of Clinical Sleep Medicine, please email maria_natapov@sleephealth.com.

MySleepQuest.com brings all aspects of Sleep Apnea together in one website by offering important information about this life-long chronic condition. News, videos, educational content, therapy selection and an opportunity to discuss Sleep Apnea with a Sleep Care Specialist are all found on the site.

Most importantly, visitors across the country will be able to find out if they are at risk for Sleep Apnea by submitting an online questionnaire that will be reviewed by Sleep Specialists and Sleep Physicians.

Sleep Apnea is a form of disrupted breathing that often results in snoring and gasping for air while sleeping. As the body fights for air, the sufferer is forced to awake again and again throughout the night. These repetitive episodes result in constant tiredness and a broad spectrum of serious medical conditions.

“Sleep Apnea affects the body at every level,” says Robert Koenigsberg, President and CEO of SleepQuest, Inc. “The person is under constant stress all night and never gets the critical rest necessary for a healthy life. This stress can lead to potentially life-threatening conditions, such as a harmful accident, a heart attack, a stroke, or cardiac arrest.”

A number of effective therapies for Sleep Apnea have been identified, including Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices, Oral Appliances, and other techniques. One key feature of the website is to support the vast majority of patients begin therapy with a CPAP device. MySleepQuest.com has been designed to help both first-time and long-term CPAP users select the most appropriate medical equipment and supplies from the comfort of their home.

The website is supported by Dr. William Dement, often referred to as the “Father of Sleep Medicine.” Dr. Dement is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Division Chief of the Stanford University Division of Sleep.

The doctor is on a decades-long crusade to help people identify the symptoms of Sleep Apnea and dismiss the apprehensions they may have with the diagnostic or therapy process. After helping to establish the first sleep testing center and the field of sleep medicine, Dr. Dement has been supporting the use of at-home diagnostic and therapy services. For more than a decade, Dr. Dement has been the Chief Scientific Advisor for SleepQuest, Inc. and was instrumental in the development of MySleepQuest.com.

Dr. Dement has made exhaustive efforts to educate the public about the importance of a good night’s sleep and how each of us can increase our awareness of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders to help ourselves live a more productive and happier life. “We share a similar vision for better, less expensive and more convenient diagnostic and therapy access for the millions of undiagnosed patients with Sleep Apnea,” said Koenigsberg.

About SleepQuest

SleepQuest, Inc. is a national provider of comprehensive Sleep Apnea services, with Board Certified sleep medicine physicians overseeing diagnosis, therapy and ongoing clinical support. Through MySleepQuest.com, the company permits consumers and existing patients across the country to benefit from SleepQuest’s experience in providing customized care. SleepQuest has delivered successful outcomes to thousands of patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Accredited by the Joint Commission, their comprehensive and clinically validated “Continuum of Care” approach includes screening, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing patient management to achieve high compliance rates and successful medical and quality-of-life outcomes. For additional information, visit http://SleepQuest.com