sleep apnea

35% of U.S. adults do not get enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep continues to be a problem in the U.S. What is fascinating is that this varies by State and Region in the US! Are you one of those sleep-deprived adults?  Here's some great information from the CDC: How much sleep do we need and what can happen when...

Always Tired? You May Have Sleep Apnea May was Better Sleep Month, if you didn't hear anything about it, now is a good time to learn about this disorder and how to treat it. Obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, work-related accidents and depression. What is Sleep Apnea? The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." With sleep apnea, your breathing pauses multiple times during sleep. The pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes and can occur more than five times per hour, to as high as 100 times per hour. (Fewer than five times per hour is normal). Sometimes when you start breathing again, you make a loud snort or choking sound. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type, is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses. The less common form, central sleep apnea, happens if the area of your brain that controls breathing doesn't send the correct signals to your breathing muscles. According to Eric Mann, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of FDA's Division of Ophthalmic, Neurological, and Ear, Nose and Throat Devices, you may be unaware of these events since they happen while you're sleeping. Because you partially wake up when your breathing pauses, your sleep is interrupted, and you often feel tired and irritable the next day. Sleep apnea is almost twice as common in men as it is in women. Other risk factors include: being overweight, as extra fat tissue around the neck makes it harder to keep the airway open, being over age 40, smoking, having a family history of sleep apnea, and having a nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies or sinus problem. Children also get sleep apnea, most commonly between ages 3 and 6. The most common cause is enlarged tonsils and adenoids in the upper airway. CPAP machines, the most common treatment for sleep apnea, use mild air pressure to keep your airways open. "You should certainly tell your physician if you think you, or your child, is experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea," Mann says. "But the diagnosis of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea requires a formal sleep study." Polysomnogram (PSG) is the most common sleep study for sleep apnea and often takes place in a sleep center or lab to record brain activity, eye movement, blood pressure and the amount of air that moves in and out of your lungs. Getting Treatment Continue reading →