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Mask Sleep Interruptions

The sleeping disease – A Rare Sleep Disorder

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Narcolepsy: The sleeping disease

There are over 3 million cases of narcolepsy and is estimated by medical reports that 200,000 Americans, but just under 50,000 are actually officially diagnosed by a doctor. It has been said that it’s widespread like the neurological disease Parkinson’s disorder. This condition is usually recognized in both men and women at any age, yet the symptoms are usually first noticed in teenagers and younger age adults usually in their 20s and early 30s.

It’s been noted that there is a 15-year between the onset and actual diagnosis of the problem, which has contributed to the debilitating features of this particular disorder. Those who deal with narcolepsy have a plethora of cognitive, educational, occupational, and psychological issues that can arise from this problem. The presence of narcolepsy is 1 in 2000 people and is also found in people with diagnosed learning disabilities and currently, the treatment options are very limited.

The studies that were conducted for this concluded that this problem is constantly under-diagnosed in the general population in society. Some narcoleptics don’t show any signs visibly and the severity of the condition varies from person to person.

This is where medical science has its blunders because of the fact that this condition is so underdiagnosed that it’s hard to really get a grasp of the severity of this problem because it varies in levels from noticeable to barely obvious.

Polysomnogram and Multiple Sleep Latency exams are the two tests that are done to give a formal and correct diagnostic approach to the condition and usually, this is where the diagnosis presents the level of severity so that it’s properly noted by a specialist to ensure a proper treatment plan for that person. Tests are conducted in two-hour increments to allow the person to sleep and usually the polysomnogram test does a continuous test of brain activity when it’s in REM sleep mode when sleep happens at night.

Usually, most narcoleptics fall asleep in nighttime sleep mode fairly quickly. There are several methods of treatments for people with narcolepsy and usually, it consists of anti-depressants and planned short-timed naps have also been helpful to lower the dependence on medicinal treatments and allowing the body to do what it should be doing naturally. Retraining the body to sleep at a reasonable time has helped those with narcolepsy to recognize sleeping at night and taking short naps during the day so that their body stays alert because a lot of narcoleptics have been putting themselves and others at risk when they fall asleep during their normal workday or even driving or operating machinery.

With the new wave of holistic medicine being readily available to help people with conditions from the skin to psychological issues. Narcoleptics can also work with a treatment plan that includes a change in diet and incorporating exercise and taking nutritional supplements and formulas to give someone added nutrition if they’re not getting enough from the food they eat.

Narcolepsy is manageable if you follow the doctor’s instructions and taking medications when you’re supposed to and following therapy plans that are designed for that person to follow to the last detail.

Narcolepsy – A Rare Sleep Disorder

Narcolepsy, a relatively rare sleep disorder, causes people to fall asleep when they do not want to. This is caused by a neurological disorder. The brain sends signals to the body that are sleep-inducing; however, they are sent at inappropriate and unpredictable times. Often it happens when a person is involved in a quiet activity, such as watching a movie or during a meeting. Sometimes a person with this sleep disorder falls asleep while driving, which is obviously extremely dangerous. Others fall asleep while they are eating or talking. The overwhelming need to sleep can come at any hour of the day during any activity.

People suffering from narcolepsy often do not realize how sleepy they are, nor how often they fall asleep. It is often a family member, friend or coworker that convinces them that they need to seek medical help for their sleep disorder.

Narcolepsy has five main symptoms. These are excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and fragmented sleep, sleep paralysis, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. Some people with this sleep disorder experience only one symptom but others can experience all five.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is generally the first symptom to appear. Everyone with narcolepsy has this symptom. The feeling of needing to sleep is so strong that sufferers are unable to fend it off, regardless of how hard they try. These sleep attacks, as they are usually called, can happen several times and last for five to ten minutes.

Insomnia and fragmented sleep are very common symptoms of this sleep disorder. People with narcolepsy often have a very difficult time falling asleep at night, even though they fall asleep easily throughout the day. When they do fall asleep at night they wake up often and do not follow a typical REM / non REM sleep pattern.

Sleep paralysis occurs in about half of the people that suffer from this sleep disorder. For several minutes before falling to sleep or waking up, the person with this symptom cannot talk or move.

The loss of muscle function while awake is cataplexy. These episodes are usually very short in length. Over half of the people with narcolepsy experience this symptom of this sleep disorder. They are caused by a part of REM not functioning correctly. Often, episodes are brought on by anger, laughter or any other strong emotion. Sometimes knees buckle, necks and jaws become weak or the person may fall to the ground. Even though the person looks like they are asleep and cannot talk, they are fully awake and aware of what is happening.

A hypnagogic hallucination is experiencing very vivid and often frightening sounds, images or physical sensations. These occur from dreams just before the person is falling asleep or waking up. It is very difficult for a person with this sleep disorder to distinguish between the dream and reality. These hallucinations often have very dangerous themes and are extremely frightening. Often they are accompanied by sleep paralysis.

There are also several lesser symptoms of narcolepsy. These include blurred vision, migraine headaches, memory or concentration problems, and automatic behavior. An apostate of automatic behavior can last for several minutes. During that time a person with this sleep disorder will perform a routine task. The task is often done incorrectly, such as placing a turkey in the dishwasher or writing past the end of a page.

Narcolepsy can be diagnosed and treated with various drugs. If left untreated this sleep disorder can ruin a person’s life.

Muscle pain and sleeplessness

Fibromyalgia is a painful condition that affects the muscles and joints and is seen in only 3-6% of the general population in the world. It’s generally seen more in females than males with a ratio percentage of 9.1 according to the College of Rheumatology and is commonly diagnosed in females between the ages of 20-50 though it’s been noted that the onset happens in childhood. This is not a life-threatening disease through the degree of pain in the condition can vary day to day with periods of flare-ups and remission. The disease is being argued and viewed as non-progressive, but that’s a point that remains in limbo.

This is a problematic issue that can be a reason to keep someone up at night because the pain can be unbearable with the tingling and achiness in the muscles. This drives many who deal with this to endless and chronic deprivation of sleep. Those who suffer fibromyalgia also note issues with memory and other neurological issues, but the most frequent is the issues with sleeping that individuals go through when they deal with painful, annoying flare-ups.

Other issues that surround this problem, which can make sleeping very difficult, are irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, which affects mostly women and a few men. Skin disorders like dermatological disorders, headaches, myofascial twitching, and symptomatic hypoglycemia. Stress, excessive physical exertion, lack of sleep, changes in temperature and barometric pressure. This condition can worsen when individuals don’t sleep or getting the proper rest and not overdoing on things in their daily lives.

The American Medical Association had officially recognized fibromyalgia as a medical condition back in 1987 when the disorder was around since the 1800s. It’s been said that flare-ups are not identical to the ones that are found in people with rheumatoid arthritis, but ibuprofen like Advil, Acenomenofen (Tylenol), and Naproxen (Aleve) which are anti-inflammatory and can bring some comfort to those with fibromyalgia flare-ups. Massage has also been ideal in helping those who deal with fibromyalgia to find comfort when they have flare-ups. Massage helps to transfer fluids from the muscles and joints and increases circulation to the affected areas to bring some temporary relief for inflammation and flare-ups.

This can actually help improve sleep for someone in pain, but it’s best to get a message when you’re not on any medication due to the high risk of side effects that can be triggered by massaging tissue and muscles.

Fibromyalgia is a manageable problem if you follow your doctor’s instructions and take your medication as directed and getting the right amount of sleep and getting plenty of exercises and eating a nutritious diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water and limiting things in the diet that can also aggravate flare-ups. When you take care of yourself properly you can actually improve the quality of sleep as well as decreasing the debilitating pain.

That can keep someone up all night long instead of allowing them to sleep and getting in a decent amount of time for rest and feeling stress-free and more relaxed so that they can face the day with no painful flare-ups and discomfort that can be annoying.

Jet Lag Syndrome

This is the second most popular sleep disorder and usually affects international flights and if it’s domestic if they’re going between time zones. This is what you call knocking your body clock out of sync because when you’re traveling across different time zones especially at the international level because that can throw you off an entire day if you’re coming from the west going east from New York to London or Los Angeles to Tokyo or Sydney which can throw you off since you cross the international dateline which is one day ahead and behind.

It seems as if women are more affected than men and according to medical reports its because the natural hormone estrogen and it’s triggered when the body when accustomed to normal daytime and nighttime rhythms, therefore, you’re upsetting the body’s natural state of corresponding with a specific time of day and it can even interrupt eating patterns as well. It can take up to several days to even a full week to regain some normalcy on the time and place once you’ve had time to sleep yourself into adjustment mode.

The symptoms of jet lag vary by the individual person and symptoms can include or be a combination of dehydration which can trigger minor disorientation, and loss of appetite, headaches and sinus irritations, fatigue, grogginess, nausea and/or vomiting from an upset stomach, irritability, and mild depression. Jet lag is not linked to the length of a flight, but the transmedia distance traveled. For example, if you flew from New York and Los Angeles which is approximately 5 hours you will feel some jet lag crossing the Central and Mountain time zones. Jet lag can be extremely difficult in places like Alaska and Russia because of the fact that Alaska only sees a short amount of daylight and Russia has 11 different time zones and can really throw someone off if they were flying from Copenhagen to Tokyo.

Usually, people that are prone to this are often given sedatives by their doctors to help them sleep through the flight and to wake up without the effects of jet lag when they land in their destination.

Ways to recover quicker from jet lag is proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep because you’ll be surprised to know that people who don’t sleep or get enough rest and relaxation will deal with it later when they land and the disorientation sets in. Sunlight according to doctors says can help reset your body’s clock back in synch.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the severity of jet lag because it affects people differently and usually people who travel on international flights are less likely to deal with a jet lag because they’re used to the constant change. And have managed to adapt to those changes since some travel monthly for business and usually it’s business travelers who deal with jet lag more than those who go for vacations.

Business travelers fly at odd times which can throw someone off because they’re flying out super early or catching the red-eye somewhere to arrive the next day.

Hypersomnia (oversleeping)

Most people don’t realize they oversleep when they have a condition called hypersomnia and that’s due in part to recurring episodes of excessive daytime sleeping and prolonged nighttime sleep. This is different from the average person taking that midday nap when they do it at sometimes the most inappropriate times like at work, during meals, or even in conversation with people.

Hypersomnia is also diagnosed with narcolepsy, which can be quite dangerous because some individuals are behind the wheel of cars or even cooking in their homes and aren’t aware that they fell asleep. Some hypersomnias and narcoleptics can fall asleep and then wake up and resume where they left off in conversations with people. Usually, daytime naps usually provide no relief or symptoms to the problem(s) and will result in the individual(s) having increased difficulty in waking from a long extended period of sleeping, disorientation, anxiety, decreased energy, increased fatigue, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and problems with memory functions.

Some individuals also experience losing the ability to function in a normal family, social, occupational, and other settings familiar to that person.

Hypersomnia can be triggered by sleep apnea or narcolepsy, where it can lead to dysfunction of the autonomic nerve system, which can be brought on, by acute alcohol and/or drug abuse. In some cases rare or not it can also be triggered by physical problems such as tumors, head trauma or injuries to the nervous system. Specific medications or withdrawal of medications and/or drugs may contribute to someone having hypersomnia. Medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, depression, encephalitis, epilepsy, and obesity can contribute to hypersomnia as well.

It’s also been noted that those who have hypersomnia are also genetically dispositioned to this problem whereas in others there’s no known or documented cause. Hypersomnia typically affects adolescents and young adults in their 20s and 30s. Although the most common causes of this disorder differ in the age brackets. Information can be located on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes website if you’re seeking a more thorough clinical explanation to this problem. This isn’t a substitute for medical advice from a licensed physician so it’s ideal to educate yourself, but leave the diagnosing and treatment to a doctor so that your condition can be monitored closely.

People who are not seeing a doctor when they identify problems that are not normal for them to experience are misdiagnosing too many issues with sleep. Persons who are severely obese can also have a difficult time losing the weight because of the fact that lack of sleep can increase the body’s metabolic rate, which can trigger excessive hunger in those who are trying to lose weight.

This is why so many people who are obese are eating more than they should because a lot of them sleep so much that they wake up wanting to eat when they should be sleeping like normal people do and not up at all hours of the night wanting to eat. This is why it’s harder for people who are obese to lose weight when they sleep too much and not training their body to rest instead of wanting to eat food.

Children With the Sleep Disorder of Sleepwalking

The sleep disorder of sleepwalking, also known as somnambulism, affects approximately 14% of school-age children between five and twelve years old at least once. Approximately one-quarter of the children with this sleep disorder have more frequent episodes. Sleepwalking is more common in boys then it is in girls. Most children that sleepwalk outgrow the symptoms of this sleep disorder by adolescence as their nervous systems develop.

In children, this sleep disorder is thought to be the result of the immaturity of the brain’s sleep/wake cycle. Normally the entire brain wakes up at the same time. However, in the case of a sleepwalker, the entire brain does not wake up together. The portion that is responsible for mobility wakes up while the portion responsible for cognition and awareness stays asleep. The child is actually in a deep state of sleep.

With this sleep disorder, the brain remains partially asleep but the body is able to move. It is common for the sleepwalker to get out of bed and walk around. Sometimes they get dressed or go outside. Even though the sleepwalker’s eyes are open and they see what they are doing, their expression remains blank. They do not respond to a conversation or their name being called. A sleepwalker’s movements usually appear clumsy. It is not uncommon for them to trip over furniture or knock over things as they move around. A sleepwalking episode usually happens one to two hours after the child goes to sleep. Most of these episodes last for fifteen minutes or less, but some can last for an hour or more.

This sleep disorder in children is usually outgrown and treatment is not generally necessary. In most cases, a parent gently guiding the child back to bed is all that is needed. There is not any need to wake the child.

However, there is about 1% of the population that sleepwalk as adults. Adults that have this sleep disorder did not necessarily have it as a child. In adults, a sleepwalking episode can be triggered by stress, anxiety, sleep fragmentation, sleep deprivation, or certain medical conditions such as epilepsy.

Treatment for adults with this sleep disorder is often dependent upon the amount of danger they are in during an episode. For example, a sleepwalker who opens doors and goes outside onto a busy city street is in danger. A sleepwalker that gets up and goes into the living room and sits down on a chair most likely is not in danger. Treatments can include behavioral therapies, self-hypnosis, or prescription medication.

A sleepwalker, whether adult or child, needs to have a safe area so that they do not get hurt during an episode. Precautions can be taken to eliminate some dangers. Parents should make sure the child’s bedroom does not have any sharp or breakable objects. Doors should be locked at night to keep the sleepwalker from going outside. Sometimes it is necessary to put bells on doors to alert the sleeping parent that their child is sleepwalking. Large glass windows and doors should be covered with heavy drapery to lessen the chance of having the sleepwalker walk through it while it is closed.

A child with the sleep disorder of somnambulism needs to be protected and kept safe during an episode. It is the environment they are in that is the danger more than the sleep disorder itself.

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Sleep Apnea: A Weighty Issue

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Sleep Apnea: A Weighty Issue

Sleep apnea is the condition for where there are pauses in breathing during sleep. These are defined by medical terminology when an individual literally stops breathing. There are two types of apneas Central and Obstructive. This is a common problem among the morbidly obese which requires them to wear an oxygen mask so they can breathe since that’s due in part of their weight bearing down on their chest crushing their rib cage and lungs.

According to medical reports, the population at risk are obese middle-aged males since physiology doesn’t make women potential sufferers of sleep apnea. The problem is that people who do fall asleep due to sleep apnea will go through brief periods where people think they’re not going to wake up. Keep in mind that this is very serious because if it’s not properly diagnosed it can be life-threatening. People with excessive weight usually morbidly obese constantly have to deal with frequent episodes of paused breathing. Snoring is a common problem with the morbidly obese and constant gasping for air while sleeping is another problem. Obstructive sleep apnea can be dangerous to the heart because it’s prolonging and deprivation of oxygen to keep the circulation flowing efficiently.

Other symptoms that are deemed non-specific are headaches, irritability, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, Nocturia (getting up in the middle of the night to urinate), increased urination, decreased sexual drive, increased heart rate, anxiety, depression, esophageal reflux (acid reflux disease), and profuse heavy sweating at night.

Sleep apnea has also been linked to congestive and congenital heart failure usually found in people who are diagnosed as morbidly obese because of the excessive weight on them. This is from severe and prolonged cases meaning the individual(s) were not being treated and had let the condition get to the point that it’s no longer treatable.

Individuals born with Down’s Syndrome are likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea since 50% of the population that has this genetic condition is likely to be diagnosed because of having an enlarged head, adenoids, tonsils, tongue, and narrowing of the nasopharynx. Pharyngeal flap surgery has also been noted to cause sleep apnea in patients because of the obstruction in the breathing pattern after surgery which if not monitored can be life-threatening. There are different treatments for people with sleep apnea and doctors and ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialists take the following into consideration for designing a treatment plan for those who are diagnosed with this condition.

The factors that are considered are an individual’s medical history, the severity of the disorder, and the specific cause for the obstruction. Some treatments also incorporate a lifestyle change, avoiding alcohol and medications that can relax the nervous system.

Other lifestyle changes are losing weight and quitting smoking, and incorporate things like elevating themselves while sleeping so that they can breathe using slanted pillows. The weight issue is the biggest lifestyle concern because that causes some people to be confined to beds where they can’t move and be active contributing further into a person’s weight gain.

Usually, if someone who’s morbidly obese and loses about 50 pounds within a couple months their condition improves, but it’s usually up to a steady support system to get someone on a set routine and healthy eating plan that helps to get their weight down so they can qualify for other treatments to help them maintain weight loss which is either through gastric bypass which has to be strongly enforced since this surgery is irreversible and you have to eat differently and undergo a major lifestyle change. The other option is lap band, which is reversible, but again to maintain the weight loss to improve sleep and breathing patterns come with monitoring what one eats and exercises to help improve breathing patterns.

Sleep Apnea – A Sleep Disorder That Can Be Fatal

Sleep Apnea is a serious sleep disorder that can be life-threatening and at times fatal. People with sleep apnea often fall asleep normally; however, once asleep their ability to breathe is blocked. Usually, this inability to breathe is caused by the muscles in the throat relaxing too much and collapsing into the airway. The body then sends a signal to the brain that breathing has temporarily been blocked. This causes the person to wake up and start breathing again.

The cycle of interrupted breathing can occur many times throughout the night. These episodes can occur up to 50 times an hour and last for ten seconds or longer. Often the person that suffers from this sleep disorder is unaware that anything is happening to them. They can not understand why they always feel tired during the daytime.

The most common form of this sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnea, known as OSA. Some sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea also suffer from central sleep apnea. This sleep disorder is then called mixed sleep apnea.

It is believed that obstructive sleep apnea affects between 18 – 20% of adults in the United States. If this sleep disorder is left untreated it can become life-threatening and in rare cases fatal. It is the underlying cause of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, pulmonary hypertension, and systemic hypertension.

There are several methods of treatment for sleep apnea, both surgical and noninvasive. The first line of therapy for someone suffering from moderate to severe sleep apnea is called positive airway pressure. Known as PAP, positive airway pressure is a noninvasive form of treatment. A machine delivers a constant flow of air through a mask that is worn while sleeping. The force of the airflow must be determined by a sleep technician during an overnight sleep study. There are three types of positive air pressure therapy, CPAP, BiPAP, and AutoPAP.

Dental devices are also used to treat this sleep disorder in mild to moderate cases. Dental devices fall into two general categories: mandibular, or lower jaw, advancing devices or tongue retaining devices. Mandibular devices are used most often. They attach to the upper jaw and pull the lower jaw and base of the tongue forward. This shift in position keeps the airway open.

Medications are generally not a successful form of treatment for most people with sleep apnea. However, many of them do take antidepressants and mondafinal.

Supplemental oxygen is often used in conjunction with a PAP machine. Oxygen alone can not prevent the collapse of the airway or sleep fragmentation. However, oxygen can prevent the drop in the level of blood oxygen that occurs when the airway collapses.

There are also surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea that may be an option for some sufferers of this sleep disorder. These include uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, somnoplasty, corrective jaw surgery, palatal implants, and tracheostomy.

People with this sleep disorder generally find that their quality of life can improve with the proper treatment.

Sleep Apnea Is More Than a Snoring Problem

Sleeping near a person who snores can seriously interrupt sleep. “If only the snoring would stop,” you think. Then it does. Peaceful as it is, that’s not always a healthy sign. Snoring is related to a condition known as sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea, your nighttime breathing is interrupted and doesn’t return promptly. Sleep apnea can be a life-threatening condition. The airflow into your body is delayed by more than 10 seconds.

That may not sound like much, but it’s a serious situation. This breathing interruption can happen up to five times in an hour during sleep.  If you snore loudly and nightly, you’re at higher risk for sleep apnea than the occasional snorer.

Other signs of sleep apnea are episodes of daytime fatigue and emotional distress or skill deficits when you’re tired. Sleep apnea seems to start most often in middle age and afflicts more men than women.

Risk factors for sleep apnea are:

  1. Overweight by more than 120% of your appropriate body weight
  2. Large neck girth. That’s determined by using a tape measure. The danger level is 17” or greater for men and 16” or greater for women.
  3. Hypertension whether treated or untreated by medication
  4. Narrow nasal passages

A medically supervised sleep study is needed to diagnose sleep apnea.  A home monitor can be used for children as well as adults to monitor breathing interruptions.  You have a number of options for treating sleep apnea.

You can be fitted for a dental appliance, an orthodontic device that you wear at night. Basically this appliance changes the tongue placement so that the airway is clear for breathing.

Losing weight is also important to moderating sleep apnea. Along with losing weight, you need to be in an exercise program. Many people report that their sleep apnea completely disappears once they lose weight and get back to a normal, healthy range.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) masks are worn over the nose and mouth to force air into the nasal passages in a continuous flow. This may not be the most comfortable way to sleep, but it has been highly effective and most people get used to the machine and rely on it to deliver a good night’s sleep.

If all else fails, there are surgical procedures such as widening the palate, restructuring nasal cavities or taking out the tonsils to aid in a sleep apnea disorder.  Make sure you don’t ignore your snoring and mistake it as something harmless because if it’s sleep apnea, you’re putting your life at risk!

When Snoring Intrudes on Your Slumber

Snoring can wreak havoc on your sleep schedule – whether you’re the one with the snoring issue, or the person lying next to you is causing the noise.  It can become a serious medical condition if the snoring is something more – sleep apnea, where the person’s snoring halts their breathing and causes them to gasp for their next breath.

If you’re sleeping next to a snorer, then you may not be in full control of the solutions you consider.  Many couples find the sleep-deprived spouse routinely moves into another room, wears earplugs, or spends all night tapping the snorer on the shoulder to interrupt the snoring and allow them enough time to get to sleep.

It can be torturous to sleep next to someone who snores because it’s like having someone constantly stand they’re waking you up throughout the night.  You might get very irritable and feel guilt for getting mad at someone who can’t control their noise level during the night.

The person doing the snoring (which may or may not be you) needs to find a solution that will quiet the snoring and allow them – and the ones they love – to have a peaceful night’s sleep.

Snoring is so common that about one-third of adults seek solutions for this issue every year.  It may happen nightly, or only on occasion, such as when you’ve had alcohol before bed.

It’s caused when the air flows into your throat past the soft tissue, resulting in a loud vibration.  People who are overweight may suffer from snoring more often than those who are not.  Shedding pounds is often enough to shut down the snoring cycle for good.

Some people have resorted to sewing tennis balls in the backs of their pajamas to forcibly keep them on their side, since snoring is more prominent when the person is lying on their back.

Nasal strips and oral appliances can sometimes work.  These keep your nasal passages or airways in your throat open to allow your breathing to continue without interruption.  If sleep apnea is an issue, where your snoring fits suddenly stop with your breathing until you gasp for air, then you might want to consider undergoing a sleep study so you can be fitted for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.  This mask pumps air into your airways, keeping them open to prevent snoring and interruption of breathing.

As a last resort, you might consider getting surgery to address your snoring issues.  All three surgeries aim to do the same thing – remove tissue obstructions to help you breathe better during slumber, but each one uses a different technology.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the common surgery done under general anesthesia where the doctor trims your airways of tissue that could be obstructing your breathing.

Uvulopalatoplasty, or laser surgery, is another option where a laser beam is used to remove your uvula.  It removes excess tissue just like traditional surgery, allowing air to flow without the loud, disruptive vibrations snoring usually produces.

Somnoplasty, which is also known as radiofrequency tissue ablation, is when a surgeon uses low-intensity radio signals to take out part of your soft palate – enough to end snoring and allow air to flow freely.

Talk to your doctor if non-surgical remedies aren’t working and see what type of options he or she can offer to help you (and your loved ones) find some peace and quiet during the night.

When Does Fatigue Turn Into Narcolepsy?

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When Does Fatigue Turn Into Narcolepsy?

Have you ever felt so tired during the day that you had to pull off the road and take a short nap? That daytime fatigue was probably the result of working late, lack of sleep or stress that interrupts quality slumber.

Once you get some rest, you’re fine. But if you have narcolepsy, you can fall asleep during the day without warning.  Even if you get plenty of sleep at night, you still fall asleep during daylight hours.

No matter how you try to fight it or how many triple shot lattes you drink, you can’t force yourself to stay awake.  Before being diagnosed with narcolepsy, you were likely the subject of jokes and criticism.

You aren’t lazy and you aren’t faking. This is a very real medical disorder. If the condition worsens, it can interfere with your job, driving, social life and severely limit your normal activities.

Common symptoms of narcolepsy are:

  1. Falling asleep one or more times during the day, even if you had enough sleep at night.
  2. You suddenly feel like your legs won’t support you. The feeling is one of fatigue – not fainting – and you are aware of the weakness that overcomes you
  3. You can’t avoid falling asleep even when you’re doing things you enjoy like spending time with family and friends, participating in a sport, enjoying a hobby or attending a special event that you really wanted to attend.

Over 200,000 people in the United States alone have been diagnosed with narcolepsy and that’s probably a much smaller number than those who are affected and don’t know what the problem is.

This occurs equally in men and women, usually starting in adolescence. While there’s no medical proof that this condition is genetic, narcolepsy seems to occur in families with 8-12% having at least one close relative with this condition.

The way to find out if you have narcolepsy is with a sleep study and a polysomnogram. These are medical tests that are interpreted by a physician who specializes in sleep disorders.

If you’re diagnosed with narcolepsy, you may be given prescription medication. You can also help yourself by making lifestyle changes, such as avoiding stressful activities or working too late before going to bed.

Explain your condition and symptoms to family, friends, and supervisor at work. You want people close to you to understand that your daytime sleepiness is not laziness, avoidance or lack of motivation but a medical problem that needs attention.

Nocturnal Eating Syndrome – A Food Related Sleep Disorder

The nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is more common in women than men. It is one of two eating disorders that are related to sleep. The other is called sleep-related food disorder. Nocturnal eating syndrome and sleep-related food disorder are parasomnias

The nocturnal eating syndrome is a sleep disorder that is characterized by compulsive raids on the refrigerator at night. Usually, people with this sleep disorder are very light sleepers. When they awake during the night they have an overly compulsive feeling that they will not be able to fall back to sleep unless they eat something. Once out of bed and at the refrigerator, the compulsion to eat makes them gobble down food. People with nocturnal eating syndrome are fully awake and remember eating the food the next day. This syndrome is a combination of a sleep disorder and an eating disorder. Insomnia is also a factor in nocturnal eating syndrome. Treatment for this disorder is usually received from a mental health professional that specializes in people with eating disorders. Improving sleep hygiene can also help with this disorder.

The sleep-related eating disorder also affects more women than men and is a variation of sleepwalking. During an episode of this sleep disorder, a person will eat during partial arousal form a deep sleep. Often they will eat very unhealthy or strange foods that they normally would not eat when awake. During an episode of a sleep-related eating disorder, a person might eat frozen pizza, raw cookie dough, peanut butter on fish and even dog food. Often they are very careless and sloppy and may get burns or cuts while preparing the food. It is very difficult to wake a person during an episode and they have no memory of it in the morning. There does not seem to be a correlation to hunger during a sleep-related eating disorder episode, even if the person has eaten just before bed, an episode can still occur.

Although the cause of food-related sleep disorder is not known, several triggers have been identified. Medications such as lithium, a mood stabilizer, and the benzodiazepine receptor zolpidem are two of those triggers. People with mood and personality disorders or psychological problems such as bulimia are at higher risk of developing one of these food-related sleep disorders. People suffering from other sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder or narcolepsy are also at higher risk

People with the sleep-related eating disorder usually have a history of sleepwalking. Because of this, people suffering from this parasomnia are considered having more of a sleep disorder then an eating disorder. Treatment with prescription medication is often very effective. Antidepressants, dopamine agents, anticonvulsants and opiates are often prescribed. Once sleepwalking is stopped so are the trips to the refrigerator.

Sleep eaters often are overweight because of the high caloric intake at night. The weight gain can lead to other sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Seeking treatment, either from a medical or mental health professional is essential for good health in the treatment of sleep eating disorders.

When Good Limbs Go Bad

You’re lying there in bed and all of a sudden, you can’t suppress the urge to move your legs.  It makes it hard to fall asleep.  Or maybe you lucked out and fell asleep early in the evening, but awaken because your arms or legs began jerking uncontrollably.

The disruption in quality sleep can be frustrating if you have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) or Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMB).  Although RLS is something you control, the urge to move your limbs is so great you can’t even begin to think of sleeping.

Here are some facts about both disorders along with some helpful information on how to treat it if you suspect one of these may be the root cause of your sleep deprivation:

Restless Leg Syndrome is a sleep disorder where your legs are so uncomfortable that you want to move them to make them feel better.  Moving the legs makes the feeling go away, but it returns once you try to relax and fall asleep again.

You’ll know if you have Restless Leg Syndrome if you notice a sudden urge to move your legs because they feel jittery like they’re burning, or as if something’s crawling on them.  It will occur when you’re sitting or lying down.  If you move your legs and it feels better, it assigns you might have RLS.

Some people can simply stretch out or change positions in bed, while others have to get up and walk around.  There’s no known cause for RLS, but the disorder often runs in families. Scientists are honing in on the chemical dopamine since it’s what manages your muscle movements.

Controlling RLS may be as simple as controlling your stress, which appears to worsen the symptoms.  A doctor can diagnose RLS through a series of questions, but there’s no simple test to confirm it.

To treat it, you’ll want to make sure you have your doctor check to see if you’re suffering from an iron deficiency because many RLS sufferers have found that their symptoms disappeared after their iron levels were brought back to normal.

Your doctor may prescribe medications similar to what Parkinson’s or epilepsy patients receive.  Or, he may recommend a simple muscle relaxant.  Lifestyle changes will also be in order, such as cutting back on stimulants like caffeine.

You can help curb the tendency to move your legs by using hot and cold packs, pain relievers, or a warm bath. Meditation, Yoga, a relaxing environment, and exercise also contribute to the elimination of RLS symptoms.

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (or Syndrome) is when your legs and/or arms move involuntarily while you’re asleep.  This can sometimes wake you up, and if you have a sleeping partner such as a spouse, it can disrupt their sleep as well.  Sometimes people with RLS also suffer from PLMD.

PLMD occurs sporadically and can strike any age group, although it’s more common in older adults. There are two kinds of Periodic Limb Movement Disorders primary and secondary.

Primary PLMD is when there’s no known cause, while secondary PLMD is the result of another medical issue, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, anemia, and narcolepsy.  Someone who suffers from PLMD may not know they’re doing it, since it occurs during sleep.

It’s usually pointed out by a sleeping partner or sleep study expert, who notes that the sufferer jerks their knees and legs, or thrashes around while sleeping for a couple of seconds.  Although the person may sleep through it, their deep sleep is disrupted, resulting in daytime drowsiness.

There’s no cure for PLMD, but many medications work to suppress involuntary muscle movements.  If you have secondary PLMD, then your symptoms may disappear for good once the underlying medical condition improves.  If you’re dealing with primary PLMD, then you may see symptoms return periodically even after they’re under control.

You might be able to get relief without medicating yourself by trying simple relaxation techniques and optimizing your sleep environment.  A combination of therapies could help banish the restlessness in your limbs for good!

Shift Work Sleep Disorder

 

Many people that work during the night suffer from Shift Work Sleep Disorder, also known as SWSD. This disorder affects about one-quarter of the approximately 20 million people who do shift work. People affected by shift work sleep disorder are employed in many types of jobs. These include large numbers of workers in industries such as transportation, manufacturing, mining, power, health care, and emergency services including police and firefighters and EMTs. Many of these industries operate around the clock and many various shift schedules exist.

Working a shift job forces your body to function outside if its natural circadian rhythm. Their circadian rhythms never become fully adjusted to their hours. No matter how long a person works at night when they are greeted by the morning sunlight a signal is sent to their brain saying it is time to wake up. A person suffering from this sleep disorder lives in a state of constant circadian disruption.

There are several coping strategies for people with shift work sleep disorder. The most important thing to remember when coping with the challenges of shift work is recognizing the importance of sleep and making it a priority.

Sleeping during the daytime can be very difficult for some people. Besides going against the body’s natural circadian rhythm, there are also the sunlight and the everyday life of the rest of the world, most of which is awake. Many people with this sleep disorder move their bedroom to an isolated place in the house and try to make the room as quiet and dark as possible.

It is best to try to avoid as much of the morning sunlight as possible if you plan to go to sleep right after your night shift. Wear sunglasses on the way home and try not to stop for gas or groceries. The more sunlight you are exposed to, the more likely you are going to have a difficult time falling asleep.

Another coping technique is to develop a sleep strategy. It is very important to set a specific time to sleep. Many people that suffer from shift work sleep disorder find it is best to follow the same sleep routine even on the days they are off from work. It is essential that family and friends know not to bother you during your sleep time unless it is an emergency. Generally, shift workers are chronically sleep-deprived. Scheduling naps at specific times can be a great help in dealing with the sleep disorder that accompanies shift work.

People with this sleep disorder should limit the amount of caffeine during the later part of their shift. Some people establish a caffeine cutoff time, after that they drink juice or water.

The use of sleeping pills for shift workers can develop into a dependency on them. Taking sleeping pills on a daily basis can lead to other health problems.

Not everyone is able to tolerate working during the night. The constant battle with this sleep disorder may cause some people to find a different job.

Using White Noise to Mask Sleep Interruptions

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Using White Noise to Mask Sleep Interruptions

If you have difficulty getting to sleep and are easily disturbed, you may want to consider using white noise to help mask noise that seeps into your resting place. This type of sleep therapy is known to help people who are awakened by peripheral noise, such as traffic from the street or a noisy neighbor.

White noise can help mask these other noises so that you can sleep through them, ideally enabling you to achieve a more restful slumber and the benefits that come with it.  White noise is also useful for those who have trouble sleeping when it’s “too quiet.”

What is white noise?  It’s not simply soft ocean waves or the soothing sounds of the autumn wind blowing through the trees.  Technically, it includes all sound frequencies within the range of human hearing combined.

It’s similar to the color white being produced from a combination of all other colors, which may be why they call it white noise. The “noise” is random, meaning it doesn’t have rhyme or reason unless it’s manipulated.

It doesn’t follow a pattern like a normal sound does. Rather, it’s mixed up and in constant transformation, creating the “swooshing” effect that our ears absorb.  According to experts, the reason why white noise is so soothing is because the masking effect produced covers all other sounds – from high to low pitches.

If your sleep is being disturbed by a dog barking outside, white noise theoretically can help muffle, mask, or cancel-out that sound. On a whole, white noise sounds relatively high-pitched to us (though at a “hum”).

The reason why it doesn’t keep us awake is because the noise essentially overloads our auditory systems and for most of us, provides a distraction from competing sounds. It prevents us from zeroing in on any one sound, so we simply become “numb” to them all.

While we may think of white noise as being tranquil sounds from nature, it’s actually closer to the sound a fan makes. Pure white noise can be “tuned” to more closely resemble these soothing, familiar sounds.

An ocean wave gently rolling onto a shore or a light rain against the windowpane are sounds now easily found on white-noise CDs that are sold in stores, which also holds the advantage of volume control and repetition. Set your CD on repeat and let the white noise help you sleep through the night.

Other forms of white noise include a ceiling or box fan, static from a radio or a furnace or air conditioner with a low hum.  There are also actual white-noise or sound-conditioning machines, which serve a specific purpose of helping you find the sleep you crave.

Some white noise CDs contain a number of different “scenes” to choose from. All are composed to create an oasis of relaxation and ultimately promote sleep. Find the one that best lulls you to sleep and end those days of feeling tired, drowsy, and irritable.

Sleep Disorder and Teenagers

There is a sleep disorder that affects between seven to ten percent of teenagers called Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, also known as DNS. Most teenagers outgrow this disorder by the time they reach young adulthood. Less than one percent of adults are believed to have DSP. Often people mistake this sleep disorder for insomnia.

Left on their own, people with delayed sleep phase disorder would stay up until very late, sometimes until 4 or 5 a.m. They like to get up very late in the morning or early afternoon. Often they are referred to as night owls.

Many teenagers like to stay up late and sleep late in the morning. Sometimes this is because they want to socialize at that time of the day. However, it can also be due to the natural delay in the circadian sleep/wake rhythm at their age of development.

Teenagers with this sleep disorder often have a very hard time getting up in the morning for school. Even if they go to sleep at a regular time, such as at 11 p.m., they toss and turn for hours like someone with insomnia. The difference is, unlike an insomniac, people with delayed sleep phase disorder have no difficulty staying asleep. They do have a very difficult time getting up early in the morning. Teenagers with this sleep disorder are very tired during the day and may even fall asleep in the classroom. The exact cause of this sleep disorder is not known. It is known for certain that it is a circadian rhythm problem.

Treatment for this sleep disorder is available for people that need to get onto a more traditional sleep/wake schedule. The types of treatment include bright light, chronotherapy, melatonin, and over-the-counter prescribed sleeping pills.

Bright light treatment for delayed sleep phase disorder uses bright light to trick the brain’s circadian clock. Exposure to bright light shifts the circadian rhythm if it is administered within a few hours of the body’s lowest temperature at night.

Using chronotherapy as a treatment for someone with delayed sleep phase disorder requires a block of time one week long. Each day bedtime is delayed by three hours successively. For example, for someone that falls asleep at 2 a.m. but wants to fall asleep at 11. p.m., their bedtime would move to 5 a.m. on the first day. The next day it would move to 8 a.m. and continue this cycle for a week. A teenager suffering from delayed sleep phase disorder would need a week off from school in order to complete this therapy. Once the desired bedtime is reached it is very important to keep a consistent wake-up time.

There are several treatments involving various drugs that are used to treat delayed sleep phase disorder. Melatonin has been successful in changing the sleep cycle of people with this sleep disorder. Prescription medication such as Ramelteon, and other sleeping pills, have been successful in treating teenagers and adults with delayed sleep phase disorder.

If your teenager has trouble falling asleep and always wants to stay up late, be aware of the possibility that a sleep disorder may be present.

Nightmares and Night Terrors – A Frightening Sleep Disorder

At some time in their childhood, almost all children experience the sleep disorder of having a nightmare. They are common in children and can begin as early as two years old. They are most common in children between three and twelve years old and are considered part of the normal developmental process. However, only about 3 percent, experience night terrors, also called sleep terrors. Both of these sleep disorders can be very frightening to a child.

Nightmares are dreams that are so frightening that they wake the person up. Everyone has had nightmares occasionally throughout their life and they usually are not something to worry about.
Nightmares occur several hours after going to sleep during the REM stage of sleep when there are general body paralysis and active dreaming.

A child can remember the nightmare once they awake and they still remember it in the morning. Sometimes this nightmare sleep disorder can become a problem if the child has nightmares very often and becomes afraid to go to sleep or becomes sleep deprived. When a nightmare occurs it is important that the parent remains calm and reassuring.

There are several things that a parent can do to prevent nightmares. Discuss calm and comforting things with your child just before putting them to bed. Reading to them, or telling them a story can also be very comforting. Don’t let a child watch violent or scary shows on television, especially just before going to bed. Maintaining a relaxing bedtime routine is also important. Sometimes, nightmares indicate a more severe emotional problem within your child.

Night terrors usually occur during the first few hours of sleep, during deep non-REM sleep. They often occur at the same time each night. Night terrors are characterized by screaming, crying or moaning. It is not unusual for a child experiencing a night terror to sit straight up in bed and scream. Their heart rate is increased and they experience rapid breathing. An episode of this sleep disorder can last from 10 minutes to over an hour. Although the child’s eyes are open, they are actually still asleep and when they wake up in the morning there is no memory of what happened during the night.

Although night terrors can be frightening, they are not dangerous. They usually are not a sign of any type of mental distress. A parent should not try to wake the child or comfort them, during a night terror. The best thing for a parent to do when their child is experiencing a night terror is to make sure they are safe. Generally, most children outgrow this sleep disorder after a few months or years.

Several of the factors that can contribute to night terrors include being overly tired, staying up extremely late, eating a heavy meal just before going to bed and taking certain medications.

Although nightmares and night terrors can seem like a very scary type of sleep disorder to both the parents and the children involved, they are generally harmless.

Your Teen Is Sleep Deprived, Not Lazy

How many parents dread trying to get their teenager out of bed each morning for school?  Neither alarm clock, music nor clanging of spoons on metal pots seems to make them move an inch.  You have to wonder whether your teen is just trying to avoid going to school or really is that tired.

Even though teens may look like adults, be as tall as the adults and desperately want to act like an adult, their bodies are still developing. As a result, teens need much more sleep than most get.

Long after you go to bed, your teen is watching a video, talking on the phone and instant messaging several friends at once. Unless a parent pulls the plug on late-night amusements, many teens are awake well past midnight even though they have to catch the 7:45 AM school bus. That’s going full tilt for 14-18 hours a day and trying to get by on six hours or less of sleep!

No wonder high school teachers hate the first period because so many students are barely awake. It’s tough to teach over the snoring. Or teens show up at school with high caffeine drinks to stay awake. The fact is, there’s no substitute for sleep and repeating this sleep deprivation pattern over time is dangerous.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over 100,000 auto accidents are caused by inattention due to fatigue. More than half of those tiredness related accidents involve teen drivers. You can deny that staying up late is a problem, but poor concentration and slower reflexes prove that you’re wrong.

If your teen doesn’t get enough sleep, don’t be surprised when grades fall. It’s not possible to study and retain information when your mind is tired and stressed out. And here’s another concern, sleep loss is associated with depression.

Whether your teen isn’t sleeping because of staying awake to worry or if the sleep deprivation is altering their self-image, the fact is that teens need eight to nine hours of sleep to be healthy, active and alert.

What can you do to make sure your teen gets a good night’s sleep? Set rules and keep them. If necessary, take the television and computer out of the teen’s room until the balance is restored.

Make it a household rule to turn off the television, video games and other electronic stimuli at least thirty minutes before bedtime. Ask your teen to turn off the cell phone at bedtime. If that does not work, take the phone overnight. Nothing is going to happen that can’t be left in a voice mail and heard the next morning.

Use two clocks without a snooze alarm. If your teen fails to get moving before the second alarm rings, then you do the wake-up call. Waking up ten minutes before the bus is no way to start the day.

Teens need to have at least half-hour to get up, shower and have a snack, power bar and juice to start the day. Be stubborn in requiring that your teen gets more sleep. If you do, you’ll see an improvement in your teen’s mood, attitude, grades, and alertness.

Today Tip.

Never Veg Out