Who doesn’t use their smartphone or watch some TV at night? If you don’t, you’re in the minority: according to the Sleep in America poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 95% of Americans admit to using some type of electronic device in the hour before bedtime. This in spite of the fact that well-established research has revealed the negative health effects of the blurring line between sleeping and surfing.

If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter, you probably know what it feels like to have an overwhelming, almost compulsive desire to sleep the next day. But what if that feeling might strike you any day, whether you’d rested the night before or not? That’s what pretty much what narcolepsy is.

If you’re new to PAP (positive airway pressure) therapy to treat your sleep apnea, you probably have some questions about how often to use your new device, how to care for your machine, and how to troubleshoot some common snags. That’s why we at the Sleep Better, Live Better blog have compiled a list of CPAP-related FAQs to help answer some of your more pressing questions!

Is it a daily struggle to drag your son or daughter out of bed at the crack of dawn to get ready for school? Well you’re in luck, because this start of the school year, many doctors are arguing that later start times for classes are good for students' health.

In the past ten years, increasing numbers of patients have adopted high deductible health plans (HDHPs). On one hand, this means an economic break for the consumer because of reduced up-front costs for health insurance. However, in the event of a catastrophic illness or accident, the insurance holder will be on the hook for a large chunk of the treatment.

As followers of the Sleep Better, Live Better blog probably know by now, sleep apnea is a serious condition with a wide range of health ramifications. Complications arising from obstructive sleep apnea can include drowsiness, weight gain, high blood pressure, and even car accidents.

So what can I do about it? The (very) good news is that sleep apnea is entirely treatable!

Under Obamacare, patient satisfaction is an increasingly important benchmark for medical providers. However, physicians disagree about whether this new emphasis is the best way to provide effective health care.

In light of the car crash last month that seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan, more attention is being drawn to the grave safety issue of truck drivers nodding off on the job. If a motorist has sleep apnea--a health condition that impairs quality of sleep and increases drowsiness--the risk of an accident is even greater.

Doctors have known since the 1980s that sleep apnea is closely related to high blood pressure. Recent studies are confirming that sleep apnea is a direct cause of this serious health problem, and that using a CPAP machine as treatment for sleep disorders can significantly and immediately reduce blood pressure.

With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, we’re all looking forward to a delicious backyard barbeque, celebrating with friends and family, and especially the nighttime fireworks display. What we might not be anticipating is the late-night cacophony that these explosions and celebrations cause. Learn here how to enjoy the festivities without the fidgety night!