Sleep Better, Live Better Blog

We believe that education is the first step to finding better sleep. Our articles educate people on sleep news, sleep disorders, and sleep care to help them achieve better health and live better lives. 

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Pot: An Alternative Treatment for Sleep Apnea?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Nov 7, 2016 8:25:00 AM

Sleep apnea affects approximately 20 million Americans—nearly one out of every 16 people—and estimates show that sleep disorders affect over 40 million people in the United States alone. Sufferers are unable to achieve restful sleep, no matter how long they spend in bed. As a result, people with sleep apnea suffer from many negative health effects and conditions as a result of the strain on their body and mind. When left untreated, sleep apnea can significantly reduce a person’s health and quality of life.

There are effective treatments for sleep apnea that are FDA approved and easily available; however, these therapies are challenging to use or prohibitively expensive. As a result, there are many alternative therapies that are gaining popularity as new research and technology are making them more effective. One such potential therapy is derived from a controversial substance: marijuana.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Treating Sleep Apnea, Sleep and Society

The Health Hazards of Sleep Apnea in Women

Posted by Marissa Fessenden

Oct 6, 2016 7:00:00 AM

This is the second post in a two-part series about women and sleep apnea.

Our first post, Why Women with Sleep Apnea are Overlooked, investigates the differences in how women experience and report sleep issues and directly addresses the stereotype that sleep apnea is a man's disease.

In this post, we look at the causes and effects of sleep apnea in women.

 

 

As it does in men, sleep apnea in women can cause serious health problems. The sleep disorder increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and early death. Also, the disorder may increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems. Untreated sleep apnea can also lead to cognitive impairments, mood imbalances and metabolic problems.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Women and Sleep

The Skinny on Weight Loss as a Sleep Apnea Treatment

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Aug 9, 2016 8:00:00 AM

Can weight loss cure sleep apnea?  

There are clear connections between sleep apnea and other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease that are improved with weight loss. 

How does weight loss affect sleep apnea?

While studies have shown that losing weight decreases the severity of this sleep disorder, its may not completely eliminate the need for CPAP.

 

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Treating Sleep Apnea

What is Floppy Eyelid Syndrome and How is it Related to Sleep Apnea?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Jul 21, 2016 7:00:00 AM

I talk to many people I encounter in my day-to-day activities about sleep apnea. Recently, I went for my routine eye check and my opthamolgist told me that he can diagnose sleep apnea too!

Most often, he has discovered sleep apnea when one of his patients is sedated for surgery, but less often he sees an eye disorder that is almost always associated with sleep apnea, called floppy eye syndrome.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea

Does My Dad Have Sleep Anpea?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Jun 7, 2016 12:00:00 PM


Sleep apnea is most often identified not by the person suffering with the disease or even their doctor. It's usually a family member who realized there is a problem. The person sleeping does not hear his own snores, but his bed partner or family member in the next room does. 

Does your dad snore loudly or always fall asleep in inappropriate places?

Alyssa, our Internal Operations Manager, knew for years that her father had a serious sleep disorder. As a child, Alyssa could hear her father snoring from across the house. Finally, after falling asleep at work during a phone call, her father was tested and diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (actually, his co-workers caught him asleep at his desk while on the phone, photographed him and posted the picture as his employee of the month photo).

For the past 10 years he has used a bi-level PAP every night, has lost over 100 pounds and his life has changed for the better (see this great picture of Alyssa and her dad at her wedding in August of last year?).

Men are more likely than women to have sleep apnea. In this post we'll cover the top risk factors for sleep apnea in men and how to recognize so that you can convince your dad (bed partner, uncle, brother, grandfather) to talk to his doctor and find out about having a sleep study.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Sleep Studies

Sleeping Outside and Camping with CPAP

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Jun 2, 2016 12:00:00 PM


For me, camping is all about sleeping outside- both the challenges and the rewards.

It has taken our family years of trial and error to find exactly the right sleeping arrangements (10 person tent for the 5 of us, queen-sized self-inflating air mattress, flannel sheets, heavy down comforter and kids on their own cots).

Camping is almost always a social activity with one or more other families. Our kids run around all day, getting filthy and engaging in screen-free activities like catching lizards and throwing rocks. As the sun sets and we clean up sticky fingers from our nightly s'mores, I'm ready for bed. I love the creeping sleepiness that approaches with the sunset after spending an entire day outdoors. It's also the one time my kids don't argue about going to bed. They're ready. We fall asleep just after the sun sets and wake up just after it rises.

It's no surprise that studies have shown sleeping outside is great for re-calibrating your sleep cycle. Camping [usually] means that you're not using your iPhone or watching TV before bed. Electronic devices are not only stimulants- as all parents know- but also emit blue light which can effect melatonin levels and make it hard to fall asleep (learn more about that here). 

Sleeping outside typically means that you're following the sun's schedule. So even if you're not getting more sleep when you're camping (which I always do), the timing of your sleep gets in sync with natural melatonin levels so it's easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling more rested.

I could reminisce about my recent camping trip (see that beautiful sunset? That was our first night camping in Big Sur this past weekend) for this entire post; however, I'll tie this back to our main topic, sleeping outside. No matter where or who we go camping with, there are two questions that often come up while camping related to sleep apnea. 

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Good Sleep Habits

What do AHI, RERA, Arousal and RDI mean?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

May 31, 2016 7:00:00 AM

What do these terms mean in a sleep study report?

Which one is used by insurances to determine approval for CPAP therapy?

Learn about the different type of respiratory events, how they are scored and what they mean for treatment options and insurance coverage of CPAP therapy.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Sleep Studies

The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Diabetes

Posted by Marissa Fessenden

May 12, 2016 7:00:00 AM

The American Diabetes Association estimates that nearly 30 million Americans live with diabetes.

Even more concerning, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. The condition can be caused by an autoimmune problem, where the body attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin to keep blood sugar levels in check. This is known as type 1 diabetes. Or, the condition can be type 2 diabetes which arises from insulin resistance--where the body doesn’t respond to insulin and blood sugar remains at abnormal levels. Type 2 diabetes is more common and is not an autoimmune disease but rather a “lifestyle disease” once known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. There is no cure for type 2 diabetes, but it can be managed and prevented.

Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease, but recent research has pinpointed another condition that is linked as well: sleep apnea. 

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Diabetes

Which Doctor Should I Talk to About My Sleep Problems?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

May 10, 2016 7:00:00 AM

In a perfect world, you would visit your primary care doctor once a year and spend a solid hour talking about your current health.

She’d ask how your family is doing, your marriage, are you getting regular exercise? Are you eating well and how are you feeling about your job? You might have a list of questions for her and you’d carefully go through each one together. She’d even ask how you’re sleeping at night and if you’re feeling rested.

In the real world, we’re lucky if we get a full 15 minutes of face-to-face time with our doctor each year.

Your doctor probably doesn’t remember your name until she sees your chart and she certainly doesn’t remember your spouse’s name or that you just sent your first child off to college. So, when is the right time to bring up your sleep issues? Should you even be talking to your primary care physician or do you need to see a specialist? Is there even such thing as a sleep doctor?

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Topics: Sleep Apnea

Does My Dog Have Sleep Apnea?

Posted by Julia Steele Rodriguez

Apr 26, 2016 8:00:00 AM

Sleep Apnea in Pets

You may be surprised to learn that dogs, like humans, can suffer from sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.  While snoring is sometimes just innocuous nighttime noise, it can also be a warning sign for an underlying problem. Sleep apnea can be pretty serious for your pooch. The most severe cases can result in death, but even a mild instance can disrupt your dog's sleep.

Symptoms include:

  • Loud and frequent snoring
  • Gasping or choking while sleeping
  • Sleeping during the day
  • Tiredness
  • Irritability

Common causes of sleep apnea in dogs include allergies, being overweight, and obstructions in the dog's airway and nasal passages.

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Topics: Sleep Apnea, Sleep and Society

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