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.

Last week, a Chinese man was found dead in front of his TV after staying up for several nights in a row to watch the World Cup.

The cause? Sleep deprivation.

Research you can't ignore:

• Untreated sleep apnea increases erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in women.

• Treating sleep apnea can improve sexual function and sexual desire in men and women.

We know that lack of sleep, daytime sleepiness, restlessness and snoring can put a strain on relationships. With as many as 20 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea and many patients undiagnosed and untreated, there are lots of relationships suffering from lack of intimacy.

Scientists suspect that the consequences of sleep apnea that affect sexual function are caused by lack of sex hormones in men and women. Sleep apnea causes frequent waking in the night. Some people awake as many as 100 times an hour due to closures of the airway. This may cause levels of sex hormones, like testosterone to drop, causing sexual dysfunction.

Babies Born to Obese Mothers with Sleep Apnea are at Increased Risk for Admission to the NICU.

We posted earlier this week about the link between gestational diabetes and OSA. Now we're looking at the affects of OSA on the newborn baby. A 2012 study showed that babies born to obese mothers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are at increased risk for complications after birth.

The study tested 175 obese pregnant women at home using unattended home sleep testing. About 15% of the women had sleep apnea.

The results:

Just about every sleep disorder that afflicts humans is Youtube-worthy when it affects our dogs! (You have to watch the whole video, the last one's the best). The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of restless leg syndrome is my childhood lab sound asleep under the dining room table blissfully chasing rabbits in his sleep. But I know, all too well, that restless leg syndrome is not that funny or cute- especially during pregnancy.

A recent study of pregnant women showed that those with gestational diabetes were 7 times more likely to also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

In August 2013, researchers conducted overnight polysomnography (a sleep study) on 45 women. 15 of the women were pregnant AND had gestational diabetes, 15 women were pregnant and did NOT have diabetes and 15 women were not pregnant and did NOT have diabetes.

The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinoloy & Metabolism:

75% of the pregnant women with gestational diabetes ALSO suffered from obstructive sleep apnea

I was mentally preparing for the zombie apocalypse all night last night. I went to bed at my usual bed time- my alarm set for 5:30AM. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except that season premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead was on TV last night.

What is it about zombies that keeps me from sleeping? I have much more real problems to worry about like writing blog posts, raising three kids and the government shut down, so why do zombies keep me up at night?? Does watching my favorite TV characters slaughtering zombies trigger a primal survival instinct that pushes my brain into overdrive all night? 

You probably don't need another lecture from your doctor, your dentist or your spouse. Yes, you know should floss your teeth every night. But you're hearing more about sleep apnea and how this sleep disorder is affecting a lot more people these days. People across the country, including here in Southern California, are looking online for more information about sleep apnea.