Friday 15 December 2017

Are Implants The Solution To Sleep Apnea?

It is no surprise that people are struggling with their sleep today with the number of distractions all around us. Many of you are probably guilty of doing this; fiddling with your smartphones even if you are already tucked in bed with the lights off. It means you are exposed to blue light that is bad for your health and are further sleep-deprived as you can go on and on late into the night and the wee hours of the morning surfing the web and checking out your social media news feed. But there are those individuals who lose sleep not because of their own doing but due to a medical condition that is known as sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is often associated with snoring for a good reason. Most individuals diagnosed with sleep apnea snore but it does not follow the premise that all snorers have sleep apnea. What’s disconcerting about this condition is that the person actually experiences bouts of breathing pauses during their sleep as the brain decides which is more important, breathing or sleep. Imagine that. You literally stop breathing in your sleep not just once but multiple times and it happens to you every single time you close your eyes and drift off to dreamland. Such a scary thought, indeed.

Sleep apnea (where your brain doesn't properly send breathing signals while resting) is horrible enough by itself, but the solutions to it can be scary: you may have to take medication, rely on ungainly breathing machines or opt for invasive surgery. You might have a gentler treatment going forward, though. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved an implantable device, Respicardia's Remede System, that fights more serious cases of sleep apnea.

The hardware amounts to a battery pack (slipped under your skin in the upper chest) and wires that enter the blood vessels near the nerve that stimulates your breathing. If you stop breathing normally in mid-sleep, Remede stimulates that nerve to move your diaphragm and keep you breathing. Think of it as an on-demand jumpstart for your respiratory system.

(Via: https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/08/fda-clears-sleep-apnea-implant/)

Sleep apnea is not that easy to treat. Conventional treatments like CPAP usually have low compliance rates because it is such a major inconvenience to use. Have you ever seen a use person one? It will definitely make you reconsider although it is the best non-invasive management for the condition right now. And because of that, it has prompted experts to come up with more user-friendly devices that address sleep apnea without being a burden to the person using it. Examples of which are anti-snoring gadgets with the likes of https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution. This innovative implant is also an option now for those willing to give it a try:

The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Mayo Clinic) has signed a purchase agreement with Israeli medical diagnostics company Itamar Medical for its FDA-approved sleep apnea device, nocamels first reports. The purchase agreement was signed for a duration of three years with automatic renewal possible for one-year periods.

WatchPAT is an FDA-approved portable diagnostic device that uniquely uses finger based physiology and innovative technology to enable simple and accurate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) testing while avoiding the complexity and discomfort associated with traditional air-flow based systems.

(Via: http://hitconsultant.net/2017/09/29/40279/)

Knowing how serious and common sleep apnea is, it helps that newer technologies are being developed and introduced to the public that can potentially save them from dying in their sleep. The difficulties faced by patients in using CPAP is often the reason why they discontinue treatment even without alerting their doctors. It is really troubling knowing how it attacks you in your sleep (if you can sleep at all) when you are the most vulnerable. However, you may possibly save your life with the use of these gadgets and implants that may be alternatives to CPAP and surgery in correcting anatomical problems that lead to sleep apnea.

Are Implants The Solution To Sleep Apnea? was first published on The Snoring Mouthpiece Review



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/are-implants-the-solution-to-sleep-apnea

Friday 8 December 2017

How To Sleep Better At Night

Who doesn’t want to sleep soundly at night? Just the thought of your warm comfy bed is enough to help you get through the day and make it home in one piece despite the daily grind. It is perhaps the same sentiments of the entire population who only want nothing but to retire to bed as soon as they can and revisit dreamland to temporarily forget about their worries in life. This restorative process does our body a lot of good, so we actually have a good reason why getting an extra snooze is good for our body.

Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed to be able to drift off to sleep once they hit the sack for a lot of reasons. First are health issues like sleep disorders that do not seem to go away no matter what you do. Then, there are those distractions in our environment that make sleeping impossible no matter how sleepy you are. Admit it that you have been putting off bedtime because you are still preoccupied with something that it becomes alright with you to lose sleep for several hours or more. This is the dilemma faced by many today as technology proved to be a powerful yet enjoyable distraction we all can’t resist even if it means sleeping a little later and ending up with bags under our eyes.

Despite these limitations, this study is the first to suggest any kind of strong link between purpose in life and sleep. Given how common sleep problems are, anything that may suggest new avenues for treatment are important to explore. Perhaps developing a sense of purpose in life could be as effective at improving sleep as following healthy habits, such as limiting coffee. In addition to promoting good sleep hygiene, doctors may end up recommending mindfulness practices or exploring one’s values as ways of helping older adults sleep better. Given how elusive a good night’s sleep has become for many, it’s well worth exploring. The impact of poor sleep goes far beyond our own personal health, as the side effects have the potential to wreak havoc on other people’s lives as well.

Developing a sense of purpose in life may simultaneously convey other benefits too in addition to better sleep. Research has linked experiencing purpose in life to a variety of other positive outcomes including better brain functioning, reduced risk of heart attack, and even a higher income.A person with a greater sense of purpose in their life would surely be better off while also serving as a positive example in the lives of those they know.

(Via: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-secret-to-a-better-nights-sleep-a-sense-of-purpose/)

We need to do a lifestyle check to determine where we are lacking and why we can’t establish healthy sleeping habits. It is not comforting to know that the diagnosis of sleep disorders is on the rise, which likely reflects our deteriorating sleep health and overall health, actually. And we are not just putting the blame on sleep disorders that we totally do not have control over. Our reckless behaviors concerning our health are what shortens our lifespan by a lot of years and that is a fact proven by science.

Food can determine a lot of things beyond your pant size -- especially how well you sleep. But you can’t just keep stuffing pizza into your face until you pass out -- in order to properly fill your belly for an epic night of zzz’s, you need to follow a handful of important tips. We talked to Dr. Rebecca Scott, PhD, research assistant professor of neurology at NYU Langone Health, about the best way to adjust your diet for a good night’s rest. With those factors in mind, we had recipe developer Joanna Keohane concoct these concepts into consumables, so you can just chill -- which is pretty important if you want to sleep through the night.

Yes, tryptophan is important

If you’ve witnessed an American Thanksgiving in the last decade, then you’ve probably encountered an article about why you fall asleep on your aunt’s sofa after your third serving of turkey and mashed potatoes. Most have pointed to tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the brain produce serotonin, as the reason for the crash. That’s because without tryptophan, your body can’t make serotonin, and you only get tryptophan from the foods you eat.

(Via: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/what-to-eat-to-sleep-right)

To get back all that lost sleep and ensure you do not compromise yourself and your health even more, you need to do a total lifestyle modification. It starts with the food you eat or must avoid eating hours before retiring to bed that may interfere with sleep. It can also mean disciplining yourself to live healthily like exercising and limiting tech use during bedtime hours among others.

There are many tips you can try to sleep soundly at night that are effective as long as your problem is not physiological in nature. However, it still depends on you how you live your life and how you value sleep. You can’t get back lost sleep no matter how much you oversleep the next day. That sleep deprivation is sure to impact your health sooner or later, so take the first step now before it is too late.

However, if you are suffering from a sleep disorder, there’s no denying that you’ll need medical help. At times your doctor will prescribe you with sleep aids that not only addresses the breathing problems associated with sleep apnea but ensure you sleep better too like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx. They aren’t that expensive and are obviously more convenient to use than a traditional CPAP machine.

How To Sleep Better At Night is courtesy of TSMR Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleep-health/how-to-sleep-better-at-night

Sunday 3 December 2017

Tech Use At Night Compromises Sleep Health

Humans are meant to sleep at night. That’s what our body clock tells us. Sleep at night is different from sleeping at other times of the day. Your circadian rhythms tell your body when it is sleeping time in order to allow your body to rest and recharge for what awaits you the following day. Many restorative processes happen once you drift off to dreamland, which is why you should get that recommended eight hours of sleep daily for your optimal health.

Smart gadgets are a huge part of our lives. Most people can’t stop tinkering with their gadgets even if it is already bedtime. Unfortunately, using these gadgets prevents you from drifting off to sleep earlier or on time. The blue light they emit is also harmful to your health as your brain perceives it as sunlight making you more alive, alert and awake more than ever. Your brain should be able to cool down from working hard the entire day but it stays sharp and wide awake because of the gadget you are using. Today, it is rare to see somebody not yet hooked to smart gadgets especially if you are living in big and populated cities.

Fifty percent of teens report feeling addicted to their cellphones and a new study in the journal Child Development shows nighttime usage of a cellphone can increase anxiety and depression in teenagers and reduce self-esteem.

This is the first study that shows a direct link between screen time and mental health.

Researchers note that rates of anxiety and depression in young people have risen 70 percent over the past couple of decades.

Psychologist and CBS News contributor Lisa Damour told "CBS This Morning" that what's important about this study is that it shows a "pathway" between using cellphones at night and disrupted sleep. 

"We've suspected that there's a problem here, we've seen correlational studies, but this shows us that teens using their phone late at night leads to disrupted sleep which leads to increased depression, emotional fragility and sometimes acting out."

(Via: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/late-night-cell-phone-screen-time-teens-mental-health-sleep/)

Not only are adults at risk of losing sleep from tech use, but even teens and young kids too. They often already have access to these devices early in life, something most adults didn’t have way back then. Constant use of smart gadgets can have a negative impact to sleep as well as influence certain developmental milestones a child is supposed to achieve that may lead to stunted growth and the development of sleep disorders.

"I find that winding my brain down at night, I find that incredibly difficult," admits Falcone, who was averaging about three hours sleep a night.

"It's this really interesting state of tiredness but an inability to go to sleep. In my brain I was running through my invoice data entry job that I had been doing that day, finishing it off in my brain. But I was too tired to get out of bed to go to the computer to actually do it."

SLEEP EPIDEMIC

According to the results of a new survey by an independent research company (commissioned by Nourished Life), 65 per cent of respondents suffer from sleep deprivation or disturbed sleep. 

Of the 1003 Australian adults surveyed, 30 per cent said they slept soundly "most of the time" while only 5 per cent said they slept well every night.

Like Falcone, many (35 per cent) said they experienced memory loss as a result of their exhaustion, one in three (33 per cent) reported that they were too tired to have sex and one in five said there were times they felt too unsafe to drive.

(Via: https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/94372390/why-95-per-cent-of-us-cant-wind-down-our-brains-before-we-go-to-sleep)

Likening sleep deprivation to an epidemic actually quite fits the bill. People these days don’t mind losing sleep if it means they have more time to browse their newsfeed or stream a new movie. In exchange, you become more sickly and perform poorly at work/school/home because your body wasn’t able to rest properly the night prior. The solution is actually simple. Resist tech use and put your gadgets out of sight a few hours before bedtime. You won’t die if you won’t be able to read about the latest news on social media but your health will suffer if you constantly deprive yourself of precious sleep.

But if your problem is more physiological, getting professional help is a must because sleep remedies aren’t always that effective. For instance, sleep apnea shouldn’t be ignored and you should try both old and new treatment options to find out what works best for you. Of course, anything you try should always have your doctor’s approval even if it is just the use of a simple anti-snoring mouthpiece device like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or this one: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight.

Tech Use At Night Compromises Sleep Health See more on: The Snoring Mouthpiece Review



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/tech-use-at-night-compromises-sleep-health

Tuesday 28 November 2017

How Sleep Clinics Help You

People seldom talk about their sleeping habits except when it is has become too much for them to deal with anymore. That’s when they go see a doctor to help them sort things out and feel normal again. Unfortunately, not everything can be solved with just a prescription. Other times, far more effort is required; starting from the assessment before appropriate interventions can be advised. Sleep disorders are among those things you often keep to yourself and only discuss with your attending physician. Aside from being embarrassing, others don’t usually talk about it too so you feel weird exposing your deepest, darkest secrets out in the open.

You don’t have to wander around in search of the best people to help you manage your sleep conditions anymore. Sleep may have been elusive for a while but you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep once more if you get yourself checked in at a reputable sleep clinic to get to the root of your problem. No need to self-medicate or try a long list of remedies that are said to promote restful sleep like drinking warm milk, listening to relaxing music, or even counting sheep because what you need all along is medical help. So, why visit a sleep clinic? These are specialty hospitals or clinics that focus mainly on sleep-related disorders and issues where patients often have to stay for the night to be assessed properly since symptoms don’t usually manifest during waking hours.

When someone is suspected of suffering from sleep apnea, they're often sent for a sleep study (also known as polysomnography). This involves their spending the night sleeping at a clinic, with numerous electrodes hard-wired to their head. There are diagnostic devices that they can use at home, although these can also be rather cumbersome. By contrast, the new SomnaPatch is quite simple and – according to the recently-released results of a study – almost as accurate as polysomnography.

Made by Mountain View, California-based startup Somnarus, the SomnaPatch weighs less than an ounce, and consists of a forehead-worn disposable adhesive patch connected to a nosepiece.

Worn while the patient sleeps in their own bed, it uses integrated sensors to measure and record factors such as nasal pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, respiratory effort, sleep duration and changes in body position.

(Via: http://newatlas.com/somnapatch-sleep-apnea/49920/)

These sleep clinics often conduct the same tests but at times may use innovative technologies that are not yet offered in other mainstream clinics. A night spent in a sleep clinic will show the doctors what really happens to your body during your sleep since you are connected with leads that assess your heart rate, eye movements, brain activity, snoring, and other body movements to give them an idea what’s going on in your body during your slumber.

Doctor Irshaad Ebrahim of the Dubai-based London Sleep Centre describes the number of current sleep disorders as “an epidemic”.

“It’s so much more important than what’s being reported in the press: lifestyle, pace of work, demands of technology, screen use – they are harming our sleep/wake cycle.”

The number of sleep clinics in the UAE are on the rise, as are do-it-yourself responses such as sleep treatments at luxury hotels and online apps for managing one’s sleep cycle. “It is a response to demand,” says Ebrahim, “just the number of people seeking help”.

According to Elizabeth Graf, a clinical psychologist at a private clinic in New York, “research continues to show the emotional and physical benefits of sleep”.

Studies have linked lack of sleep to poor performance at work, depression and overall health, including links to cancer. It is not uncommon for studies to speak about the “public health crisis” of lack of sleep, in which billions of dirhams are spent tackling the secondary effects of poor slumber. Others point to its effect on the economy, and even its role in disasters such as the nuclear meltdowns at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.

(Via: https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/wellbeing/different-ways-to-tackle-sleep-deprivation-and-remain-healthy-1.15435)

Sleep clinics are helpful in diagnosing sleep disorders because they are equipped with the current technologies used in visualizing and understanding brain activity and everything else that matters in your sleep to find out what could have possibly gone wrong and what can be done about it. However, there are instances when sleep clinics aren’t immediately able to determine your sleep problem. Then, a sleep study may be your next option.

More often than not, sleep apnea is the cause of your misery. If CPAP isn’t something up your alley, you can check with your doctor whether an anti-snoring mouthpiece may work for you. It may not be as effective as CPAP but it’s the next best thing than nothing at all. You can opt for a mouthpiece like this one: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet or a similar device like: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution. Don’t put off going to a sleep clinic... no matter how inconvenient it may initially seem, it is much better than continuously losing sleep from sleep apnea like you do now.

The blog article How Sleep Clinics Help You was originally published on The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/how-sleep-clinics-help-you

Thursday 23 November 2017

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Sleep is actually a necessity but is becoming more of a luxury these days as numerous things compete for your time and attention. Juggling your multiple responsibilities in and out of the house can be overwhelming at times that you often stretch your day far out into the night to ensure everything’s all taken cared of before your head hits the sack. It’s a sad reality really that you unconsciously give up and sacrifice many of the things that are important in life for the fleeting interests and obligations you busy yourself with in your pursuit of success and happiness.

However, you can also end up tossing and turning at night because of annoying but potentially life-threatening conditions like sleep apnea. There are different types of sleep apnea but the most common type is the obstructive one, a dangerous type of sleep disorder where your breathing constantly stops and start during your slumber. It happens because the muscles in your throat relax now and then that in turn blocks your airway while you are asleep.

Last week, actress Carrie Fisher's autopsy report contained a surprising detail: The Los Angeles medical examiner listed sleep apnea as a factor in the "Star Wars" actress' death.

Fisher also had cocaine, methadone, ethanol and opiates in her system.

Sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing while sleeping, for 10 seconds to a minute or longer. This can happen repeatedly during the night, causing blood-oxygen levels to dip and putting a strain on the heart.

Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type, is caused by the upper throat muscles relaxing, which makes the airway narrow and close. Another type is central sleep apnea, where the brain doesn't send the right signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea, the third type, is when a person has both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

(Via: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/20/health/sleep-apnea-explainer/index.html)

It shouldn’t really come out as a surprise that people can die from sleep apnea to think that 18 million Americans are now diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea in the US alone albeit of different degrees of severity. Many are getting help. So, don’t take snoring issues lightly because it is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and you need to act on it right away while you still can.

When you have obstructive sleep apnea, “not only are you likely to wake up with a headache and fall asleep during the day, but you’re also at risk of dying suddenly,” says cardiologist Bruce Wilkoff, MD.

“For most patients, sudden death is not caused by a heart attack, but by abnormal heart rhythms.”

Sleep apnea is diagnosed when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer — at least five times an hour — during sleep.

Researchers suspect sleep apnea causes abnormal heart rhythms, which lead to sudden cardiac death, for a number of reasons, says sleep medicine expert Reena Mehra, MD, MS.

“Sleep apnea may lower oxygen levels, activate the fight-or-flight response and change pressure in the chest when the upper airway closes, stressing the heart mechanically,” she explains.

It may increase inflammation and cause unhealthy changes in blood vessels as well.

(Via: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2017/06/why-sleep-apnea-raises-your-risk-of-sudden-cardiac-death/)

While snoring is the most prominent symptom of sleep apnea, not all snorers are actually diagnosed with the disease. Sleep apnea’s progression can be gradual or not depending on the type of lifestyle you live, so try to get yourself checked as soon as you can if you don’t want to end up with more debilitating conditions that are worsened by sleep apnea and the accompanying lack of sleep you often suffer from. And be considerate of your partner or spouse as well. Even though it’s you taking all the risks, they also end up losing sleep having to put up with your loud snoring.

Traditional treatment often includes the use of a CPAP machine that most patients realize is far uncomfortable to use. Even if it’s the best treatment there is for this condition, it defeats its purpose if patients aren’t willing to use it. Find out for yourself if you think CPAP may or may not be a good fit for you: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you. But don’t lose hope yet if you aren’t comfortable in using a CPAP machine yourself because there are handy anti-snoring mouthpieces and mouthguards you can use like this one: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solutionx that works better CPAP minus all the hassle. The important thing is to get yourself checked as soon as possible if you value your health and ultimately your life.

The blog post What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? was originally seen on The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/what-is-obstructive-sleep-apnea

Tuesday 7 November 2017

Your iPhone Deprives You Of Sleep

If there is one thing you are thankful with technology, it is your beloved iPhone. Ever since it debuted in the market, it has brought a new meaning to your life. Then, the imitators followed. The market has since then been flooded by Android smartphones but nothing still beats the innovator. iPhone almost always set the pace and everyone else mostly followed. Smart technology reinvented the way we live our lives. Can you still remember the last time you never panicked that you left your iPhone at home when you get to school or work? Probably a lifetime ago, right?

While you can’t help but adore that tiny piece of metal that probably holds all your life secrets, it is wreaking havoc to your health by leaving you sleep deprived almost every night. All the apps and social media in it is enough to keep you awake 24/7 and leave you still wanting for more. That’s how powerful an iPhone is. It has made us slaves of these gadgets rather than us owning them. But can you really help it if your phone seems to be calling you every single time a notification comes in? Probably not. It’s got us hooked like drugs to our system.

The iPhone has changed us in a fundamental way. Smartphones have been described as the culprit responsible for wrecking attention spans, disturbing sleep patterns and affecting eyesights. As part of our week-long coverage of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, we consult with three experts to help us disentangle fact from fiction when it comes to how the iPhone has affected our brain, our sleep and our eyesight.

WIRED talks to University of Oxford sleep researcher Russell Foster, who has co-authored the book Sleep, a very short introduction.
WIRED: There have been many headlines about how smartphones are affecting our sleep. What's your opinion?
Russell Foster: The problem with smartphones is that they represent an additional delay to sleep onset. Now the group most vulnerable to this are teenagers, of course. They are biologically predisposed to go to bed late and to get up late. But that's been hugely exaggerated over the past ten years because of the use of the internet, texting and emailing. It is sort of a compulsion, almost an addiction. And that seems to be delaying further sleep onset. It’s a sort of biological predisposition that has been enormously exaggerated. On a school night many kids are getting less than six hours every night and it's been estimated that for full cognitive performance in teenagers at that age you need about nine hours of sleep. What happens with delayed sleep onset is that their performance in schools in the morning is particularly bad. They're chronically tired.

(Via: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/sleep)

The blue light in itself emitted by iPhones and other similar smart gadgets can leave you wide awake at night even though it is already past your bedtime. It messes up your natural body clock or circadian rhythm. Younger kids suffer more than adults knowing their increased sleeping requirements to meet their growing needs. The brain actually perceives blue light as daylight making it more difficult for the brain to drift off to sleep leaving you tossing and turning for a few more hours before you succumb to sleep.

I knew that smartphone use was associated with sleeping problems. What I didn’t know was that heavy smartphone users were more likely to have high levels of anxiety and depression.

Getting off the bus, I started wondering why we were so addicted to our devices. As I walked towards my office, I continued my search. It seemed that in the past few years, psychologists have come up with some explanations. The most well-known is the fear of missing out, or Fomo. We keep looking at our phones to be sure we don’t miss out on something which is happening – whether that is an important message or just a piece of incoming news.

As I waited for the lift, I came across two other explanations for our dependency. One was that people just love to touch their phones. Indeed, psychologists have found that people who have very high need for human contact were likely to be even more addicted to their phones. Those with high levels of social anxiety were also more likely to develop a dependency. The socially anxious are people who worry about social interactions and tend to avoid them if possible – and smartphones give them the ideal way of avoiding an encounter they could find disturbing.

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/29/apple-iphone-ten-years-old-crippling-addiction)

We’ve talked about the body clock, right? Just how does smartphone use mess it up? It all has to do with the suppression of melatonin production. This hormone regulates the circadian rhythm and sleep timing. As night time falls, the body produces more melatonin in anticipation of sleep. However, overexposure to blue light prevents the body from producing more melatonin that can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep throughout the night. And imagine exposing yourself to lots and lots of blue light on a daily basis. It tweaks your body’s sleeping habits and can even reduce hours on the REM phase of sleep, which is actually the most restorative phase of slumber.

As technology progressed, we prefer living in our virtual worlds rather than in real life. We took comfort in the numbers of friends, followers, likes, and shares we get on social media and mistake it for acceptance and friendship. And we can fake our posts too depending on what we want to show to the public. It’s the benefit smart gadgets like an iPhone has given us all this time.

Unfortunately, our health suffers as we continue to stroke our ego and give in to our little whims. Worse, it puts us at higher risk of certain diseases if we don’t already have it. Sleep apnea is a common complaint shared by many. And since most people would rather deal with it on their own no matter how deadly it is, sleep disorders like this one often go untreated. But knowing the risks of sleep apnea, it’s better to see the doctor and try those handy anti-snoring mouthpieces than nothing at all. Either of this two https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight is an excellent choice to help you manage sleep apnea before it kills you.

The article Your iPhone Deprives You Of Sleep See more on: snoringmouthpiecereview.org



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/your-iphone-deprives-you-of-sleep

Tuesday 31 October 2017

Sleep Apnea Side Effects Can Kill

Sleeping has evolved to become such a luxury and no longer a life necessity that it used to be. People seldom get to sleep all eight hours of uninterrupted sleep like we used to because distractions are everywhere keeping us away from our bed and make us stay up until the early morning hours. We can’t get enough of the web and social media and it has greatly changed our sleeping habits too. Most people nowadays thrive at night partly because the Internet connection is faster and you don’t have others to compete with the bandwidth that slows down the speed.

Back then, people had nothing better else to do once night time falls so they simply sleep. Even the television did not have enough shows to air until cable TV came. But now, you won’t run out of things to do and see on the web. As long as you have a fast Internet connection, you’re free to do just about everything under the sun (under the moon, in this case). However, there are also other things that keep people up at night and it is far from enjoyable, unlike social media. Medical conditions like sleep apnea is a terrible malady since it doesn’t only bother the person suffering from it but the patient’s significant other (partner or spouse) since the snoring is as terrible as the accompanying risks of such a diagnosis.

Untreated sleep apnea can increase blood sugar, blood fat, stress hormones, and blood pressure in just a few days, new research finds.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, adds further support for the consistent use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a machine that increases air pressure in the throat to keep the airway open while a patient sleeps.

“This is one of the first studies to show real-time effects of sleep apnea on metabolism during the night,” says Jonathan Jun, assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper’s senior author.

Obstructive sleep apnea affects 20 to 30 percent of adults, previous studies showed. It occurs when the upper airway closes off during sleep, temporarily interrupting breathing.

(Via: http://www.futurity.org/sleep-apnea-1534552/)

Sleep apnea is a major health risk since it predisposes you to other equally deadly conditions like heart disease and diabetes. It is a major bother too because of the loud snoring and the mere fact that a person suffering from sleep apnea literally stops breathing many times during his/her sleep.

The death last year of actor Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, was due to sleep apnoea and other causes, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said in a statement on Friday.

Sleep apnoea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.

Fisher died aged 60 on December 27th, four days after she became unresponsive on a flight from London to Los Angeles and was rushed to a hospital.

(Via: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/carrie-fisher-s-death-due-to-sleep-apnoea-and-other-causes-1.3124006)

You can really die from sleep apnea especially if you are older and already battling with pre-existing health conditions. Losing sleep is the least you want to suffer from as you age but that’s what you get with sleep apnea. Moreover, just be reminded again of the fact that your breathing temporarily stops if you have sleep apnea. It’s a deadly symptom for patients with cardiac conditions and death may be inevitable in a short span of time.

So, why face such a risk if there are interventions at your disposal that won’t just relieve you of the annoying symptoms of sleep apnea but save your life from such a great danger too? Most patients aren’t thrilled with conservative sleep apnea treatments like CPAP for this reason: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you. But do not lose hope because there are alternatives you can try that may not be as effective as CPAP but still good enough to save you (and your partner) from sleepless nights and hopefully extend your life to. An example of such a device is this: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet, which is easy to use and quite affordable too, so sleep apnea becomes a thing of past for you.

The following article Sleep Apnea Side Effects Can Kill is republished from TSMR



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet/sleep-apnea-side-effects

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Testing For Sleep Apnea: A Healthy Choice

Now and then, we may suffer from sleepless nights for various reasons. It can be hormonal or a change in your environment or even overexposure to stressors at work or in school. We often take sleep for granted but we gradually appreciate its importance as we age. It's because we hated being told to take naps or go to sleep early when we were younger but now crave the rest and relaxation offered by a deep slumber now that we are older and tasked with bigger life responsibilities. Sleep became more of a luxury that we always wished for but not everyone always gets their wish.

The bottom line is that there are certain health conditions that prevent people from enjoying a good night’s sleep. Sleep apnea, for instance, is a major bummer as it deprives you of precious sleep. Your partner may also hate you because of the loud snoring you make once you drift off to dreamland. Then, there is the absolute danger of dying because of the numerous times you stop breathing in your slumber. If those aren’t enough reasons for you to consult a sleep doctor, then I don’t know what is. But apparently, many people take it seriously now considering the number of sleep clinics and labs that have been popping all over the country over the last few years.

Young adults have a natural sleep requirement of about 9 hours a day on average, older adults 7.5 hours. Many people in western societies, however, get considerably less sleep. According to studies, about one-third of the persons surveyed in several industrial countries reported too little sleep. If a young adult sleeps less than 8 hours a night, increased attention deficits occur, which can lead to considerable negative consequences. In sleep clinics there is an increasing number of healthy people who are suffering from the negative consequences of insufficient sleep.

(Via: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828102725.htm)

Your memory, mental focus, and decision-making skills are impaired if you lack sleep. It is more challenging to finish tasks and you may get clumsier too, not to mention kind of depressed as well. By getting yourself checked by professionals, you save yourself from deadlier complications sleep apnea may trigger if left unattended. So, do not hesitate to go to the nearest sleep clinic in your area and spend the night there so professional can assess you properly in aid of making an accurate diagnosis.

Changes can only take place if young people are willing to engage in a new routine. Our project demonstrated that young people find peer support particularly favourable as a way of gaining information. Attending sleep clinics with a sleep practitioner was also cited as being useful, allowing them to access tailored support for their individual needs. Surprisingly, online support was not popular, with many sharing that they had already explored that avenue with little success. 

In order to make the project sustainable, resources have been developed to train those working in schools such as school nurses, counsellors and support staff to become ‘sleep champions’. The one-day training course includes materials for the sleep champion to share with pupils, colleagues and parents to embed quality sleep information in the heart of school communities. Sleep should also be embedded in all primary care training and featured as part of routine assessments. Reducing levels of sleep deprivation must be a key priority for young people as they move into their adult lives. 

(Via: https://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/sleep-issues-young-people-and-strategies-support-them)

Not only are adults the ones lacking in sleep but even younger kids and teens, too. It’s not surprising anymore because the youth right now have access to tech devices that older generations didn’t have in the past. Aside from school work and activities that they have to finish, their smart gadgets compete for their attention and this is something highlighted by most sleep practitioners. These professionals have confirmed that young kids likewise get treated in sleep clinics, so some are taking initiatives in teaching and training school administrators and teachers about methods to help children get the sleep they need and relay this message to both parents and children to eradicate the issue on sleep deprivation experienced by many.

While kids aren’t that disciplined in their tech use, adults face a different threat in the form of medical conditions like sleep apnea. It robs them of precious sleep and their partners too but all that is about to end with innovative anti-snoring devices like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight that may not be as effective as CPAP but efficient enough in relieving the symptoms of sleep apnea and allowing patients to enjoy a deeper and more relaxing slumber for the first time in years.

The article Testing For Sleep Apnea: A Healthy Choice Discover more on: The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/test-for-sleep-apnea

Wednesday 18 October 2017

Sleeping With Pets: A Bad Idea?

Pets are like those little icing bits on a cake. They make life a little brighter and happier. Whatever your pet is, they become a big part of your life and they’re basically family to most pet owners. It is not easy being a pet owner, though. You have obligations too as an owner and you can’t just neglect your animals whenever things no longer work out for you. But if you are a devoted pet parent, it is even possible for you to sleep with your pets. It’s perhaps the best feeling in the world to be cuddling with your beloved animals during your downtime.

However, recent studies are showing us that it isn’t always a great idea to sleep with your pets, like dogs, for instance. Well, the truth is, many are actually quite torn regarding this issue as it has been common practice among pet owners to sleep with their pets. However, those with certain allergies are advised not to do so for health reasons. But now, some studies are showing the cons of co-sleeping with your pets and it is not looking good for pet parents.

The researchers first looked at sleep efficiency, the percentage of time in bed actually spent sleeping. Here, the difference between bed-sharers and bedroom-sharers wasn't obvious. People with dogs in their rooms, but not in their beds, had an 83-percent sleep efficiency level, and people with dogs in their beds had an average sleep efficiency rate of 80 percent. Neither of these rates is alarming: 80 percent is considered satisfactory sleep efficiency; 85 and 89 percent is normal; and above 90 percent is very efficient sleeping.

But a deeper probe revealed some problems with human-dog co-sleeping. This arrangement led owners to wake up more throughout the night compared to their counterparts. Previous research has found an interrupted night of sleep is similar to only having four hours of consistent sleep. Fragmented sleep can have negative effects on mood, attention span, and cognitive ability.

(Via: http://www.newsweek.com/sleeping-dogs-bad-your-sleep-and-health-663755)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with sleeping with your pets, most pet parents would say that and it is their right to their own opinion. But studies have proven that it isn’t always the best thing to do, no matter how violent the reactions of some may be. Well, there may be some gray areas to these studies but when it comes to your health, it is always better to err on the side of caution rather than put your life or health at risk. Yet, on the other hand, other studies say the exact opposite. So, what to believe, then?

The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, included 40 adults, all of whom slept with a dog either in their bed or elsewhere in their bedroom. Both humans and canines wore motion-tracking devices for seven nights, and humans answered questions about their quality of sleep and where their dogs spent the night.

The researchers found that having a dog in the bedroom did not necessarily compromise sleep quality, as had previously been suspected. On average, people with dogs in their rooms (but not on their beds) maintained 83% sleep efficiency—a comparison of time spent asleep to total time in bed. (80% is generally considered satisfactory.)

(Via: http://time.com/4934422/dog-bedroom-sleep/)

In the end, it is up to you pet owner to decide whether you think it will be best for you to sleep with your furry friend or not. You know your body better and you can tell for yourself if it the best decision to snooze with your pet with you. Of course, it is a big no-no if you have asthma or something like that because your life is on the line. Until today, science is just as torn as you, so feel free to do whatever you see is fit for you and your adorable pet.

It might be difficult, though, to sleep with pets if you have sleep apnea because you may end up inhaling all your pet's fur because of your snoring. Have them sleep in their own bed instead and get yourself something to help you with your sleep apnea. An anti-snoring device like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution is a good choice while others feel more inclined to try the https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight, which is quite different from the former. What’s important is that your snoring is minimized and you aren’t likely to die in your sleep and leave your poor pet behind.

Sleeping With Pets: A Bad Idea? was originally seen on The Snoring Mouthpiece Review



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/sleeping-with-pets

Monday 16 October 2017

Why Sleep Health Continues To Deteriorate

People often sacrifice sleep in pursuit of other life priorities thinking they can always catch up on lost sleep once they meet their deadline or when they have the time. But more often than not that time never really comes and you end up compromising your health because of passing interests. The human body does not work that way. You’ll never catch up on all the slumber you lost mainly because you can’t turn back time and there are new tasks and responsibilities that will demand your attention. Your body gradually suffers if you constantly deprive yourself of sleep and you’ll feel its consequences over time.

It’s no longer a mystery why you end up putting off sleep much later when all around you there are tech distractions meant to take your time away every single day (or night). Sleep deprivation is a growing concern in the medical field because people miss out on the many restorative properties of sleep that are meant to let your body rest and relax but rejuvenate too. You don’t need any magical formula or discover the fountain of youth for long life. Just make sure you eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. That’s all your body needs. If you can’t stop yourself from constantly fidgeting with your smartphone and clicking on links after links after links on social media, then you have a problem and only you can solve it.

“Many of us are working more erratic hours and sleeping less, while the pace of our lives seems to be accelerating,” said Owen in a statement. “We know that this sleep disruption affects us in some ways and that some people feel the impact more than others, but there’s surprisingly little research into exactly how our brains deal with these sleep deficits.”

In particular, Owen said, researchers hope to glean new answers to questions including how sleep and sleep deprivation affect specific regions of the brain, how much sleep is enough, and how brain health is affected by sleep deprivation in the short- and long-term.

“We have the opportunity in this study to learn far more about the brain’s response to sleep than we have ever had before. And what we learn ultimately has the potential to change how millions of people go about their daily lives.”

(Via: http://globalnews.ca/news/3557137/western-study-to-look-at-how-sleep-sleep-deprivation-affects-the-brain/)

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to clumsiness, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and weight issues. So if you suddenly experience some weight gain or weight loss issues, don’t just blame your eating habits right away. Aside from that, sleep deprivation impairs brain function and attention that may consequently affect performance and cognitive function. Although it is understandable to miss out on a good night’s sleep now and then, don’t make it a habit of doing it every single night because you will regret it big time.

Sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. It stresses you out because your body overproduces the stress hormone cortisol when it’s sleep deprived. While excess cortisol has a host of negative health effects that come from the havoc it wreaks on your immune system, it also makes you look older, because cortisol breaks down skin collagen, the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic. In men specifically, not sleeping enough reduces testosterone levels and lowers sperm count.

Too many studies to list have shown that people who get enough sleep live longer, healthier lives, but I understand that sometimes this isn’t motivation enough. So consider this—not sleeping enough makes you fat. Sleep deprivation compromises your body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and control food intake. When you sleep less you eat more and have more difficulty burning the calories you consume. Sleep deprivation makes you hungrier by increasing the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin and makes it harder for you to get full by reducing levels of the satiety-inducing hormone leptin. People who sleep less than 6 hours a night are 30% more likely to become obese than those who sleep 7 to 9 hours a night.

(Via: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sleep-deprivation-is-killing-you-and-making-you-fat_us_594c1d77e4b0f078efd97fe0)

Modern life is like living in the fast lane. We seldom have time to pause and take our time to enjoy the view and breathe the flowers. We try to multitask to the best of our abilities at the expense of our health because we feel that we are invincible. But if you look around you now, you’ll see that younger people get diagnosed with chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease in their thirties or even younger than people did in the past. It’s our lifestyle that is catching up to us. You’ll be spending less time here on earth if you don’t slow down and take the time to rest and look after your body.

People often blame technology for their chronic sleeplessness but at times it can be a sleep disorder you totally have no control of. To understand better, think of sleep apnea. It’s not just that awful snoring sound you should be worried of but the dangerous breathing pauses in your slumber as your brain chooses between sleep and oxygen. To save yourself and your sanity from the negative effects of sleep deprivation, try some of the handy anti-snoring mouthpieces sold on the market today like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx that may not be as effective as CPAP but does the job of reducing the snoring and preventing the breathing pauses by correcting certain inborn anatomical deformities that predisposes you to sleep apnea.

The blog post Why Sleep Health Continues To Deteriorate Discover more on: The Snoring Mouthpiece Review



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx/why-sleep-health-continues-to-deteriorate

Wednesday 11 October 2017

Does More Sex Create More Sleep?

You can only stay awake for so long. After a while, your body will demand for sleep. Sleep isn’t just a form of rest and relaxation but has restorative properties as well. Many important body processes take place during our slumber and it likewise recharges our body in preparation for what lies ahead the following day. However, it isn’t that easy drifting off to dreamland in our modern world. There are numerous technology enabled distractions that keep us wide awake at night. They emit dangerous blue light that messes up with your body’s circadian rhythm or body clock. It becomes an endless cycle of sleeplessness that deteriorates your overall health over time.

You search for the solution far and wide and when there is one that is recommended by experts just the same, that hits home. Well, it shouldn’t be a problem for you if you are a married person or living together with someone. The truth is, having sex promotes better sleep health. No wonder couples feel drowsy and sleepy after making love. In a nutshell, sex is helpful in making you feel relaxed, well-rested, and yes, sleep better right after doing the deed. The high levels of oxytocin released during sex reduce cortisol levels, thereby making you feel deeply relaxed.

Not sleeping enough? Try having more sex. Not in the mood to get it on? You may need more sleep.

Two separate, recent studies have revealed the interdependent relationship between sex and sleep. The first study revealed that college students who slept more had increased greater rates of sexual activity the next day.

The second study was conducted among women 50 and older, with participants who slept more than seven hours having more sex than those who slept less than seven hours per night.

How do the two help each other? First of all, hormones are released after sex, as chemicals such as oxytocin and prolactin make you feel comfortable and sleepy while also decreasing cortisol, your stress hormone. It is easier to fall asleep in this relaxed state.

(Via: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/06/sex-and-sleep-are-interdependent-shocker.html)

Both sexes may actually feel sleepy after having sex but it differs slightly if you are a man or a woman. Women tend to sleep more deeply soon after because of the rise of estrogen levels. Meanwhile, men feel just as drowsy due to the secretion of the prolactin hormone during sex. Moreover, it is easier to fall sleep when you are relaxed, which is often the case once you climax.

But the reverse appears to be true, too: Another recent study that looked at sleep and sex in college students found that for those in romantic relationships, every extra hour they slept corresponded to higher sexual desire, greater vaginal lubrication and a 14% increase in the chances of getting frisky the next day. That's probably because a good night's sleep leaves us feeling refreshed, relaxed and energetic -- all important for feeling sexy.
"This type of research builds on previous research demonstrating that lifestyle behaviors influence people's sexual lives," said Debby Herbenick, associate professor at Indiana University and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.
Eating, exercise and stress levels can also influence sexual behavior, sexual desire and interest in sex. But sleep is one of the big categories, largely in our control. "Dr. Alfred Kinsey noted this many years ago in his books, and more recent research supports it," Herbenick explained.

(Via: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Lifestyle-Want-more-sex-get-better-sleep-Want-better-sleep-have-more-sex-549190)

Sex and sleep are also similar in more ways. You sleep and have sex better if the sheets are clean, the bed is made, and the room is tidy. Aside from that, taking care of your hygiene is likewise a big factor. Sleep will elude you if you feel sticky from work. Your spouse will also pass on sex if you don’t take good care of yourself. Limit distractions whenever possible. While we often think of sex as a spur of the moment reaction, it can also be planned trysts where both partners agree on a set time and date and do the necessary preparation to make that moment memorable and worth their time. But since we need sleep daily, we need to make an extra effort to establish a daily routine where our body will recognize when it’s time for sleep or not.

However, if you’re sex life is great but sleep is still an issue, then you have a bigger problem in your midst. Better get yourself checked and treated before it gets worse. It can be sleep apnea that is hard to manage but undeniably deadly especially if you have pre-existing cardiac conditions. CPAP is actually the treatment of choice but you’ll know here https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you why it has a low compliance rate. A more convenient alternative to use yet just as effective is an anti-snoring mouthpiece like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution You won’t lose sleep anymore and have the energy for more sex in your life too. It’s the win-win situation you are looking for.

The following article Does More Sex Create More Sleep? Read more on: TSMR Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/does-more-sex-create-more-sleep

Friday 6 October 2017

A Better Way To Monitor Your Sleep

Sleep is a necessity yet many people consider it a luxury these days. Many are sleep-deprived not just because of the various tech gadgets they are using endlessly but more so because of sleep disorders like sleep apnea. While not everyone is diagnosed with this condition, the number of people diagnosed with sleep apnea is also growing. Perhaps it is because there are more sleep clinics now where people can get help or that most of us have grown wary of the dangers caused by this sleep disorder that people actually start seeking for medical help rather than endure in silence.

Since you can’t always count on yourself to stop your from snoring while asleep, which is the main symptom of sleep apnea, you can always get yourself one of those handy anti-snoring mouthpieces that are perfect solutions especially for those who aren’t comfortable using conventional devices like CPAP. If you are hesitant to try one, you can consult your doctor to find out which will work best for you. It can either be https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx. But there is more good news for all, you can now make use of a smartphone to help you beat sleep apnea and say hello to more good night sleep in the future.

Researchers have developed new software that makes it possible to use low-cost, thermal cameras attached to mobile phones to track how fast a person is breathing. This type of mobile thermal imaging could be used for monitoring breathing problems in elderly people living alone, people suspected of having sleep apnea or babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
In The Optical Society (OSA) journal Biomedical Optics Express, the researchers report that their new software combined with a low-cost thermal camera performed well when analyzing breathing rate during tests simulating real-world movement and temperature changes.

You don’t really need expensive gadgets to help you manage sleep apnea. And it is comforting to know that useful products that aren’t just practical but beneficial to our health are now made available to the masses using the technology we have right now.

In addition to detecting breathing problems, the new approach could one day allow the camera on your computer to detect subtle breathing irregularities associated with pain or stress and then send prompts that help you relax and regulate breathing. Although traditional video cameras can be used to track breathing, they don't work well in low-light situations and can cause privacy concerns when used for monitoring in nursing homes, for example.

(Via: https://phys.org/news/2017-09-software-mobile-phone-accessory.html)

Thermal cameras can detect breathing when you are asleep at night without any need for you to wear any special type of sensor. Their size and price have dropped as we continue to enjoy advancements in technology enabling the use of thermal cameras in smartphones, a tech staple for the majority of people in the world. They are even making the necessary tweaks so that someday, thermal cameras in smartphones would likewise be able to detect any irregularities in the user’s breathing when the person is in pain or stressed and consequently send signals to help you calm down and breathe normally once more.

This new approach is a more stable than standard chest belt respiratory sensors -- the method could potentially be used to optimize an athlete’s performance by providing reliable and accurate feedback on breathing patterns during activities, like exercise or practice.

The researchers inferred a person’s mental load or stress through automatic breathing analysis. They used thermal imaging software to track the breaking of people who were free to move around while performing tasks. The results aligned with findings from other studies that used more sophisticated equipment. This indicated the portable thermal-camera based approach that could be useful for apps that help people relax.

"By using mobile thermal imaging to monitor only breathing, we obtained results very comparable to what other studies had found," said Bianchi-Berthouze. "However, those studies used complex, state-of-the-art techniques that involved multiple sensors monitoring not just breathing but also heart rate."

(Via: http://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/9809/software-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-breathing-monitor)

Patients who experience such problems are always eager to welcome new innovative solutions in the hope that it can put an end to their sleeping miseries. And what better way to get back on lost sleep and save yourself from the (real, not imagined) dangers of sleep apnea than to use your favorite toy – the smartphone. If the thermal camera technology can be made available to the public, it can save a lot of lives without requiring patients with sleep apnea to spend more money on tech gadgets they rarely find useful at all.

A Better Way To Monitor Your Sleep Discover more on: SnoringMouthpieceReview.org



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/a-better-way-to-monitor-your-sleep

Tuesday 3 October 2017

Sleepless Nights: Tech To The Rescue

We all think of technology as a distraction to our slumber. Of course, we are referring to smart gadgets and smartphones that have long become staples in our daily lives but eat up too much of our time. Can you imagine the stress you feel after realizing that you left your phone as you make your way to school or work in the morning? You feel incomplete, right? And it is basically true. That is how attached we have become to our tech gadgets that we even compromise our precious sleep just for a few more minutes or hours of "me time" on your social media accounts. Essentially, you are just scrolling through your newsfeed and checking out what other people are doing with their lives but the intense #FOMO (fear of missing out) prevents you from signing out of your device and head to dreamland already.

However, let us not generalize technology as something bad for it really does serve some really cool and practical purpose when used properly. In reality, it is our lack of discipline that has brought about sleeping issues because of tech use. Our affinity towards our smart gadgets has become an obsession that we can’t seem to resist day in and day out. Fortunately, others have developed tech innovations that show us these tech gadgets can actually bring about a positive change to your sleeping habits with their help, so you no longer become a slave to your device and become a sleep-deprived-zombie, but hopefully, a normal and functional individual.

Using an iPhone application called Sleep Better, we have been tracking our sleep for almost a year. On and off, we have data from 200-plus nights, each broken down to show how many minutes of light and deep sleep we achieve.

It's reassuring to know that, on average over 200 nights, we have slept for 86% of our target eight hours. This includes weekdays, weekends, holidays and nights spent on planes and sofas.

But can we do better? Despite the stats looking good, can we shift the groggy feeling we have most mornings; the reluctance to get out of bed no matter what, and the post-lunch tiredness bringing our afternoons to a halt? We have assembled four very different gadgets to try and find out.

(Via: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/can-technology-improve-your-sleep-4-gadgets-put-test-1637924)

These gadgets can improve your sleep with continued use. Those who have tried them gave a score of 9/10 and stated that they enjoy deeper and longer sleep because of these devices. Those who have a hard time falling asleep didn’t have any difficulty drifting off to slumber and enjoy longer, uninterrupted sleep that they have been craving for all along. The best thing is that they aren’t that expensive too nor uncomfortable to use.

"Sleep Better" tracks your sleep duration, cycles and efficiency with the simple tap of a button.  Doing so helps develop a better understanding of your light sleep, deep sleep and even time spent tossing and turning.  The app's smart alarm feature helps you wake up at the ideal time.  The app is free for iOS and Android.

    "Sleep Time" doubles as a sleep analysis app and alarm clock.  Its free and available for Android and Apple devices, and it integrates with the Apple Health app.  It analyzes sleep cycles, creating graphs based on the information.  The app even features soundscapes and white noise to help you fall asleep easier.

(Via: http://www.mywabashvalley.com/lifestyle/tech-talk/technology-matters-sleep-apps/803441047)

Who said apps are just for fun and no real, important purpose? Bring back your normal circadian rhythm with the help of these sleep apps. Counting sheep does not work anymore and you’d likely be turning to your phone for entertainment but these apps work the opposite way as if it is urging you to close your eyes and say goodbye to the rest of the world, just for the night.

But if you are suffering from a medical condition like sleep apnea, these devices may not give you the results you need. Get yourself checked and prescribed with anti-snoring devices like https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution if you aren’t comfortable using a CPAP machine throughout the night. They are far more effective than any tech device pseudo-sleep stimulator because they also correct the anatomical problems that predisposed you to snore and sleep apnea in the first place.

The post Sleepless Nights: Tech To The Rescue was originally seen on TSMR Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/sleepless-nights-tech-to-the-rescue

Saturday 30 September 2017

Can Sleep Apnea Kill You?

Who doesn’t like to sleep, right? Hitting the sack after a long and hard day at work is one of the best feelings in the world. Not only do you get to rest and relax in your slumber but sleep facilitates various restorative processes that the human body desperately needs. If only sleeping is just as simple as that. There are various distractions that prevent a person from getting that needed shut-eye each night. From technology to failed relationships to school or office work, you may consciously extend your day far longer as you try to finish everything before going to bed.

And then there are those health conditions that impair your sleep that is totally out of your control. Sleep apnea is a perfect example. Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder that is characterized by breathing pauses during your slumber. These breathing pauses happen countless times throughout the night that leaves your brain deprived of oxygen while you are asleep. It is also accompanied by a loud snoring sound that can disrupt the sleep of your sleeping partner or spouse that may result in unique sleeping arrangements where couples don’t sleep in the same room anymore. However, the biggest threat of all is the possibility of dying in your sleep. Scary thought, right?

An autopsy report has revealed that actress and writer Carrie Fisher died of sleep apnea, along with other factors, The Los Angeles Times and other outlets reported. The medical examiner also listed atherosclerotic heart disease and drug use as “other conditions.” Cocaine, methadone, MDMA (ecstasy), alcohol and opiates were found in Fisher’s system.

While the drugs have made for splashier headlines, the dangers of sleep apnea — especially as we age — are often misunderstood and discounted.

A 2013 Mayo Clinic study found a link between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiac death. “The presence and severity of sleep apnea are associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death,” said study leader Dr. Apoor Gami in a statement. Gami is a cardiac electrophysiologist at Midwest Heart Specialists-Advocate Medical Group in Elmhurst, Ill.

(Via: http://www.nextavenue.org/sleep-apnea-killer-carrie-fisher/)

Just think about it, you literally stop breathing in your sleep if you have sleep apnea. And worse, it happens every single time you close your eyes for the night. No exception. You face this risk every single day. Studies even show that individuals diagnosed with sleep apnea are more likely to die of a heart attack around 10 pm to 6 am. Of course, the risk doubles if you are already suffering from heart problems.

At least half a million people in San Antonio have sleep apnea, causing us to snore and gasp for air while we sleep.

"What happens when people fall asleep is your brain has to choose oxygen or sleep. If you're alive today, it chose oxygen last night."

(Via: http://www.kens5.com/news/health/hold-for-sweeps-517-experts-untreated-sleep-apnea-could-cut-10-to-20-years-off-your-life/439507983)

You see? What happens if your brain malfunctions and it chooses sleep over oxygen. Need I say that the result will be deadly?

There is considerable evidence that sleep apnea does much more than just disrupt your sleep. Sleep apnea — which commonly occurs in those who snore loudly — is defined by recurrent pauses in breathing. This may be caused either by obstruction of the airway or by the brain forgetting to prompt a breath. When this happens, oxygen levels fall, carbon dioxide levels rise, and there is a spike in blood pressure, heart rate, and hormones like cortisol as the body reawakens to breathe.

Sleep apnea has been linked to many chronic medical conditions, and even sudden death. Learn about the association between sleep apnea and hypertension, heart disease, heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and sudden death.

(Via: http://theweeklychallenger.com/why-sleep-apnea-may-be-deadly-higher-risks-of-heart-attack-and-stroke/)

Breathing dysfunctions can trigger a heart attack and sudden death in your sleep. Aside from that, sleep apnea worsens other heart issues like arrhythmia and stroke that may also lead to death when not treated promptly. The statistics show that roughly 42% of sleep apnea-related deaths were due to a heart disease. Since there is a strong correlation between sleep apnea and heart disease, make sure you get yourself checked in a sleep clinic and get treated for it too so you lower your risk of dying of heart attack when worse comes to worst.

While CPAP is the treatment of choice, there are other more convenient solutions for sleep apnea that won’t require you to go under the knife. A snoring mouthpiece like this one: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx is a great alternative for individuals who aren’t comfortable using CPAP every time they sleep. If you want to know why you are better off without CPAP, read on: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you. No need to fret because there are more options out there, so you should not sleep at night and continually put yourself at risk of sudden death or compromise the sleep quality of your partner because of your sleep apnea.

The following blog post Can Sleep Apnea Kill You? is republished from https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleep-health/can-sleep-apnea-kill-you

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Your Bed Is For Sleeping

Many things have changed in our lives over the years. If you are a grown-up adult now with a family of your own, chances are you have experienced what it was like to live in a world that wasn’t yet overtaken by technology. As kids, you probably spent hours out in the sun and played to your heart’s content without tech gadgets like smartphones and tablets to distract you. Even adults didn't have anything better to do come night time other than to retire to bed and sleep.

It is a different story these days. There are smartphones that can keep you entertained 24/7 and you can do virtually anything with it. You don’t have to go out of bed in order to talk to someone, play a game, or do other tech-related tasks. The bed is no longer the sleep haven that it once was but became your new playground. Sleep eludes you. It’s time you wake up to this reality and realize the importance of sleep and stop taking it for granted before your health begins to deteriorate or you get sick for real.

And ditch the smartphone, he recommends.

“Your bed is just for sleep and sex. Not screens.

“Exposure to screens that produce blue light – like a TV, laptop, a phone - disrupts your body clock by suppressing melatonin. 

“If you wake in the middle of the night and struggle to return to sleep with worry - change the routine. Take your attention away from the worry, let your mind accept this as normal for you, that you have survived with limited sleep for a day before and that this will help the chances of going to sleep the next night.”

(Via: http://www.portnews.com.au/story/4916506/author-here-to-discuss-your-sleep-patterns/)

It’s true, modern distractions like tech gadgets are so convenient to use you can continue tinkering with them in your bed while waiting for sleep to come but that rarely happens and you end up staying awake until the wee hours of the morning. People only slept or had sex in their beds before and stayed out of it the whole time they are doing others tasks but not anymore. After all, why even bother to move an inch when you can very well navigate the web with your smartphone in hand?

"Instead, at that time parents should create an environment where children can start to relax with less technology and less light exposure.

"Everything we do has an affect on melatonin levels, the sleeping hormone that is controlled by your sleep cycle.

"Being exposed to extreme brightness from electronic devices such as iPads will reduce melatonin and make it harder to get to sleep. If this is the case for a child it is more likely they will also have problems when they get older.

"If possible, it is beneficial to try and find an area of the house where there are no screens. With maybe just a quiet radio or space where children can read and feel safe and relaxed before bed.

(Via: http://www.devonlive.com/news/health/exeter-sleep-expert-gives-tops-422672)

Whether you are young or old, setting up your sleeping quarters to make sure it is conducive for sleeping is a must. It shouldn’t just be an afterthought for you. You should make an effort to limit as much technology there is in your bedroom and refrain from fidgeting with your smartphone once you are already in bed. They are highly distracting and are now considered a form of addiction too, so don’t just take it lightly. Your body will thank you for it especially if you are able to sleep better at night once more.

However, if your problem isn’t just about your tech addiction but something medical-related, you need a doctor’s help. Sleep apnea is the biggest problem faced by many as it isn’t just a major bummer to those unfortunate individuals like your partner or spouse who has to endure the loud snoring sound but it is a health risk that can kill you without warning. But don’t lose hope because help is always available if you just ask. Your doctor can prescribe you a CPAP, which is the traditional management for sleep apnea, but if it’s too uncomfortable for you, you can try other options like anti-snoring mouthpieces that may not be as effective as CPAP but helpful just the same. Some of these are https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight that may be the key to saving your life.

The following blog article Your Bed Is For Sleeping was originally published to The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog



source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/your-bed-is-for-sleeping