What Exactly Is Sleep Apnea?

For most of us who have no medical background, we don't necessarily try to make sense of everything that is happening to us. For instance, if you snore or your partner does, then that’s simply it. You or your partner snores. Irritating as it may be and leaves you deprived of precious sleep, snoring is just the tip of the iceberg. It is the characteristic symptom of a more serious sleeping disorder that is known as sleep apnea.

However, that term does not make any sense to us lay people. What does it have to do with snoring? What happens when you sleep if you have it? How can you tell that your snoring is due to sleep apnea? To better understand what sleep apnea is all about and how deadly it is, read on.

Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease. These disordered breathing events are associated with a profile of perturbations that include intermittent hypoxia, oxidative stress, sympathetic activation, and endothelial dysfunction, all of which are critical mediators of cardiovascular disease. Evidence supports a causal association of sleep apnea with the incidence and morbidity of hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, and stroke. Several discoveries in the pathogenesis, along with developments in the treatment of sleep apnea, have accumulated in recent years. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of sleep apnea, the evidence that addresses the links between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease, and research that has addressed the effect of sleep apnea treatment on cardiovascular disease and clinical endpoints. Finally, we review the recent development in sleep apnea treatment options, with special consideration of treating patients with heart disease.

(Via: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/876364)

In short…

About 60 percent of everybody who snores has some degree of sleep apnea.

Snoring and having been witnessed to have pauses in breathing increases the likelihood of having sleep apnea to upwards of 80 percent.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused when the muscles in the airway relax/collapse, preventing the sleeper from breathing until the sleeper arouses from the apnea.

Apneas can last more than a minute, and the associated arousals are disruptive to sleep (although it is rare for the sleeper to be aware of the apneas or arousals).

Someone with moderate sleep apnea will have 15 to 30 apneas in an hour.

Some people with severe sleep apnea can stop breathing more than 100 times an hour.

It’s important to identify and treat sleep apnea (which will eliminate snoring) not only to improve sleep quality, but because of the health risks associated with untreated sleep apnea.

Things like hypertension, stroke, diabetes, heart attack, atrial fibrillation and depression are just a few of the health risks that come with sleep apnea.

(Via: http://www.htrnews.com/story/life/2017/04/03/sleep-apnea-symptoms-sleep-study-holy-family-memorial-manitowoc/99889032/)

By now you probably have a clearer understanding of this sleeping disorder and what happens to your body when you are diagnosed with it. While we often associate snoring with adults, kids can snore too and likewise suffer from sleep apnea. And considering their young age and growing body, such a condition can have detrimental effects on their health and well-being.

A recent study set out to investigate the effect of sleep apnea on the brains of 7- to 11-year-olds. In total, 16 children with obstructive sleep apnea were evaluated at the University of Chicago's pediatric sleep laboratory. All children underwent neurocognitive tests and were scanned using MRI.

The study team was headed up by Dr. Leila Kheirandish-Gozal, director of pediatric clinical sleep research at the University of Chicago. The team worked in conjunction with researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles, who analyzed the images.

The test results and brain scans were compared with a further nine children without sleep apnea, matched for gender, age, weight, and ethnicity. They also compared the children with sleep apnea with a database of 191 MRI scans in a pre-existing National Institutes of Health (NIH) database.

Once the analysis was complete, the results were striking. The children with obstructive sleep apnea had substantial reductions in the volume of gray matter - the information processing part of the brain.

(Via: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316437.php)

It is a parent’s responsibility to ensure that young children get enough sleep as they grow up. A growing body not only needs proper diet, supplementation, and active play but enough sleep at night as well. And when in the unfortunate event that a young child already snores and suffers from sleep apnea, see a doctor right away to undergo a sleep test to get a diagnosis.

Kids may have a hard time complying with a CPAP treatment. Even adults struggle with it too. But knowing how breathing is affected during sleep by this sleep disorder, it is important to take action right away or put their health and life at risk. Not all the time surgery is warranted to really beat sleep apnea. Check this out https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet because it is an anti-snoring mouthpiece that children can conveniently use. Or, try a similar solution with this alternative mouthpiece: https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx. Kids can manage to sleep soundly at night with these mouthpieces in place, unlike other sleep apnea managements that are not quite kid-friendly.

What Exactly Is Sleep Apnea? See more on: The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx/what-exactly-is-sleep-apnea

Sleeping Issues Adults Can Avoid

There are many things we do in life out of familiarity without really knowing the reason behind these practices. At times, they are pretty harmless but there are also times when continuing such a practice can be bad for us especially for our health. Let us take our sleeping habits for example. You’d be surprised at the number of sleeping mistakes most of us make on a daily (nightly) basis.

We don’t think of a lot of things when we hit the sack. It is especially true back then when we still didn’t have smart gadgets to entertain us 24/7. Sleep matters more than we give it credit for. Many times we sacrifice a good night’s sleep because of our various pursuits and responsibilities and is quite common during your productive years.

You’ve crawled into bed after a long day and you’re so tired you can barely keep your eyes open. But somehow, even though you’re exhausted, you have a lousy night’s sleep. This problem is more common than you might think. According to research conducted by the Sleep Health Foundation, between 33 and 45 per cent of Australians either struggle to sleep well or don’t sleep for long enough—and it’s impacting on our health and how we function through our days. 

When we don’t get enough sleep, everything is more difficult. It affects our mood, how we feel about ourselves and our lives, the food choices we make (say hello to that 10am muffin and coffee and 3pm chocolate biscuit binge!) and how we speak to those we love most in the world. Lack of sleep can increase inflammation in the body, which in turn is a risk factor for type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and poor digestive health and it adds another layer of stress to the body since it doesn’t have sufficient time to repair and restore. We can’t fight our biology, sleep is essential to our very being and getting quality sleep at the recommended 7-9 hours each night can make the world of difference to our energy and vitality.

(Via: http://www.harpersbazaar.com.au/beauty/health-wellness/2017/4/tips-for-sleeping-properly/)

Sleep restores our body’s vitality and allows us to perform at our best during the day. Sleep deprivation is one of the most underrated factors as to why people get sick these days and one of the most challenging issues to overcome in this tech-crazed modern life.

Hitting the Snooze Button

Alarms are a noisy (and annoying) reminder that we have to lift ourselves out of the bed and face the day. It’s hardly surprising that many of us reach for the snooze button for an extra 10 minutes of shut-eye, however snooze buttons are actually the enemy.

Watching TV Before Bed

We’ve all, at one time or another, fallen asleep on the sofa while watching TV after a long and hard day. Many, however, see this as something to replicate in the bedroom when we can’t fall asleep — this is a very common sleep mistake.

Having Too Much Light

Our bodies require darkness in order to produce the sleep hormone melatonin, which helps to prepare us for our sleep cycle. When our bodies detect light, production levels of melatonin are decreased, meaning artificial lights (such as the sorts that come from lamps, devices, TVs and other technology) damage our sleep.

Eating Sugary Snacks Before Bed

Refined sugars can disrupt the organs that control hormone regulation. When blood sugar levels and hormones fluctuate, this can cause you to wake up during sleep cycles and therefore cause fatigue the following day.

(Via: https://www.sitepoint.com/10-sleep-mistakes-that-could-be-hurting-your-productivity/)

Those are just some of the things we are guilty of doing that actually messes up our sleeping pattern without us knowing. The majority of Americans nowadays are actually guilty of doing all four sleeping mistakes and are likely to keep on doing it indefinitely. It is better to address these habits early on before you’ll ultimately be unable to correct them and leave you feeling run down, exhausted and stressed every single day.

While these mistakes are born out of habit, there are sleeping issues we have little to no control over. These are often sleep-related disorders that are the bane of the existence of some people yet seldom talked about in public. For example, sleep apnea affects lots of Americans these days but it is rarely addressed for the condition that it is and mostly talked about because of the annoying snoring that characterizes it. If you happen to suffer from sleep apnea, there are anti-snoring gadgets you can use to relief you of many of its discomforts. https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution or https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight is good for starters but if your condition is more severe, your doctor can prescribe other sleep apnea treatment such as CPAP or a more invasive surgery to correct the issue.

Sleeping Issues Adults Can Avoid is available on TSMR

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/sleeping-issues-adults

Can A Mattress Save Your Sleep?

As much as possible, we’d love to stay in bed all day and do virtually nothing. Unfortunately, that is not realistic or practical especially if you have to earn a living. But if you happen to be a part of the 1% elite, then it may be possible. We try to find ways on how to master the art of sleeping throughout our lifetime. There are times when we think we finally uncovered how to sleep fitfully through the night every single night only to find ourselves staring at the ceiling once more in the wee hours of the morning and unable to sleep once something eventful is happening in our life.

Since we constantly find ourselves in this dilemma, we try to find solutions in the form of things or technologies that promise deep sleep and sweet dreams to boot. Well, you don’t have to go far to get some inspiration because the answer can also be found in your bedroom – the mattress. Can new mattresses these days finally uncover the solution to all our sleeping woes or are we just kidding ourselves with these pointless ideas? Let us find out.

You will spend approximately one third of your life asleep. As a physical person who loses dead skin cells regularly, that means your bed is extraordinarily susceptible to being the gathering spot for many of the less sanitary aspects of life.

It's calculated that after two years of use, one third of a pillow's weight is dead skill cells, dead dust mites, and other less-than-desirable leftovers.

For a long time, there wasn't really anything you could do about this except for replacing your pillows before they became dust mite graveyards and maybe using a mattress cover.

But now, there's a mattress startup whose design philosophy is founded upon being the most comfortable and sanitary bedding option for consumers. Which is why PangeaBed integrates copper into their mattresses, a natural antimicrobial material that's been used to keep things bacteria-free since ancient civilizations. Frankly, it seems unusual it took this long to see something like this in bedding, but it really seems to be the first of its kind.

(Via: http://www.businessinsider.com/pangeabed-copper-mattress-overview-2017-4)

Comfort is one of the parameters when choosing a great mattress. And you shouldn’t really just settle for any other bed considering we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. It no longer comes as a surprise that people spend more now on mattresses and pillow than they did in the past because sleep is becoming more of a luxury as everyone often has to juggle double jobs and maintain the delicate balance of work life, social life, and family life in their day-to-day.

Simba Sleep has developed an airline seat that allows passengers to experience zero gravity while flying: The seat “closely simulates weightlessness which eases pressure on the back and spine whilst dissolving strain from the extremities,” the manufacturer said.

SIMBA Air-Hybrid (as the seat is being called) relies on the same technology that can be found in the company’s everyday mattresses. The seats are built with a “fusion of 2,500 conical pocket springs and responsive memory foam” that is meant to promote promote circulation throughout the body while regulating heat and support.

(Via: http://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/simba-sleep-mattress-airplane-seat)

While some of these are just passing trends, some of these newer designs have actually changed the way we think of mattress and have since been the benchmark. Why would you settle for anything less if it is your comfort on the line? Losing sleep not only affects you physically but mentally as well and you wouldn’t want to add more stress to your already stressful life.

Life in the urban jungle is no easy feat. You want to make sure you are always on your A-game when out and about your day. So, if a mattress can do the trick for you, why not give it a try rather than be sorry. However, there are certain sleeping conditions that warrant medical attention such as sleep apnea. If you are one of the unfortunate few to be diagnosed with this silent killer, https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet can help address the breathing pauses in your sleep and even reduce the annoying snoring. For more severe conditions, a CPAP may be prescribed, however, some patients aren’t comfortable using it so a https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/why-a-cpap-machine-is-probably-not-for-you may be of help just in case. No need to fret because there are other solutions you can try without having to go under the knife.

Can A Mattress Save Your Sleep? Find more on: TSMR Blog

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/zquiet/can-a-mattress-save-your-sleep

Say Goodbye To Sleepless Nights

We can get too preoccupied during the day and do so many things at once that it can leave us exhausted by the end of the day. Being busy is not only a good thing because it indicates how productive we are but it can also ensure we sleep soundly at night out of pure exhaustion. If only that is true all the time then life would be so much easier. However, there are people suffering from sleep disorders that keep them tossing and turning at night even though they have been through a lot during the day.

And it no longer comes surprisingly that many people actually suffer from these disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea - characterized by loud snoring - than many would like to admit. Men are mostly diagnosed with sleep apnea, meaning there are countless wives out there all over the world who have to endure their husband’s loud snoring but still manage to like being around them. Sleep clinics do help quite a bit. However, sleep apnea poses far more danger than just losing sleep at night.

Do you feel tired and just “unrested” even after what seemed like a good night’s sleep? Have you been told you snore very loudly and toss and turn all night? Do you find that you wake up with a dry, sore throat or a headache? Or that you feel yourself nodding off during daytime hours? You could have a very common – but very serious –sleep disorder called sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea occurs when a person’s breathing stops repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain may not get enough oxygen and definitely never gets enough rest. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form of apnea, is caused by the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapsing during sleep, which blocks the airway and can cause loud snoring.

(Via: http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Blogs/Metropoly/April-2017/Health-Hub-Sleep-Apnea/)

Fortunately, there are many ways to combat sleep apnea. Modern science now offers various sleeping disorder treatments than snorers had access to in the past. From handy anti-snoring mouthguards and mouthpieces to more old-school treatments like CPAP, snorers now have a better chance at beating sleep apnea for good and are able to sleep again without having to worry about snoring ever. However, alternative treatment is also available for those who don’t mind to experiment with newer technologies.

If you are having trouble getting your sleep in, you may want to try calcium and magnesium supplements both are natural sleep aids (A deficiency in magnesium has been shown to cause insomnia and restless leg syndrome). Melatonin is also a supplement (not a vitamin), and is available without a prescription and is sometimes used by some people to help them fall asleep.
Remember, a good nights sleep will help you in your journey to better health, helping you lose weight, keep you more alert during the day, improve your memory, reduce inflammation and reduce stress. Good-night and sleep well my friends.

(Via: http://valleypatriot.com/sleep-yourself-to-better-health/)

We all think of gadgets as bad for our health especially that it takes our time away from sleep aside from the unnecessary exposure to dangerous radiation. However, there is a way to make gadgets work for you and help you sleep better.

We’re losing sleep over … sleep.

Blame it on job stress or the circadian-rhythm-wrecking blue light of cellphones and tablets, but studies show that nearly half of Americans don’t sleep well and that significant percentages of us suffer from chronic insomnia and sleep apnea, and that causes us to turn to prescription sleep aids. This lack of overnight recovery creates stress, ruins productivity and batters your health.

And here are a number of smart gadgets you can use to help you sleep better and soundly at night:

1. Smart Pajamas

2. Smart Breathing

3. Smart Aromas

4. Smart Music

5. Smart Pillow

6. Tiny Sleep Tracker

7. Whole-body Magnetic Resonance

8. Smart Mattress

9. Smart electro-strap

10. Smart Bed

(Via: http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-high-tech-gear-to-help-you-sleep-20170408-story.html)

The market is full of amazing and innovative products and gadgets that can help everyone who suffers from the lack of sleep caused by these various sleeping disorders. There is something for everybody at a price you can afford. No need to suffer from the inconvenient CPAP or undergo invasive surgeries to improve sleeping and breathing during sleep. Now you know that not all gadgets are distractions to our sleep if you just know which gadgets to avoid come bedtime and which ones to use.

Say Goodbye To Sleepless Nights is available on The Snoring Mouthpiece Review Blog

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/blog/say-goodbye-to-sleepless-nights

Is Sleeping The Holy Grail Of Health?

A good eight-hour sleep each night can do wonders to your health and well-being. Imagine how energized you feel after waking up fully recharged and ready to take on the world. It is the best medicine anyone can get to help keep them moving on with life no matter what life throws at you. So, don’t compromise your sleep or risk not only losing your precious sleep but experience how your health deteriorates if you constantly pull frequent all-nighters.

Nobody is in charge of your health than yourself. If you don’t take care of it, nobody will. Many important body processes happen when we sleep. Important growth hormones are released to promote normal growth and development especially for growing kids and adults can benefit a lot from it too. Sleep is the most important luxury most adults long for especially that adulting takes too much of their time away from home and lose precious sleep.

Not getting a good night's sleep can have a negative impact on a person's health. Studies have shown that not sleeping enough or having a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, can lead to hypertension, prediabetes, and other cardiovascular problems, according to Dr. Alcibiades Rodriguez, assistant professor of neurology and medical director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center-Sleep Center.

Quality and quantity of sleep should be taken into account, Dr. Rodriguez said. Most people should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. That can be hard for some, but the type of mattress and pillow you use can help. Dr. Rodriguez said a perfect mattress or pillow for everyone doesn't exist because comfort depends on the person and their needs. For example, if someone needs neck support they may need a firm pillow that can hold up their head.

(Via: http://www.fox5ny.com/news/247298450-story)

However, getting a good night’s sleep becomes more challenging by the day as tech distractions keep us wide awake during the wee hours of the morning. We can’t stop fiddling with our smart gadgets and not only do we lose precious sleep but expose ourselves to too much blue light as well – a very short wavelength with higher energy that has a negative impact on your health and sleeping pattern.

It’s no secret that a good night’s sleep can do wonders for your mood. Now, a new study shows that improving your Z's over time is associated with better health and well being. In fact, researchers say, scoring better shuteye perks up mental health as well as winning the lottery. (Yes, really!) 

The findings come from analysis of more than 30,500 British people who were followed for about four years. University of Warwick researchers found that people who reported improved quality of sleep over that time period, or who reduced the amount of sleep medications they took over that time, tended to also improve their scores on screening tests for physical and emotional health.

Overall, their mental health improvements over the four years were comparable to those seen in British lottery winners two years after hitting a medium-size jackpot worth up to about $250,000. So, to be clear, we're talking about a long-term mood boost—not the immediate euphoria of striking it rich.

Unsurprisingly, people whose sleep patterns got worse over the study period were more likely to see their physical and emotional health scores go down.

(Via: http://www.health.com/sleep/sleep-physical-mental-health-lottery)

There are various gadgets that help manage sleep disorders, so you don’t have to lay wide awake at night and wake up the following day grumpier than ever. All you got to do is get yourself checked and ask your doctor for the best solution to your sleeping woes.

A wealth of possible treatments from oral appliances, throat exercises, and nasal resistors (just to name) a few are available. However, some patients prefer not to use any attachments or devices while they sleep and opt for a surgical solution. And that is why I have a job…

In a likely oversimplified view, the problem of excessive narrowing during sleep is caused or worsened by an imbalance between the space size housed by the facial skeleton, the amount of soft tissue and fat contained by and around it, and the tone and strength on throat and tongue muscles. These factors interact and will lead me to choose among different strategies. There isn’t a perfect solution for all!

(Via: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/precision-just-what-you-need-for-sleep-apnea-treatment_us_58cb4d9ee4b07112b6472c3b)

Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder people complain of these days. And snoring is its annoying symptom that will make you want to sleep in a separate room, away from your snoring partner or just cover his/her face with a pillow, perhaps. However, it is actually a deadly condition that should not be taken lightly. People who snore has died from their sleep and it has happened many times over, it can happen to you too if you’re not careful enough.

You can choose from high quality anti-snoring mouthpieces and mouthguards that help reduce snoring and improve breathing or try other alternatives that include CPAP, throat exercises, and surgery among others. Sleep lost can never be regained. Make sure you get enough of that daily snooze so you function better during the day and stay as healthy as you can for as long as you can.

Is Sleeping The Holy Grail Of Health? is republished from The Snoring Mouthpiece Review

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx/is-sleeping-the-holy-grail-of-health

Fitbit Sleep Tracker: Track Sleeping And Monitor Snoring Easily

Technology is all around us. From the outside world to our very homes, we are surrounded by technology big and small. From the moment we wake up until we doze off for the night, our gadgets are the last thing we hold. It is no wonder why people have a hard time sleeping these days.

Our addiction to any smart gadget can’t be denied – whether it be a smartphone, tablet or iPad, smart TV, smart watch and so on. We have managed to integrate these technologies into our daily lives, which has a good and bad effect depending on the person. One of the inevitable consequences of too much technology use is losing precious sleep. But what if I tell you that you can actually make technology work for you, so you don’t compromise your health because of its use.

Fitbit wants to help you better understand your sleep patterns and quality. With its latest software update, you will be able to find out exactly how much REM, Deep and Light sleep you are getting each night.

Your kip time plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping. Better sleep starts by knowing what’s happening at night.

Its fair to say, Fitbit’s sleep statistics are not its strong point right now. They will tell you how long you slept, how many times you woke up and the number of times you were restless during the night.

(Via: http://gadgetsandwearables.com/2017/03/07/fitbit-sleep-tracking/)

We understand very well how important sleep is to stay strong and healthy. And discovering how we can benefit from Fitbit to managing normal sleeping patterns and maintaining excellent sleep quality aside from just working out is good news for all.

Fitbit, whose devices encourage people to walk 10,000 steps each day, now wants to put them to sleep as well.

The company said data collected by the millions of Fitbit trackers in use show that people are averaging less than seven hours of sleep a night. And the Zs people do get aren't necessarily the right kind of sleep.

So Fitbit will offer deeper sleep tracking on some of its devices.

Fitbits already track how much sleep people get and use sensors to measure periods of being awake or restless while in bed. Now, using a built-in heart-rate monitor, the devices will break sleep into clinically defined stages.

(Via: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/90132149/fitbit-tracks-your-steps-now-it-wants-to-chart-your-sleep-too)

For individuals who may have some sleeping issues (not severe ones like sleep apnea) but are still hesitant to go to sleep clinics to get themselves checked, Fitbit may come in handy to let you know how you fare once the lights go out.

Finally, like all Fitbit’s trackers, the Blaze will also benefit from Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. With this update, you will be able to find out exactly how much REM, Deep and Light sleep you are getting each night. The values are calculated by combining accelerometer data, heart rate variability (the time between beats), and Fitbit’s proprietary algorithms. You’ll also find your 30-day average and benchmarking stats.

Furthermore, the app will use all your activity and diet statistics to discover trends and then dish up personalized guidance on how to improve sleep. The more you wear your tracker to bed, the more personalized insights you may receive. You can choose to like or dislike each insight and send feedback directly to Fitbit’s team.

(Via: http://gadgetsandwearables.com/2017/03/28/fitbit-blaze-software-update/)

Fitbit is serious in helping people with fitness and sleeping issues as they continue to make helpful and relevant upgrades that take their service to the next level. Those who have no trouble sleeping may just shrug off technologies like these but they are actually helpful for those who struggle to get a good night’s sleep each day. At least, you finally have a better use for technology and not just for pure entertainment only.

Fitbit Sleep Tracker: Track Sleeping And Monitor Snoring Easily is republished from TSMR Blog

source https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleep-health/fitbit-sleep-monitor