Do you have questions about Obstructive Sleep Apnea or CPAP treatment?  Is your equipment or mask not working or fitting properly? Or, perhaps you have questions about sleep studies or medical care for yourself or a loved one?

Join us for a free educational and social support group for people affected by sleep apnea. No matter who your doctor or DME supplier is, we’re here to help!

DeVilbiss Healthcare, Lincare and our medical specialists will be at the meetings to troubleshoot any problems and address your concerns.

Schedule

November 9, 2-5 pm, at the Starlight Medical Group office in Lutz.

December 3, 10 AM to noon, at the Starlight Medical Group office in Wesley Chapel.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Christy at 813-994-2729 or cmccluskey@starlightmedicalgroup.com

Light refreshments will be served.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs in response to unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensations. RLS occurs in about 15% of the population. However, new findings suggest that middle-aged women with RLS may experience something even more unpleasant - heart failure or stroke resulting from elevated blood pressure.

A study, published in the journal Hypertension, asked 65,000 nurses if they experienced any common symptoms of RLS, as well as inquiring about their blood pressure. The researchers found that 33 percent of women who experienced frequent (more than 15 times per month) RLS episodes had high blood pressure, compared to only 21 percent of women who had no RLS symptoms.

"We cannot say from this study that restless legs syndrome causes blood pressure to rise," study co-author Dr. Salma Batool-Anwar, a sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School. "But we did see a significant relationship between the severity of RLS symptoms and prevalence of hypertension."

"What this study suggests is that if you have RLS, make sure your healthcare provider pays extra attention to your blood pressure,"says Robin Trupp, RN, PhD, ARNP at Starlight Medical Group. "Sleep is a natural way for the body to lower blood pressure, but if you can't fully fall asleep because your legs are twitching all night long, then the blood pressure lowering effects are reduced." Blood pressure levels typically drop 20-25% during the sleep.

That also suggests that reducing hypertension can reduce the symptoms of RLS. Hypertension can be treated with a healthy diet, weight loss, dietary salt reduction and exercise as well as medications.

As our daily lives are more and more intertwined with devices that constantly connect us to the world, new studies are revealing that we should be more careful about when to use this technology, because it could be costing us valuable sleep time.

The National Sleep Foundation found that 95 percent of Americans use some kind of technology one hour before going to sleep, including 61 percent who use a laptop or computer. These devices emit a blue light from their screens that interfere with the body secreting melatonin, the “hormone of darkness” that allows you to get drowsy and fall asleep. Blue light is also emitted from televisions, cellphones and certain alarm clocks – items typically found in bedrooms. Reading exciting books, watching distressing TV, or playing computer games also interfere with sleep by keeping the mind very active and making it difficult to relax.

These effects from technology may be more commonly found in members of Generation Z and Generation Y (essentially everyone born in 1976 or later). Research has shown these people are most likely to engage in using computers or playing video games in the hour before bedtime.

In a country where 1 in 4 adults do not get adequate sleep (defined as 7-8 hours per night), we should all be more aware of the risks associated with chronic sleep deprivation, such as developing high blood pressure, gaining weight, or experiencing a stroke. Turn off the technology for better rest and better health!

Lost sleep costs the average American worker 11.3 days, or $2,280, in lost productivity each year, and the total cost to the nation is $63.2 billion annually, a new study appearing in the journal Sleep says.

Researchers analyzed information about sleep habits and work performance from 7,428 workers who took part in the American Insomnia Study survey conducted by the Harvard Medical School.

Overall, about 23.2 percent of the participants had insomnia, characterized by a hard time falling or staying asleep. Insomnia rates were lower for workers age 65 and older (14.3 percent) and lower for working men (19.7 percent) than for working women (27.1 percent). Findings also showed that insomnia rates were 19.9 percent for those with less than a high school education and 21.5 percent for college graduates.

"Most people with insomnia still go to work when they’re tired,” says Robin Trupp, RN, PhD. “However, working while tired can lead to lost productivity, poor decision-making and other factors that hurt people and the organizations where they work.”

The cost of insomnia treatment ranges from about $200 a year for generic sleeping pills to as much as $1,200 for behavioral therapy, according to study co-author James K. Walsh, executive director and senior scientist at the Sleep Medicine and Research Center, St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, Mo.

New findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show that, over a five-year period, elderly women with sleep apnea are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia when compared to women without sleep apnea.

The main reason is because sleep apnea causes gaps in breathing, leading to lower oxygen levels in the blood, which can damage the brain and other organs. However, this does not mean that sleep apnea causes dementia, but dementia often develops due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. Many people with various forms of dementia also have sleep apnea. 

Earlier studies suggested oxygen therapy for patients with both Alzheimer's and sleep apnea might slow the mental decline, but this new research shows it might delay the onset or possibly prevent it all together.

It’s been discussed for years: who gets better sleep, men or women? A new study presented at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s annual meeting is moving us closer to learning the answer.

Findings from the study of sleep patterns in 16 men and 18 women showed that the women tended to fall asleep faster, have more deep sleep, and wake up during the night less frequently as compared to the men. Even the amount of time needed for the internal sleep/wake “clock” to reset itself is different between genders.  A woman’s body clock resets itself six minutes sooner than men, and while that may not sound like much of a difference, this can have a cumulative effect over time.

Since sleep is such a vital part of a healthy life, medical researchers are wondering if these differences in sleep patterns are one of the main reasons why women live longer than men.

Researchers say it still isn't clear why in numerous studies women tend to complain more about their sleep, saying they don't get enough sleep and find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. With this in mind, more studies are needed to better understand the complete picture.

Recent medical research has shown for the first time that sleep apnea is characterized by the breakdown of the inner walls of blood vessels (known as endothelial dysfunction) resulting in altered blood flow to the heart.

This study compared groups of healthy people, otherwise healthy people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and people with hypertension (or high blood pressure). Results showed that both the healthy people with OSA and those with hypertension had similar blood flow issues to their hearts, and all experienced significant improvement in endothelial dysfunction after 26 weeks of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

“While this study shows what happens to the blood vessels with sleep apnea,” says Robin Trupp, RN, PhD, “the good news is that wearing CPAP directly treats the cause,  allowing people with sleep apnea to get better sleep AND to improve their blood flow and blood pressure.”

Do you know that alcohol works against your getting a good night’s sleep? For many years, physicians would prescribe a “night cap” to patients having difficulty falling asleep, and many people today will have a glass of wine or beer shortly before bedtime.

While alcohol is a fast-acting sedative, it doesn’t help people get a restful sleep. Studies have also shown that alcohol has a stronger effect on women than men with the same blood-alcohol levels. Effects of alcohol on sleep include:

• Altering the quality of your sleep. Even if you sleep a full night after drinking, you may not feel rested in the morning. Alcohol lightens sleep.

• Disrupting the total time you are asleep. You may wake up frequently throughout the night and have problems falling back asleep as the alcohol works through your system.

• Increasing the prevalence of pre-existing sleep disorders. Millions of Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, which can intensify after alcohol consumption. Sleep apnea is a breathing related sleep disorder, characterized by heavy snoring and abnormal pauses in breathing. Moderate to large amounts of alcohol consumed in the evening can lead to a substantial narrowing of the airway, increasing the frequency and duration of breath holding episodes.

If you are having trouble falling asleep, here are some helpful tips that don’t involve alcohol.

• Develop a consistent sleep routine. Your sleep routine should be as consistent as your personal hygiene routine. Try to maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle by going to bed around the same time every night and waking up around the same time every morning (yes, even on weekends).

• Get moving! Exercise is a good way to reduce stress. Exercising in the late afternoon or early evening raises your core body temperature above normal. Your temperature will start falling by bedtime and this natural decrease in body heat helps initiate the sleep process.

• Let the light shine in the morning. While you probably know that light tells the brain it is time to wake up, it also helps set your internal sleep/wake clock. Try eating breakfast outside -- sunlight exposure for just 30 minutes in the morning should help you stay alert throughout the day.

• Kick your caffeine habit. It's no secret that caffeine is a stimulant. Avoid coffee, soda and tea after 2 p.m. If you need a natural boost, sip on a glass of ice water.

Source: Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Huffington Post