Tonsils and apnea may be problem in children, not attention deficit disorder

August 28, 2008

It’s often labeled attention deficit disorder, but experts say what may be the real problem behind thousands of children’s behavior problems could actually be sleep apnea.

According to ear, nose and throat physicians, enlarged tonsils can cause obstructive sleep apnea in children causing them to stop breathing repeatedly during the night resulting in sleep deprivation.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Study provides clues into why some children develop into adult snorers

August 27, 2008

A Swedish study reveals that children who grow up in a large family or who are exposed to animals often have respiratory or ear infections in early life are more likely to develop into snorers in later life.

Snoring is not just a potential annoyance. In some cases, it can be a sign of a potentially fatal respiratory condition known as obstructive sleep apnea which causes a narrowing or collapse of the throat during sleep, and as a result, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, lead to memory loss, depression, diabetes, among other health issues.

[ Read the full article ... ]

94% of doctors in survey say they know of links between apnea and diabetes

August 27, 2008

A press release issued by the American Association of Diabetes Educators says that 94 percent of doctors in a survey the organization conducted were aware of the links between the development of type 2 diabetes in people who have obstructive sleep apnea.

Despite knowing about the link, only about 47 percent of the physicians involved in the survey actually conduct routine screenings.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Study shows that surgical weight loss does not eliminate obstructive sleep apnea

August 26, 2008

A study published in the August 15, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that surgical weight loss results in an improvement of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but most patients continue to have moderate to severe OSA one year after undergoing bariatric surgery. Results of this study suggest that it is the severity of the condition, rather than a patient’s pre-surgical weight, that determines if obstructive sleep apnea will be resolved.

Results show that bariatric surgery reduced body mass index (BMI) from an average of 51 to 32 in 24 adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Bedtime habits, not sleeping pills, are long-term insomnia solution

August 24, 2008

Sleeping pills, according to a new study, is a short-term solution to sleep issues, such as insomnia, but that’s nothing new. Sleep specialists have been saying that for years. The long-term solution for some sleep issues, such as insomnia, are more about your knowledge of bedtime habits that could help relieve insomnia.

Many people sleep better when they are on holiday and wish that they could sleep as well all the time. But according to the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), it is not only being free of daily worries that can make a difference to sleep.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Sleepless nights increase dopamine in the human brain

August 23, 2008

Just one night without sleep can increase the amount of the chemical dopamine in the human brain, according to new imaging research in the August 20 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Because drugs that increase dopamine, like amphetamines, promote wakefulness, the findings offer a potential mechanism explaining how the brain helps people stay awake despite the urge to sleep.

However, the study also shows that the increase in dopamine cannot compensate for the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Regular sleepiness may be sleep apnea

August 23, 2008

Repetitive blockages of the airway, called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), can reduce airflow or cause breathing to stop. When this happens, frequent brief awakenings can leave a person feeling excessively sleepy during the day, even though they believe they have had a full night’s sleep. More serious consequences, including obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes — are often related to OSA.

Primary care physicians must be able to recognize symptoms of OSA and counsel their patients to provide optimal treatment.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Poor sleep in teens linked to higher blood pressure

August 22, 2008

Teenagers are notorious for having bad sleep habits. New research suggests that having trouble staying awake the next day might not be the only consequence they face.

This study, the first study to look at the relationship between not getting enough sleep and blood pressure in healthy adolescents, researchers found that healthy teens (ages 13 to 16 years old) who slept less than 6½ hours a night were 2½ times more likely to have elevated blood pressure compared to those who slept longer.

[ Read the full article ... ]

Healthy sleep is key to true back-to-school success

August 21, 2008

As the new school year approaches, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and Awake In America encourage parents and kids to put healthy sleep on the list of back-to-school necessities. NSF and Awake In America recommend gradually adjusting sleep schedules in order to be alert and energized as well as to assure optimal learning, participation and health.

“Kids tend to sleep and wake up later during the summer, making the transition to the school-year sleep schedule difficult,” explains Awake In America’s President, Michele Narcavage. “As tempting as it is to enjoy sleeping late in the final days of summer break, getting up earlier for school will be much easier if kids begin adjusting their sleep schedules now.”

[ Read the full article ... ]

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →

  • Blogroll

  • Add Us on Other Social Networks



    Awake In America, Inc. on LinkedIn

    Follow us on Twitter



  • What’s Being Read Now?


    • Copyright by Awake in America, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2004–2012