The term “sleep apnea” has become familiar to Americans, and for a good reason: it’s estimated by the National Sleep Foundation that 18 million people suffer from this sleep-related breathing disorder, many of them undiagnosed and, consequently, untreated. OSA is more common in men and in post-menopausal women, but children can also suffer. Despite popular…
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Are hours of sleep something you can set aside in your own personal circadian bank to spend later? Can you really pay back lost sleep? If so, how? What is sleep debt? According to current recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs anywhere from 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night…
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If you regularly practice these habits, you are “practicing good sleep hygiene.” Despite what the term implies, sleep hygiene is not just about showering before bedtime or changing out your sheets more frequently. It means that you are making decisions or taking actions throughout the day and into the night which positively improves your chances…
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The sleep medicine team Aside from the typical staff that any healthcare setting offers, the sleep medicine team includes several professionals with specific training to help patients challenged by sleep disorders to receive the best long-term care possible. Teams include sleep medicine physicians, sleep medicine technologists, sleep medicine educators, and sleep medicine dentists. Sleep medicine…
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There are dozens of sleep disorders that require some form of testing in order to identify and treat them. Here are the most common sleep studies being performed in sleep centers. The best sleep study for you is likely going to be one (or more) of these. The home sleep apnea test (HSAT) Also referred…
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However, there is another category of apnea that, while it’s not as prevalent as OSA, is still dangerous if left undiagnosed and untreated. What is Central Sleep Apnea (CA)? While it is mechanical dysfunction in the upper airway that defines OSA, for CA, the dysfunction is not due to any obvious obstruction. Instead, the part…
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Causes of Bedwetting Bedwetting in adults differs from bedwetting in children in a couple of important ways. First, childhood bedwetting is fairly common, whereas in adults, bedwetting is uncommon: at most, two percent of all adults experience it, according to data from the National Association for Continence. Second, childhood bedwetting is considered an indicator of…
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However, its not the only variety of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy available. BiPAP ( bilevel or biphasic positive airway pressure ) is a more tailored treatment for sleep apnea that is also available for patients who qualify. Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Basics In order to understand how BiPAP is different from CPAP, its worth…
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Sometimes patients who need sleep clinic services are unable to make an appointment with us and request that we make recommendations. While we hope you would make Sound Sleep Health your first choice for sleep health, we also recommend the following specialists in Seattle. The Best Sleep Centers in Seattle Here are some of our…
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If this is not news to you, it’s probably because you join the millions of Americans suffering from sleep loss, which leads to problems with daytime sleepiness while at work, behind the wheel of a car, or going about the many activities of your day. While insomnia may account for a good number of complaints…
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You may have noticed that were big fans of healthy weight management at Sound Sleep Health, and thats no coincidence: we know first-hand how untreated sleep apnea can lead to weight gain and how being overweight can contribute to sleep apnea. Research shows that up to 80 percent of sleep apnea sufferers are obese. But…
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Once you receive and begin to use your CPAP equipment, you will need to take good care to maintain it. You will also need to check it on a regular basis to make sure its not broken, leaking, or worn out. Most elements of your CPAP setup are fairly durable, but they will wear out…
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Chronic pain is the enemy of sleep. It leads to sleep complaints for an estimated 28 million Americans. At the same time, millions also suffer from another chronic problem: sleep apnea. Doubtless, because of the sheer numbers of people experiencing these problems, there will be crossover between these two patient populations. Add to the equation…
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But did you know that working night shifts, third shift (graveyard shift), early morning shifts, or rotating shifts can also affect your hormone and hunger levels, causing you to gain weight? Why Is Shift Work So Hard on the Body? Before discussing the hormones and weight gain, its important to understand how shift work affects…
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be difficult to treat. Finding the perfect air pressure setting for some patients can be a real challenge.For this reason, many physicians prescribe an Auto-CPAP (or APAP) machine instead of a CPAP delivery system, because they put their trust in the smart technology that comes with auto-titrating devices. While CPAP…
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That’s probably not the way your bed partner snores. If only the charming, harmless snoring depicted in cartoons could replace the ugly, dangerous reality of sleep-disordered breathing. We hear the laments about snoring bed partners at the sleep center all the time and thoroughly appreciate the frustration that comes of living with a loved one…
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Why time changes make us tired Whats one lost hour? It doesn’t seem like much. In fact, for average Americans, the amount of sleep loss that correlates with the springtime change is about 40 minutes, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). You can expect to feel a little slow and sleepy until midweek following…
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It seems counterintuitive to push sleep as part of a successful weight-loss program, but the fact is that sleep is crucial to managing appetite as well as metabolism. What happens during sleep To understand how sleep and weight loss (and gain) go hand in hand, let’s review what happens during sleep which can make an…
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Recently we also introduced central sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS), a different kind of sleep apnea which occurs when the brain fails to signal to the respiratory system that it needs to continue breathing during sleep. CSAS is not a problem of mechanics, like OSA. Instead, it is a neurological problem. It can lead to recognizable…
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Americans spend millions of dollars on anti-aging efforts these days. This seems to have changed what we think of as “beauty sleep.” Today, the phrase has come to suggest the nightly ritual of applying facial products at bedtime, and not the act of sleeping itself. But what about swapping that extra time at night, spent…
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Restless leg syndrome (RLS) affects up to 10 percent of all Americans; according to the National Institutes of Health, as many as five million individuals suffer moderate to severe cases. Also referred to as restless legs syndrome or Willis-Ekbom Disease, it strikes regardless of gender and can start at any age. What is Restless Leg…
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Prior to Flygare’s emergence as an advocate for narcolepsy research and awareness, Americans had no real spokesperson to put a humanizing face on this perplexing neurological disorder, except perhaps the classic cartoon character, Mr. Magoo, well known for falling asleep at odd times during the day. Flygare has since shown that narcolepsy is not the…
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However, a third practice getting enough sleep cannot be ignored if these other goals are to be met with success. Even with healthy eating and exercise, we still cannot thrive without adequate sleep. In 2015, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) made revisions to its guidelines listing recommended hours of sleep by age. Where do you…
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You recently learned about the sleep disorder, narcolepsy, here at Sound Sleep Health ( Narcolepsy: Signs, Symptoms, and Diagnosis ). Critical to arriving at a diagnosis is the use of a specific kind of daytime sleep test known as the MSLT, or the multiple sleep latency test, to confirm a suspicion of narcolepsy, as well…
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What is cataplexy? Cataplexy occurs in narcoleptics when the body experiences a sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone for a brief periodless than 2 minutes which is usually triggered by an emotional episode such as laughter, outrage, or sudden panic. Its important to point out that, during a cataplectic episode, the person having the episode…
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This unique cycle in our sleep architecture has a form and function distinct among the other nonREM stages of sleep. We cycle through all the stages of sleep in a progression from the beginning (stage 1 nonREM) to the end (REM sleep) several times over the course of the night (see the chart below). Adults…
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All human beings follow a specific pattern of activity and rest that more or less corresponds with the 24-hour period of the day. This specific pattern is guided by our circadian rhythms. What are circadian rhythms? These are the natural rhythms by which our body processes are tuned. Both internal and external factors play a…
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What is parasomnia? This category of unusual sleep disorders generally occurs during arousals between sleep stages. Its behaviors are considered disruptive or undesirable, even dangerous, and may lead to physical harm to either the person suffering the disorder or their bed partner. Imagine someone suddenly jumping out of bed, shouting orders… or someone (a child…
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However, there are measurable differences between night terrors and nightmares. Nightmare vs night terror: What’s the difference? In our recent discussion at this blog regarding parasomnia, we introduced the idea that there are nonREM and REM parasomnias to help differentiate certain unusual behavior patterns that occur during sleep. Nightmares What is a nightmare, exactly? Most…
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To be sure, the fatigue is real: we’re working overtime, not sleeping enough, and hauling around a sizable amount of sleep debt as a result. But there’s a small fragment of the population who suffers from a sleep disorder that leaves them feeling tired the moment they wake up from 10 hours of good sleep.…
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Since eating and sleeping are two seemingly separate processes, it might seem like a leap to assume that one can influence the other. However, the human body is an interconnected system. What we eat can influence our sleep, in ways both positive and negative. The digestive system during sleep It might surprise you to learn…
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Whatever you want to call it, if you’ve ever had it and tried to sleep, you know what an uncomfortable exercise in frustration that can be. GERD affects millions of people worldwide and most of them encounter it at bedtime or as they sleep. Its no surprise that people who suffer from acid reflux have…
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Food allergies may be a silent culprit for some. They can lead to all kinds of symptoms that can wreck a perfectly good day. Take unidentified or untreated food allergies to bed with you, and you can be sure that both your days and nights will suffer. What is food-allergy insomnia? According to theInternational Classification…
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Our brains and bodies are built, in fact, to “avoid the void” at night as we sleep. What is Peristalsis? The way we digest our food is primarily based on a pattern of rhythms known as peristalsis. First we introduce food into the digestive system by way of the mouth. We chew and swallow it…
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What’s more, untreated insomnia leads to serious problems with sleep deprivation, a health concern considered our largest public health threat in the US by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Diagnosing insomnia accurately is fundamental to finding the best treatments for it so people can move forward with their lives. What is Insomnia? Simply put,…
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Some people will go to bed at a certain time of night, say 10 or 11 pm, and find it takes them a really long time to fall asleep. However, once they fall asleep at 1 or 2 in the morning they sleep completely through the night and get a full 8 hours. Yet, they…
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New technology and research on circadian rhythm dysfunction has opened up opportunities to apply therapy using blue spectrum light to help reset the body clock. What is blue spectrum light and why does it matter to sleep? In this blog, we’ve previously discussed circadian rhythms and how they rely on light cues to help us…
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You’re invited! June’s CPAP Support Group Discussion:“CPAP Tips and Tricks”Date:Tuesday, June 7thTime:6:00 pm to 7:00pmLocation:Sound Sleep Health (Kirkland)13531 Juanita-Woodinville Way NE Our new free quarterly meetings are casual and open to those who suffer from sleep apnea or know someone who does. This is a great opportunity for you to meet with others who share…
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Now we know better. Research shows our kids are more likely to become night owls during their teens, and that this is a normal part of growing up. What’s unfortunate is that some of our teens develop delayed sleep phase syndrome or DSPS, which exaggerates this late rhythm shift. Add other influences like cell phone…
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Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, bright light therapy, or blue light therapy, is a popular buzzword these days for people trying to improve their sleep health. What is it, exactly? And who can it help? What is phototherapy? Phototherapy is a proactive regimen of controlled, intentional light exposure using specific kinds of light across…
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Are you a creative person? And if so, do you tend to stay up later than most other people in your household? A link between staying up late”to burn the midnight oil,” as the clich goes and creativity has been found by researchers testing the behavioral patterns of people characterized by a certain kind of…
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DID YOU KNOW? Sleep apnea almost always includes snoring as a symptom HOWEVER…Ordinary snoring does not necessarily signal sleep apnea Sleep apnea-related snoring occurs mostly duringREM sleep HOWEVER…Ordinary snoring happens across every sleep stage Sleep apnea is considered asleep-related breathing disorder HOWEVER…Ordinary snoring is not considered a sleep disorder Sleep apneamaybe completely silent HOWEVER…Ordinary snoring…
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As we sleep, we process emotional information and experiences so that they, in turn, become memories. When we don’t get enough sleep, we shortchange ourselves this process, leading to the likelihood we will encounter emotional problems as a result. A connection between mood disorders and sleep deprivation should not be altogether surprising. Anyone who has…
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Chances are, this hot and dry weather, like the kind we had last summer, will hinder sleep. What is it about a hot summer that makes sleeping so challenging? When weather runs to extremes, we can expect to struggle to fall asleep as a result of our core body temperature factoring into the sleeping process.…
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Recently in Bellingham, a jury found a local man not guilty of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault for falling asleep at the wheel and crashing into a group of high school boys. Two were killed in the incident. The man admitted to falling asleep, and those around him witnessed his sleepiness prior to the accident,…
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Hypertension(otherwise known as high blood pressure), affects at least a third of all adults, according to the most recent data published by the Centers for Disease Control. Most people don’t inherently feel like they have high blood pressure, which is one reason why it’s considered a silent killer. You can only really know if you…
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Perhaps the release of the film, Inception , launched what is now an ongoing fascination with consciousness, dreaming, and memory. Today’s tools of neuroscience are making it easier than ever to examine this behavior, which happens during what is now considered a “hybrid- REM state.” But what is it, and how does one go about…
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked in multiple studies to brain damage in those who have the sleep disorder but are not treating it. Its estimated that at least 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, and that anywhere from 40 to 80 percent of them are not even aware they have it. OSA is…
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APAP Stands for “automatic positive airway pressure” Delivers 1 single stream of pressurized air; however it delivers this stream inside a preset range of pressures as predetermined by the physician Also referred to as Auto-CPAP APAP is commonly prescribed APAP is used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) BiPAP Stands for “bilevel positive airway pressure”…
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Once you start your CPAP therapy to treat your sleep apnea, you may wonder how hard it is to keep your system clean, and how frequently you need to keep it clean. Here are some handy tips for making sure your CPAP machine and accessories are clean and well maintained. Keeping your CPAP delivery system…
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Your success with using CPAP relies on how well your new CPAP mask fits.Before you choose your first one, here’s an overview of the types available and the pros and cons foreach type. They include nasal pillows, nasal mask, and or a nasal(or full-face) mask. Nasal pillows This is the smallest form of CPAP mask.…
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In order to treat it, the simplest, and most effective,solution is to use a mechanical therapy that falls under the category of positive airway pressure (PAP). CPAP, APAP, BiPAP, and ASV are all versions of this kind of therapy. How these different PAP treatments work relates to how sleep apnea occurs in the first place.Let’s…
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…daytime fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, drowsiness, hypersomnolence, nodding off during the day, feeling tired all the time, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia… Hypersomnolence refers to ongoing feelings of sleepiness during the day even though you are otherwise perfectly healthy and have had adequate sleep at night. (Note: If you have trouble staying awake during the day but…
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One of them is used to measure how easy it is for some to stay awake, as opposed to fall sleep. What is a Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)? This particular daytime sleep study actually measures sleepiness in patients who must try to stay awake for a length of time while sitting in a quiet,…
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Regardless of your insurance status, you are encouraged to ask questions about medical pricing related to the sleep testing procedures we perform. We believe our patients deserve transparency about the costs associated with sleep testing at our facilities. Our sleep medicine teams provide excellent service at an affordable rate and we are proud to be…
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However, there are several other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea you need to be aware of.These are often overlooked indicators that, by themselves, don’t seem like they can be connected to asleep disorder. Put them together, though, and you have several warning signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) you will not want…
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But insurance can be complicated, especially when it’s applied to specific kinds of medical procedures and tests. When it comes to sleep health diagnostics, the question begs: Does health insurance cover sleep studies? Yes, usually.The less-than-satisfactory answer is, “It depends.” But by and large, all insurance payers offer some sort of reimbursement for sleep studies…
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Insurance plans will cover a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or other PAP device if it is medically necessary. Whether or not a PAP device is medically necessary is determined by a patient’s clinical symptoms, physical exam, and sleep testing results. The guidelines for medical necessity vary by insurance but typically follow the same rules.…
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As with our sleep testing services, we believe our patients deserve transparency about the costs associated with our durable medical equipment provision. As always, remember that the cost of CPAP machines and CPAP supplies depends a great deal on your individual insurance coverage for CPAP.We encourage you to contact your insurance payer to determine just…
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If you’ve just received the results of your sleep study and discovered you need CPAP (or some other version of PAP therapy ) to treat your sleep apnea, you may be surprised to find there are several ways to go about sourcing and purchasing your equipment and supplies. Shopping for CPAP To help you decide…
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Hypersomnolence , or feeling tired all the time despite having adequate sleep at night, can be problematic for anyone who needs to stay awake and alert during the day. While sometimes the causes of hypersomnolence are clear going to bed too late and waking up too early, having a sleep disorder, practicing poor sleep hygiene,…
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Here is a series on abbreviations you are likely to encounter during your visits to a sleep specialist or sleep center. This first section highlights terms that start with the letters A through D. Sleep Medicine Acronyms (A-D) A AHI Apnea Hypopnea Index. A metric used to measure the severity of sleep apnea. It is…
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If you can’t sleep tonight, or didn’t sleep last night, chances are, one of the reasons listed below explains why: 14 reasons why you can’t sleep at night You have racing thoughts You slept in late or took a nap Your bed partner is a snoring machine (this includes both human and pet partners) You’re…
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It can be frustrating trying to understand medical jargon of any kind. Sleep medicine acronyms are no exception. Here is a series on abbreviations you are likely to encounter during your visits to a sleep specialist or sleep center. This second section highlights terms that start with the letters E through M. Sleep Medicine Acronyms…
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Here is a series on abbreviations you are likely to encounter during your visits to a sleep specialist or sleep center. This third section highlights terms that start with the letters N through R. See also: Sleep Medicine Acronyms (From APAP to Zzzz): Part 1, A-D Sleep Medicine Acronyms (From APAP to Zzzz): Part 2,…
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Here is a series on abbreviations you are likely to encounter during your visits to a sleep specialist or sleep center. This fourth section highlights terms that start with the letters S through Z. See also: Sleep Medicine Acronyms (From APAP to Zzzz): Part 1, A-D Sleep Medicine Acronyms (From APAP to Zzzz): Part 2,…
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Good news! The days of large shield-shaped masks reminiscent of old-school deep-sea diving are gone. Today, the CPAP masks are smaller, lighter, and less complicated to adjust and wear, and definitely more comfortable. Here’s a breakdown of the 3main types of CPAP masks: (Keep in mind… there are dozens of styles, sizes, and brands to…
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Maybe you had a string of nights when you couldn’t fall asleep. Or: A friend may have recommended that you have a sleep study. A loved one may have complained about your snoring or joked about your antics while asleep. Or you awakened recently not feeling well rested and wondered why. Do you need a…
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Whether it’s for vacation, work, or other reasons, there are many who think they can just leave their CPAP machine at home for a few days because they mistakenly believe they can go without using positive airway pressure during their time away. The idea of packing and bringing their equipment with them. However, sleep apnea…
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We’re in a different bed, with or without our usual bed partners. The lighting is different, the sound levels are different. The bedding looks, feels, and smells different. We could be exhausted from a day of traveling or attending a convention or visiting dozens of relatives at a family reunion, and yet, we know we…
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If you are diagnosed with a pretty straightforward case of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you may be prescribed positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for treatment. Those who qualify for CPAP therapy may often qualify for APAP. What is the difference between the two treatments? CPAP: As its name suggests, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delivers…
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Gandis Mazeika, MD presents: Dental Sleep Medicine Luncheon: “Screening Dental Patients for Sleep Apnea & Snoring” Date: Wednesday, July 27th Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm Location: Sound Sleep Health 509 Olive Way, Suite 1435 MDB Conference Room, 3rd Floor Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 425.296.6738 Please join us as Dr. Gandis Mazeika, a local sleep specialist, shares…
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While CPAP continues to advance as a therapy for treating sleep breathing disorders, dental alternatives (snoring mouth guards and oral appliance therapy, or OAT) have recently been approved as first-line approaches to treating these same sleep disorders. What is dental sleep medicine? The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) defines it dental sleep medicine…
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Here’s what happened and what you need to know about Ambien (a prescription sleeping medication) and its relationship to sleep behaviors known as parasomnias: Waking dream turns into a nightmare What started out as a call for help during the very early morning hours of May 12 did not, in fact, involve a downed small…
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Pay us a visit at the Mill Creek Festival &Street Fair! Come talk with our sleep specialists directly! We have helped thousands throughout the Pacific Northwest to improve their sleep.Poor quality sleep, regardless of the cause, can impact stamina, focus and mood, and may eventually take a toll on overall health. Let us help to…
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The constant yawning, need for naps during the day, and struggle to get out of bed in the morning even after a full night of sleep are clear signs of sleep deprivation. But they aren’t the only ones. Here are ten other signs of underlying sleep deprivation that you might not be aware of: You…
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This is the second time Dr. Mazeika was recognized by this regional publication; it also awarded him the honor in 2010. It’s important to note that no public relations firm is engaged in this honorary process. The Seattle Met accolade is the result of physician peers in the greater Seattle area who vote for regional…
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When left untreated, OSA has been shown to be associated with the development of high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mood disorders, and much more. Recent studies show that OSA affects 18million Americans, with estimates showing that more than 80 percent of moderate to severe cases remain undiagnosed. New initiatives to enable dentists…
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Sometimes we just do things that unwittingly sabotage our sleep. Here are some of the worst personal habits that can mess with the quality and quantity of our sleep: 5examples of poor sleep hygiene Screen time at bedtime. Taking our smartphones to bed with us is becoming one of the key causes of disrupted sleep.…
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While CPAP is an excellent treatment for OSA, not everyone can tolerate it or may not be physically capable of using it. There are new oral appliances that can be used to treat sleep apnea.Sometimes they can also be used in conjunction with CPAP to treat severe cases of OSA(commonly known as combination therapy ).…
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Compared to other areas of the country, our region is quickly evolving a collaborative community of sleep specialists and dentists trained in sleep medicine. We’re working together to bring the most up-to-date care and treatment to people who need oral appliance therapy (OAT) to treat their obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS),…
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It may surprise some people that sleep is not a singular process. Rather, it is characterized by a series of patterns of brain activity that are distinctively different from what we encounter during the day while awake. Sleep is not really as simple as shutting down the brain and body. In fact, many important brain…
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Have you ever wondered if, during your sleep study, you might sleep differently than normal? Maybe you can’t sleep at all, or your sleep seems shallow and not adequate enough for the test to be an accurate portrait of your sleep health? If so, wouldn’t these factors and variables contaminate or invalidate the results of…
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Many people recognize that insomnia and sleep apnea are common sleep disorders. However, there’s a class of sleep disorders that is fairly common, and yet many people don’t know about it. Movement disorders of sleep affect people of all ages, but nearly a third of all people over the age of 60most of them women…
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Though your movements aren’t dangerous to your or your spouse, they do insist that your kicking and fidgeting seem to happen in clusters all night long. You’ve already been diagnosed with restless leg syndrome (RLS). Is it safe to assume that your leg movements are related to your restless leg problems? No. You might have…
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There is no cure for the movement disorder of sleep known as Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. However, the 4 percent of Americans who suffer from this curious neurological condition can manage its symptoms through lifestyle changes and medications. Not only can they recoup some of their lost energy and enjoy more alertness during the day,…
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) certainly can be said to run in families. Although there is no such thing as a “sleep apnea gene,” there are three ways you can look at family traits as evidence you are likely to develop it: Genetic predisposition Family resemblance Lifestyle and environment Genetics Inherited characteristics from relatives with sleep…
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be caused by the bodily conditions that obesity can bring (although being overweight is not the only cause). Meanwhile, perfectly thin people can also suffer from sleep apnea as well. It might be because they have a neurological condition that leads to central sleep apnea. Or, they might have problems…
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Yes, that’s right… untreated obstructive sleep apnea can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Wait… OSA can cause diabetes? No. But if you look at the way sleep apnea affects the body, you can see how leaving it untreated can create conditions for type 2 diabetes to take root. The brain and the…
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What we don’t always think about is how having sleep apnea may impair us during the day, when we’re awake . A common side effect of sleep apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which may be the most commonly understood adverse effect of having this sleep-breathing disorder. However, poor breathing during sleep can also lead…
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All of them matter, to be sure. However, there are two which are of particular interest for those who have sleep breathing disorders. AHI and RDI both measure the quality of your breathing during sleep, but they technically count on different aspects of breathing in order to arrive at their numbers. So what is the…
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Neither are common, but a lot of discussion has centered on both central sleep apnea and ASV in the last year because of safety concerns. Check out our primer on these specialty sleep health topics. First things first: A review Because central sleep apnea is less common, it’s always a good idea to review what…
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The acronym, COPD, refers to 2 common breathing disorders: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both conditions make it difficult to breathe during the day while you are awake. At bedtime, COPD can create nearly impossible conditions for getting adequate sleep. It can also worsen other preexisting (or undetected) sleep disorders. A closer look at COPD Chronic…
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“Why not just use oxygen at night?” After all, one major problem with untreated sleep apnea is the precipitous drop in oxygen levels in the blood, known as hypoxia . However, when it comes to obstructive breathing patterns, O2 therapy is not the go-to treatment (for a reason). But that doesn’t preclude its use in…
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The reasons we might experience insomnia or sleep fragmentation are varied. Emotional stress, pain, sleep disorders, medical conditions, and poor sleep hygiene are the most talked about root causes for sleeplessness. But what about your prescriptions? Might they be contributing to poor sleep? Yes. As a matter of fact, there are several common classes of…
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Smokers often believe that having a bedtime cigarette helps them to sleep better. Nicotine does seem to relax the body in certain ways to make this theory believable. However, smoking does more harm than good when it comes to sleep health. If you consider how smoking also leads to chronic breathing concerns and myriad diseases…
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Since Washington state legalized marijuana in November 2012, a key question in the field of sleep health has been raised repeatedly: Can marijuana help us sleep better? People with insomnia say that it does.However, the research is limited, though we do know a few things about marijuana and its impact on sleep. How does marijuana…
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Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a form of obstructive breathing during sleep which only yields a partial blockage of the airway and does not result in low oxygen levels in the bloodstream. What is upper airway resistance? It can include snoring, but the syndrome that defines UARS doesn’t necessarily lead to snoring.With upper airway…
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The most common approaches for treating all sleep health problems include: Prescriptive devices Surgical Pharmaceutical Behavioral All of these, of course, require you to undergo diagnostic observation by a sleep specialist in order to receive your differential diagnosis and to start treatment. For sleep-breathing disorders obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in particular some of the treatment…
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There are people who have been diagnosed with some form of sleep apnea who have not taken the critical step of starting therapy for it. They may mistakenly believe they can “live” with their sleep apnea, or they may be intimidated by treatment options (or not know about their options at all). Unfortunately, if they…
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Seattle teens are making history when they start school this September. The Seattle Public Schools board of directors decided last November to delay bell times for teen students in response to local concerns from medical professionals, parents, educators, and students regarding the rising epidemic of sleep deprivation nationwide. This fall, all of the district’s high…
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The Seattle Met honor is important because it’s determined by physician peers in the greater Seattle area voting for those they consider the hardest working and most reputable among them. Dr. Mazeika and his sleep medicine team specialize in diagnosing and treating the full range of sleep disorders, from sleep apnea to insomnia to circadian…
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Parents all across the metro area may not be entirely clear on the benefits of the public school district’s change to later start times for high schoolers (and for many middle schoolers as well) in Seattle public schools. Here’s a list of evidence-backed reasons why your adolescent kids might no longer be “sleepless in Seattle”……
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You may struggle with sleeping problems even though you practice good sleep hygiene. Did you know that many chronic illnesses or medical conditions can also cause insomnia? What is insomnia? It’s defined as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and awakening too early. ( You can read more about insomnia here. ) It’s usually not…
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Not getting enough sleep can make anybody miserable, even if it’s only one night, now and again. For some, though, insomnia is a frequent and ongoing reality. The challenge for them is in finding solutions that work. After all, treating insomnia doesn’t only improve sleep health, it prevents a host of other mental and physical…
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Recent research suggests that those with stubborn insomnia who have not responded to a variety of drugs and therapies may not have insomnia at all. Another stealthy sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), may actually be to blame. What the latest research tells us Albuquerque sleep researcher Dr. Barry Krakow has long suspected a connection…
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What is the treatment you first think of for managing insomnia ? Most people automatically think of hypnotic sleep aids like Ambien as the go-to treatment for sleeplessness. However, anon-drug therapy for insomnia called CBT-i is poised to be the most effective and common way to treat insomnia. What is CBT-i? CBT-i stands for Cognitive…
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However, according to research gathered by the American Massage Therapy Association and endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, massage therapy can be a terrific solution for addressing insomnia. It makes sense; massage has been shown to reduce problems with fatigue and improve sleep quality for people in all age brackets. It can also bring…
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Often, insomnia is the outcome of our inability to relax at night. It can be hard to wind down after a long, stressful day. However, the consequences of untreated insomnia are too serious to ignore. The good news is that relaxation techniques for sleep and breathing exercises abound for those who wish to learn how…
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According to statistics from the 2015 Sleep in America Poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation: Nearly a quarter of those who suffer with chronic pain report higher stress levels Nearly half of those who suffer with chronic pain experience problems at work due to pain-related sleep loss People who suffer with chronic pain lose…
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And in many ways, that’s not an unrealistic conclusion, given what we know about sleep breathing disorders and how they systemically influence all the different biological processes we undergo as human beings. But is it true that untreated sleep apnea can compromise the body so much that it creates the proper conditions for supporting the…
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“Melatonin use among adults in the United States more than doubled between 2007 and2012,” with over 3 million people currently taking the supplement. This substance has recently gained attention as the subject of new research for applications that include more than just sleep health. But what is it, exactly? What is melatonin? Melatonin is a…
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When fall arrives in the Pacific Northwest, it comes wrapped in a dark, gray, wet blanket. Take one quick look outside. Yes, unfortunately, the dark season is here. We’ve all got names for the general drop in energy and enthusiasm we experience to some degree when the seasons change: “winter depression,” “winter blues,” “seasonal depression,”…
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After insomnia, sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder in the US, affecting nearly 20 million Americans. As much as10 percent of the entire US adult population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common form of sleep apnea. Anywhere between 40 and 80 percent of people with OSA may not even know…
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Whether you’ve been newly diagnosed with sleep apnea, or you are in the market for a new CPAP mask, you still need to find a mask that fits you correctly and feels good. This means you need one that prevents air from leaking and one that you can put on night after night and feel…
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Critical to using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the way your mask fits. A leaking CPAP mask compromises the quality of your treatment; optimal therapy depends on a secure seal between the mask and the face. Leaks out of the tops, the sides, or the bottoms of masks…
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Getting to know your CPAP therapy can be awkward and uncomfortable, just like it can be when you are getting to know a perfect stranger. However, the benefits to a positive relationship with your sleep apnea treatment far outweigh the risks of untreated sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic sleep disorder that…
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Some of the more important parts of sleep apnea machines are not typically noticed during their use. The filters (there are two) ensure that the air used in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is safe and healthy to breathe. If you’ve ever changed a filter anywhere else from an air conditioning unit, a whole…
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Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is considered the gold standard for treating sleep apnea (especially obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA). However, while some people take to this therapy just fine, it may be more problematic for others. Here’s a guide to 6 key complaints from CPAP users and some basic solutions, divided into a…
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Here’s a guide to 3 other key complaints from CPAP users and some basic solutions. Solutions to 6 common problems with CPAP (4-6) #4:The skin on your face is irritated Skin irritation on the face where the mask is positioned can be caused by the following: Poor CPAP mask fit: If your mask doesn’t literally…
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In-house durable medical equipment (DME) providers work in tandem and on site with sleep specialists at sleep centers. (Sound Sleep Health is a sleep center that provides built-in DME provision and support for all CPAP patients.) Independent DME companies do the same work, but off site. Online DME generally provide equipment and supplies for less,…
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Insurance deductibles are often met by this time of year for many.Might this be your case? If so, we offer this insider tip: Now is the time to take advantage of your post-deductible insurance coverage for CPAP equipment and supplies. Understanding deductibles Every year, starting January 1, your insurance policy(including your CPAP machine insurance coverage)…
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Not sure when you should be replacing or replenishing your CPAP equipment? Clip and save this handy schedule and keep with your CPAP supply stash for regular reminders. Remember, the cleaner and better maintained your equipment, the longer it will last you, but many parts (like filters and CPAP masks ) require replacement as they…
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However, in the event you have specific struggles with using CPAP, or have specific needs above and beyond the typical user, you do have options. Disclaimer: There are many dozens of products that can help CPAP users have a better therapy experience. We cannot review or feature them all here.The best products for our patients…
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This term is used primarily by insurers, but it can be mistaken as judgment against sleep apnea patients who have given treatment a valiant effort but aren’t seeing a positive result. What is CPAP failure, and why do they call it that? The term CPAP failure makes it sound as if the user has failed…
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When you are scheduled for a nocturnal polysomnogram, otherwise known as an attended sleep study, you may have lots of questions and concernsabout this kind of test. Keep in mind that the sleep medicine technologists at most sleep centers are prepared for all of these inquiries; they are also trained to provide you with a…
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The wind picks up, the trees blow down or lose branches, and there goes the electricity! Most people don’t think too much about how an overnight power outage could affect them. However, CPAP users rely on a steady stream of electricity overnight in order to use their equipment. For people with moderate to severe obstructive…
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Sleep apnea has long been considered a medical concern for older people, but the reality is quite different. Children, from infancy to adolescence, can also suffer from sleep apnea. According to American Family Physician , “Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing is common in children. From 3 percent to 12 percent of children snore, while obstructive sleep apnea…
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Children, as we recently discussed, are just as likely to suffer from sleep apnea as adults. Their experiences and symptoms often resemble those of adults, but for some children, sleep-disordered breathing is directly related to their development. Fortunately, sleep apnea is treatable in children. While their treatment options vary somewhat from those indicated for adults,…
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For some people, the frustration of using CPAP has nothing to do with the actual application of the therapy. They may truly love using their mask and enjoy its benefits. However, they may have a different problem: unreliable access to electricity to run their machines. For some, it’s due to a busy travel schedule that…
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Vaping: what’s in the e-cigarette cartridge, exactly? A typical e-cigarette cartridge, or vape cartridge, is an electronic nicotine delivery system.When you inhale an e-cigarette or vape product, you’re breathing in a heated chemical aerosol or vapor that nearly always contains nicotine, the highly addictive substance found in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Many smokers or…
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If you are a nocturnal or sleep bruxer, your upper and lower teeth come clench together forcefully during the night with a pressure of up to 700 pounds per square inch. (Normal daytime pressure, if you were to clench your teeth right now while reading this article, would be 200 pounds per square inch.) There…
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CPAP users fall into this category.Without a steady source of power or a ready backup option (like a battery pack), your CPAP machinewill stop running when the power goes out.You’ll begetting bywithout treatment for your apnea until the gridcomes backonline. Similarly, if you’re traveling and you don’t have a reliable source of compatible electric current…
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Seattleites love their coffee. According to a coffee culture article in The Daily Beast,we number35 coffee shops for every 100,00 residents, making us the most caffeine-saturatedAmerican city. (Another fun fact: we frequently rank as having the most bookstores per capita, too.) At $36 per month, our average personal monthly coffee budget is also one of…
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If that loved one in your life is a CPAP user, we can help you solve that problem. CPAP users are used to keeping on top of supply replacement and replenishment when it comes to CPAP tubing, CPAP masks, CPAP filters, and cleaning supplies. But they may not be as vigilant about less pragmatic concerns.…
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It’s easy to blame the Thanksgiving turkey for causing your late-day lethargy on this day of feasting. After all, the poor bird can’t speak for itself, and it’s the centerpiece of most holiday meals in the United States. We believe our nationally shared “food coma” on the last Thursday in November is directly caused by…
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For those starting continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy ( or other types of PAP therapy ) for the first time, there are lots of unknowns to consider. We try to take the fear of the unknown out of the process because we know that the better prepared and educated you are about your therapy,…
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Imagine their surprise, then, when they discover they need to go back to the sleep center and take part in yet another sleep study? This doesn’t always happen; some sleep studies identify sleep disorders other than sleep apnea, and they usually only require one trip to the sleep lab for diagnosis. For those who do…
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Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition with well-established ties to sleep health. Its 2-way relationship with the sleep-wake cycle makes it difficult to diagnose, especially for those who only have epileptic seizures at night (nocturnal seizures). What is epilepsy and why does it share such common ground with sleep disorders? Types of epilepsy Epilepsy is…
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The National Sleep Foundation recommends that all individuals who have been diagnosed with some form of dementia also be screened for sleep disorders ; they report that “Two-thirds of those in long-term care facilities suffer from sleeping problems.” Treating some common sleep disorders, such as restless legs or sleep apnea, can help improve the quality…
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They may not even mention head injuries to the doctors they visit regarding their sleep problems. And doctors may not take into account previous head injuries when interviewing them regarding their current sleep issues. However, research continues to draw linkages between brain injuries and sleep disorders. What is a concussion? A concussion is a kind…
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However, when it comes to either concern, there’s a well-established association between insufficient sleep and obesity. While there are a multitude of factors that determine whether these two are linked for any particular individual, the odds still suggest that losing sleep is one of the main reasons why we are overweight. What we’re talking about…
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Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on anyone, anywhere, at any age, and at any time of year. Let’s consider the holidays and the added challenges they bring. How do the holidays add to sleep deprivation? There are seasonal influences that inform our patterns of behavior and daily life to consider. The weather Inclement weather…
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Here are some tips for avoiding sleep loss whenever possible and getting the best sleep you can during a hectic time. What is holiday sleep debt? Just like it sounds, it’s the systematic expenditure of sleep time over the holiday season, which results in the physical, mental, and emotional health consequences and effects of sleep…
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Today and tonight mark the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. Of course, the significance of this date has everything to do with our reliance on the light-dark cycles of the planet to keep our circadian rhythms aligned with the Earth’s revolution around the sun. How the winter solstice can…
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Though the season itself is dark at this time of year, we tend to enjoy more in the way of lights as part of the holiday experience. Hanukkah menorahs, Christmas tree lights, grand and festive winter light displays across entire neighborhood lawns, solstice lanterns, and lighted stars topping high points and monuments in a community……
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Believe it or not, 2017 is just a few days away. Right now we’re in that most special time of year the quiet lull between holiday parties, when we start thinking about our New Years Resolutions. Because the season is saturated with overindulgences, most of us put get in shape or get healthier somewhere near…
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According to statistics, health-related lifestyle changes are consistently ranked among the top 5 New Years Resolutions Americans make each year. In January of 2016, for example, 41% of Americans vowed to live a healthier lifestyle, and nearly 40% expressed a desire to lose weight. MakingExercise Resolutions for Better Sleep Getting enough sleep should be an…
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2017 is just a couple days away. By now, you’ve probably started thinking about your New Years Resolutions. If sleeping better is one of your goals for the new year, getting on top of your sleep hygiene and exercise habits are two solid starts. But how about diet resolutions for better sleep? Its true: what…
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New Year’s resolutions tend to favor quick change for permanent results, but by day 17… who is still sticking to their new plans? By day 17, most of us have abandoned ship. Improving your sleep habits might be an easy resolution to achieve in just one period of two and a half weeks, with results…
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Taking naps has been the subject of scrutiny recently. Some research points to napping as beneficial to employee productivity. Other research suggests that long naps may actually be linked to chronic disease. Here’s what we know about the benefits and risks of taking naps. When is a nap a good thing? There are lots of…
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The debate over whether dogs should sleep with you has good arguments on both sides of the fence or on both sides of the bed in this case. An interesting survey from WebMD discovered that dog owners are somewhat divided over whether their furry friend should sleep in their beds with them. Nearly 62 percent…
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Sleep apnea in children is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed entirely. Many children are being diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) as they’re acting out and getting into trouble at school. Often, these children are being prescribed Ritalin, when the real cause of their behavioral issues is sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a…
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Human evolution shows us that there are distinct variations in facial structure and features. Anthropologists have been examining these traits for some time to see if ancestry plays a role in this diversification. Other research has been conducted to see if your facial structure and features has any connections with certain problems. For instance, did…
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Cranial problems can often lead to sleep breathing disorders. Craniofacial anomalies (CFA) are a distinct set of deformities found in facial bone and head growth. Anomaly means ‘different from normal’ or ‘irregularity’. These abnormalities are present at birth (congenital) and vary in intensity with some being mild while others are serious needing surgery. Most medical…
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If your physician recommends that you undergo an overnight sleep study, also known as nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG), you might be curious what it involves and what you can expect from it. You might also wonder what are the wires used in the sleep study are for. An NPSG records your heart rate, brain activity, oxygen…
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If you fall asleep fine but find yourself wide awake at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, you may have whats called sleep maintenance insomnia . Its troublesome and frustrating, but there are tips to help you deal with this annoying and stressful sleep disturbance. Insomnia types First, it’s important to recognize that you’re experiencing…
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If your doctor suspects you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, sleep related movements, or narcolepsy, he or she may refer you to a sleep center for an overnight sleep study, or polysomnogram. The purpose of this sleep study is to monitor you while you sleep, to get a more complete picture of whats…
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Have you been a lifelong loud snorer? Do you wake up tired, unrested, irritable? Are your days spent fighting sleepiness at work, at home, and even while driving? If so, you may be considered among those with a high probability of suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Also called sleep apnea or sometimes just apnea, this…
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You wouldn’t visit a foot doctor (podiatrist) to treat suspected diabetes, would you? Or a reproductive health specialist if you think you’ve gotten a sprained ankle? All levity aside, you would, of course, visit the appropriate medical specialist for the appropriate medical condition. The same goes for any person who suspects they may suffer from…
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Getting enough sleep at least six hours per night for adults is critical to maintaining good health. If you chronically sleep too little or have your sleep constantly interrupted by apnea, you may be at a higher-than-average risk for a cluster of health problems: lower immunity, diabetes, obesity, depression and anxiety, memory issues, brain damage,…
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For many people, dreams are a normal part of sleeping and are purely mental activities that happen during your REM (rapid eye movement) cycle. While your body is resting, it’s in your mind that your dreams occur. However, when you are suffering with REM sleep behavior disorder, you actually act your dreams out due to…
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Chances are, you have experienced that dragging, dull semi-conscious feeling you get from sleep deprivation (lack of sleep). All you want to do is take a nap. However, for individuals who are suffering with primary hypersomnia, they are dealing with this feeling every day. They feel only half-awake and hardly ever can get enough quality…
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To someone who may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the two-night overnight/nocturnal polysomnogram (NPSG) plus continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Titration Study is considered the gold standard of sleep studies. But what if, for some reason, you are unable to devote two nights at a sleep clinic? For example, an insurance provider may…
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You probably know how annoying snoring can be, especially when you’re the one having to listen to it. However, if you’re the one snoring and it causes you to repeatedly stop breathing for several seconds at a time, it can also result in cardiovascular problems (heart) that could potentially threaten your life. In fact, there…
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Im waking up tired. I need an afternoon nap. “Why am I tired all the time? I sleep all the time and it never seems to be enough!” Im just dragging, all day, every day. Do any of these complaints sound familiar to you? Even if you’re going to bed early every night, you’re waking…
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Very obese children and adults who have daytime fatigue and difficulty concentrating may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea but in up to 20% of cases, the diagnosis may be even more serious. Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome, or OHS, is a sleep-related respiratory problem that can cause serious and in some cases irreversible damage to the…
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William Shakespeare refers to it as an old hag in his play Romeo and Juliet. Dutch physician Isbrand Van Diemerbroeck in the mid1600s documented a patient who believed the Devil or a large dog appeared to crush the breath from her. The Greek physician Galen wrote of it nearly two millennia ago, and a nearly…
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Sleep Related Eating Disorder (SRED): What Is It? Sometimes referred to as sleep eating or a nocturnal sleep eating disorder (meaning it happens at night), sleep related eating disorder (SRED) is classified as a non-REM sleep parasomnia an involuntary, abnormal behavior that occurs at some point during the four non-REM stages of sleep. SRED is…
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From childhood, we have been seen Hollywoods depiction of the phenomenon of The Sleepwalker, a.k.a. a somnambulist. In countless cartoons, movies, sitcoms, etc., a sleeping person (usually dressed in full pajamas and a sleeping cap, complete with tassel) calmly sits up in bed, pulls aside the covers, and puts their feet on the floor. But…
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If you work a graveyard shift or any shift work, including rotating shifts you may find that the schedule is wreaking havoc on your ability to stick to a healthy eating and exercise program. On top of that, the disruptions to your circadian rhythm can throw off your body’s hormonal balance, making you more likely…
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Nasal congestion, a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, a scratchy throat these are just a handful of the symptoms that come with springtime allergies. Suffering through these symptoms is an unpleasant inconvenience in ordinary circumstances. But if you use CPAP therapy, allergies are more than just unpleasant. Seasonal allergies can actually make your sleep apnea…
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For those who love camping, there is nothing like pitching a tent in the middle of a beautiful forest glade and enjoying the utter peace and quiet of sleeping out in nature, under the stars, away from all the noises of civilization. Unfortunately, if one or more people in the campground suffers from obstructive sleep…
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Irritability, loss of focus and daytime sleepiness can all occur when you do not get enough sleep. But what exactly are we talking about when we discuss getting a good nights rest. If you sleep the recommended amount of time, does that mean you will wake up refreshed and well-rested? What we do know is…
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Research may support the idea that quality sleep can help reduce high levels of stress, anxiety and address symptoms of depression. What is the relationship between sleep and stress, anxiety and depression? If you get more or better quality sleep, will that help you feel calmer and less depressed? Additional factors related to sleep and…
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We spend approximately of our time asleep, yet scientists still have yet to fully understand the true purposes of sleep. Almost all animals sleep, meaning that there must be some benefits to sleeping that caused it to be evolutionarily conserved across species. Traditional theories about sleep stated that its purpose was to conserve energy or…
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More than 29 million Americans suffer from diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with millions more falling into the pre-diabetes range. Keeping blood glucose levels under control is essential to good health, both for people with diabetes and those who do not have the disease. Although most people know that dietary…
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Obstructive sleep apnea is a very serious medical condition, affecting an estimated 25 million adults in the United States, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. However, the possibility of children developing sleep apnea is often overlooked. Individuals of any age can develop sleep apnea, and the consequences for children differ somewhat from those…
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According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately one in four Americans have suffered from chronic pain. At any given time, millions are experiencing acute pain following an injury. While pain significantly disrupts everyday life and lessens our ability to perform daily activities, it also has a serious effect on sleep. People with sleep…
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Fibromyalgia is one of the more mysterious and controversial diagnoses that exist in modern medicine. Doctors and scientists debate about many issues related to this diagnosis: is fibromyalgia real? What is the origin of fibromyalgia pain? How should doctors approach fibromyalgia treatment? Now, emerging scientific research has improved our understanding of fibromyalgia, pain, and how…
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According to the American Diabetes Association diabetes affects more than 29.1 million Americans, approximately 9.3% of the population. Diabetes is an endocrine disorder, meaning that it affects hormone levels. Although much of the attention is paid to the effects of diabetes on the blood sugar levels and the cardiovascular system, diabetes can also harshly affect…
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Sleep is important to health. There is no dispute about that, and quality of sleep is influenced by a wide variety of factors, including stress, diet, temperature, type of mattress and pillow, noise levels, physical ailments, medications, and overall health and hygiene. Sleep problems are not age or gender specific, and may occur rarely or…
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Testosterone is a hormone that your body produces. When you have low testosterone (low-T), it means your body isn’t producing enough of this hormone. Although both men and women produce testosterone, men produce it through their testicles. This T-hormone affects the sexual development and appearance in men. It stimulates the production of sperm and his…
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Recent research on sleep apnea, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has revealed some shocking findings regarding sleep and a man’s libido. It turns out, there’s a relationship between low testosterone and sleep apnea. Men who don’t get enough sleep, have fragmented sleep, or have obstructive sleep apnea, tend to have low-T levels, according to a…
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Sleep apnea is a common disorder where you have at least one pause in breathing or have shallow breathing as you sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to minutes. They happen as many as 30 times or more each hour, reports the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Its estimated that…
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When you breathe normally, air makes its way to your lungs by passing through your mouth, over your tongue, and past your soft palate, uvula, and tonsils. Your soft palate is the area at the back of the roof of your mouth. Your uvula is the dangling structure visible at the back of your mouth,…
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Sleep is a restorative need for all creatures, particularly humans, but it requires not only specific conditions, but also enough time for the full beneficial effects to occur. Body and brain must work together to make “good sleep” a reality. When sleep is disrupted for any reason, whether by stress and anxiety, by chronic pain…
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If you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you may have insomnia. But how can you know for certain that a sleep disorder or this particular sleep disorder is to blame for your lack of sleep? Its possible that your inability to sleep could be traced to some other cause. For example, maybe your…
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Most of us are familiar with classic insomnia: a temporary period of time during which, for whatever reason, we just cant fall asleep or stay asleep. In fact, insomnia is very common. According to the Centers for Disease Control, up to 70 million Americans are dealing with it to some degree, with a staggering one…
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If you’re one of the 70 million Americans who experience insomnia from time to time, you probably are familiar with at least a few of the side effects that come from sleep deprivation. Puffy eyes, dark circles, dizziness, slow decision-making (or poor decision making), dry eyes, headaches, nausea. These are just a few of the…
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Do you ever find yourself complaining, Im having trouble sleeping or I cant sleep? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re not even among a small but distinguished group of unfortunates. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), a pretty massive number of adults in the U.S. are bad at getting enough shuteye. Here…
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Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting an estimated 30-50% of Americans at some time or another. This year alone, about 1 in 10 Americans will struggle with a period of sleeplessness. If you have ever had insomnia, you know how frustrating it can be: racing thoughts when you try to fall asleep multiple…
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Not all sleep is equal. Since the 1930s, modern medicine has known that a full nights sleep is not a single, continuous experience. Based on EEGs (electro encephalograms) of their nocturnal subjects, sleep researchers discovered distinct, measurable changes in both the body and brain, occurring regularly and predictably throughout the night. Now, nearly a century…
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Not many of us ask ourselves this question; indeed, for many American adults and increasingly for children, sleep is like money theres never enough and we always want more. The CDC estimates that about one-third of adults don’t get sufficient sleep, and the National Sleep Foundation estimates the number of sleep-deprived kids to be about…
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To sleep like a baby some days it’s all many of us really want, yet it seems as we age, that good nights sleep becomes increasingly elusive. If you feel you’re not sleeping as well as you have before, you’re not imagining it. The amount of deep sleep you get starts decreasing when you’re in…
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If you wake up feeling sluggish and fatigued, odds are that something is disturbing your sleep. Sleep disorders are tough to pin down since they can only be properly diagnosed while you sleep, which often means you need to pack up for an overnight visit to a sleep lab. Here at Sound Sleep Health, we…
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Do you toss and turn at night? An estimated 50-70 million adults in the US have a sleep disorder. This means there are a lot of people awake at night with you, but you don’t need to struggle in fact, it’s unhealthy when you do. Sleep is essential to your physical and mental health. Poor…
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Getting adequate sleep is so good for your health. Well-rested people tend to get sick less often, think more clearly, and feel less stressed than those who are chronically sleep-deprived. Good sleepers are also less likely to gain weight and develop heart disease and diabetes. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel crummy. Chronic…
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How Blue Light Before Bedtime Disrupts Sleep If you typically spend time using electronic devices or watching television before bed, you may want to reconsider, especially if you have trouble sleeping. Heres why: Electronics emit light that can keep you awake and contribute to sleep problems. Even some types of light bulbs can interfere with…
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You know how crummy you feel when you don’t get enough sleep. You’re exhausted, unfocused, and worn out. You struggle to concentrate on your work and you snap at your family and friends. You may eat too much junk, skip your workout, and overreact to stress. Fatigue wipes you out. But you may not realize…
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It’s not fair, but it’s true: Women have more difficulty getting a good nights sleep than men. On average, women have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep than men, and as a result, they’re more likely to experience daytime sleepiness, trouble with concentration, and even physical problems such as increased sickness and weight gain.…
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Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. People who often have trouble getting the sleep they need experience symptoms such as fatigue, low energy, trouble concentrating, poor performance at school or work, and moodiness. Many people turn to the supplement melatonin to help them with their…
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If you feel like you’re not sleeping as well now as you did when you were younger, you’re not imagining it. Because of changes that your body undergoes over time, sleep problems tend to increase with age. Older people can have more trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, and sleeping until the time they want…
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Parasomnias are abnormal behaviors that occur while you sleep, such as sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating, hallucinations, or recurrent nightmares. Parasomnias affect about 10% of Americans. Although you may not think of parasomnias as a health concern, they can cause potentially serious problems. In some cases, parasomnias can lead people to engage in destructive behaviors…
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You may have heard of sleep apnea, but do you really know what it is? Far from a harmless sleep disorder that keeps you from a sound night’s rest, sleep apnea can lead to serious health complications, including sudden cardiac death. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea.…
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Every day you take great pains to ensure that you’re wearing clean socks and underwear for hygienic purposes. This ingrained standard of care is the type of thing you should be doing when it comes to your CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. Just think, you spend a fair number of hours every night with…
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When you are scheduled to undergo a sleep study, you may not realize that there is more than one kind of sleep study. Aside from the home sleep apnea test (HSAT)which you may have already experienced there are three main in-lab, overnight sleep tests you might encounter. Many people start with an overnight or nocturnal…
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Everyone has trouble sleeping at some point in their life. A late-afternoon latte, an overly indulgent dinner or nerves about an upcoming work milestone can keep you up into the wee hours of the night. The next day may not be one of your best –- you might be irritable, exhausted and unfocused — but…
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Telehealth is a hot topic. Although its recent rise is partially linked with the decline in in-person visits during the coronavirus pandemic, telehealth has in fact been heralded as the ‘next big thing’ in healthcare for more than a decade. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has announced its commitment to advancing the use…
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Over 25 years in clinical practice Board Certification: Sleep Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry Clinical Focus: General Sleep Medicine, Hypersomnia, Sleep Problems after TBI Medical School: University of California, Davis Residencies and Fellowships Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School Neurology, Duke University Medical Center Sleep Medicine, Duke University Medical Center Research Experience and Publications Use of Clinical…
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Over 11 years in clinical practice Clinical Focus: Insomnia and Medication Management Education: MSN, magna cum laude, Washington State University Residency: PMHMP Residency, University of New Hampshire Leadership Experience: Adjunct Faculty, Washington State University Nursing Program
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Over 10 years in clinical practice Board certification: Sleep Medicine, Adult Neurology Clinical focus:Sleep Medicine and Neurology Medical School:University of Alberta, Canada Residencies and Fellowships Adult Neurology, University of Manitoba Clinical Neurophysiology, UCLA School of Medicine Sleep Fellowship, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena CA Research Experience and Publications Research on neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Motor…
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Birgit is an adult nurse practitioner who received her Masters Degree from University of Alabama. She has extensive experience in primary care and in adult /geriatric medicine as an ARNP. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. She has a strong interest in sleep medicine as an important component of health…
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Over 10 years in clinical practice Board Certification: Sleep Medicine, Neurology Clinical Focus: Sleep Medicine, Neurology Medical School: University of Kentucky Residencies and Fellowships Neurology, University of Miami/Jackson Health System Sleep Medicine, University of Miami/Jackson Health System Leadership Experience Member, American Board of Internal Medicine Item-Writing Task Force Voluntary Assistant Professor, Miami Miller School of…
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Over 15 years in clinical practice Board Certification: Sleep Medicine, Neurology Clinical Focus: Sleep Medicine, Neurology Medical School: Wake Forest University Additional Training: MPH (Magna Cum Laude), Emory University MSc Clinical Research (Summa Cum Laude), Mayo Graduate School Residencies and Fellowships Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Sleep Medicine, University of Michigan Leadership Experience Chief of…
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