Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that can be very serious and even dangerous. This article will cover some of the basics of sleep apnea to give you an idea of what it is, what the risk factors are and what treatment options are available. We will have more articles published on sleep apnea that will go into more detail about each of the points covered in this article.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is defined as a condition that involves the interruption of breathing during sleep. Some people suffering from sleep apnea may stop breathing over 100 times during one night which indicates a severe form of the syndrome. Mild sleep apnea sufferers may stop breathing just a few times during sleep but this is still a cause for concern.

Am I At Risk for Sleep Apnea?

There are no restrictions upon who can suffer from sleep apnea but there are some factors which will make you more prone to being affected. These include:

• being male: more males suffer from sleep apnea than females
• being overweight
• Age 40 or older
• Large neck size
• Sleep apnea in the family history
• Larger tonsils

These are just some of the sleep apnea risk factors.

What Are the Effects of Sleep Apnea?

Untreated sleep apnea can result in many different health problems both in the short term and long term. These include stroke, heart failure, heart attack and hypertension. It can also result in disruption to daily activities due to a lack of sleep. This can affect work, school, driving and other daily tasks.

What are the Different Types of Sleep Apnea?

There are two main recognized types of sleep apnea. They are Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This is the most common type. It happens when there is a blockage in the airway. This is generally caused by the soft tissue of the pharynx relaxing whilst you are asleep. This blocks airflow. OSA most commonly affects men aged between 30 and 50. The person will be startled awake when blood oxygen levels drop.

Central Sleep Apnea
This does not involve the airway being blocked but instead occurs when the brain does not tell your muscles to breathe. This occurs due to problems in the respiratory control center of the brain and nervous system. This is a rarer type of sleep apnea. Some causes of central sleep apnea are stroke or head injury.

What Are The Causes?

There are several reasons why your airways may block during sleep to cause sleep apnea. These include having throat and tongue muscles that are more relaxed than they should be. You may also have a larger tongue in comparison to your windpipe opening.

Being overweight is also a major cause and risk factor as there is extra soft tissue which causes thickening of the windpipe wall, resulting in a narrower opening for air to pass through. Even the shape of your neck or head can result in a smaller airway, causing breathing problems during sleep.

As you can see, many causes of sleep apnea are out of your control and may be a result of your genetic make up. Therefore it is vital to focus on the factors in your control such as your weight.

Who’s At Risk For Sleep Apnea?

Anyone can get sleep apnea but it is more common in males over the age of 30. However children are also known to suffer from the condition. There are some risk factors for sleep apnea including being overweight, having high blood pressure, having a family history of sleep apnea, being a smoker, drinking alcohol or using sedatives and having a larger neck circumference. These are just some of the sleep apnea risks.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms?

Snoring is a major sign of sleep apnea as around 70% of people with it do snore. But not all snorers have sleep apnea; in fact only around 25% of people who snore have sleep apnea, but this is still a significant number and equates to millions of people worldwide. Choking and gasping whilst asleep is the main symptom. Often a person with sleep apnea will have a slowing down of breathing until it stops, and then they are jolted awake by a lack of oxygen in the blood. A loud gasp can then occur.

Sleep apnea patients will also be tired during the day, have trouble concentrating, feel irritable and have a dry throat when waking.

How Do You Diagnose Sleep Apnea?

Family histories, medical history, physical emanation and sleep study results are all ways that a doctor can diagnose sleep apnea. You may then be referred to a sleep specialist.

What Are The Effects, Is It Dangerous?

Serious problems can occur is sleep apnea is not treated. There is a higher risk of stroke or heart disease in serious cases. Also because you are so tired, there is an increased risk in accidents like car and work mishaps occurring.

What Is The Treatment?

There are various treatment options for sleep apnea although there is no universal cure. You can lose weight, stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, try sleeping on your back, elevate the head in bed with a larger pillow and finally, use a nasal dilator, saline nasal spray or nasal strips to assist in opening the nasal passages. There is also surgery as an option to open the airway size. Tonsils may be removed in some cases.

Insomnia affects millions of people worldwide. In fact one study showed that over 50% of Americans suffer from some sort of insomnia.

The psychological and physical effects of insomnia are widespread and often severe. They can affect a person’s life and health so much that normal functioning is nearly impossible. Indeed, many people take considerable time off work simply because their mental and physical state is not up to getting through the day due to their insomnia.

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder characterized by the person having problems either getting to sleep or staying asleep for long periods. Insomniacs may wake too early in the morning, may not be able to fall asleep at night or may not feel refreshed when waking in the morning. Some people suffer from all of these symptoms while others suffer from just one. One thing that all insomniacs have in common is that they are almost always tired.

What Are The Types Of Insomnia?

There are three main known types of insomnia. They are Transient Insomnia, Short Term Insomnia and Chronic Insomnia.

Transient insomnia is a mild form that includes sleep difficulties of a short term nature. There is no major impact on daily functioning for transient insomniacs.

Moderate or short term insomnia includes having sleep difficulties that last for up to one month and these can have an effect on daily functioning. It will also cause irritability and fatigue.

Chronic insomnia is the most severe case and lasts for many months or years. It has a severe impact on daily life and causes strong fatigue, anxiety, irritability and general ill health that comes with lack of sleep.

What Are The Psychological Effects Of Insomnia?

Insomnia is not just a physical condition, in fact it is more of a mental condition and as such there are many negative psychological effects of insomnia such as:

• Lower self esteem
• Low confidence
• Increased stress levels
• Difficulty concentrating
• Decreased cognitive ability and development
• IQ impairment
• Memory loss

What Are The Physical Effects Of Insomnia?

Because of our bodies reliance and absolute need for rest each night, there are a myriad of physical side effects when we don’t get this rest and sleep. There are so many physical insomnia effects that affect our every day life including:

• Irritability
• Depression
• Hypertension
• Slurred speech
• Tremors

There are also long term effects such as:

• Weight Changes
• Aging
• Ill health
• Heart disease

What Are The Treatments of Insomnia?

There are many treatment options for insomnia. Some doctors prescribe prescription medications however these can have drastic side effects both in the short and long term. Many people are now turning to psychological treatments as well as natural remedies for improving their sleep and reducing insomnia.

Relaxation and stress management are highly regarded insomnia treatment techniques as it is believed that if you are relaxed before sleeping at night you will have a great chance of falling asleep and staying asleep. Insomniacs are often known to be stressed persons so therefore reducing stress is a major goal.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that includes completely relaxing every muscle in your body by lying down, deep breathing then tensing all the muscles in your body. After that, slowly relax each muscle. Visual imagery, guided relaxation, meditation and abdominal breathing are other relaxation methods recommended for insomniacs.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is another treatment that people are opening up to. It involves changing your beliefs and thought patterns as well as your assumptions about sleep. It is easy for insomniacs to get into a pattern of believing they will never be able to sleep and they literally train their brain to believe they can not sleep. This has a negative effect, and CBT works to reverse these thought patterns into positive ones that encourage sleep and relaxation and remove all negative, doubting thoughts.

How Do I Cope With Insomnia?

The first step to coping with insomnia is to admit you have it. It is easy to just think that you have trouble sleeping, but many people do not consider themselves to have insomnia. Once you realize that you do indeed have this common condition you can start researching the possible treatment options. The aforementioned natural, relaxation and mental treatments are an excellent place to start and will cure insomniac is a large majority of people, even in severe cases.

Insomnia is a common condition but with some knowledge of how to control it and how to train your mind to believe that you can indeed sleep well, anyone can overcome it.

Insomnia can be stressful and depressing; therefore it is crucial that you get adequate rest in the night. Proper sleep can prove to be extremely beneficial to your overall well-being. Usually most people turn to medication when it comes to treating sleep disorders but there are many natural ways by which you can effectively treat bouts of insomnia.

Music is one natural method of promoting good sleep in the night. Tests have shown that relaxing and soothing music can work wonders and promote healthy sleeping habits. If you cannot seem to get proper sleep in the night and are looking for a natural way to get a good night’s sleep, listening to soft and slow music can be the perfect solution.

Although the kind of music best suited for you shall depend on your personal preferences, it is a good idea to skip any kind of music that involves singing. Sleep music is to help you relax; you need not focus on the lyrics. The reason why people find it hard to fall off to sleep is because their mind is too active; therefore your primary goal is to relax the mind which shall help promote sleep. Classical music can help you out; the best part is that you have a variety of options before you.

Here below are some suggestions that might help you find the right kind of music to help fall asleep after a hard day.

AMBIENT MUSIC:

the sound of nature like the whisper of the night breeze, rolling ocean waves etc. can help people fall asleep quick and wake up energized for the day. Click for SleepTracks Sleep Optimization Program

BRAIN WAVE SUITE:

this particular type of music has ambient and lush melodies which makes it soothing to our ears. It incorporates inaudible pulses in brainwave patterns and sound behavior which helps the person fall into deep sleep and relax his/her mind.

THETA MEDITATION:

the pulses embedded into the music helps activate an individual’s brainwaves. The person reaches a state of rejuvenating and restful meditation. It helps lowers stress levels and do away with everyday tensions. Your local music store shall have plenty of music for Theta meditation. Click for Lucid Dreaming mp3

JOURNEYING TO DREAMS:

these types of music help you relax and the individual forgets all worries and tensions of regular life. It helps the person go into a world of fantasy, imagination where everything is peaceful and happy.

SPEED SLEEP:

Frank Prince is an advisor and counselor who helps various students, leaders etc get adequate sleep. You can find his recording helpful which contains his compositions. Click for more info on Speed Sleep

As you must be aware, sound sleep is necessary for you to work efficiently throughout the day. Using the magical art that music is capable of creating, you can lull yourself to deep and restful sleep. The right music shall depend on your personal likes and dislikes, so go ahead and find the music perfectly suited for you and enjoy peaceful sleep at night.

If you are suffering from the pangs of insomnia, it is a good idea to try out natural therapy. It can be treated by baths, natural teas and infusions.

A professional herbalist will infuse an active sleep inducing herbal sedative which can get sleep quickly. Many plants have got sedative chemicals which can help cure insomnia naturally. However, any herbal remedy should be taken after consulting a professional. Valerian tea is a natural cure of insomnia. It acts on the central nervous system and induces sleep quickly. It is addictive and should not be taken on a regular basis. The dosage for this can be approximately 20 tincture drops in water.

Another excellent nerve tonic is oats. It acts as an anti-depressants and calms the body. It is nutritious and when eaten as an oatmeal, can be quite tasty.  Opt for the more nutritious “Quick Oats” that can be cooked on a stove or microwave rather than the sugar laden instant type mix in the envelope. Oatmeal acts as an anti-depressant and can be eaten more frequently than other herbal combinations which only act as sedatives.

Herbal baths are also an effective way to relax oneself and get better sleep. It is a kind of rejuvenation method, where hot water treated with herbal elements is used for relaxing the body. If you are suffering from any sleep disorders there is no reason to worry. There are enough natural treatments available which can get you the normal hours of sleep.

The diagnosis for sleep disorder should start with a thorough analysis of the medical history. A daily diary of activities and sleep helps in the diagnosis of the situation. People suffering from the problem should keep a tab of when they try to go to sleep and when they actually get sleep. This will help a doctor make a correct diagnosis and get your disorder treated quickly.

The next stage in the diagnosis is EEG (electroencephalography) which helps to monitor the heart rhythm, brain and muscle activity, and breathing during sleep. In people who are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea it is important to determine the oxygen level in the body during the apnea phases. The multi sleep latency test (MSLT) is also used as a diagnosis for sleep disorder.

Disturbed sleep can cause severe health impediments in the long run. Therefore, the treatment should start early. People who suffer from insomnia related sleep disorders should reduce caffeine intake. Anti depressants may also help in getting over the problem.

Patients suffering from narcolepsy should take stimulants during the day and take antidepressants to help sleep better in the night.  Any medicine should only be taken under medical supervision.  Many of the drugs used for inducing sleep can have side effects. This needs to be taken care of.  Though medicine is needed at a stage of the problem, but it is suggested that behavioral changes should be the first option towards the improvement of the condition.

There are numerous reasons why people get sleep disorders. These can be genetic reasons known in medical terms as Narcolepsy, change in the body clock due to night shift work, medical illness or age factor.

All these causes of sleep disorders result in people taking more time to fall asleep at night. If a person takes more than 30 minutes to fall asleep everyday, it can be considered as a symptom.

In today’s scenario common sleep disorder are due to stress and overwork. The body’s biological clock responds to the external environment. Therefore during daytime a person is active and sleeps during the night. A night shift worker is bound to suffer from sleep disorders. Age is a common factor which causes sleep disorders.

Less common, blindness is another factor which can cause sleep disorders. A person without sight cannot detect light and darkness. This disrupts the biological clock, which can result in sleep disorders. Mental illness and physical illness are also the cause of sleep disorder among many people.

Patients who suffer from depression or any other kind of mental illness tend to wake up in the middle of their sleep and are unable to go back to sleep quickly. This persistent problem can result in chronic sleep disorder.

Finally physical illnesses which cause imbalance in certain body chemicals can result in sleep disorders. If anyone feels that their sleep duration is getting affected because any of the above factors, the doctor needs to be consulted.

Sleep Apnea is a condition which has to be treated as soon as it is detected. There are different approaches that are taken by medical practitioners to cure this disorder. Doctors suggest behavioral changes as the first option to curing this problem. Other solutions given by practitioners include dental appliances, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and medications. These include changing postures during sleep and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

However many people facing the apnea disorder are too tired to start exercising. Medications do help to cure sleep apnea. Nasal steroid sprays have proved to be a temporary effective relief in many cases. Oxymetalizone and neosynephrine are topical nasal decongestants which can also offer temporarily relief to nasal swelling. Other medicines which doctors consider are medroxyprogesterone, thephyline and trycyclic antidepressants.

Dental appliances are also used in many cases to treat the disorder. The most commonly used dental appliance holds the palate and closes the airway. They are excellent cures in cases of mild to moderate apneas. CPAP or Continuous positive airway pressure is one of the most accepted forms of treatment. It helps to keep the airway open and ensure that it does not collapse during sleep. The appliance delivers air through the nasal or face mask under pressure. The effects of these treatments are all measurable in terms of the apnea-hypopnea index.

So, if you are feeling the first symptoms of apnea, it is time you head for the doctor’s clinic directly.

The primary reasons of the problem is voluntary behavior, personal obligations, work hours and medical problems. These causes can be further broken down into sub-categories.

If a person is suffering from chronic insomnia, it can lead to sleep deprivation if not treated in time. Many people have to work during odd hours which causes reduced sleeping hours. Sometimes excess work leads to stress and depression which are one of the major causes of this disorder.

There can also be personal obligations such as attending to your family members who are unwell. Voluntary behavior is another cause of sleep deprivation. It happens when people stay awake during odd hours to read a book or enjoy time with friends.

There are certain risk groups which are more prone to one cause than another. If we consider adolescents, we may find that they suffer from sleep deprivation because of behavioral factors.

Caregivers are also one of the high risk groups who may suffer from the disorder. The effects of sleep deprivation can be severe in the long run leading to slurry speech, loss of concentration and other symptoms.  It is critical that proper care is taken at the right time to prevent it from occurring. Fixed hours of sleep during the night can help to get over this problem.

If you think that you are suffering from sleep deprivation cut down on your consumption of caffeine and alcohol and consult a practitioner.

If a person does not get sleep at night it is natural that there will be sleepiness during the daytime.  As a result people cannot perform at their maximum productivity during the daytime.  It can also cause accidents when they are on the roads. In the long run there are serious effects on the brain and behavior of a person who is deprived of sleep at night.

Sleep is required for the neurons regeneration in the cerebral cortex and also for forming new memory cells and generating new synaptic connections.  The cerebral lobe in the cortex helps in the processing of speech. So, it will not be uncommon to find a person who has gone through long periods of sleeplessness to have a slurred speech.

Apart from the problem of slurred speech it can impair the ability to make Judgment, control impulses and failure to concentrate. Hallucinations are also one of the effects of sleep deprivation but only happens after prolonged period of the disorder.  So, as we see the phenomenon can cause many symptoms and need to be tackled early.  Medical advice is suggested at the first signs of symptoms.

Breathing problems during sleep is a common disorder among many people. In medical terms, it is known as sleep apnea. The period of time during sleep when there is a significant reduction in breathing or breathing completely stops is known as apnea. If we consider the time parameters, a period of 10 seconds when breathing stops during sleep can be termed as apnea. There are 2 different forms of this disorder. The first is known as obstructive sleep apnea and the second form is central sleep apnea. A third form of Apnea is known as mixed sleep apnea.  Let us find out what the differences are to help you tell which form of apnea you may suffer from.

During a sudden attack of apnea during sleep, a person may wake up completely or come out from a deep level of sleep to a shallow sleeping state. Apnea is measured by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). When there is an obstruction in the airway, it is known as obstructive apnea. When the brain fails to transmit the right messages during sleep causing disruption of air-flow it is known as central apnea. The third form is a combination of both.

If there are pauses in breathing during sleep, it should be immediately reported to the doctor. Apnea syndrome is mostly seen in people with cardiovascular problems. If it is not reported in time, apnea can be fatal. It is important to eradicate the root cause of this disorder.