Monthly Archives: June 2014

Those who suffer from insomnia would be well-advised to take their problem seriously. That’s according to the results of a recent long-term study on the impact of insomnia and its relationship to the risk of stroke. The research, which was conducted as a collaboration between the Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science and the Department of Medical Research at Chi-Mei Medical Center in Taiwan, followed a large cohort of individuals who self-reported as suffering from insomnia, and followed them over a four-year period.  Continue reading →

Sleep apnea has long been associated with a number of serious medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes, risk of stroke and cardiovascular problems, but scientists from Albany Medical Center have recently added another side effect to the long list of health concerns: hearing loss.

According to the results of a recent study, the estimated 18 million Americans who are suffering from sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that involves the sufferer stopping their breathing repeatedly throughout the night, may also be suffering hearing loss at both the low registers and high registers.  Continue reading →

Sleep experts have a long list of items that the sleep-deprived need to eliminate from their daily routines, diets and environments. These include too much caffeine, exercising too close to our bedtimes, and bedrooms that are disrupted by too much noise or light. Now researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands have added another possibility to the list of things that may be keeping up from getting a good night’s sleep: pre-bed procrastination.  Continue reading →

There have been a number of studies that have linked insomnia and a variety of sleep disorders to increased in body mass index and overall obesity, but recent studies have shown that in addition to metabolic changes that occur, some of that weight shift may be a result of behavioral changes that also follow sleepless nights. Continue reading →

Taking care of ourselves means a lot more than getting enough exercise and paying attention to what we eat. It also means getting enough sleep and being good to ourselves …. Treating ourselves to the little things that can make us feel self-confident and happy.  If you are a person whose overall sense of wellbeing is being affected by a lack of sleep, one of the easiest fixes available may be as simple as going to the nearest mall and picking up a great new pair of pajamas. Continue reading →

Australian researchers have used a 3D printer to print a customized oral appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea. It impacts between twelve and eighteen million Americans every year, and even more sufferers worldwide. The condition causes those who have it to involuntarily stop breathing when they are asleep due to the collapse of the tissue that lines their airway. As their throats close on themselves, the sleeper is robbed of oxygen, until their brain’s need for oxygen sends a panicked signal that forces the body to gasp for air. Though those who suffer from sleep apnea are often unaware that they are going through this cycle, in the worst cases it may be happening hundreds of times per night, causing dramatic damage to their cardiovascular system, increasing blood pressure and putting them at risk for stroke and other serious conditions.  In many cases their health situation is not suspected until a sleeping partner becomes alerted to their explosive gasps for breath, or their daytime fatigue becomes too great to ignore. Continue reading →