Friday, August 15, 2008

Sleep Apnea May Be Deadly

Sleep Apnea May Be Deadly
Title: Sleep Apnea May Be Deadly
Category: Health News
Created: 8/4/2008
Last Editorial Review: 8/4/2008

Sleep Deprivation and Athletes
An article from the National Sleep foundation (NSF) states that "if you are experiencing sleep deprivation, your athletic performance may suffer." Some effects of sleep deprivation may strike at the body, causing reduced endurance and a drop in the fitness level. Eyesight and hearing may be impaired. Other effects are emotional, including mood swings.   Logic would say that getting enough sleep is important for optimal sports...

Sleep More, Learn More
A study conducted by scientists in Switzerland revealed that a good night's sleep strengthened the nerve cells that control learning and memory. But --- can you actually learn while you're sleeping? If you listen to a CD on the history of Greece while in deep slumber, will the information be stored in your brain cells, ready for that big test tomorrow?   A web search brought up dozens of sites claiming you can learn while you sleep. A new...

Australian Study Shows That Sleep Apnea Is An Independent Risk Factor For Mortality
Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, according to a study in the August 1 issue of the journal Sleep. Fourteen years after initial data were collected, about 33 percent of participants with moderate to severe sleep apnea had died (six of 18 individuals), compared with 6.5 percent of people with mild OSA (five of 77) and 7.7 percent of people with no OSA (22 of 285).

New JCR Book Provides Tips On Recognizing, Preventing Effects Of Fatigue
Fatigue among health care workers is known to lower production and increase the risk of errors, as well as lead to higher absenteeism, personnel turnover and health care costs. "Strategies for Addressing Health Care Worker Fatigue" a new publication from Joint Commission Resources (JCR), offers health care organizations practical strategies for addressing this important health care topic. JCR is a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission.

Dreams from A to Zuni

Dreams from A to Zuni
In my last article, I discussed dreams in art and literature. To continue the study of dreams, this article focuses on the impact of dreams on different cultures.   Dreams have been with us since the beginning of time. There's no proof of this, but I'd bet the cavemen dreamed of woolly mammoths, saber tooth tigers and dragging some pretty girl off by her hair. The Bible is full of references to dreams and visions. There are almost a...

Dreams from A to Zuni 2
To the aboriginal peoples all over the world, dreams are the focus of much of their thoughts and plans. And, in many of the tribes, the beliefs are similar. Dreams are messages from the spirit world, whether from the gods, or from ancestors who have gone before.   The Australian Aborigines have their dreamtime. Everything begins and ends in dreamtime. This time is very different than time in the normal outer world.   The Senoi are...

Sleep disturbance common in fibromyalgia patients
The results of a study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism suggest that patients with fibromyalgia syndrome, a disorder characterized by chronic pain in the muscles and bones, have a high prevalence of sleep disturbances, which play an important role in exacerbating their symptoms.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children
We have already discussed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the adult, but have not spent much time on OSA in the pediatric age group, which despite also causing breathing to stop during sleep, can have different consequences, is often treated differently, and consequently is a very different disease.  Unfortunately pediatric OSA is often overlooked as a problem, and can lead to serious health problems. As is the case in an adult,...

Experts Urge Research on Sleep Apnea-Heart Disease Link
With obesity rising, troubled nighttime breathing will become even bigger problem, AHA warns

Your Sleep Questions Answered: Part 2
  I wanted to get back to your sleep questions.  Please see my disclaimer on last blog.  These questions and answers are meant to be educational and not to be used to replace your own physician.   Question: REM Behavior disorder (RBD) sounds interesting.  What if the person, in this case a nine year old child is somewhat awake or walking about and talking, is that related to RBD? I'm 29...

Stretch Your Way to sleep
An article from canada.com suggests that older people who practice tai chi chih improve their sleep. Tai chi chih is a version of the ancient Chinese martial art, tai chi. However, tai chi chih is not a martial art, and no violence is involved.   Dr. Michael R. Irwin, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA who headed the research team, stated that tai chi chih provided benefits similar to those obtained using drugs or CBT...

Studies Link Circadian Rhythm, Metabolism, Longevity to One Protein
New molecular clock component ties all three together, researchers say