Attention Parents with an Autistic Child: Is a Sleep Clinic in Order?

Attention Parents with an Autistic Child: Is a Sleep Clinic in Order?

The Holy Grail of Biological Questions: Why Do We Sleep?
In this blog, I am going to deal with a question that has stumped some of the most talented researchers in the world.  That should hopefully get your attention- this vexing question seems simple, but represents the “holy grail” of biology.  The question: why do we sleep?  Consider this- we spend approximately one-third of lives doing it and scientists are still not quit sure why.  (Much of this and future blogs on...

Beware of Late-Night Eating

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for most cases of primary insomnia, and for selected cases of secondary insomnia. There are a variety of behavioral and psychological treatments that comprise CBT-I, including stimulus control therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, paradoxical intention, sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene education, and cognitive therapy. Usually several of these treatments are...

The Function of Sleep Not Quite Explained
We finished the last blog in mid-thought.  We were talking about REM sleep and the idea of brain plasticity- the rewiring of our brains that take place when we learn new information.   A recent study in rats showed that 4 days of REM sleep deprivation decreased the amount of new cells in the part of the brain that is associated with long-term memory, in other words they did not make those new circuits.   Another study with...

Secondary Insomnia and the Drugs Used To Treat It
I previously posted about the diagnosis of insomnia, the difference between primary and secondary/comorbid insomnia, and the importance of evaluating for and treating any underlying causes of insomnia. I encourage you to read my Secondary Insomnia post before reading any more of this post. Today I will be talking more about medication treatment options for secondary (comorbid) insomnia. Although persons with primary insomnia (insomnia not...

The Basics of CPAP
 Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Except for tracheotomy, it is also the most effective treatment for OSA. CPAP is basically a computerized air pump that delivers pressurized air through a hose and then through a nasal interface into the patient's throat. The pressurized air splints open the upper airways, preventing the airflow pauses (apneas) and airflow...

Causes and Symptoms of Restless Leg Syndrome
We started our discussion about restless legs syndrome (RLS) in my recent blog, so let’s continue where we left off.   Mild symptoms of RLS occur in 5-15% of the general population, which makes it the second or third most common sleep disorder.  Of these cases, only about 2-3% are considered clinically severe enough to require treatment.  It appears to occur more commonly in females and can even affect children.  Due...