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Snoring isn't fun and it affects millions of people. We thought we'd share information to help you understand what causes snoring and how you might minimize or eliminate snoring. This site is about you--we're just the organizers. So please come often, read, share, learn and sleep better.

Snoring in Children Can Lead To Heart Disease

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, In The News

snoring kid

Snoring isn’t just an adult problem. New Delhi Doctor JC Suri says five percent of children between the ages of 2 and 18 have sleep breathing disorders. Snoring is caused when air can’t move freely through a sleeping person’s nose, and there are plenty of reasons why kids snore. However, this medical condition could cause serious medical issues, including heart disease. As parents and caregivers, protect your children as you understand snoring and its health effects.

Why do Kids Snore?

Excessive tonsil and adenoid growth in the back of a child’s throat can cause snoring. However, other culprits also block nasal passages and airways and prevent a child from breathing properly during sleep. These causes can include:

  • Seasonal, dirt or pet dander allergies
  • Colds and sinus infections
  • Swollen or enlarged tonsils or adenoids (glands located near the interior nasal passages)
  • Deviated septum (crooked tissue and cartilage that separates the two nose nostrils)
  • Obesity

What are the Effects of Snoring in Kids?

Snoring can disrupt a child’s sleep, and it certainly prevents other family members from sleeping. Lack of sleep can cause irritability, increased aggressiveness, lack of concentration, attitude changes and difficulty learning.

How is Snoring Connected to Heart Disease?

In addition to dangerous mental conditions, snoring can cause chronic heart disease, including high blood pressure, arrhythmias and heart attacks. Researchers have found that people who snore often have damaged carotid arteries, the lifelines that carry oxygen-rich blood to a person’s brain. If those arteries are thickened, a person’s heart has to work harder to deliver oxygen to the brain.

Likewise, snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea. Kids with this condition stop breathing for three to hundreds of times each night, their blood oxygen levels drop and their heart works harder to compensate.

How Can Kids Stop Snoring?

If your child snores, tilt the mattress so that your child sleeps at an angle and rests his or her head higher than the rest of the body. Then, talk to your pediatrician. He or she can examine the tonsils and adenoids to determine if they’re the culprit. The doctor can also prescribe cold medication, order allergy tests or recommend a weight loss strategy if congestion, allergies or obesity factor into snoring. A sleep study may also be ordered as the doctor decides if your child suffers from sleep apnea.

No matter what the cause, snoring can be dangerous to your child’s health. Seek medical treatment now as you prevent heart disease and other serious medical issues that may be the cause or eventually develop because of snoring.

New Treatment Available For Sleep Apnea Sufferers

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, In The News

new treatment

Although most people have at least heard of sleep apnea, many consider it to be nothing more than a nuisance for the people who have to endure the loud snoring typical of someone suffering from it. That’s bad enough, but sleep apnea can also be a serious condition contributing to many debilitating, even life-threatening illnesses. Luckily a brand-new treatment is offering relief for sleep apnea sufferers without having to resort to potentially dangerous surgery or wearing bulky, uncomfortable devices while they sleep.

 

According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea is a condition which causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, lasting for several seconds or even minutes, several times per hour. At best this results in a poor night’s sleep, causing fatigue, drowsiness and poor performance during waking hours. At worst it can increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

 

The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by excessive relaxation of muscles in the tongue and throat, causing an obstruction to breathing. Obesity is often a factor. The less common type is called central sleep apnea, and is caused by the brain sending incorrect signals to the muscles that control breathing.

 

The Mayo Clinic lists the types of treatment currently prescribed, generally involving cumbersome and uncomfortable oral appliances worn during sleep to facilitate normal breathing, or surgery to open air passageways.

 

However, these methods of treatment aren’t always appropriate, and for some patients that’s where a new treatment called Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) is offering hope.

 

Developed by Inspire Medical Systems, the new therapy utilizes a small electronic device, about the size of a pacemaker, implanted under the skin in the muscles of the chest and neck. The device monitors the rhythm of a patient’s breathing during sleep, and emits a continuous low electrical current to the muscles that control the tongue and airway, moving the tongue back and out of the way during inhalation, and expanding breathing passages.

 

The Inspire device was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2014, after extensive testing and trials that showed great promise for the new therapy. Commented Inspire Medical Systems CEO Tim Herbert, “The FDA approval of Inspire therapy represents a new era of choice for a subset of patients with moderate to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea who are unable to use CPAP.”

 

Meir Kryger, professor at the Yale School of Medicine, agreed, saying “This therapy represents a major advance in sleep apnea treatment for some patients who are unable to use or tolerate CPAP therapy.”

 

To learn more about the correlation between tongue size and sleeping problems, visit your doctor or consult a sleep center.  You can find a sleep center near you by searching our sleep center directory. 

New Guideline Supports Need for Sleep Studies

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, In The News

Based on new evidence-based clinical practice guidelines from the American College of Physicians medical doctors treating an unexplained daytime sleepiness condition should assess the patient’s risk and symptoms of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). According to David Fleming, MD current President of the American College of Physicians “obstructive sleep apnea is a serious health condition that is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cognitive impairment and type 2 diabetes. It is important to diagnose individuals with unexplained daytime sleepiness so that they can get the proper treatment.”

OSA occurs when there is a total or partial blockage of the upper airway. When the air can’t pass through freely, this causes shallow breathing or breathing pauses that are often repeated during sleep. These breathing interruptions can occur frequently while asleep and put your health at great risk. Some symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are: snoring, daytime sleepiness and feelings of exhaustion and fatigue.

According to the new guideline, The American College of Physicians recommends having a sleep study done at a sleep center when OSA is suspected. If the patient is unable to have a polysomnography at a sleep center a home sleep test monitored by a sleep center or a qualified physician is suggested.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute indicate that approximately 18 million American adults have obstructive sleep apneas. It is suspected the increase in the incidence of OSA in this country is correlated to the nation’s obesity problem. Solutions to reduce obesity may help to lower the incidence of OSA.

There is yet another reason to consider a sleep study as soon as OSA is suspected. Prior to being diagnosed, data shows people with OSA visit medical doctors and hospitals more frequently and also spend more dollars on health care. As a result, early detection will not only benefit your health but in terms of overall health care costs will save you money too.

Individuals experiencing daytime sleepiness, fatigue, or any other symptoms associated with potential sleep disorders should make it their priority to discuss this condition with their physician or contact a sleep center.

Study Identifies the Hidden Dangers of Snoring in Children

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in In The News

 A recent study in Hong Kong identified certain dangers that are associated with snoring, particularly when it comes to the health of children. The study determined that roughly one in eight children throughout Hong Kong, or roughly 12.7 percent of children, snore when they sleep. Unfortunately, snoring can be a sign of a serious sleep disorder and parents should be aware of the potential dangers associated with the habit.

Risk of Snoring

According to UCLA, almost 20 percent of children snore occasionally; however, the children who are at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea are those who snore on a regular or nightly basis.

The risks associated with snoring include:

  • Increased risk of developing high blood pressure at a young age
  • Higher risk of obesity
  • Developing behavioral problems similar to attention deficit hyper-activity disorder
  • Lower levels of oxygen in the blood during sleep

While it might seem cute when a child snores, it can lead to serious health concerns when it occurs regularly. Over time, the possibility of facing serious health concerns that are related to hypertension, obesity or anxiety can increase.

Who is impacted?

The study in Hong Kong discovered that obstructive sleep apnea is more likely to develop in boys who are classified as obese or who have developed asthma. Although the study in Hong Kong suggested that boys have a higher incident, UCLA notes that girls have as much risk as boys when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea.

Warning signs that the condition may develop include:

  • Sleeping in awkward positions
  • Snoring on most nights
  • Breathing stops for short periods during sleep
  • A child suffers from regular headaches, particularly in the morning
  • Sleep is not restful and a child is irritable or grumpy throughout the day

Parents should pay particular attention if there is any sign that a child stops breathing at night or snores very loudly. Behavioral problems do not always relate to sleep apnea, but it can be a sign of the condition when it is combined with snoring, regular headaches or other signs of the condition.

When children snore, it does not always mean that a child is simply tired or sleeping in a funny position. It can be a sign of more serious concerns and parents should know that there are risks associated with snoring on a regular or nightly basis.

 

A Good Night’s Sleep Helps Keep Your Driving Record Clean

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, In The News

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The inability to get a good night’s sleep affects more than just your ability to stifle yawns during the workday. In fact, a lack of sleep is directly related to many auto accidents, some of them involving fatalities. A recent example of such an instance is the highly publicized auto accident involving actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and the Wal-Mart truck driver who had allegedly not slept in over a day. Most of us have a few nights here and there when we don’t get enough sleep, and when that happens getting behind the wheel turns into a risky venture.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Drivers

When you do not get enough sleep, it’s likely that you notice feeling tired during the day. While that may not seem like a big deal, that’s not the only way that sleep deprivation changes you. Among the problems you can experience as a result of sleep loss, WebMD includes the following:

  • impaired critical thinking
  • lack of alertness
  • concentration problems
  • difficulty paying attention
  • inability to make sound judgments

These factors all contribute to the main problem that WebMD mentions, which is that sleep deprivation is directly related to auto accidents, as well as some of the biggest disasters in history like Chernobyl.

Sleep-Deprived Driving Can Kill

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy drivers are directly responsible for over 100,000 vehicle crashes each year. Of those crashes, the NHTSA notes that 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 injuries happen each year. While those numbers are staggering, the real numbers are much higher since it is believed that sleep deprivation as a crash cause is highly underreported.

Who It Affects and How To Prevent It

Though driving while drowsy is most seen in the under 25 age group, it affects people of all ages. In fact, the NHTSA identifies three main groups who have the most risk of driving without enough sleep and getting into an automobile accident. Those groups are:

  • shift workers
  • younger drivers, especially younger male drivers
  • drivers who suffer from sleep apnea and/or narcolepsy

For most people, simply getting an adequate amount of sleep each night is all that it takes to not fall victim of the effects of sleep deprivation when driving. In fact, the NHTSA pinpoints this as the single most effective solution.

When you have to drive after not getting an adequate amount of sleep, there are some measures you can take to reduce or eliminate some of the negative effects. If time permits, then napping for around 15 minutes before getting on the road improves driving performance.

Other options that seem to work include drinking a couple of cups of coffee to boost your caffeine or creating an uncomfortable driving situation, such as keeping it really cold in the vehicle.

Those drivers with medical conditions like sleep apnea should consult with a physician for effective treatment options before driving.

And if your sleep deprivation is due to poor sleeping conditions, then consider sleep masks, ear plugs or other devices that exist to create an ideal environment for sleeping.

 

Insurance Coverage for Your Sleep Study – What You Need To Know

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, Sleep Disorders, Uncategorized

insurance

 

When your doctor refers you to a sleep center to understand your snoring issues, one of your first questions you’d have would probably be related to cost. Will your insurance cover it? How much will they pay and how much will you have to pay? The answers to these questions will depend on your insurance provider, but you can take comfort in the fact that many sleep studies are covered by insurance.

What insurance covers sleep studies?

Sometimes the only way to really know what is going on with your snoring is to visit a sleep center. It may take thorough observation by specialists to get to the bottom of the problem – something that can cost a good deal of money. Fortunately, Health.com says that almost all insurance programs cover sleep studies. This includes Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans.

What types of sleep studies are covered?

A typical insurance plan will cover several different types of sleep studies, depending on your doctor’s recommendation and the specific insurer. The amount you pay out of your pocket will depend on your deductible and plan. The costs can vary considerably, so it is worth considering all of your options.

The most well-known type of study is conducted in a lab. According to the LA Times, a common lab study will measure over a dozen body functions through sensors in an actual laboratory setting. The cost of this kind of study can be several thousand dollars.

There are also home studies now available that cost a few hundred dollars and may be enough for your particular circumstances. They measure far fewer variables, but they are significantly less complicated and your doctor may consider them adequate.

What should you gather for your insurance company?

The best way to know what your insurance company will need to make a decision on your sleep study is to call and ask. Every insurer is different and yours may have different requirements on what information you need to provide. However, there are some common things that most insurers will ask for:

  • Your most recent prescription from your doctor for the sleep study
  • All notes from your doctor related to your snoring and the need for a sleep study
  • Information from your doctor stating that your snoring is possibly related to further health concerns

This last bit of information is important. Most insurance companies will not cover treatment for snoring alone, as they consider it a cosmetic issue. It must be related to another health issue – like sleep apnea – to warrant coverage.

 

Sleep Deprivation Can Spike Your Cortisol Levels

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Sleep Disorders

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Sleep deprived? Too little sleep can spike up the level of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is the stress hormone which increases appetite, and has your body calling for starchy and sugary foods.

Before you know it your waistline is expanding and more belly fat begins to hang over your swimsuit – one of the more obvious changes you begin to notice.  It’s the cortisol working on the body. It’s breaking down your muscle mass while storing fat in the abdominal region. 

To make matters worse cortisol can also affect your libido, cause depression and lead to memory loss.

It may be time to make some lifestyle changes.  How can you become healthier and at the same time improve your swimsuit body?

Start with getting a good night’s sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each day. Not getting adequate sleep affects your cortisol level and leads to belly fat.

So, if you are keeping your bed partner up at night, consider having a sleep study to learn why.  Snoring or any number of other issues may be the cause.  Find out what can be done to stop the snoring or address these issues to improve your quality of life and you’ll be happier and healthier. 

So will your bed partner!

Find the Cure for Your Snore with 3D Printing Technology

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Blog, In The News

      640px-Printing_with_a_3D_printer_at_Makers_Party_Bangalore_2013_12

If you snore, you’re probably very well-versed in its side effects–disrupted sleep, chronic tiredness and decreased focus throughout the day–to name a few. None of these conditions contribute favorably to your quality of life, but new innovation in the treatment of  sleep disorders is bringing hope to those who snore and to the long-suffering family members who love them.

Enter snore cure by 3D printing.

What is 3D Printing?

Three-dimensional printing technology has been in use since 1983, when unassuming scientist, Chuck Hall, first conceived the notion in a laboratory where he worked making coatings for tables. The very first 3D printer used a form of liquid acrylic that was doused with UV light to make it harden instantly. According to CNN Tech, this technology is still the basis for today’s stereolithography, or 3D printing:

  • Using a CAD, or computer-assisted design software, an operator enters a three-dimensional model into a computer, which then slices it into horizontal layers.
  • The image is then sent to a 3D printer, which “sprays” material onto a building surface, layer-by-horizontal-layer, until the entire object has been recreated in a solid form.

It’s the stuff of science fiction, for sure, but it’s revolutionizing industries from construction to dentistry.

How Does 3D Printing Cure Snoring?

Researchers have developed a 3D oral appliance to combat snoring and treat sleep apnea.

Utilizing a 3D scanner to copy a person’s mouth, scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in partnership with the Austrailian dental company Oventus can create a customized mouthpiece specific for each patient.

Oventus CEO, Neil Anderson says “this new device is tailored to an individual’s mouth using a 3D scan and is used on the top teeth which makes it more compact and far more comfortable.”

The new mouthpiece is expected to come out to market at an affordable price sometime in 2015.

How Many People Will Benefit?

Its estimated 22 million Americans and 100 million people worldwide suffer from the symptoms of sleep apnea–the sleeping disorder often marked by irregular breathing, snoring and abrupt wakening during sleep. For these people, the new, more affordable mouthpiece is heartening. Existing methods of treating sleep apnea include bulky masks and uncomfortable vibration devices. For snorers currently using these methods, or those who simply can’t afford treatment at all, this latest announcement is joyous news.

So if you snore, or love someone who does, this innovation in 3D printing just might help you sleep a little better at night, which translates into a better, brighter tomorrow for everyone involved.

 

Is Snoring Ruining Your Sex Life?

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Helping Your Snoring Spouse

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Snoring may be the butt of many light-hearted jokes, but those who suffer the consequences of loud and excessive snoring know it’s more than a silly nuisance. Severe snoring, like the kind associated with sleep apnea, can break up a relationship, or at least send it to separate rooms. In an article for WebMD, Dr. Andrew L Riles states that the connection between snoring and a lack of intimacy is clear, but treatments can help.

Sex and Snoring

The obvious obstacle to a great sex life is sleeping in separate rooms. If snoring has driven the couple apart in the name of a good night’s sleep, keeping the fires of sexual intimacy flamed is naturally going to be more difficult. However, the relationship between snoring and your sex life is more complex than the sleeping arrangement:

  • Snoring caused by sleep apnea can leave the snorer chronically tired due to oxygen deprivation through the night
  • The partner of the snorer may suffer from sleep deprivation and be too tired to enjoy healthy sexual relations at the end of the day
  • Males with OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) may actually produce less testosterone according to sleep expert and surgeon Dr. Paulose
  • Medications for high blood pressure and other ailments caused by sleep apnea may reduce sex drive and cause erectile dysfunction in men
  • The stress that snoring places on a relationship may lead to depression or resentment for one or both partners, making emotional intimacy more difficult

Make the Fireworks Fly

There are several steps you can take to resolve the problems associated with snoring, and get your sexual relationship back on track. Start with a medical evaluation, including a sleep study. A CPAP mask may be the best treatment for patients who’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea. According to research cited by WebMD, sleep apnea patients treated with CPAP noticed a decrease in daytime fatigue and an increase in sexual energy.

Other solutions include weight loss, avoiding alcohol and other sedatives, smoking cessation, sleeping on your side and using a more supportive pillow.

A great sex life isn’t the only reason to seek treatment to stop your snoring. New studies by researchers at the Henry Ford Hospital have found a connection between snoring and cardiovascular disease. Snoring and sleep apnea cannot only ruin your life, left untreated they can ruin your health.

Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Worsened by Sleep Apnea

Written by Manny Erlich. Posted in Sleep Disorders

People diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) already have enough to deal with, including fatigue. But researchers are finding that the presence of obstructive sleep apnea can make fatigue even more prevalent. Because sleep apnea is a common occurrence for those with MS, it has a great impact on their quality of life by exacerbating a symptom that’s very debilitating.

A study was conducted at Ann Arbor’s University of Michigan Multiple Sclerosis & Sleep Disorders Centers. Of those studies, one-fifth were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and one-half were considered to be at a high risk for developing the condition. Sleep apnea places additional health risk on those with MS because it compromises health and the individual’s quality of life. As a chronic illness causing further debilitation to MS sufferers, it’s vital that OSA be diagnosed in a timely manner.

Doctors at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend that people with MS who suspect they suffer from a form of sleep apnea should seek a referral to a sleep medicine physician. Likewise, our upcoming Sleep Center Directory can assist individuals with MS in getting the diagnosis and treatment they need.

The team of doctors involved in the study at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center selected their subjects through a questionnaire on sleep and four instruments created to assess daytime sleepiness, severity of insomnia and severity of fatigue. Medical records of the people participating in the study also revealed the clinical characteristics that could help predict the person’s risk of OSA or fatigue.

As explained by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the chronic condition of sleep apnea involves periodic stoppage of or decreased airflow as the individual sleeps. While the muscles relax, the soft tissue located at the back of the person’s throat can collapse, causing a blockage to the upper airway. Many people suffering with this condition are known to snore loudly. In addition to having OSA diagnosed and treated, there are also many options for dealing with snoring so the individual and his or her loved one can get a better night’s sleep.

Because sleep apnea is a condition that’s under-recognized in MS sufferers, doctors and researchers want to raise awareness and encourage those with the condition to be tested for sleep apnea. Approximately 400,000 people in the US have multiple sclerosis, with 12 percent of them diagnosed with sleep apnea.