Sleep Disorders

One of the most exciting and promising areas of sleep research has centered on the use of bright light in treating specific conditions. Light has been successfully used as therapy for patients suffering from a variety of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, as well as for depression. The theory behind why light has a positive impact on our ability to sleep and feel well rested relies upon the existence of 24-hour body clocks called circadian oscillators. These are genetic components that process through each day in much the same way that the inner workings of a clock do. They respond to bright light that strikes our eyes. Scientists have determined that these oscillators can be reset when exposed to bright light, so that through careful use of light exposure we can be programmed to awaken earlier or later. Continue reading →

According to researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that can lead to chronic health conditions, is on the rise in children. The problem has become so great that medical professionals have had to develop a new method of screening for the disorder in children so that they can more efficiently determine which patients should be given priority in treatment. Continue reading →

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, almost half of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 report that they either never or almost never get a full night’s sleep during the work or school week. As is the case with many people who do shift work, travel for business, or have disrupted sleep schedules for other reasons (such as college students), the solution that many of these sleep deprived people turn to is daytime naps that they believe compensate for their lack of sleep. Some companies are even setting up nap rooms to allow their workers to take short breaks to offset their late night hours. Unfortunately, a new study is revealing that this kind of disrupted sleep schedule may be doing a tremendous amount of unseen physical damage. Continue reading →

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have concluded that those male patients who suffer from a specific sleep disorder known as REM sleep behavior disorder are more likely to later develop a specific type of dementia called Lewy body dementia. The new information was recently presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology that was held in San Diego, California.  Continue reading →

Though most people have heard of sleep apnea, few realize exactly how prevalent it is or how dangerous it is.  This is extremely unfortunate, as many people suffer from health problems that would be eliminated if only their apnea was diagnosed; many others die without ever having any idea that they were living with a nightly time bomb. People who suffer from sleep apnea simply stop breathing every single night, repeatedly. Their throats close while they are sound asleep and the body struggles to survive without air – sometimes for up to a minute before the oxygen level falls to such a precipitous depth that the brain awakens the body and forces it to gasp for air. The sleeper is not aware that they have experienced this suffocation, or that they have been woken up by it. It returns to sleep, having suffered the effect of oxygen deprivation as well as being robbed of restful sleep. The sleeper has no memory or knowledge of the event the next day, though they are likely exhausted and their internal organs suffer as a result of the stress that they have been put through. Continue reading →