If you use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat your obstructive sleep apnea, you may be familiar with most of the ways to keep your CPAP clean. However, one key element often escapes people’s notice: how do you change the filters on the CPAP machine? Whether you are using the latest model from ResMed or Respironics, two major manufacturers of the equipment, learn how to find (and how often to change) these air filters to keep yourself healthy.
What Is a CPAP Filter?
The CPAP machine takes in room air, filters it, and pressurizes it to deliver therapy to keep your airway from collapsing during sleep. Much like the very first model a modified vacuum cleaner these devices can also suck up debris from the environment. This may include dust, pet dander, smoke, and other potential allergens. The filter is designed to clear these elements from the air that is directed into the machine and ultimately to your lungs.
Most filters are made of disposable materials. The most common ones are paper, foam, or woven synthetic material that feels like polyester batting.2
Location
Depending on the make and model of your CPAP machine, the filters may be located in different locations. If you have trouble finding yours, you might ask your durable medical equipment provider for some assistance.
On the newest ResMed AirSense 10 CPAP unit, the filter is located at the left side under a plastic flap that looks like a grate. The white synthetic filter sits in this flap-like piece. When the flap door is open and the filter is removed you can see the intake hole for air, which is about the size of a nickel.
On the Philips Respironics DreamStation CPAP unit, there are actually two filters. These are located on the left side in a removable piece. One is quite small, and disposable. The other is used long term and cradles the disposable filter. The more permanent filter should be cleaned periodically with water.
we provide information for most common machines, however, if you have any machine that you would like we will find you a location for the filter contact us.
Auto Adjusting CPAP
Auto Adjusting CPAP Machines
This automatic CPAP machine continuously adjusts to deliver the optimal pressure for each breath, ensuring restful, uninterrupted sleep. Equipped with advanced responsive technology, it adapts to your unique needs, providing a comfortable and efficient way to keep your airways clear throughout the night. CPAP machine prices vary based on the model and quality, and we offer the best brands available.
It is very important to regularly change your CPAP filters. If these become dirty, the air that you breathe in with the device will likewise be unclean. These filters are very inexpensive. If you pay for them out of pocket, it would cost only roughly 3euro per month to keep them new. In general, it is recommended that the filters be changed or cleaned at least once per month. Some insurance will pay for new filters every 2 weeks.
The ResMed filter should be outright replaced at this frequency. The longer-term filter on the Respironics machine should be rinsed clean monthly and the disposable filter underneath should also be fully replaced each month.
If you are in a particularly dirty or dusty environment, you may choose to replace your filters more often. By regularly checking the filter initially, you will be able to determine how dirty it is becoming and whether increased replacement is necessary. Even if the filter appears clean, it should be replaced on at least a monthly basis.
Machine Air Filters
Machine Air Filters
Machine air filters are vital elements of CPAP therapy, capturing airborne particles and ensuring clean air delivery during sleep. These filters safeguard your CPAP machine by preventing dust and allergens from entering the system.
After you have removed the dirty filter each month, simply replace it with a new one, following the instructions for your model. The final step is to reassemble the filter’s housing as it was before. In the Respironics machine, this simply requires layering the filters and sliding them back in place. On the ResMed unit, you can place the filter and gently close the flap, clicking the filter into place.
Keep yourself healthy and replace your filters as often as you should.
Researchers have found that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can improve depression symptoms in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
Using data from the Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) trial led by Flinders University, the new study has found a significant decrease in cases of depression after patients received CPAP treatment for their sleep apnea.
This is by far the largest trial of its type and one of the very few studies reporting such an effect, says Professor Doug McEvoy from Flinders University.
From the detailed analysis of the SAVE data, Flinders University experts and collaborators at the George Institute have found that CPAP for moderate-severe OSA in patients with cardiovascular disease has broader benefits in terms of preventing depression, independent of improved sleepiness.
Prior studies investigating the effect of CPAP on mood with various experimental designs and length of follow-up periods have yielded heterogeneous results.
“Patients who have had a stroke or heart attack are prone to suffer from low mood and are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop clinical depression, which then further elevates their risk of future heart attacks and strokes,” says SAVE principal investigator Professor McEvoy, a senior author in the paper just published by The Lancet in EClinicalMedicine.
With up to 50% of patients with CV disease likely to have OSA, the study is “welcome news that treatment of OSA substantially relieves cardiovascular patients’ depressive symptoms and improves their wellbeing.”
The paper’s first author, Dr Danni Zheng, from the George Institute for Global Health (UNSW), says the 2687 OSA patients enrolled in the SAVE trial were based solely on their history of cardiovascular disease and not on their current mood status.
“After following them for an average of 3.7 years, we found that CPAP provided significant reductions in depression symptoms compared with those who were not treated for OSA. The improvement for depression was apparent within six months and was sustained.”
As expected, those with lower mood scores to start with appeared to get the greatest benefit.
“Our additional systematic review which combined the SAVE study findings with previous work provided further support of the treatment effect of CPAP for depression,” Dr Zheng says.
Story Source: Materials provided by Flinders University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:Danni Zheng, Ying Xu, Shoujiang You, Maree L. Hackett, Richard J. Woodman, Qiang Li, Mark Woodward, Kelly A. Loffler, Anthony Rodgers, Luciano F. Drager, Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, Xia Wang, Wei Wei Quan, Manjari Tripathi, Olga Mediano, Qiong Ou, Rui Chen, Zhihong Liu, Xilong Zhang, Yuanming Luo, Nigel McArdle, Sutapa Mukherjee, R. Douglas McEvoy, Craig S. Anderson. Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: results from the sleep apnoea cardiovascular Endpoint randomised trial and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 2019; 11: 89 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.05.012
Just about everyone snores occasionally, and it’s usually not something to worry about. But if you regularly snore at night, it can disrupt the quality of your sleep—leading to daytime fatigue, irritability, and increased health problems. And if your snoring keeps your partner awake, it can create major relationship problems too. Thankfully, sleeping in separate bedrooms isn’t the only remedy for snoring. There are many effective solutions that can help both you and your partner sleep better at night and overcome the relationship problems caused when one person snores.
What causes snoring?
Snoring happens when you can’t move air freely through your nose and throat during sleep. This makes the surrounding tissues vibrate, which produces the familiar snoring sound. People who snore often have too much throat and nasal tissue or “floppy” tissue that is more prone to vibrate. The position of your tongue can also get in the way of smooth breathing.
Since people snore for different reasons, it’s important to understand the causes behind your snoring. Once you understand why you snore, you can find the right solutions to a quieter, deeper sleep—for both you and your partner.
Common causes of snoring
Age. As you reach middle age and beyond, your throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in your throat decreases. While you can’t do anything about growing older, lifestyle changes, new bedtime routines, and throat exercises can all help to prevent snoring.
Being overweight or out of shape. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring. Even if you’re not overweight in general, carrying excess weight just around your neck or throat can cause snoring. Exercising and losing weight can sometimes be all it takes to end your snoring.
The way you’re built. Men have narrower air passages than women and are more likely to snore. A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids, and other physical attributes that contribute to snoring are often hereditary. Again, while you have no control over your build or gender, you can control your snoring with the right lifestyle changes, bedtime routines, and throat exercises.
Nasal and sinus problems. Blocked airways or a stuffy nose make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring.
Alcohol, smoking, and medications. Alcohol intake, smoking, and certain medications, such as tranquilizers like lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium), can increase muscle relaxation leading to more snoring.
Sleep posture. Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway. Changing your sleep position can help.
Ruling out more serious causes
Snoring could indicate sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder where your breathing is briefly interrupted many times each night. Normal snoring doesn’t interfere with the quality of your sleep as much as sleep apnea, so if you’re suffering from extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day, it could be an indication of sleep apnea or another sleep-related breathing problem. Call your doctor if you or your sleep partner have noticed any of the following red flags:
You snore loudly and heavily and are tired during the day.
You stop breathing, gasp, or choke during sleep.
You fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as during a conversation or a meal.
Linking the cause of your snoring to the cure
Monitoring your snoring for patterns can often help you pinpoint the reasons why you snore, what makes it worse, and how to go about stopping it. To identify important patterns, it helps to keep a sleep diary. If you have a sleep partner, they can help you fill it in. If you sleep alone, set up a camera to record yourself at night.
HOW you snore reveals WHY you snore
Type of snoring
What it may indicate
Closed-mouth snoring
May indicate a problem with your tongue
Open-mouth snoring
May be related to the tissues in your throat
Snoring when sleeping on your back
Probably mild snoring—improved sleep habits and lifestyle changes may be effective cures
Snoring in all sleep positions
Can mean your snoring is more severe and may require a more comprehensive treatment
Self-help strategies for snoring
There are so many bizarre anti-snoring devices available on the market today, with more being added all the time, that finding the right solution for your snoring can seem like a daunting task. Unfortunately, many of these devices are not backed up by research, or they work by simply keeping you awake at night. There are, however, plenty of proven techniques that can help eliminate snoring. Not every remedy is right for every person, though, so putting a stop to your snoring may require patience, lifestyle changes, and a willingness to experiment with different solutions.
Bedtime remedies to help you stop snoring
Change your sleeping position. Elevating your head four inches may ease breathing and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. There are specifically designed pillows available to help prevent snoring by making sure your neck muscles are not crimped.
Sleep on your side instead of your back. Try attaching a tennis ball to the back of a pajama top or T-shirt (you can sew a sock to the back of your top then put a tennis ball inside). If you roll over onto your back, the discomfort of the tennis ball will cause you to turn back onto your side. Alternatively, wedge a pillow stuffed with tennis balls behind your back. After a while, sleeping on your side will become a habit and you can dispense with the tennis balls.
Try an anti-snoring mouth appliance. These devices, which resemble an athlete’s mouth guard, help open your airway by bringing your lower jaw and/or your tongue forward during sleep. While a dentist-made appliance can be expensive, cheaper do-it-yourself kits are also available.
Clear nasal passages. If you have a stuffy nose, rinse sinuses with saline before bed. Using a neti pot, nasal decongestant, or nasal strips can also help you breathe more easily while sleeping. If you have allergies, reduce dust mites and pet dander in your bedroom or use an allergy medication.
Keep bedroom air moist. Dry air can irritate membranes in the nose and throat, so if swollen nasal tissues are the problem, a humidifier may help.
Lifestyle changes to help you stop snoring
Lose weight. Losing even a little bit of weight can reduce fatty tissue in the back of the throat and decrease, or even stop, snoring.
Quit smoking. If you smoke, your chances of snoring are high. Smoking irritates the membranes in the nose and throat which can block the airways and cause snoring. While quitting is easier said than done, it can bring quick snoring relief.
Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing. Also talk to your doctor about any prescription medications you’re taking, as some encourage a deeper level of sleep which can make snoring worse.
Be careful what you eat before bed. Research shows that eating large meals or consuming certain foods such as dairy or soymilk right before bedtime can make snoring worse.
Exercise in general can reduce snoring, even if it doesn’t lead to weight loss. That’s because when you tone various muscles in your body, such as your arms, legs, and abs, this leads to toning the muscles in your throat, which in turn can lead to less snoring. There are also specific exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles in your throat.
Six anti-snoring throat exercises
Studies show that by pronouncing certain vowel sounds and curling the tongue in specific ways, muscles in the upper respiratory tract are strengthened and therefore reduce snoring. The following exercises can help
Repeat each vowel (a-e-i-o-u) out loud for three minutes a few times a day.
Place the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth. Slide your tongue backwards for three minutes a day.
Close your mouth and purse your lips. Hold for 30 seconds.
With your mouth open, move your jaw to the right and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the left side.
With your mouth open, contract the muscle at the back of your throat repeatedly for 30 seconds. Tip: Look in the mirror to see the uvula (“the hanging ball”) move up and down.
For a more fun exercise, simply spend time singing. Singing can increase muscle control in the throat and soft palate, reducing snoring caused by lax muscles.
Medical treatment for snoring
If you’ve tried self-help solutions for snoring without success, don’t give up hope. There are medical options that could make all the difference. New advances in the treatment of snoring are developing all the time and devices are becoming more effective and comfortable.
Talk to your primary physician or to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor or ENT). Even if they recommend something that was uncomfortable or didn’t work in the past, that doesn’t mean the same will be true now.
Medical cures for snoring
Your physician or otolaryngologist may recommend a medical device or surgical procedure such as:
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). To keep your airway open during sleep, a machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face.
Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) uses a laser to shorten the uvula (the hanging soft tissue at the back of the throat) and to make small cuts in the soft palate either side. As the cuts heal, the surrounding tissues stiffen to prevent the vibrations that trigger snoring.
Palatal implants or the Pillar procedure, involves inserting small plastic implants into the soft palate which help prevent collapse of the soft palate that can cause snoring.
Somnoplasty uses low levels of radiofrequency heat to remove tissues of the uvula and soft palate that vibrate during snoring. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and takes about 30 minutes.
Custom-fitted dental devices and lower jaw-positioners help open your airway by bringing your lower jaw or your tongue forward during sleep. For best results, you will need to see a dentist who specializes in these devices.
Surgical procedures such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities.
Snoring and your relationship
No matter how much you love each other, snoring can put a strain on your relationship. If you’re the one lying awake at night as your partner snores away, it’s easy to start feeling resentful. And if you’re the snorer, you may feel helpless, guilty, or even irritated with your partner for harping on about something you can’t control.
When snoring is a problem, relationship tension can grow in the following ways:
Sleeping in separate rooms. While this may be a solution for some couples, it can also take a toll on emotional and physical intimacy. And if you’re the one snoring, you might feel lonely, isolated, and unfairly punished.
Irritability due to sleep loss. Disrupted sleep isn’t just a problem for the non-snorer. Snoring is caused by disordered breathing, which means the snorer’s sleep quality also suffers. Poor sleep takes a toll on mood, thinking skills, judgment, and your ability to manage stress and conflict. This can explain why communication often breaks down when you and your partner try talking about the problem.
Partner resentment. When a non-snorer feels he or she has done everything possible to sleep through the night (ear plugs, sound machines, etc.) but the snorer doesn’t take any action to combat the snoring, it can lead to resentment. Working as a team to find a snoring cure can prevent future fights.
If you value your relationship, make it your priority to find a snoring cure so you can both sleep soundly. Working together to stop snoring can even be an opportunity to improve the quality of your bond and become more deeply connected.
Communicating with a partner who snores
So, you love everything about your partner, except their snoring. It’s normal. Even the most patient amongst us will draw the line at sleep deprivation. But no matter how much sleep you lose due to someone snoring, it’s important to handle the problem sensitively. It’s common to be irritable when sleep loss is an issue, but try reining in your frustration. You want to attack the snoring problem—not your sleep partner. Remember that your partner likely feels vulnerable, defensive, and even a little embarrassed about their snoring.
Time your talk carefully. Avoid middle of the night or early morning discussions when you’re both feeling exhausted.
Keep in mind it’s not intentional. Although it’s easy to feel like a victim when you lose sleep, remember that your partner isn’t keeping you awake on purpose.
Avoid lashing out. Sure, sleep deprivation is aggravating and can be damaging to your health, but try your best to approach the problem in a non-confrontational way.
Beware of bitterness. Make sure that latching onto snoring is not an outlet for other hidden resentments you’re harboring.
Use humor and playfulness to bring up the subject of snoring without hurting your partner’s feelings. Laughing about it can ease tension. Just make sure it doesn’t turn into too much teasing.
Dealing with complaints about your snoring
It’s common to be caught off guard—not to mention to feel a little hurt—when a partner complains about your snoring. After all, you probably didn’t even realize it was happening. And although it might seem silly that snoring can cause such relationship turmoil, it’s a common and a very real problem.
If you dismiss your partner’s concerns and refuse to try to solve your snoring problem, you’re sending a clear message to your partner that you don’t care about their needs. This could mean your relationship is in trouble, and that’s a bigger problem than the snoring.
Keep the following in mind as you and your partner work together to find a solution to your snoring:
Snoring is a physical issue. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Like a pulled muscle or a common cold, improving the condition is in your hands.
Avoid taking it personally. Try not to take your partner’s frustration as a personal critique or attack. Your partner loves you, just not the snoring.
Take your partner seriously. Avoid minimizing complaints. Lack of sleep is a health hazard and can make your partner feel miserable all day.
Make it clear that you prioritize the relationship. If you and your partner have this understanding, you’ll both do what it takes to find a cure for the snoring.
Address inappropriate behavior. Although sleep deprivation can lead to moodiness and irritability, let your partner know that it’s not okay for them to throw an elbow jab or snap at you when you’re snoring.
Authors: Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, and Robert Segal, M.A. Last updated: October 2018.
For the most part, to get the best results out of your sleep study, technicians want you to go about your usual evening routine as much as possible. However, there are
However, there are a certain thing you can do to make the study go more smoothly, and still garner the most accurate results.
What to bring
If you take any regularly prescribed medications according to your physician’s instructions it is suggested to take them with you.
Bring sleeping clothes such as pajamas or shorts and a t-shirt. Although your comfort is very important, most clinics prefer you not to sleep naked the night of the study.
It is not necessary but if you desire you may bring your favorite pillow or blanket if desired.
Bring any other specialty items you may need for sleep or will need first thing in the morning such as toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair dryer, etc.
What to do before arriving for the study
Try to avoid naps during the day so that going to sleep will be easier during your study.
Wash and dry your hair before going to the clinic. Do not apply sprays, conditioners, gels, or oils to your hair. There are a number of electrodes that will be administered and these substances can adhering equipment difficult.
Remove nail polish from index fingers. You will be wearing a pulse oximeter on one index finger.
Have your evening meal prior to showing up for your study.
Try and avoid eating or drinking anything with caffeine a few hours before your study. If possible, avoid caffeine after your lunch.
Have all paperwork given ahead of time filled out?
Notify the sleep clinic if you need to come in early or show up later so that you can better be accommodated.
Let the clinic know ahead of time if you have any special needs (e.g. trouble getting in/out of bed, anyphysical limitations, nocturnal enuresis, impairments, etc.).
What to do upon arrival and what to expect
Notify your sleep tech of any prescription medications and recreational drugs you take (be as honest as possible for best results).
If your physician prescribes a sleep aid for the night of the study, ask the technologist when to take it.
You’re going to be hooked up to a lot of monitoring equipment that takes about an hour to apply. Please be patient and take direction from your technologist.
Sleeping with a lot of equipment on can be a little uncomfortable, but your technologist will do everything they can to make you as comfortable as possible.
Your technologist will administer the study from another room, but you will have an intercom next to your bed if you need to contact them anytime during the study.
For more information on the procedures and equipment used in a sleep study click here.
Your results will not be ready the following day. Both the technologist and the sleep physician will need to interpret the study’s data.
Making New Year’s resolutions is easy. Keeping them — beyond a couple of weeks, at least — is tough.
One big factor that affects whether the commitment sticks: sleep.
It’s a key component many people neglect when striving to make improvements in just about any part of their lives.
“We definitely take sleep as a luxury; it’s not,” says Cathy Goldstein, M.D., a sleep physician at Michigan Medicine and an assistant professor of neurology in the Sleep Disorders Centers at the University of Michigan.
Whether intentional or a result of external factors, shortchanging on shut-eye influences a host of bodily functions crucial for good health.
Some individuals, Goldstein notes, aren’t aware they’re lacking in sleep — or they knowingly sacrifice it to accommodate work or leisure demands. As a result, “they become used to this poor level of performance.”
She explained how poor or low-quality sleep hinders some common resolutions:
“I want to eat healthier”: The pitfalls of eating junk food are twofold when sleep is in short supply. Night owls are more likely to snack in the evening (either by raiding the pantry or hitting a drive-thru) and those who eat during the nighttime tend to weigh more.
Whether you are a night owl or not, people who aren’t getting enough sleep also are apt to make poor meal choices during the day. Sleep restriction decreases one’s levels of leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full) and boosts ghrelin, which collectively increase appetite and alter food choices in a negative way. “It really changes the profile of what you eat to high carbohydrate, salty, sugary snacks,” Goldstein says.
“I want to exercise more”: Who feels like hitting the gym when they’re exhausted? Beyond a lack of mental motivation, the physical payoffs of exercise are reduced when your sleep routine is out of whack.
Researchers have found adequate sleep improves speed, strength and endurance in athletes. A 2013 Northwestern University study found the connection benefits everyone: “The less sleep you get, the shorter your exercise duration the next day is going to be,” says Goldstein.
“I want to get a promotion”: Good employees are alert, motivated and cheerful. Those qualities, Goldstein says, “all are impaired by sleep loss.” They also spur what she dubs “cyber loafing” — that is, mindlessly scrolling social media or entertainment sites while on the clock.
The risks aren’t relevant only to those seeking to climb the corporate ladder. A well-rested boss is probably a better worker, too. Notes Goldstein: “There is some research saying sleep-deprived people in managerial roles are less ethical and not as nice.”
“I want to improve my relationship”: Working through any interpersonal issues can be a challenge on its own, but fatigue hinders the healing process. “A person’s mood is going to be worse when they don’t sleep,” Goldstein says.
Those with obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder in which breathing is interrupted during the night, often “have a really short fuse; they’re much quicker to anger,” Goldstein says. “But once we get their sleep quality improved, their social interactions are markedly improved.”
“I want to quit smoking”: Sleep deprivation is tied to higher rates of nicotine dependence, Goldstein says. Researchers aren’t exactly sure why, but she suspects much of it relates to nicotine’s “activating” properties to help users relax or concentrate, among other things.
What she and other experts do know: Low sleep reserves affect your ability to make good decisions. That includes whether to use harmful tobacco products, even if you’re aware of their detrimental effects.
Set the scene for sleep
To reach your resolutions — and optimal health year-round — try these tips.
Strive for seven to eight hours of nightly sleep — and not just on weekends.
Try to go to bed at the same time each evening, even on weekends. Otherwise, “you’re basically putting your body through jet lag on Sunday night,” Goldstein says.
Keep your bedroom as dark as possible. Install blackout blinds or curtains to block any light pollution that can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps control your sleep and wake cycles.
Cover up any direct glow from electronics or clocks. “You’re most sensitive to bright light in the middle of the night,” Goldstein says. “Even low levels can have a negative effect.”
Don’t use your smartphone or tablet while in bed. Set the phone to “do not disturb” mode to avoid sleep interruptions from late-night calls or texts.
Along with diet and exercise, the quality and quantity of sleep a person gets greatly influences their quality of life.
Although sleep is still not completely understood, studies demonstrate that it is an active physiological state during which the body repairs itself and performs a variety of important functions. Studies have shown that sleep affects:
Learning and Memory
Sleep is important for consolidation of new information and memory formation.
Growth and Development
Secretion of growth hormones and prolactin is increased during sleep.
Blood Pressure
Chronic short sleep duration increases the risk of hypertension in adults.
Stress and Metabolism
Levels of cortisol and thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating protein) decrease during sleep.
Appetite Management
Sleep affects levels of ghrelin and leptin, hormones that influence feelings of hunger and satiety.
Consequences of Sleep Deprivation
Individuals exhibiting normal sleep patterns will generally sleep 7-8 hours per night. Numerous studies indicate that individuals who routinely experience fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, often suffer physiological and emotional consequences, including:
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Obesity
Depression
Memory loss
The National Sleep Foundation estimates that the annual costs associated with sleep deprivation and sleep disorders in the US, including medical expenses, sick leave, and lost productivity, exceed $100 billion.
Sleep and Type 2 Diabetes
Studies show that sleep deprivation may increase the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Several epidemiological studies report a correlation between short sleep duration and higher mean BMI and/or obesity.1
Studies of young, healthy males show that sleep deprivation over as few as two nights results in decreased glucose tolerance and increased appetite for carbohydrate-rich foods.2,3 The observed increase in hunger, if translated into actual ingestion of the desired foods, would correlate to an excess of 350-500 kcal/day.
Longer term studies suggest that chronic sleep deprivation may result in reduced insulin sensitivity.1
Population studies indicate that chronic short sleep duration is correlated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, after adjusting for potential confounding effects including age, sex, BMI, and waist circumference
CPAP is an important treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but it’s not without its frustrations. Learn how to avoid uncomfortable masks and other common CPAP problems.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It includes a small machine that supplies a constant and steady air pressure, a hose, and a mask or nose piece.Common problems with CPAP include a leaky mask, trouble falling asleep, and a dry mouth or nose.The good news is that if one CPAP mask or device doesn’t work for you, you have other options. And most CPAP masks are adjustable, to help make them more comfortable for you.Here are 10 common CPAP problems and what you can do about them:
The wrong size or style CPAP mask
Work closely with your doctor and CPAP supplier to make sure you have a CPAP mask that suits your needs and fits you. Everyone has different needs and face shapes, so the right style and size mask for someone else may not work for you.Many mask styles are available. A range of CPAP masks are available. For example, some feature full face masks that cover your mouth and nose, with straps that stretch across your forehead and cheeks. These may make some people feel claustrophobic, but they work well at providing a stable fit if you move around a lot in your sleep.Other masks feature nasal pillows that fit under your nose and straps that cover less of your face. These can feel less cumbersome.Nasal pillows may work well if you wear glasses or read with the mask on, because some nasal pillow systems obstruct vision less than do full face masks. However, they may not work if you move around a lot in your sleep or sleep on your side.Pay attention to size. Most masks come in different sizes. Just because you’re a certain size in one mask doesn’t mean you’ll be the same size in another. CPAP masks are usually adjustable.Ask your doctor or CPAP supplier to show you how to adjust your mask to get the best fit. Manufacturer product instructions also can help show you how to do this.
Trouble getting used to wearing the CPAP device
To start, it may help to practice wearing just the CPAP mask for short periods of time while you’re awake, for example, while watching TV. Then try wearing the mask and hose with the air pressure on, still during the daytime, while you’re awake.Once you become accustomed to how that feels, shift to using the CPAP device every time you sleep — at night and during naps. Inconsistently wearing the CPAP device may delay getting used to it. Stick with it for several weeks or more to see if the mask and pressure settings you have will work for you.
Difficulty tolerating forced air
You may be able to overcome this by using a “ramp” feature on the machine. This feature allows you to start with low air pressure, followed by an automatic, gradual increase in the pressure to your prescribed setting as you fall asleep. The rate of this ramp feature can be adjusted by your doctor.If this doesn’t help, talk with your doctor about changing to a different type of device that automatically adjusts the pressure while you’re sleeping. For example, units that supply bi-level positive airway pressure (B-PAP) or devices that have variable pressure contours are available. These provide more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale.
Dry, stuffy nose
A CPAP device that features a heated humidifier, which attaches to the air pressure machine, can help. The level of humidification is adjustable. Using a nasal saline spray at bedtime also can help.Your doctor may prescribe a nasal steroid spray if your dryness doesn’t respond to heated humidity. It’s also important that your mask fit well. A leaky mask can dry out your nose.
Feeling claustrophobic
While you’re awake, practice by first just holding the mask up to your face without any of the other parts. Once you’re comfortable with that, try wearing the mask with the straps.Next, try holding the mask and hose on your face, without using the straps. Have the hose attached to the CPAP machine at a low-pressure setting (with ramp feature turned on). And, finally, wear the mask with the straps and with the air pressure machine turned on while awake. After you’re comfortable with that, try sleeping with it on.Relaxation exercises, such as progressive muscle relaxation, also may help reduce your anxiety. It may help to get a different size mask or try a different style, such as one that uses nasal pillows.If you’re still feeling claustrophobic, talk to your doctor or CPAP supplier.
Leaky mask, skin irritation or pressure sores
A leaky or an ill-fitting mask means you’re not getting the full air pressure you need, and you may be irritating your skin. It can also release air into your eyes, causing them to become dry or teary.Try adjusting pads and straps to get a better fit. If the device fits over your nose, make sure it doesn’t sit too high on the bridge of your nose, which can direct air into your eyes.You may need to ask your supplier to help you find a different size mask, particularly if your weight has changed markedly. Or try a different style device like a nasal pillow or a mask with an inflatable cushion that contours to your face. If you develop skin deterioration or sores, such as on your nose, tell your doctor promptly.
Difficulty falling asleep
This is a normal, temporary problem. Wearing the mask alone for some time during the day may help you get accustomed to how it feels.Using the ramp feature, which provides an automatic, gradual increase in the air pressure to your prescribed pressure setting as you fall asleep, also may help.And practice good general sleep habits — exercise regularly, avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, and try to relax. For example, take a warm bath before you go to bed. Avoid going to bed until you’re tired.
Dry mouth
If you breathe through your mouth at night or sleep with your mouth open, some CPAP devices may worsen dry mouth. A chin strap may help keep your mouth closed and reduce the air leak if you wear a nasal mask.A full-face-mask-style device that covers your mouth and nose also may work well for you. A CPAP-heated humidifier that attaches to the air pressure machine also may help.
Unintentionally removing the CPAP device during the night
It’s normal to sometimes wake up to find you’ve removed the mask in your sleep. If you move a lot in your sleep, you may find that a full face mask will stay on your face better.You may be pulling off the mask because your nose is congested. If so, ensuring a good mask fit and adding a CPAP-heated humidifier may help. A chin strap also may help keep the device on your face.If this is a consistent problem, consider setting an alarm for sometime in the night, to check whether the device is still on. You could progressively set the alarm for later in the night if you find you’re keeping the device on longer.
Annoyed by the noise
Most new models of CPAP devices are almost silent. But if you find a device’s noise is bothersome, first check to make sure the device air filter is clean and unblocked. Something in its way may be contributing to noise.If this doesn’t help, have your doctor or CPAP supplier check the device to ensure it’s working properly. If the device is working correctly and the noise still bothers you, try wearing earplugs or using a white-noise sound machine to mask the noise.
Time and patience key to success
Using a CPAP device can be frustrating as you try to get used to it, but it’s important you stick with it. The treatment is essential to avoiding obstructive sleep apnea-related complications, such as heart problems and daytime fatigue.Work with your doctor and CPAP supplier to ensure the best fit and device for you, and try making adjustments if you’re experiencing some of the common CPAP problems. It may take several months to find the correct settings for you and to adapt to the mask.
With time and patience, CPAP can positively affect your quality of life and health.
Sleep apnea also referred to as sleep apnoea, is a common sleep disorder. It’s characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep.
These episodes, called apneas, last 10 seconds or more and occur repeatedly throughout the night. People with sleep apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they may not be aware of the disturbances in their sleep.
The most common type of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, caused by relaxation of soft tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the passage of air. Central Sleep Apnea is caused by irregularities in the brain’s normal signals to breathe.
Some people with sleep apnea have a combination of both types.
What causes sleep apnea?
In the case of central sleep apnea, it happens when the brain fails to send signals to the respiratory muscles. This is most common in babies, and in adults with heart problems, but can also be caused by some medicines.
In obstructive sleep apnea, the message from the brain to the respiratory muscles gets through but breathing fails through an obstruction preventing the flow of air.
Mixed sleep apnea is caused by a combination of these failures.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects more men than women, and is more common and has increased severity in obese people.
What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea?
OSA is more common in men than women and in people who are overweight or obese. Here are some symptoms to look for if you suspect you are suffering from this disorder.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Restless Sleep
Loud Snoring, with Periods Of Silence Followed By Gasps
Falling Asleep During The Day
Morning Headaches
Trouble Concentrating
Irritability
Forgetfulness
Mood or Behavior Changes
Weight Gain
Increased Heart Rate
Anxiety
Depression
How is to treat obstructive sleep apnea!
There are several non-surgical options varying from behavioral changes to medications and dental appliances.
Behavioral changes may simply involve getting the sufferer to change their sleeping position, as most apneas seem to occur whilst sleeping on the back. A change in diet and lifestyle with a consequent reduction in obesity can also markedly reduce the severity of symptoms. However, these changes are easier to talk about than to implement.
Dental appliances are sometimes used for mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea – these work by holding the jaw and tongue forward and the palate up to prevent airway closure.
One of the best non-surgical treatments is called auto CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. This is a machine which delivers heated and humidified air under pressure through a mask to the sufferer whilst they sleep. The machine is light and portable, and most people quickly get used to the noise the machine makes, and to wearing a mask.
Surgical options for obstructive sleep apnea include palate implants, reducing the size of the tongue, procedures on the jaws, and surgery of the nasal passages. Surgery should not be undertaken lightly because of the underlying risks of anesthesia and complications from the surgery itself.
If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea or know anyone who does, then it is important that you seek qualified medical advice as soon as possible. Continuing your life without recourse to treatment leaves you open to the much higher risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and even sudden death.Seek specialist help today.
Study offers treatment hope for sleep disordered breathing
Date:
February 10, 2016
Source:
University of Edinburgh
Summary:
People with a condition linked to obesity that causes them to stop breathing in their sleep could be helped by new research. The study could lead to new treatments for the condition called central sleep apnoea — which occurs during sleep disordered breathing and is linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
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People with a condition that causes them to stop breathing in their sleep could be helped by new research.
Scientists have gained fresh insights into the signals that regulate breathing during sleep, when oxygen levels are low.
The study could lead to new treatments for the condition called central sleep apnoea — which occurs during sleep disordered breathing and is linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
It could also lead to new interventions that help people adapt to sleeping at higher altitudes, where reduced oxygen levels can cause sleep disordered breathing even in fit and healthy people.
Central sleep apnoea occurs when there is a breakdown in the signals that instruct the body to breathe.
Researchers led by the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Integrative Physiology used genetically modified mice to show that an enzyme called AMPK helps us to breathe faster when oxygen levels are low.
These mice do not produce AMPK in the specialised cells that send signals to support breathing when oxygen availability falls.
The team found that the animals showed similar symptoms to people with central sleep apnoea — failing to breathe faster in response to low oxygen environments. The animals are otherwise healthy and show no breathing difficulties under normal conditions.
Central sleep apnoea commonly affects people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. It causes snoring, high blood pressure, poor memory and daytime lapses in to sleep.
Professor Mark Evans, of the University’s Centre for Integrative Physiology, said: “Our findings identify exciting new avenues for the treatment of sleep disordered breathing, because drugs that mimic AMPK activation could restore normal breathing patterns in people suffering from this disease. Mice with AMPK deficiencies could also prove useful for helping us to identify such therapies.”
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Edinburgh. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Amira D Mahmoud, Sophronia Lewis, Lara Juričić, Utibe-Abasi Udoh, Sandy Hartmann, Maurits A Jansen, Oluseye A Ogunbayo, Paolo Puggioni, Andrew P Holmes, Prem Kumar, Jorge Navarro-Dorado, Marc Foretz, Benoit Viollet, Mayank B Dutia, Ian Marshall, A. Mark Evans.AMPK Deficiency Blocks the Hypoxic Ventilatory Response and Thus Precipitates Hypoventilation and Apnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2015; DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201508-1667OC
Many doctors will ask about quality of sleep when children have problems at school, but new research shows it’s just as important to pay attention to how high achievers are sleeping.
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Many doctors will ask about quality of sleep when children have problems at school, but new research shows it’s just as important to pay attention to how high achievers are sleeping.
A study in today’s print edition of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology suggests doctors and parents should pay attention to snoring, labored breathing and other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in bright, high-performing children as well as those who struggle in school.
The researchers studied 147 children ages 3-12 that were scheduled for an adenotonsillectomy, a procedure that removes both the tonsils and the adenoids. These children also were suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea, a common reason for adenotonsillectomy. In obstructive sleep apnea, enlarged tonsils and adenoids stop children from breathing for a few seconds or tens of seconds many times during the night.
Previous research shows that an adenotonsillectomy can lead to behavioral improvements in children who are struggling in the classroom or at home. But this study focused, for what researchers believe is the first time, on children who are doing well from the start.
“When a clinician sees a pediatric patient who has a problem in school, they ask about sleep,” said study co-author Ronald Chervin, M.D., neurologist and director of the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center. “We wondered, in high-performing children, do we still need to worry about snoring or sleep issues?”
All of the children in this study, from low IQ to high IQ groups, improved at a similar level when their sleep and behavior were evaluated six months after the adenotonsillectomy procedure.
Parents graded their child’s behavior in areas such as inattention, hyperactivity, social problems and perfectionism. Sleep tests included monitoring brain wave patterns, eye movements, heart rhythm, muscle activity, airflow at the nose and mouth, chest movements, and snoring.
“Regardless of intellectual level, we can expect to see some behavioral improvement along with better sleep,” says study co-author Bruno Giordani, Ph.D., professor of neurology, psychiatry, psychology and nursing. “Once behavior improves, attention in school improves, and emotional ability and behavioral and impulsivity control improve.”
In obstructive sleep apnea, the air stops in the throat, causing the child to choke, wake up briefly to open the airway and then go back to sleep. This can happen more than a hundred times in a night.
Although it’s easy to tell when an adult is sleepy the next day, it can be more difficult to spot lack of good sleep in a child. A child may become hyperactive, leading parents and providers to wonder about other reasons for the behavior.
“Children with obstructive sleep apnea are fidgeting and not able to stay on task, because they’re doing anything they can to stay awake,” says first author Seockhoon Chung, M.D., Ph.D., who began the research as a U-M research fellow but is now associate professor at Asan Medical Center in South Korea. “Even when those behavioral problems are minimal, improvement is still possible.”
“Deciding whether to perform an adenotonsillectomy should be about the physician’s view of how bad the sleep problem is, and how significantly it appears to be related to the tonsil and adenoid issue,” Giordani says. “Then, the physician can think about how that fits together with the child’s appearance and behavior, expecting neurobehavioral benefit.”
Higher-IQ children may be less likely, in practice, to have obstructive sleep apnea recognized and treated if they do not show problems with school performance. The new findings suggest that other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud nightly snoring, should not be ignored, because the brain and daytime behavior of a child with higher IQ may still benefit from diagnosis and treatment of the sleep disorder.
Seockhoon Chung, Elise K. Hodges, Deborah L. Ruzicka, Timothy F. Hoban, Susan L. Garetz, Kenneth E. Guire, Barbara T. Felt, James E. Dillon, Ronald D. Chervin, Bruno Giordani. Improved behavior after adenotonsillectomy in children with higher and lower IQ. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 2016; 80: 21 DOI:10.1016/j.ijporl.2015.11.005
Written by: Tarig Ali-Dinar, M.D
While it might not feel like it to the sleep-deprived parent, your child actually spends a lot of time sleeping. By age 2, the average child has spent about 9,500 hours – or 13 months – asleep. Between 2 to 5 years of age, children spend equal amounts of time awake and asleep, and during childhood and adolescence sleep continues to account for about 40 percent of a child’s day.
What happens if sleep is interrupted?
Beyond having a cranky kiddo, lack of sleep can have adverse effects on a child’s health. Sleep is crucial to promoting health and bodily function. It maintains memory and cognitive performance. It plays a role in the normal function of the hormone and immune systems, and there is a link between sleep duration and quality and serious health problems, including neurobehavioral changes.
How is sleep interrupted?
If your child snores, sleeps with the mouth open or has trouble breathing during sleep, it could be a sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a treatable disorder in which a child’s breathing is partially blocked during sleep. It affects 2 to 5 percent of children across all ages, including infancy. OSA can cause your child to be unusually irritable, tired and hyperactive during the day or have poor school performance.
If you think your child has OSA, discuss your concerns with a pediatrician. You may be referred to a pediatric sleep specialist, who will use a non-invasive sleep study to help diagnose your child’s sleep issues.
The most common cause of OSA is enlargement of tonsils or adenoids, which can be removed surgically. Other common causes of airway blockage include abnormal facial structure, muscular diseases and being overweight.
In addition to surgery, interventions like a nighttime CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which keeps the airway open by blowing air via a nasal/face mask during sleep, are available. When weight is a factor, work with your child’s primary care physician on a weight-loss plan.
By taking corrective steps, you can successfully manage your child’s OSA and get them – and yourself – back to sleep.
Posted on June 17, 2015 by Elizabeth Klein, MPhil in Daily Diabetes
People with diabetes have a higher risk for sleep apnea, a condition in which your breathing stops and starts many times during the night. As this prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep, it puts you at a high risk for sleepiness during the day, memory and attention problems, insulin resistance, and even heart disease. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of this condition, and it usually affects people who are older or overweight. The good news is that a recent study found that people with OSA can manage the condition well by changing their lifestyle.
The study, which was published in CHEST Journal, looked to see whether losing weight with certain lifestyle changes helped people with OSA feel more awake during the day. The Chinese researchers tracked 104 people with moderate to severe OSA. For one year, they were either given the standard treatment, or extra help from a dietitian. Those in the dietitian group were able to work with healthcare professionals specifically to change their eating and exercise habits.
By the end of the study, the subjects in the dietitian group lowered their BMI and had a more balanced meal plan that included lots of protein and fiber. Most importantly, their OSA was improved. They woke up fewer times each night compared to the control group, and felt less sleepy during the day. The results came quickly, too. Most of the subjects in the dietitian group started to feel better and lose weight after just 4 months on the program.
While more research is needed to confirm these results, they show that there is hope for people with OSA to feel better fast. If you have sleep apnea, talk to your healthcare provider about seeing a dietitian to help you change your eating habits.
By Dr. Phillip C. Hall, DDS
Do you snore when you sleep? Do you wake up gasping for air? Do you get morning headaches or daytime sleepiness? If so, you may be suffering from sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing during the night. Left untreated, this condition can cause serious associated medical problems like stroke, heart attack, diabetes, weight gain, or even death.
Proper diagnosis for sleep apnea is made by a physician, and traditionally treated with a C-PAP machine. This machine works to keep the airway open while a person sleeps by delivering room air via a mask to the nose or face under various amounts of pressure. Even though great advances have been made, most people find C-PAP use very trying and often end in non-compliance.
C-PAP compliance failures occur for various reasons, including claustrophobia, feeling of air in the stomach, noise of the machine or mask, pain or deformity from mask, annoyance of transporting device, dry nose or mouth, and irritation to ears because of air pressure. Still, for most severe sleep apnea sufferers, C-PAP is the treatment of choice if the client is compliant.
For the past ten years, sleep physicians have become more accepting of oral appliances for the treatment of sleep apnea. In fact, treatment guidelines now support a prescription of oral appliances as a first-line treatment choice for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
What is an oral sleep appliance?
Oral sleep appliances are devices that are worn in the mouth. Most patients are able to sleep with their mouth closed while wearing an oral appliance, and they generally do not have any attaching lines or electrical components. Although C-PAP therapy can be more therapeutic than an oral appliance if a person religiously wears their C-PAP machine, studies show that oral appliance wearers are more compliant more of the time, thus rendering it more effective.
How does an oral appliance work?
By use of the special attachments between the upper and lower parts of the oral appliance, the lower jaw can be moved forward and held in position while the patient sleeps, keeping the airway open.
My expertise as a dentist is to determine a therapeutic position of the lower jaw that will keep the airway open at night and not cause pain in the jaw joint or its associated muscles. The tongue muscle is one of the major offenders in obstructing the airway. By holding the jaw forward, the back of the tongue is brought partly out of the airway. The slight tension this causes on the associated muscles in and around the airway, also help to improve or lesson the severity of the patient’s apnea.
Am I a good candidate for an oral sleep appliance?
If you have your natural teeth, or a good-fitting denture with at least the lower denture being retained by implants, you are likely a good candidate. If you have jaw or TMJ issues, the majority of the time I can incorporate the treatment of your sleep apnea and your jaw joint problems in the fabrication of your oral appliance.
The severity of your apnea may make oral appliances less effective than a C-PAP. With this noted, combination treatment, meaning wearing a C-PAP device and an oral appliance simultaneously, can lower the C-PAP pressures, making C-PAP compliance more tolerable. Of course, if you are a C-PAP failure, oral appliance treatment is your only alternative, even though the treatment results are less than optimal.
How can I obtain a sleep appliance?
You can request a referral from your physician to see a dentist such as myself, who has received special training to treat patients with sleep apnea. They will fit you for an oral sleep appliance and adjust it to ensure comfort, working closely with your physician to maximize its effectiveness.
If you have any questions, please make a no-charge consultation appointment with my office and I will assess your circumstances, and make the necessary referral and/or request to a sleep physician.
Sleep apnea treatment may reverse changes in brain stem activity associated with increased risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.
The findings “highlight the effectiveness of CPAP treatment in reducing one of the most significant health issues [heart disease] associated with obstructive sleep apnea,” the researchers concluded. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.
Previous research suggests that people with obstructive sleep apnea have greater activity in nerves associated with stress response, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. This increased nerve activity is due to altered brain stem function caused by sleep apnea, earlier studies have shown.
In this small study, published recently in the Journal of Neurophysiology, Australian researchers found that CPAP treatment reduced that nerve activity by restoring normal brain stem function.
The study included 13 sleep apnea patients who were assessed before and after six months of CPAP treatment.
“These data strongly suggest that functional and anatomical changes within the brain stem, which we believe underlie the elevated sympathetic activity in individuals with untreated obstructive sleep apnea, can be restored to healthy levels by CPAP treatment,” the University of Sydney researchers wrote.
In obstructive sleep apnea, muscles in the airway collapse during sleep and block breathing. A CPAP device keeps airways open by delivering a steady flow of air while patients sleep.
Sleep apnoea is a condition where people repeatedly stop breathing while asleep. People with sleep apnoea often complain of daytime sleepiness, difficulties concentrating, and they tend to have high blood pressure. The people around them usually complain about their nightly snoring, gasping, and choking noises. About 5% of people have treatable moderate or severe sleep apnoea, which means they stop breathing 15 times or more times per hour while asleep. A larger number of people – as many as 20% of middle-aged folk – have mild sleep apnoea, which means they stop breathing around five to 15 times an hour. Although this may sound pretty scary, it’s still not clear that this mild version causes ill health. Left untreated, sleep apnoea will not only shorten your life by hastening a string of illnesses, it may also increase your risk of suffering from depression. And the general sleepiness of people with the condition is thought to as much as triple their risk for car accidents and injury.
Stroke risk
The prevalence of sleep apnoea increases in ageing societies that are getting heavier, along with other age and obesity-related diseases. But studies from around the world show your risk of developing these diseases is strongly influenced by whether or not you have sleep apnoea in the first place. In particular, the condition has been linked to stroke and cancer.
The consequences of stroke can range from between temporary inconvenience to serious life-altering disability and death. Smoking, cholesterol, and high blood pressure are three key causes of stroke that you can control. And, unfortunately, sleep apnoea has a big impact on the latter. The condition causes your daytime blood pressure to increase a little bit over the long term. And, while you’re asleep, it causes massive spikes in blood pressure. Sleep apnoea also might make your ability to process cholesterol a little less efficient. So it’s not terribly surprising that studies from Spain, the United States,and Australia have all found people with untreated sleep apnoea are three times more likely to have a stroke.
And cancer
One of the more surprising recent research findings is sleep apnoea’s influence on cancer risk. Researchers really weren’t expecting to find this because we’d always thought sleep apnoea mainly influenced heart disease. But in study after study from around the world we’ve seen that sleep apnoea increases the risk of cancer as well. And this association is not explained by other known cancer risks. At this stage, we don’t think sleep apnoea causes cells to become cancerous. It might be that if you have a few cancer cells in your body, the constant up and down of oxygen levels in your blood while you sleep causes those cells to grow more quickly. So instead of having a cancer that you never even realise you have or a slow-growing one, you get a faster growing and more aggressive version. It’s yet to be confirmed but melanomas are thought to be particularly likely to proliferate quickly when you have sleep apnoea.
Some good news
Being the harbinger of bad news isn’t much fun so I’d like to give you some good news now. If you’ve only got mild sleep apnoea, or you just snore a bit, you probably don’t have an increased risk of illness. In fact, if you have mild sleep apnoea, you might be able to manage your risk quite effectively with dietary changes, which will improve your overall heath and stop you from developing a more severe version of the condition. If you’ve got severe sleep apnoea, it’s really serious but still treatable, so it’s time to see a sleep doctor and get something done about it. More good news: if you do have severe sleep apnoea and you get it treated, your risk is much, much lower. What all this adds up to is that sleep apnoea needs to be taken seriously; it’s not just a nuisance snoring condition. Not only will treatment help make you feel better, it will also reduce your risk for all kinds of attendant bad things from happening.
