Sleep Studies Recommended Before Bariatric Surgery

Sleep studies performed on 132 obese male and female patients has found a massive 64% suffered from a significant degree of obstructive sleep apnoea / apnea.

The study was conducted over three years and reported recently in the Journal of Sleep And Breathing. Diagnostic sleep studies (polysomnograms) were performed on patients preparing to undergo gastric bypass surgery between January 2004 and January 2007.

Where obstructive sleep apnoea / apnea (OSA) was found, it was graded as mild (less than 15 apnoeic events per hour of sleep), moderate (15 to 30 apnoeic events per hour of sleep) or severe (30 or more apnoeic events per hour of sleep), as measured by the apnoea hypopnoea index / apnea hypopnea index (AHI).

The study also considered factors such as the patients' gender, age, weight, height, body mass index, neck circumference, and waist circumference. In the patients with OSA, the body mass index (BMI), neck circumference and age were higher than in patients without OSA. An individual's waist circumference was not found to have any correlation with the existence of OSA, but BMI, age and male gender were each found to be independent predictors of sleep apnoea / apnea.

With the female patients, high BMI and age greater than 49 years were the only significant predictors of moderate or severe OSA. The study found that men and women over 49 years of age have the greatest risk for OSA. The prevalence of moderate or severe sleep apnoea / apnea was 71 percent in the male and 31 percent in the female patients.

The researchers recommend mandatory preoperative sleep studies for severely obese patients.

Interestingly, the existence of a sleep disordered breathing condition such as obstructive sleep apnoea / apnea has previously been found to be a cause of metabolic retardation. This raises an interesting question: Did the patients have a sleep disordered breathing condition in the first place which contributed to their obesity by slowing their metabolism? Or was the patient's sleep disordered breathing condition as a consequence of their obesity?

The relationship between obesity and sleep apnoea / apnea is probably circular. That is, obese patients are more likely to suffer from a sleep disordered breathing condition. At the same time, people with a sleep disordered breathing condition are more likely to have a slow metabolism and thus gain weight. Treatment for both conditions (obesity and sleep disordered breathing) should therefore be provided to patients who suffer from these co-morbidities.

The Sleep Therapy Clinics specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disordered breathing conditions such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea / apnea. For more information, visit http://www.sleeptherapyclinic.com/

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Why Sleep Is So Important and How to Get The Sleep You Need

Do you often feel groggy when you wake up in the morning or sleepy during the day? Well, you are not alone! A National Sleep Foundation Poll showed that a majority of adult Americans experience sleep problems. That's not surprising given our world of smart phones, the internet and 24/7 access to news and entertainment. In this article, I explain why sleep is so important for your health and well-being and I give you 10 practical tips for getting a good night's rest. Wishing you pleasant dreams!

8 benefits of a good night's sleep

You'll Feel Better- people who sleep well tend to be less grumpy and have a lower chance of developing mood swings and depression.

You'll Have More Energy- more ZZZs at night translate into more get-up-and-go the next day.

You'll Think More Clearly- sleep helps your ability to concentrate and remember, so you will be less likely to make mistakes.

You'll Be More Productive- you may think you can get more done by cutting back on sleep, but limited sleep actually decreases your ability to complete tasks efficiently.

You'll Weigh Less- research from the University of Michigan suggests that an extra hour of sleep each night may help sleep-deprived people lose up to 14 lbs in one year. Possible reasons why: extra sleep replaces snacking and too little sleep can increase your appetite and promote fat storage.

You'll improve the function of your immune system- darkness triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles. Melatonin also helps promote production of immune cells and can also block the growth of certain types of cancer.

You'll make your heart healthier- sleep helps keep blood pressure and cholesterol lower, which in turn lowers the risk of heart disease.

You'll decrease your risk of developing diabetes- blood sugar levels are more regular in people who get enough sleep than in those that are sleep-deprived.

Now that you know the benefits, here's what you can do....

Top Ten Tips for better sleep

Turn in 8 hours before your morning wake-up time most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, so be sure to give yourself enough time for adequate rest. Schedule sleep time into your daily calendar and you'll be more likely to do it. Keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent, even on week-ends. Trying to catch up by sleeping in on the week-end can throw off your internal clock and make you even groggier.

Wind down at least ½ hour before bed- turn off the computer and TV. Quiet your mind by taking some slow, deep breaths, reading or listening to soft music.

Turn off all lights in your bedroom and remove or shut off any electronic devices that emit light- even with your eyes closed, light inhibits the hormone melatonin which is needed for sleep.

Keep your bedroom cool- like darkness, cooler temperatures activate sleep-inducing melatonin.

Block external noise- a sound machine that simulates falling rain or produces white noise can solve the problem of outside traffic or barking dogs.

Keep your bedroom a work-free zone- a stress free area will help you to relax come bedtime.

Exercise! But not too late in the day- exercise, especially cardio, improves the length and quality of sleep. Just make sure your work-out ends at least 4 hours before bedtime, so that the natural body temperature elevation that accompanies exercise has time to decrease and does not interfere with sleep.

Go caffeine-free after 2 PM- coffee, tea, or soda later in the day can keep you up at night. Eliminate alcohol- although a nightcap may help you fall asleep, it will increase the number of times you wake at night.

Stay in bed if you wake up at night- keep lights off and try some deep breathing or imagine a peaceful place. If you still can't get back to sleep, do something quiet and relaxing, like reading or gentle stretching.

If you are getting 7 -8 hours of sleep each night and still feel tired during the day, speak to your doctor, who can determine if you may have a sleep disorder or other underlying condition that may be interfering with your sleep.

Reina Marino, M.D.

Dr. Marino specializes in Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine in the Philadelphia area. She uses nutrition, stress management and exercise to help people lose weight, increase their energy, and decrease their stress so that they can look and feel like their younger selves and bring their best to their families, friends and work.

Find out more at http://drreinamarino.com/. You can contact Dr. Marino at rm@drreinamarino.com or by calling 267-519-0810

Original article

Your Bedding Can Help You Live Better

One of the most-respected authorities on sleep, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), recently conducted one of its regular surveys. As is the theme for most of their studies, the theme of their latest surrounded sleep habits and needs. What the NSF told us was that the majority of people do not get the sleep they need, which is not exactly "news" as most of us know that we do not get the eight hours we need (this was another thing respondents told the NSF - that in spite of their median six and half hours of sleep, they need eight hours to function properly).

Causes of Lack of Sleep

Unfortunately, there are many reasons why people will not get the amount of sleep they need - stress, work/life schedules and so on. But something else that keeps people from getting the right amount of sleep is their bedding. A poor sleep environment will have a negative impact on sleep quality, just as will money problems, worrying about the kids, stress from work, etc.. In other words, even if you have the perfect, most-stress-free life, your bedroom can ruin your sleep experience.

Here are three things that are bedroom related that respondents said were important for them to get the right amount of sleep:

1. Comfortable Mattress

This should come as no surprise. A staggering 92% of respondents stated that a comfortable mattress was the top contributor to getting a good night's sleep. The problem is that too many people have the wrong mattress for their needs, which results in poor sleep or interrupted sleep. Owning the right mattress will encourage people to get to bed on time, help them get to sleep sooner and let them sleep through the entire night.

2. Comfortable Pillows and Sheets

No matter how great your mattress is, if your pillow doesn't support your neck and is not comfortable, and your sheets are not comfortable, you will not get a good night's sleep. Most respondents to the NSF survey said that their pillow and sheets kept them from getting the sleep they needed. So if you make sure you keep your sheets fresh (change them once per week and replace old-feeling sheets with fabrics you can love) and you use a pillow that supports you for your sleep type, then you will see an improvement to your sleep.

3. Keeping The Bedroom Clean

A solid 2/3 of respondents noted that the cleanliness of their bedroom impacts the sleep they get. By keeping your room tidy and organized you are more likely get a good night's sleep. Let's face it, we all want order in our lives and if our sleep sanctuary has the same kind of disorder and chaos as our jobs or financial lives, we will never be able to find the escape that we hope to find in sleep.

Summary

These seem like simple, common-sense solutions to getting a better night of sleep. First, make sure we have the "right" mattress for our needs, one that is comfortable and supportive enough to keep our bodies comfortable throughout the night. Second, a good pillow and clean sheets make for an inviting sleep environment. And lastly, keeping our bedroom clean, a task that might take two minutes a day to maintain, will help us relax better and enjoy better sleep and maybe even allow us to get the eight hours we know that we need.

--> Read more about the Importance of Sleep and what products work best for most sleeper and sleep-types at qMattresses.com.

As the Site Editor of qMattresses.com, Chris has written about the importance of sleep on a variety of occasions. Mattress ratings at the website show that the discounted Sleep Innovations memory foam mattresses with thickness of 8" to 12" provides the most comfortable sleep experience from a memory foam product.

Original article