Sleep apnea is a disorder which is characterized as interruptions in breathing when you are sleeping. These interruptions or pauses in breathing usually last for about 10 to 20 seconds and may be repeated over 100 times alongside the duration of your sleep. This condition leads to poor sleep resulting in drowsiness, fatigue and poor concentration throughout the day.

Sleep apnea can be classified as:
1. Central sleep apnea: Central sleep apnea impairs the central nervous system wherein the brain fails to control muscles which regulate breathing while you sleep.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea: This type of sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues present in the back of the throat block the airway and thus resulting in loud snoring.

Signs and symptoms
The various signs and symptoms of sleep apnea are
1. Loud and chronic snoring during sleeping
2. Interruptions in breathing
3. Shortness of breath during sleep
4. Fatigue during the day
5. Choking and gasping during sleep
6. Extreme irritability and drowsiness
7. Experiencing headaches in the morning
8. impaired concentration and forgetfulness
9. Chronic sore throat and dry mouth
10. Depression

The various risk factors for sleep apnea are:
1. If you are overweight
2. If you are male
3. If you are over the age of 40
4. If you have a large tongue and tonsils
5. If someone in your family has sleep apnea
6. Nasal obstruction due to sinus problems

There are certain prevention measures to control sleep apnea, they are:
1. Limit smoking: Smoking may cause you to retain fluid in the throat which contributes to sleep apnea.
2. Exercise: You should exercise regularly to keep off weight as being overweight increases the chances of getting affected by sleep apnea.
3. Schedule your sleep: You should get enough sleep every day so that your body is refreshed and revitalized. Getting enough sleep, thus helps in preventing sleep apnea.

Risk Factors Associated with Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which you experience frequent breathing pauses while sleeping. In case of some, the pauses may last for just a few seconds, while for others, it may continue for a few minutes. Sleep apnea is generally chronic in nature. There are three types of sleep apnea, namely Central, Obstructive and Complex sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea occurs if the brain fails to transmit signals to the muscles responsible for your breathing functions. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs due to relaxation of your throat muscles. Complex sleep apnea refers to a combined condition of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

Some of the possible causes of sleep apnea are as follows: 
1. Blockage of airway during sleep can cause sleep apnea
2. Putting on weight can cause obstructive sleep apnea
3. In some cases, large tonsil tissues can lead to obstructive sleep apnea in small children
4. Intake of certain medicines like Oxycontin or MS Contin can cause central sleep apnea
5. Male people are more prone to sleep apnea
6. Smoking is also a potent trigger for sleep apnea
7. At times, high blood pressure can induce sleep apnea
8. Suffering from sinus can also lead to sleep apnea
9. Large neck size (more than 16 inches) may cause sleep apnea
In case of some people, sleep apnea might be an inherited condition.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are mentioned below:
a. Sometimes, obstructive sleep apnea is accompanied by choking or snorting sounds.
b. You may encounter breathing trouble while sleeping, leading to a disruption of your sleep.
c. Maximum times, sleep apnea is accompanied by snoring.
d. Sleep apnea leads to a dry mouth, which can disturb your sleep.
e. You may feel dizzy during daytime.

Causes and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep-Wake Disorder is a very uncommon syndrome which causes irregular sleeping patterns without any real schedule.

Causes
Persons with brain malfunctioning and those who do not have a regular routine during the day experience such disorders. People with changing work shifts often experience such disorder. Also, travellers who often move from one country to another with different time zones may also have these symptoms.
There's no cure for this disorder, but treatments, including hormones, medicine, and light therapy, can help get you closer to a normal sleeping pattern.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include any of the following:

Sleeping or napping more than usual during the day
Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night
Waking up often during the night
Exams and Tests
A person must have at least three abnormal sleep-wake episodes during a 24-hour period to be diagnosed with this problem. The time between each such episode varies from 1 to 4 hours. The doctor may advise you to go ahead with a device called actigraph in case the diagnosis is unclear. The device looks like a wristwatch, and it can tell when a person is sleeping or awake.

Treatment
Though there is no simple cure for irregular sleep-wake syndrome, however, several therapies and lifestyle changes may help a person return to a normal sleep-wake cycle. These include:

A regular daytime schedule of activities and mealtimes need to be fixed.
You should not stay in bed during the day for long.
Use bright light therapy in the morning like those from computer screens and television. The period of exposure should also be increased. Exposure to blue light should be minimized at night.
You should take melatonin at bedtime. This is a hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. By taking doses at the right times, you might be able to shift your body clock earlier or later.
Make sure to make the room dark, quiet, and as comfortable as possible at night.
Also one should try to minimize the amount of noise in the sleep environment.
Add more structure to the patient s day by scheduling social interaction, exercise, and other activities.
Your doctor may prescribe drug to control the timing of the sleep-wake cycle.
Finally, you should take proper care of yourself. Make positive changes in your lifestyle. You can even ask your boss to make your work schedule a bit flexible.

The ultimate goal of these lifestyle changes is to help the person sleep longer at night and make him feel active and awake during the day. Most people have sleep disturbances on occasion. But you need to see your doctor if such sleep disorders occur regularly.


Sleep Wake Disorder - Irregular Sleeping Patterns

Sleep is a vital component of the human construct. This is the time when the body restores  itself. While too little sleep can be dangerous for the body, new research has shown that too much sleep has its pitfalls too. Oversleeping is an indication of certain health risk. It also indicates few medical conditions that a person might have. Here is more on the risks of oversleeping:

Difficult to get pregnant: A study conducted by a Korean research team in the year 2013 found that out of a sample size of 650 women who were undergoing in-vitro fertilization, the ones who got pregnant had 7-8 hours of daily sleep. The study also suggested that sleep can affect menstrual cycles, circadian rhythms, and hormone secretion. While research is yet to find out a direct co-relation between sleep and infertility, a number of researchers are trying to break the jinx.
Risk of diabetes: A Quebec study conducted in 2013 clearly showed that a person who sleeps for more than eight hours in a day is more risk prone to suffer from type 2 diabetes and reduced glucose tolerance. On a six-period time frame, people who sleep for more than 7-8 hours, are more likely to suffer from diabetes related complication, even if they keep body mass under control.
Mental health and depression: Depression is a major symptom of oversleeping. While people with depression tend to suffer from insomnia, an estimated 15 percent patients suffering from depression tend to oversleep. Compared to regular sleepers, the ones who oversleep tend to suffer from anxiety symptoms and persistent depression. A recent study has revealed that sleeping too much can increase the chances of genetic heritability. Another study revealed that people who sleep for more than 10 hours can result in mental illness. Another research conducted at the John Hopkins Medical School revealed that an irregularity of the body s sleeping clock can lead to temporary mental depression.
Increased inflammation: Oversleeping can increase the risk of certain diseases such as the Alzheimer s disease, cardiovascular disease etc. A study conducted by a group of researchers revealed that women who slept for more than eight hours are likely to suffer from 44 percent higher C-reactive protein. Another study reported that C-reactive increased by more than 8 percent for every hour of additional sleep an individual takes.
More pain: While sleep and rest are often associated with healing, oversleeping can, at times, exacerbate symptoms. Spending too much time in bed can aggravate back and shoulder pain. Oversleeping is also associated with a higher frequency of headaches. Oversleeping often triggers one-sided migraine and increases the level of stress in a person.

Sleeping More Than 8 Hours - How It Can Put Your Health At Risk?

We always think of wearing something cosy to bed to get a good night's sleep. We even dress up kids to be comfortable and bundled up so they can get a sound sleep. Studies have shown that contrary to popular belief, sleeping nude is the best way to a sound sleep. In addition to good sleep, there are other benefits that have been identified too, as listed below:

1) Improves sleep quality: While most of us think of keeping ourselves cosy in our nightwear leads to good sleep, science believes otherwise. A reduced core body temperature is what leads to better sleep. This happens when you sleep with no extra layers of clothes to keep you warm. Research conducted showed better depth of sleep and reduced number of awakenings when there are no extra clothing layers.

2) Better skin and hair health: Melatonin and growth hormone are essential for anti-aging and they are released when the body temperature is cooler, which happens when sleeping in the nude. Growth hormone is essential for bone mineralization, improved immunity, and muscle mass building. Melatonin is a good hormone regulator, and manages the functioning of other hormones essential for our body. The armpits and groin area are always covered, and sleeping without clothes can help these areas breathe and feel fresher. The chances of yeast infection are also reduced.

3) Reduced stress levels: The stress hormone cortisol is also optimal, both in release and function, when the body gets a good sleep. This is essential for better immunity and cognitive function, better sugar regulation. Reduced stress leads to reduced chances of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc. Therefore, sleeping without clothes helps to better equip you with fighting stress.

4) Weight loss: Our body has two types of fat, both brown and white. While fat helps to keep the body warm, sleeping without clothes burns more of this fat and thereby, increases weight loss. Another mechanism is the  good sleep that you get when sleeping without clothes helps improve metabolism, reduce fat and sugar cravings, thereby further adding to weight loss.

5) Improved relationships: Needless to say, getting into the habit of sleeping without clothes will help your sex life. The science behind it is the improved release of oxytocin, which is the cuddle hormone.

6) Better sperm quality: The testes produce better sperm quality when body temperature is cooler, thereby improving male fertility. Warm clothes at night also has a bad effect on testosterone, which is essential for boosting libido and other male sexual features.

There you go, a lot of valid scientifically proven reasons to drop those night suits and pajamas off  what is more, there is also a cost saving here!

Sleep NAKED to Be Healthier and Happier

Six hours of sleep daily is as important as the food you consume and the amount of exercise you do, in a day. Poor sleep can lead to reduced concentration the next day coupled with low productivity. Thus, it is necessary to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep daily.


Here are few benefits of getting the required amount of sleep every night:
Sleeping improves memory: Lack of sleep has negative effect on your brain, which affects your memory and retention. If you sleep more, you are more likely to retain things because in your sleep, your mind goes over everything you ve read when you were awake. This process is called consolidation. Thus, an optimum amount of sleep helps you retain whatever you have learnt during the day better.
Stimulates creativity: Getting sleep for the required number of hours is a necessity as your creativity levels are bound to soar after some good rest. Working relentlessly without a break in between can lead to saturation in your creativity levels. Thus, rest is a requisite for a spur of creativity.
Reduces stress levels: Not sleeping enough adds even more strain on your brain. Sleep deprivation increases stress, which adds to the blood pressure level and cholesterol in the blood, putting you at risks of suffering from coronary diseases. Thus, to keep your heart health intact, it is important to sleep for at least six hours, which is a minimum requirement for your body to rest.
Leads to weight loss: Sleep deprivation can lead to an alteration in your hormone levels, which activates the cortisol (a fat producing hormone), thereby, leading to obesity. It also leads to negative modifications in your diet and a lethargic approach to your regular exercise routine. Thus, the easiest hack to lose weight is to get adequate sleep at night.


Because the benefits you gain out of sleeping for a minimum of six hours are invaluable, you should aspire to give your body the rest it deserves.

Why You Should Sleep for 6 Hours Everyday?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Sleep Disorders online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Sleep Disorders - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES