Down With Sleep Disorders

Down With Sleep Disorders!

Online Clock says, “Down with Sleep Disorders!”.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder (roughly 20 percent of the population). The National Institute of Health estimates that 18 million American’s suffer from the most common sleep disorder: sleep apnea. Anywhere from 6-12 percent of the population endures insomnia. To help put this in perspective, diabetes hits 1:100 Americans (approximately 1 percent of the population).

The various sleep disorders are treated and diagnosed differently.

Sleep apnea comes in two types: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and unobstructive sleep apnea.

Unobstructive sleep apnea is extremely rare and is usually a symptom of another medical problem. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is a physical obstruction of the airway during sleep. Typically, the base of the tongue and/or the soft palate shift back into the throat and temporarily block air flow. There are a variety of surgical and nonsurgical treatments available for OSA. Some of the procedures are very invasive such as inserting a bolt in the chin and using wires and hooks to keep the tongue forward. Some surgical treatments are fairly noninvasive such as somnoplasty of the tongue. This procedure uses radio waves to shrink the offending tissue thus eliminating the obstruction. During the clinical trials of this procedure the medical community hailed it as being highly effective in treating the base of the tongue. The base of the tongue is the most common cause of the obstruction. At one time the uvula was removed as a treatment for OSA. That is rarely done today.

The nonsurgical treatments for Obstructive sleep apnea are BiPAP and CPAP machines. The patient wears a mask while sleeping. The mask is attached to a machine that causes a positive air flow that will nudge obstructions to the side and allow for easier breathing.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed via a sleep study conducted a sleep clinic. The patient is connected to several machines via sensors. Brain wave activity, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and a few other biological activities are recorded and analyzed.

Insomnia

Insomnia, with very rare exceptions, is considered a symptom not an illness in and of itself. Insomnia is often a manifestation of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or the result of irregular sleep habits. The term “insomnia” covers the inability to sleep, difficulties in falling asleep, difficulties to maintain sleep, difficulties to wake, difficulties in remaining awake, and a few other problems. The treatment of insomnia varies due to the myriad of underlying causes. Once the foundational cause is addressed then the insomnia typically fades.

There are also many other sleep disorders of varying degrees of severity. Too many to cover in simple blog post. (You came here to read a blog not a medical journal, right?!)

Given the regrettable prolific nature of sleep disorders, the American health system recognizes “sleep medicine” as a medical subspecialty of internal medicine.

So, why is all of this on a clock site?

Transient insomnia will hit everyone at some point in their life. Given the American habits of computer gaming, late-night television, watching an online clock count down the time at three in the morning (Put down that Red Bull and go to bed. We’ll be here when you wake.), and a whole host of other things that urges us to “burn the candle at both ends”, American culture almost encourages sleep disorders. Most people don’t need a sleep study, surgery, medications, or a mask to solve their sleep problems. They need to pick a sleep schedule and stick to it. Basically, use an alarm clock.

Sleep problems?

If you’re suffering from transient insomnia, try a few of these tips.

Avoid stimulants before bedtime. Caffeine, nicotine, energy drinks, and exercise stimulate the body and may cause difficulty falling asleep. Exercise regularly in the afternoon or early evening. Wake up with an alarm clock even on the weekends and your days off. Try not to sleep in more than an hour or so and avoid napping during the day.

However, if you think you might suffer from sleep apnea or some other kind of serious sleep disorder, we urge you to please visit your doctor!

Tags: alarm clock, imsomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, problems sleeping, Sleep, sleep apnea, sleep disorder, sleep disorders, sleep medicine, sleep problems, sleeping disorders, transient insomnia, unobstructive sleep apnea