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Posts from ‘March, 2010’

Is it true that 90% of people with “insomnia” have sleep apnea.

This is the question asked me in the comment section (#33) of my piece in the New York Times All Nighters Series.  Although it is quite common for people to complain of insomnia  and then on further investigation to be found to have sleep apnea, I think that 90% is a bit high.  This is [...]

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Sleep Apnea may Benefit Older Patients

Many patients have asked me to comment on the article that described research done by 2 Israeli scientists that seemed to show that sleep apnea may confer cardiovascular benefits as we age.  I want to wait until I get the full scientific article. So please keep watching my posts in the next few days.

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All Nighters: New York Times online series

Please see my piece in NYT and check out the other articles as well for many interesting perspectives on insomnia and sleeplessness. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/all-nighters/

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Don’t Hate CPAP: CPAP Tip of the Week

Many patients “hate” CPAP at first, but most of the initial difficulties can be solved by close follow up with a caring, comprehensive  medical team.  For example, it is common to have sneezing and runny nose when you first start CPAP.  What is happening is that the the histamine receptors inside your nose are being [...]

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CPAP Tips

If you are having a hard time getting use to the CPAP pressure, ask your doctor to lower the pressure while you get accustomed to this therapy.  Also, you might try a Bilevel machine which gives a higher pressure when you inhale (so you and the machine are working together) and a lower pressure when you exhale (which [...]

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Weight Gain and Obesity are Linked to Sleep Apnea and to Poor Sleep

Please see these two articles from the Weight Watchers website that discuss the possible causal connection between inadequate sleep, whether insufficient in duration or quality, and weight gain.  http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=69971&sc=3053  http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=58391&sc=3405 Laboratory research, much of which was done at University of Chicago, points to the explanation for this. When your sleep is disrupted or restricted, then your [...]

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President Obama Needs Medication to Combat Jet Lag Syndrome

I was interviewed by The Daily Beast (see link below)  to comment on which medications the President might be taking to deal with his, at times, grueling travel schedule.  The article discusses the use of wake-promoting agents such as Provigil and Nuvigil which can be used responsibly and effectively by patients who are carefully screened [...]

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Natural Sleep Aids

I was interviewed by Web MD for this piece on natural sleep remedies.  This will give useful information to those who struggle with insomnia and especially those who wish to avoid prescription hypnotics and sedatives.  We need more research into the effectiveness of these herbal and natural sleep aids, but most can’t hurt you if [...]

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Fighting Off Sleepiness: Myths and Facts

I was interviewed by Web MD for this article on how to evaluate if your sleepiness is a sign of a serious disorder.  If it is not, there are lots of good tips and strategies for how to have more energy during the day.  http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/myths-facts?src=RSS_PUBLIC

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Do you hate CPAP?

If you hate CPAP, then you need to check out my blog every Tuesday for the Tuesday Tips for CPAP Strugglers.  If you can’t get use to the CPAP, the most common reason is that you have not found the right mask, so you think that you hate the CPAP when in fact you hate [...]

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