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Adventures in the No-Fly Zone: Toddler Sleep Problems

The following blog post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is available on Marc Le Francois' Sleep Blog

Does your child struggle with falling asleep? Sometimes, changing the time you put her to bed can make it much easier. But you may need to go later or earlier to get the full benefit. Even though it sounds complicated, it doesn’t need to be. Fixing bedtime is one of the best ways to fix toddler sleep problems. Note that I have a whole chapter on finding your child’s ideal bedtime in my book, It’s Never Too Late to Sleep Train. 

Later bedtimes work for a lot of kids

If you’ve read my work for a while, you know I’m a big fan of matching your child’s bedtime very closely to the time she falls asleep. For a lot of kids, this means moving the bedtime later.

Imagine a 3 yo whose parents put her to bed every night at 7pm. This typically produces a short tantrum, then multiple trips out her her room where she demands a cup of water, a cuddle, or another story. In the sleep field, we call these field trips “curtain calls” and they are the hallmark of behavioral insomnia due to limit setting. (For the best curtain call ever, read about a boy you used to throw his glass eye out of his crib).

Eventually, she falls asleep by 8 pm, sweaty and tired. Perhaps her parents feel guilty for yelling at her.

This is a situation where a later bedtime will be helpful. If her parents start moving her bedtime later by 30-40 minutes, (7:30-40pm). This will typically not make her fall asleep later, but it will make bedtime go much better. Sometimes, in sleep training, we even move the bedtime later than that to harness her natural sleep drive— a technique called “bedtime fading”.

Some kids need an earlier bedtime

However, some children actually need to go to bed earlier. This most commonly occurs for children who have a late bedtime— later than 8:30 for most children between late infancy and elementary school. They may be entering into a period that a sleep physiologist named Peretz Lavie called the “forbidden zone”. I think of it as the “no fly zone” because if you are trying to guide your child to calm landing after a long day, you are going to be disappointed.

Every night, I feel pretty tired around 9 PM when my older child goes to bed. If I stay up past 10:30 PM, I get a second wind and I’m wide awake until 11:30 PM in midnight. I’m in the no-fly zone.

This happens to children as well. Here’s an example from a friend and former colleagues Diana Balekian. Diana is an allergist as well as an excellent chef. Check out her excellent blog White Coat Pink Apron— I’m especially fond of her vegan chili recipe). Diana notes, “C is actually not good at nighttime sleeping outside of our house, ever. She went to bed before 9:00 maybe once on our family vacation in Feb. She is also a “spirited”/strong-willed child.”

Diana wrote about some difficulty she was having with her daughter while staying at her parent’s house during a home renovation. I asked her to write a description of her bedtime routines both at home and at Grandmas house:

Home routine:

Finish dinner around 6:30 PM. Generally one kid or another gets to watch a show (I know, I know) or we do a bath. At 7:15, change into PJs. Usually there are some shenanigans between the two kids, and by 7:30 we start reading 1-4 stories. Then she goes to bed–most recently, she would sometimes want to sleep in her brother’s bed (that was a new thing within a few weeks of moving in with parents). Generally falls asleep by 8:15 latest.

Grandparents house routine:

Dinner at the same time. Same thing re: watching a TV show or getting a bath. 7:15 or 7:30 change into PJs. 7:30 begins the fighting to go up and brush teeth. Read 1-2 books. In bed by 8:00 pm. She is sharing a full sized bed with her 4 yo brother because that’s what has worked out best here (she is afraid of her own room), and he goes to bed closer to 8:30. My husband will occasionally lie down with her for a few mins while she falls asleep. Immediately after leaving the room, yelling begins. At the beginning, my mom would go in every time, but now she only occasionally goes in if it’s very close to when C was put to bed.

Diana initially attributed these issues to Grandma’s involvement at bedtime, or fear of being alone— all good thoughts. Note the curtain calls and the yelling.

After writing me about these routines (and before we spoke), Diana moved her daughter’s bedtime 30 minutes earlier — to the time she was going to bed before– which actually resolved the majority of their problems.

In retrospect, I suspect a lot of the issues Diana and many other issues face on vacation is at least due to the fact that bedtime was moved a bit later. On vacation, it’s best to either keep your home bedtime, or lean into it and accept that your child will probably be going to bed later and shoot for the other side of the no-fly zone. (For more on this, read my article on the painful topic of vacation “sleep”).

In many kids the forbidden zone can be 60-90 minutes long. As one mom said on my Facebook page, “My kid needs to be in bed at either 7:30 pm or 9 pm. There is nothing in between.” Often, this surge in energy is attributed to being “overtired” but it’s more accurate to say say kids who are overtired are experiencing a natural surge in wakefulness and energy— which is VERY ANNOYING to tired parents.

Here’s a short video explaining the relationship between sleep drive and the wakefulness drive

How can you find your child’s best bedtime

Most kids in early childhood benefit from a bedtime in the 7:30-8:30 PM range, provided that this allows them a long enough sleep opportunity to wake up spontaneously in the morning.

If your child is on the earlier end of this range and struggling with bedtime, a later bedtime (by 30 minutes) is often helpful. However, in other children, this can put you in the “no-fly zone” as with the child above.

Writing down your child’s routine often helps you pinpoint the painful sticking points.

  For further reading, here are some articles on understanding your child’s sleep drive and body clock.

If you like this content, chapter 5 of my book It’s Never Too Late To Sleep Train will walk you through the best way to find your child’s ideal bedtime and avoid pitfalls and disasters along the way.

Now your turn. Have you found your child’s best bedtime yet? Or are you living in the no-fly zone? Let me know in the comments below

The post Adventures in the No-Fly Zone: Toddler Sleep Problems appeared first on Craig Canapari, MD.

from Craig Canapari, MD https://drcraigcanapari.com/adventures-fly-zone-perils-moving-childs-bedtime/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/17/adventures-in-the-no-fly-zone-toddler-sleep-problems/

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New Study Establishes Normative Polysomnographic Values in Healthy Adults

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was originally published on MLF

A study recently published in The Lancet produced normative values for sleep data in healthy adults, which may help aid in future research, particularly when obtaining polysomnographic control data is difficult.

Researchers included 5273 participants from 169 studies that were published between 2007 and 2016 in this meta-analysis. These studies included data on polysomnographic parameters collected overnight using recent American Academy of Sleep Medicine scoring criteria.

Any studies including participants with treatments or conditions that might affect sleep were excluded. Pooled estimates of 14 polysomnographic factors constituted the study end points, using a random-effects generic inverse meta-analysis to estimate each factor. Multivariate mixed-effects meta-regressions were used to assess the effects of sex and age.

Get the full story at www.pulmonologyadvisor.com

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/sleep-data-normative-polysomnographic-data-healthy-adults/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/17/new-study-establishes-normative-polysomnographic-values-in-healthy-adults/

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Solve The Snoring Problem To Save A Loving Relationship

The post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was originally published to MLF

Why let snoring destroy a loving relationship? It’s totally absurd to let go of the one you love simply because of snoring.

Keep in mind that true love comes only once in a lifetime. Heck, it might not even come at all for some people. So, if it does come to you in the in the form of someone who snores, accept it wholeheartedly. Don’t let snoring break up your loving relationship. Sad to say, that’s a lot easier said than done. Truth be told, snoring can really put a strain in a relationship.

Being in the relationship itself is quite a challenge, but being in a relationship with a snorer is even harder. The same problem every night puts a great strain on the relationship. It disturbs both partners’ sleep. As a result, they feel exhausted during the day.

Snoring also leads to frustration between the couple since partner who can’t sleep well tends to blame a snorer. According to research conducted by Ohio State University, partners who don’t get at least seven hours of sleep tend to fight more. No wonder, restless nights lead to negative mood. It makes partners irritated and hostile towards each other.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

Snoring not only affects the non-snorer partner. The thing about snoring is that it actually affects both the snorer and the non-snorer.

Snoring is also associated with different health risks such as chronic headaches, fatigue, obesity, and heart attack. So, both partners should take this issue seriously and work on it together. Let’s see how simple rules of sticking to a healthy diet, using snoring devices and sleeping on the side can rescue the relationship and bring intimacy back.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

So, for a loving couple, snoring is actually a problem for both. The non-snorer simply cannot resort to sleeping in another room to solve the problem. Unfortunately, that becomes an easy solution for some couples faced with a snoring problem.

The latest survey by the National Sleep Foundation shows that 25% of couples are forced to sleep separately to get proper rest during the night.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

Sleeping separately does not solve the problem of snoring. As a matter of fact, it’s going to be worse for the couple. Sleeping separately is not good for a relationship.

Sharing the bed during the night is considered healthy. It lowers blood pressure and reduces stress and tension because sleeping next to each other drops one’s cortisol level (a steroid hormone). More than that, it also helps to build trust in the relationship on the subconscious level. So, escaping the bedroom is never a solution.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

Leaving the snorer to sleep alone could also be dangerous. Someone has to keep an eye on the snorer, especially when the breathing becomes too loud and violent.

There are ways to deal with a snoring partner. Leaving the snorer to sleep alone is, definitely, not one of those solutions.

So, if you’re sleeping with a snorer, the first thing you can do is to help your partner get healthy. Chances are, your snoring partner has to lose some weight. Help your partner get into a healthier routine.

Another way to help your snoring partner is to let him or her sleep on the side.

When snorer sleeps on his back, soft palate and the tongue collapse to the throat, and it leads to snoring since the airways are blocked. Snorer should consider sleeping on his left or right sides to prevent it. Partners are welcome to direct snorers and help them to get used to sleeping on the side rather than on the back.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

If you really want to keep your relationship intact, have your snoring partner try on some devices.

At the moment there are a lot of effective snoring devices in the market that can prevent airway blockage. It can help to treat snoring without medical surgery. Snorers can choose any kind of device they feel comfortable with.

(Via: https://www.praguepost.com/lifestyle/how-snoring-destroy-relationship)

There are a lot of snoring devices that can help your partner. The highly recommended snoring devices  https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution, and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/snorerx. These devices won’t just help your snoring partner. They’ll also keep the fire burning in your loving relationship.

Solve The Snoring Problem To Save A Loving Relationship Find more on: snoringmouthpiecereview.org

from The Snoring Mouthpiece Review - Feed https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution/solve-the-snoring-problem-to-save-a-loving-relationship

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/17/solve-the-snoring-problem-to-save-a-loving-relationship/

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Mets First Baseman Discovers Sleep Apnea To Blame For Underperformance On The Field

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is republished from Marc Le Francois' Sleep Blog

Dominic Smith was a first round draft pick for the New York Mets a couple of years ago, but the young first baseman turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment, reports CBS New York.

Then Dominic got a clue from his teammates as to what might be the problem.

“People would tell me that I would stop breathing throughout the night when I sleep, my roommates in the minor leagues and stuff like that,” said Smith.

Get the full story at newyork.cbslocal.com

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/mets-first-baseman-discovers-sleep-apnea-to-blame-for-underperformance-on-the-field/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/16/mets-first-baseman-discovers-sleep-apnea-to-blame-for-underperformance-on-the-field/

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Study Affirms Self-reported Sleep Duration as Useful Health Measure in Children

The following post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is courtesy of Marc Le Francois' Sleep Blog

While sleep questionnaires are commonly completed by children and their parents, there has been a lack of data comparing the validity of these self-reported sleep parameters. A new study indicates that these sleep characteristics are relatively accurate compared to one another, and they vary only slightly from objective sleep measures.

Bland-Altman plots comparing child report (blue graph) and parent-report (red graph) of total sleep time. Credit: American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine volume 15, issue number 1

Results show that when compared with objective sleep characteristics recorded during overnight polysomnography, there was strong agreement between both child report and parent report: Children overestimated their sleep duration by a median of 32 minutes, and parents overestimated their child’s sleep duration by 36 minutes. Similarly, children overestimated the time it took them to fall asleep—known as “sleep latency”- by four minutes, and parents overestimated their child’s sleep latency by two minutes.

According to the authors, similar variances have been found in previous studies that used actigraphy to estimate sleep parameters in comparison with overnight polysomnography. In prior research, adults also have been found to overestimate their own sleep duration.

“Simple sleep measures such as sleep duration have been shown to be important predictors of health in children and adults,” says Daniel Combs, MD, lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, in a release. “Our results suggest that while not perfect, parent or child report of sleep is a useful and very inexpensive tool to measure sleep in children.”

The study results are published in the Jan 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

The study involved 285 children in the Tucson Children’s Assessment of Sleep Apnea community cohort study. They ranged in age from about 9 to 17 years, with a mean age of 13 years. Fifty-two percent of participants were boys, 68% were Caucasian, and 32% were Hispanic.

Objective measures were gathered using full polysomnography during one night of sleep at home. Children and their parents completed sleep questionnaires the following morning. Eighty-seven percent of parent questionnaires were filled out by mothers.

The authors noted that in cases with high disagreement between parent report and child report, the child report tended to be more accurate for sleep duration. In contrast, the parent report was more accurate for sleep latency.

The authors also performed a stratified analysis of children from 9 to 12 years of age, compared to children 13 to 17 years of age.

“We expected that for teenagers, parent report of sleep would be less accurate compared to parent report for younger children,” says Combs. “Surprisingly, there was no difference in parent versus child report about sleep in teenagers.”

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/study-affirms-self-reported-sleep-duration-useful-health-measure-children/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/16/study-affirms-self-reported-sleep-duration-as-useful-health-measure-in-children/

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9 Emerging Devices That Will Disrupt Health Care

The following blog post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is republished from Marc Le Francois' Sleep Blog

Israel 21c predicts that’s Nyxoah’s leadless and minimally invasive neurostimulator for treating sleep apnea will disrupt healthcare.

The company is now gathering additional clinical evidence on Genio, initiating European market development and working toward FDA approval.

OSA is the most common form of sleep apnea, a condition estimated to affect at least 100 million people worldwide.

Get the full story at www.israel21c.org

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/9-emerging-devices-disrupt-health-care/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/9-emerging-devices-that-will-disrupt-health-care/

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Male Infertility Linked to Being Overweight, Sleep Apnea

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was initially published on https://www.marclefrancois.net

Adrienne Gentry, Carilion reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, says she has seen sperm counts improve for some men a few months after starting CPAP, reports WSLS.

“Here, I’ve seen more and more male factor and I think it’s associated with men who are overweight or who have sleep apnea that hasn’t been diagnosed and treated. It’s crazy that treatment with a CPAP for two or three months completely improves their sperm to normal,” said Dr. Gentry.

Get the full story at www.wsls.com

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/male-infertility-linked-to-being-overweight-sleep-apnea/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/male-infertility-linked-to-being-overweight-sleep-apnea/

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Cardiovascular Complications Risk Post-surgery Doubles for Those with Sleep Apnea

The blog article e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was originally published on https://www.marclefrancois.net

Patients who have severe obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly higher risk of complications related to their heart in the first 30 days after major surgery. This is according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

“We found that the risk of postoperative complications related to their heart was 50% higher in patients with sleep apnea compared to those without sleep apnea,” says Frances Chung, MBBS, FRCPC, a clinician investigator with the Krembil Research Institute and a professor in the department of anesthesiology and pain management at the University Health Network and University of Toronto, in a release.

During obstructive sleep apnea, the upper airway is blocked by the tongue and surrounding tissues during sleep, which may result in a lack of oxygen to the brain. “As a result, in the general population, obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular complications including high blood pressure, angina, irregular heartbeat, heart failure, and sudden death,” says Chung. “In this study, we wanted to determine whether sleep apnea would pose a similar risk to surgical patients.”

Key Findings

The authors identified 1,218 pre-surgical patients newly diagnosed with sleep apnea and followed them for 30 days after their surgery.

These surgical patients had a 50% higher risk of complications related to their heart. The authors believe this is due to the sleep apnea going undiagnosed and untreated.

On further analysis, patients with severe sleep apnea were associated with a 14-fold increase in cardiac death, an 80% higher risk of heart injury and an almost 7-fold higher risk of heart failure.

Since sleep apnea occurs while you’re asleep, 80% of men and 90% of women with sleep apnea may not even know they have it.

Bottom Line

30% of our surgical population has unrecognized moderate to severe sleep apnea. The patients in this study were not diagnosed and they were not treated before surgery. “The key takeaway here is that if patients have symptoms of sleep apnea, perhaps they should be treated before undergoing major surgery,” says Chung. “Further study is needed to determine how best to prevent patients with severe sleep apnea from having a higher risk of heart complications.”

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/cardiovascular-complications-risk-sleep-apnea/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/cardiovascular-complications-risk-post-surgery-doubles-for-those-with-sleep-apnea/

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Look After Your Mental Health

The post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is courtesy of MLF Blog

There’s a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Lack of sleep can affect mental health but mental health problems can also affect how well you sleep – both the quantity and the quality of it – so it’s extremely important to address both issues. This week it is Mental Health Awareness Week (13-19 May […]

The post Look After Your Mental Health appeared first on The Sleep Council.

from The Sleep Council https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/look-after-your-mental-health/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/look-after-your-mental-health/

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Low-flow PAP System Partners with Software Platform to Add Cloud Connectivity, Develop Patient App

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was initially published to MLF

FRESCA Medical, which makes a low-flow positive airway pressure system for obstructive sleep apnea that expects to launch in the United States in 2020, and Galen Data have partnered to provide cloud connectivity and development of FRESCA’s patient mobile app.

The partnership will leverage the Galen Data cloud platform solution with FRESCA Medical’s PAP system, which has patented SmartValve technology that enables the system to treat sleep apnea with less airflow than conventional CPAP systems. Working together, Galen and FRESCA will launch a cloud-connected sleep platform with features for patients and providers.

“FRESCA Medical is committed to developing effective for sleep apnea sufferers who do not want or cannot tolerate the currently available therapies,” says John Cox, president and CEO of FRESCA Medical, in a release. “CPAP is effective, but is plagued by patient dissatisfaction and treatment abandonment. Quality sleep is fundamental to good health, and new treatment options are urgently needed in our healthcare armamentarium. The medical device market is already one of the largest applications for cloud-based patient monitoring and engagement. The goal of this partnership is to leverage the latest connected health technology with a patient and provider-friendly solution, to improve care, increase treatment utilization, and lower healthcare costs.”

Building custom medical device connectivity infrastructure that meets FDA regulations can potentially increase costs and add unnecessary risks for companies that lack the required knowledge, technical expertise, and internal resources. Galen Data’s configurable connectivity platform and managed solution handles all operational aspects required for medical device commercial success including visualization of data, security, privacy, monitoring, and backups.

“The Galen Data partnership allows us to utilize their existing cloud platform and expertise in cybersecurity and medical device software so we can focus on the design, manufacture, and marketing of our breakthrough alternative to CPAP therapy,” says Ed McCarthy, director of business development for FRESCA Medical. “This relationship allows us to save considerable time and money bringing our next generation OSA treatment and connected solution to this underserved patient population.”

Galen Data CEO Chris DuPont, says, “Galen is excited to make a technological contribution to the treatment of OSA and we know FRESCA Medical has the potential to help millions of patients. Our partnership strengthens Galen Data’s position in the connected medical device market and demonstrates our commitment to the medical device industry.”

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/fresca-galen-cloud-app/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/low-flow-pap-system-partners-with-software-platform-to-add-cloud-connectivity-develop-patient-app/

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AirAvant Medical Bongo Rx Now Available for Mild to Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was originally published to https://www.marclefrancois.net

AirAvant Medical’s flagship product Bongo Rx is now available for patients requiring treatment of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Bongo Rx is an FDA 510(k) cleared prescription only device that seals in the user’s nose and works by creating back pressure during exhalation. It doesn’t require CPAP hoses or headgear or electricity.

Prescriptions for Bongo Rx may be sent to any provider who can receive and fill a prescription for durable medical equipment (DME) supplies. This includes sleep centers that stock the device as a retail product. It not currently covered under reimbursement, though patients can get reimbursed through health savings accounts and flexible savings accounts with a copy of the receipt and prescription, according to AirAvant.

Sample prescription forms are available online in the patient and provider forms section of AirAvant’s website or the referring physician can write an Rx on their own forms and send it with the patient to access from internet providers or send it to a local DME provider.

“We recognize that people need to have the ability to treat their sleep apnea comfortably and conveniently, no matter where they are—in a bed, on a train, on a plane, or even catching a quick nap in a chair or on the couch,” says Javier Collazo, vice president of AirAvant, which is a newly formed company created from the former partners of InnoMed Technologies Inc, as well as Ron F. Richard (formerly of ResMed and SeQual Technologies). “For compliant CPAP patients, the Bongo Rx may provide a supplemental treatment option to complement their lifestyle. For non-compliant CPAP patients, the Bongo Rx may provide a patient-friendly, non-cumbersome treatment option to get them refocused and reengaged on treating their obstructive sleep apnea.”

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/airavant-medical-bongo-rx-now-available-mild-moderate-obstructive-sleep-apnea/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/15/airavant-medical-bongo-rx-now-available-for-mild-to-moderate-obstructive-sleep-apnea/

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Jazz Pharmaceuticals Data to Showcase Ongoing Sleep Medicine Research at SLEEP 2019

The following blog article e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee is courtesy of https://www.marclefrancois.net

Fourteen abstracts sponsored by Jazz Pharmaceuticals and one abstract from an investigator-sponsored trial focusing on sodium oxybate will be presented at SLEEP 2019 San Antonio from June 8-12, 2019.

“Jazz is committed to making meaningful strides in researching medicines that can improve the lives of people living with sleep disorders,” says Jed Black, MD, senior vice president, Sleep and CNS Medicine at Jazz Pharmaceuticals and adjunct professor, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, in a release. “There continue to be large unmet needs in these patient populations, and we are looking forward to presenting new data from our sleep portfolio, including our newest sleep medicine to be approved by FDA, solriamfetol.”

On March 20, 2019, Jazz announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sunosi (solriamfetol) to improve wakefulness in adult patients with excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sunosi is expected to be commercially available in the United States following the final scheduling decision by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which is typically within 90 days of FDA approval.

Highlights at SLEEP will include the following poster presentations:

Results from pooled analyses from 12-week randomized studies of solriamfetol for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or narcolepsy.

Long-term effects of solriamfetol on quality of life in patients with excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy or OSA.

Treatment patterns among patients with narcolepsy treated with sodium oxybate.

Physician prescribing patterns for patients with narcolepsy treated with sodium oxybate.

Evaluation of cataplexy-free days in children/adolescents with narcolepsy with cataplexy treated with sodium oxybate.

The full list of Jazz-supported and related oral and poster presentations is as follows.

Solriamfetol Poster Presentations

Pooled Analyses from 12-Week Randomized, Controlled Studies of Solriamfetol in the Treatment Of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness In Participants With OSA Or Narcolepsy June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0616 / Bridge Hall

Long-Term Effects of Solriamfetol on Quality of Life In Participants with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Associated with Narcolepsy or Obstructive Sleep Apnea June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0601 / Bridge Hall

Dose Titration of Solriamfetol in Participants with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) from a 6-Week Randomized-Withdrawal Trial June 11 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0570 / Bridge Hall

Weight Change Associated with Solriamfetol Treatment of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Participants with Narcolepsy or Obstructive Sleep Apnea June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0618 / Bridge Hall

Solriamfetol Treatment of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Parkinson’s Disease: Results from a Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept Trial June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0617 / Bridge Hall

Incidence and Duration of Common Adverse Events in a Solriamfetol (JZP-110) Phase 3 Study for Treatment of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea June 11 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0569 / Bridge Hall

Sodium Oxybate Presentations

Treatment Patterns among Patients with Narcolepsy Treated with Sodium Oxybate Poster presentation: June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0604 / Bridge Hall Oral presentation: June 11 / 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. / 0604 / Bridge Hall

Physician Prescribing Patterns for Patients with Narcolepsy Treated with Sodium Oxybate June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0608 / Bridge Hall

Dosing, Titration, and Treatment Compliance to Sodium Oxybate Therapy in Pediatric Patients With Narcolepsy June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0765 / Bridge Hall

Evaluation of Cataplexy-Free Days in Children/Adolescents with Narcolepsy with Cataplexy Treated with Sodium Oxybate June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0766 / Bridge Hall

Long-Term Safety of Sodium Oxybate in Pediatric Narcolepsy with Cataplexy: Open-Label Continuation Post 1-Year of Treatment Poster presentation: June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0767 / Bridge Hall Oral presentation: June 11 / 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. / 0767 / Bridge Hall

Sodium Oxybate Dosing Utilization Patterns in the Nexus Narcolepsy Registry June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0605 / Bridge Hall

Patient Survey Poster Presentation

Prevalence and Morbidity of Sleepiness in an Online Sleep Apnea Patient Cohort June 11 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0487 / Bridge Hall

Narcolepsy Prevalence Poster Presentation

Prevalence of Diagnosed Pediatric Narcolepsy in the United States June 9 / 5:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. / 0761 / Bridge Hall

Investigator-sponsored Trial Focusing on Sodium Oxybate

Acute Total Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Ability to Manage Response Conflict Poster Presentation: June 10 / 5:15 PM – 7:15 PM / 0213 / Bridge Hall Oral Presentation: June 11 / 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM / 0213 / Bridge Hall

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/jazz-research-sleep2019/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/jazz-pharmaceuticals-data-to-showcase-ongoing-sleep-medicine-research-at-sleep-2019/

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Snoring: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore It

The blog post e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was initially seen on MLF

There’s nothing good about snoring. It’s irritating and annoying. Snoring is a major roadblock to decent sleep. No one can get decent sleep if someone snores. Truth be told, even the snorer is deprived of some decent sleep as well.

The roar is deafening. And while it sounds like a joke, it’s not. Because what you’re hearing is your loved one having genuine difficulty breathing. You’re impacted too, definitely sleep deprived, and maybe a bit resentful. Fortunately, there are treatments for snoring that don’t involve separate bedrooms.

(Via: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-03-11-dont-ignore-the-snore-sleep-apnea.aspx)

The point is, snoring is not to be ignored especially if it’s becoming an issue between you and your partner. It’s about time to take snoring seriously because there’s nothing funny about it.

Deep heavy snoring that occurs every night is bad for the health of both the snorer and the partner. It leads to sleep deprivation. So, if both you and your partner are sleep deprived, the two of you could eventually face some serious health problems.

“Snoring is an issue when it is habitual — when the sleep disruption occurs every night,” said Atul Malhotra, MD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of sleep medicine at UC San Diego Health. “Snoring can be caused by a range of issues. But the louder the snoring is, the more likely the diagnosis is sleep apnea, a condition that causes breathing to stop repeatedly throughout the night.”

(Via: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-03-11-dont-ignore-the-snore-sleep-apnea.aspx)

One simple way to cure snoring is to eat a healthier diet. If you’re the snorer, be honest with yourself. Take a look at your weight and do something about it. If your partner is the snorer, recommend a healthy diet.

Malhotra said being overweight also factors into snoring. “Many patients, with diet and exercise, can reduce weight and eliminate snoring. It’s not an easy solution, but one that can produce good results that stop snoring and improve long-term health.”

(Via: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-03-11-dont-ignore-the-snore-sleep-apnea.aspx)

Habitual snoring is an indication of a deeper health problem, like  sleep apnea. The repercussions of ignoring sleep apnea can lead to more dangerous health issues.

“Long-term impacts from sleep apnea may include neurocognitive and cardiovascular disease,” said Malhotra. “Theoretically, snoring can cause a harmful vibration in the carotid arteries that can lead to cerebrovascular injuries. These microscopic injuries, over time, may, at least in theory, result in stroke or other brain disorders.”

(Via: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-03-11-dont-ignore-the-snore-sleep-apnea.aspx)

Snoring affects a lot of couples. It gets in the way of their life together. The loud, blasting snore that keeps you and your partner awake can really break up a loving partnership.

“I have seen cases where spouses report needing to sleep in a different bed or where neighbors complain of the noise through walls. If the volume is loud enough to disrupt others, it is not a minor problem,” said Malhotra. “The best thing to do is to have a conversation with your doctor. There are both conservative and aggressive approaches to treating snoring, many of which can be done at home.

(Via: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2019-03-11-dont-ignore-the-snore-sleep-apnea.aspx)

A doctor’s help goes a long way in finding safe solutions to snoring. Your doctor can recommend home treatments, if in case you don’t want to resort to aggressive approaches yet.

Home treatments are pretty simple. Needless to say, they’re safe as well. You just have to wear a safe snoring mouthpiece while you sleep.

The https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight and https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/good-morning-snore-solution are safe and effective. They’re worth trying. Either one of those snoring mouthpieces can definitely help you get some good sleep.

As a matter of fact, you don’t have to wait until the snoring gets worse. Right on the onset of snoring, it’s best to resort to wearing either one of those mouthpieces. There really is no reason for you to ignore snoring.

Snoring: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore It See more on: SnoringMouthpieceReview.org

from The Snoring Mouthpiece Review - Feed https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight/snoring-why-you-shouldnt-ignore-it

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/snoring-why-you-shouldnt-ignore-it/

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Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Sleep Medicine

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee Find more on: www.marclefrancois.net

How will AI and machine learning change how sleep medicine providers treat their patients?

By Lisa Spear

Right now it’s typical for sleep technologists to mull over pages of polysomnography (PSG) data related to eye movements, respiration, brain activity, and more, to look for indicators of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. Machine learning could revolutionize sleep medicine by taking over the diagnostic process, identifying gaps in care, and helping predict CPAP adherence even before therapy begins.

“I think [sleep medicine] is a field that is ripe for disruption in really being able to apply big data and big data tools to our field and perhaps even be a leading force in terms of how machine learning and artificial intelligence can really impact patients in the way that we deliver care,” says sleep specialist Dennis Hwang, MD, director of Kaiser Permanente’s San Bernardino County Sleep Center.

One cloud-based healthcare platform called Somnoware uses machine learning to help physicians estimate the likelihood of 90-day CPAP therapy compliance. The software works by mining patient data from electronic medical records, patient questionnaires, and lab visits. This data includes demographic information and comorbidities, which all help to build a machine learning model to predict short- and long-term CPAP compliance even before the patient is put on therapy, according to a release.

As more data comes into the program, the model automatically updates its predictions. This way, clinicians can track trends in patient compliance and determine the likely impact of certain interventions on patient outcomes.

“Our goal is to bring valuable information to physicians early, so it can be used for proactive patient care management,” says Raj Misra, PhD, chief data scientist and vice president of marketing at Somnoware.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could also change the diagnostic process. For instance, researchers from the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine developed an AI system to analyze sleep stages to diagnose narcolepsy, finding that AI could use datasets to pinpoint unusual sleep staging more accurately than a human sleep tech. Results were published in a 2018 paper in Nature Communications.1

“Right now [sleep test scoring] is done by technicians, and clearly, there is no reason why it couldn’t be done by a computer,” says sleep specialist Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, an author of the study and the director of the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine.

The Stanford researchers first told six techs to analyze and score sleep data, looking for changes in sleep staging that could indicate narcolepsy. After the researchers averaged those scores, they then trained an AI program to “learn” specific data trends. They did this by providing it with 3,000 sleep study recordings. The results demonstrated that the AI system could actually score sleep tests more accurately than its human counterparts.

“Sleep studies are quite complicated, a bit subjective, so artificial intelligence is really ideal,” says Mignot.

AI-powered sleep test autoscoring software is a tool that could one day be a common way to save time and resources in sleep clinics. Madison, Wisc-based tech company EnsoData has moved in this direction, creating the software EnsoSleep, which combines American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) scoring recommendations with algorithms that analyze sleep data; the company says this can help diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea, according to a Wisconsin State Journal article written by EnsoData co-founder and CEO Chris Fernandez.2

“Our mission at EnsoData is to create more time for direct patient care and the cultivation of meaningful patient relationships, the aspect of medicine that the majority of clinicians report as the most satisfying part of the practice, by automating these heavily manual data tasks with powerful artificial intelligence software,” Fernandez wrote.

EnsoSleep received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 to automate PSG and home sleep tests.  According to the article, since the FDA clearance, EnsoSleep has been used by dozens of clinics across the country to improve patient access to care and preserve sleep clinic resources.

“As growth of the patient population increasingly outpaces the size of our clinical workforce, artificial intelligence will play a critical role in empowering clinicians with tools that scale and amplify their ability to provide care for a far greater number of patients,” Fernandez says in the article.

Other technologies are also on the horizon. Morpheo, an open-source initiative to help develop machine learning models for automatic and predictive diagnosis of sleep disorders, is a project based in Paris, France. “The idea was to develop algorithms that would help and assist doctors with clinical sleep work,” explains Marco Brigham, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in machine learning at École Polytechnique.

“Basically we are working on the AI aspect of the project to assist physicians in sleep medicine,” says Brigham. Since the funding for this project is wrapping up in June, it is unclear if clinicians will ever get to use it, but Brigham says there is still plenty of potential for AI to impact patient care.

At Kaiser Permanente in California, sleep researchers have been having discussions to brainstorm the concept of an “AI bot.” It’s not going to be the cyborg one might envision but would likely be a downloadable smartphone app, according to Hwang.

The AI bot would be a companion to help troubleshoot problems with sleep apnea care. If a patient is struggling to adjust to the air pressure of their CPAP, they might first chat with the AI bot before consulting a physician. The AI bot would then be able to check in on the patient to ask them how they are and inquire about their sleep quality or daytime sleepiness. “It would utilize true intelligence to provide an interactive process,” says Hwang.

“Part of our vision is developing an AI bot that would be able to interact with a patient frequently in an intelligent way. It would ask the patient how they are doing, how they are feeling, and be able to provide some mechanism to improve some cognitive behavioral aspects of care,” says Hwang. “There may be some issues that can be dealt with by the AI bot that may not involve a sleep provider.”

Lisa Spear is associate editor of Sleep Review.

References

 1. Stephansen JB, Olesen AN, Olsen M, et al. Neural network analysis of sleep stages enables efficient diagnosis of narcolepsy. Nat Commun. 2018 Dec 6;9(1):5229.

2. Fernadez C. EnsoData uses AI to help improve health care. Wisconsin State Journal. 23 Sept 2018.

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/artificial-intelligence-sleep-medicine/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-sleep-medicine/

[marclefrancois1]

Are You A ‘Light’ Sleeper?

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was originally seen on MLF Blog

Do you find it harder to sleep when it’s lighter in the morning and at night? It’s not just children who find the switch into British Summertime difficult (though understandably it’s more of a struggle for them to grasp). But sometimes, even for us adults, it just doesn’t feel right to be sleeping during daylight. […]

The post Are You A ‘Light’ Sleeper? appeared first on The Sleep Council.

from The Sleep Council https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/are-you-a-light-sleeper/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/are-you-a-light-sleeper/

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Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Apnea in Cardiology Patients [On Demand Webinar]

e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee Find more on: The Marc Le Francois Sleep Health Blog

The webinar Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Apnea in Cardiology Patients, produced by Sleep Review and sponsored by Itamar Medical and Cardio + Sleep Solutions by Itamar Medical, is available for free and immediate on-demand viewing.

In this 75-minute webinar, cardiovascular sleep medicine experts explain 1) links between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease, 2) theories about the pathophysiology that links sleep apnea and the heart, and 3) real-life examples of sleep physicians working with cardiologists for better patient outcomes.

The on-demand version includes a recording of the live Q&A segment.

Speakers

Hitendra Patel, MD

Hitendra Patel, MD, earned his medical degree from University of Wales College of Medicine. He pursued his residency at New York Infirmary-Beekman Downtown Hospital and his senior residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Patel the was the medical director of the sleep lab at Cabell Huntington Hospital and oversaw the sleep lab accreditation by the AASM. Dr. Patel joined Marietta Pulmonary Medicine (now Wellstar Pulmonary Medicine) in 1998. He became medical director of the WellStar Sleep Program in 2011 and has been the practice leader at Wellstar Pulmonary Medicine since 2016. In the same year, the Wellstar Cardiology team introduced WatchPAT to Dr Patel and he continues to work very closely with his cardiology colleagues to help their many patients with comorbid sleep apnea.

  Rodney Horton, MD

Rodney Horton, MD, is the founder of Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia (www.tcaheart.com), a practice based in Austin, Texas. The program includes 19 cardiac rhythm specialists and care for over 6,000 AF patients annually, with AF ablation volumes over 2,000 per year. The group actively studies and has published on the role of sleep apnea in the formation and progression of AF, as well as the influence that optimal sleep apnea management has on AF treatment efficacy.

Yelena Tumashova, MD

Yelena Tumashova, MD, is double boarded in neurology and sleep medicine. She has more than 15 years of experience practicing sleep medicine, including10 years’ experience as director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. For 12 months, she has been participating in a pilot of a cardiovascular sleep medicine satellite clinic at Advocate Heart Institute in Downers Grove, Ill.

Sponsor

This webinar is free for attendees, courtesy of sponsorship by ltamar Medical and Cardio + Sleep Solutions by Itamar Medical.

A Word from Our Sponsor

WatchPAT 300 is an innovative Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT) that utilizes its proprietary peripheral arterial tone signal (PAT). WatchPAT measures up to 7 channels and within one-minute post study, the raw data is downloaded and auto-scored differentiating obstructive and central events, providing an AHI, RDI, and ODI based upon True Sleep Time™ and Sleep Staging. WatchPAT’s True Sleep Time reduces the risk of misdiagnosis and misclassification that has been reported to be 20% with HSAT’s using total recording time. The AHI and RDI derived from the WatchPAT were clinically validated with an 89% correlation to PSG and the PAT signal is an accepted measure for adults with OSA in the 2017 AASM HSAT Clinical Practice Guidelines. If you have an interest in learning more about the WatchPAT please contact Itamar at infousa[at]Itamar-medical.com or visit Itamar-medical.com.

A Word from Our Sponsor

As the awareness for sleep apnea and its associated health risk increases, the wait times for a PSG may increase and unintentionally exacerbate disease burden and reduce patient satisfaction. WatchPAT Direct mail-order service was designed to help reduce this backlog. WatchPAT Direct allows you to expand your HSAT program quickly with no upfront costs and with minimal time and effort from your office staff. Once implemented, your office staff will have more time to care for the patients and the other critical activities to improve the practice’s performance. If you have an interest in learning more about the WatchPAT Direct please contact Itamar at infousa[at]Itamar-medical.com or visit Itamar-medical.com.

A Word from Our Sponsor

It is estimated that 50% of the nearly 92M Cardiovascular disease patients have sleep apnea and 80% of these patients remain undiagnosed, presenting a significant health risk that is avoidable. Itamar has worked closely with sleep specialists and cardiologists to develop its the Total Sleep Solution. The Total Sleep Solution is a simple, yet comprehensive, program to effectively screen, diagnosis, treat and monitor therapy compliance to optimize patient outcomes. Itamar has developed best practices while working with both cardiologists and sleep specialists to create a customized workflow to seamlessly integrate this 4-step process. If you have an interest in learning more about the Total Sleep Solution please contact Itamar at infousa[atItamar-medical.com or visit Itamar-medical.com.

The webinar originally aired April 24, 2019.

Register to watch Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Apnea in Cardiology Patients (it’s free!). 

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/sleep-apnea-cardiology-webinar/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/diagnosis-and-management-of-sleep-apnea-in-cardiology-patients-on-demand-webinar/

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How Stress Can Affect Your Sleep

The following article e0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eepostlinke0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22eee0a9e1e9e6412908cf53cee25f32209b62d23d03e119cd2df63e6855e8fc22ee was initially published on Marc Le Francois

Stress not only harms your well-being but it also can prevent you from getting a reasonable amount of sleep. A Baylor College of Medicine sleep expert explains how stress can interfere with your nighttime schedule and ways you can sleep more when life becomes busy.

“Stress can affect sleep in different ways,” says Annise Wilson, MD, assistant professor of neurology and of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, in a release. “What we commonly see is insomnia.”

Wilson explains that people who are stressed think excessively about responsibilities such as work, family, and finances. For teens and young adults in school, this stress often focuses on exams and other important assignments. When one attempts to fall asleep, those thoughts continue and cause numerous disruptions in sleep patterns.

“High levels of stress impair sleep by prolonging how long it takes to fall asleep and fragmenting sleep. Sleep loss triggers our body’s stress response system, leading to an elevation in stress hormones, namely cortisol, which further disrupts sleep,” Wilson says. “Research has shown that sleep plays an important role in learning and memory. Chronic sleep deprivation also has been associated with decreased metabolism and endocrine dysfunction. ”

It can be difficult to reach the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep when your mind is still active from daily responsibilities. Modifying your nighttime behaviors are the first step to feeling less stressed in the evenings and being able to fall asleep more efficiently, Wilson says.

“Stimulus control therapy and improving sleep hygiene are well-validated methods to enhance sleep,” Wilson says. “If you find it difficult to turn your mind off, one technique we recommend is jotting down your thoughts before bed. Also, there are a lot of apps that can guide you through meditation and breathing exercises.”

She also advises relaxing activities such as warm baths and yoga before bed to help you wind down after a long day. Other factors that can impact your sleep include screen time before bed, drinking caffeine late in the evening, and excessive light exposure in the bedroom.

“Creating an optimal sleep environment is crucial,” Wilson says. “One modern issue is the blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets, and other electronics, because that particular wavelength is quite activating and can affect melatonin secretion. There are blue light filter apps available, and on the iPhone there is a pre-installed setting to eliminate it. But ideally, just limit screen time.”

Wilson also advises carving out a sufficient amount of time for sleep and finding ways to offload daytime responsibilities when possible, such as using delivery services and strategic planning. She also notes the importance of keeping a consistent sleep schedule throughout the week by sleeping the same hours on weekdays and weekends.

While insomnia can be caused by excessive stress, Wilson notes that insomnia also can be related to other medical conditions, such as superimposed sleep apnea, mood disorders, and chronic pain.

Not receiving an adequate amount of sleep throughout the night can cause daytime impairment, Wilson says, which can be dangerous when driving or operating heavy machinery. While many attempt over-the-counter remedies such as melatonin to address their sleeping troubles, Wilson advises visiting a professional when significant daytime impairment occurs or insomnia becomes a long-standing.

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2019/05/stress-can-affect-sleep/

from https://www.marclefrancois.net/2019/05/14/how-stress-can-affect-your-sleep/