SomnoMed, Inc., the global leader in oral sleep appliance technology, will host a two-day educational course Aug. 5-6 in Chicago to help dentists successfully implement Dental Sleep Medicine within their practices.  The SomnoMed Academy course will introduce dentists to screening and treating patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) through extensive educational and hands-on sessions designed to maximize the latest dental sleep medicine technologies and develop streamlined protocols.

Sleep issues are not new – in fact, the 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39 percent  get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and 37 percent are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.

Sleep apnea, considered a sleeping disorder, affects tens of millions of Americans and is associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, stroke, memory/performance problems, depression and higher accident rates. SomnoMed’s SomnoDent® is a custom-made oral device that positions the lower jaw slightly forward of its usual position. This has the effect of keeping the airway open, preventing snoring and treating the serious chronic condition of OSA.

“SomnoDent is a unique solution for treating OSA that has unprecedented compliance rates among patients,” said Anthony White, vice president of marketing and SomnoMed Academy.  “We look forward to helping dentists introduce this solution in their practices to help patients sleep better, which in turn creates an overall healthier lifestyle.”

Registration for SomnoMed Academy is limited, and participants who reserve their seat before July 15 will receive a free demonstration model.  For more information about SomnoMed Academy, visit http://www.somnomed.com.

The diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders have come a long way in recent years. In the past, people who snored might be advised to sew a tennis ball onto the back of their pajama top. The “snore ball” would discourage them from sleeping on their back and might quiet their droning. Or a doctor might use the “dog index” to measure poor sleep: If your dog generally sleeps with you but by morning has left the bed more than half the time, it may be because you’re such a loud, restless sleeper that the dog has gone elsewhere for some peace and quiet.

How things have changed. Now, doctors with special training diagnose and treat more than 80 sleep disorders – from obstructive sleep apnea to narcolepsy – at special centers with labs where a patient’s every sleeping moment may be recorded and measured. Read the rest of this entry

Fragmented sleep, loud snoring, debilitating daytime fatigue, low oxygen levels, missed work days, morning headaches and problems remembering and concentrating are among the symptoms of sleep apnea disorder, the most common sleep disorder.

According to estimates there are more than 18 million Americans suffer from the deadly disorder called sleep apnea.

One of the first steps is generally to undergo an overnight sleep evaluation, or “nocturnal polysomnogram.” It is commonly known as overnight sleep study at the sleep center.

Patients spend one night in a special laboratory or a bedroom hooked up to sophisticated computer equipment that monitors heart, lung and brain activity; breathing patterns; arm and leg movements; and blood oxygen levels. The room generally includes soft lighting; a comfortable bed; a quiet, calming atmosphere; television; and other amenities to help the patient sleep.

In some cases, a portable home monitoring device can also be used to track heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow and breathing patterns. Unfortunately, however, it does not always provide the most effective readings. An overnight, in-center polysomnogram may still be needed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today announced agreement (PDF) on important fatigue recommendations that were developed by a joint FAA-NATCA working group which was established under the 2009 collective bargaining agreement.

“The American public must have confidence that our nation’s air traffic controllers are rested and ready to work,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “We have the safest air transportation system in the world but we needed to make changes and we are doing that.”

The agreement reinforces existing FAA policy that prohibits air traffic controllers from sleeping while they are performing assigned duties.  The FAA will continue to provide air traffic controllers breaks on the midnight shift based on staffing and workload.  While on break, air traffic controllers are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be available for recall at all times. Read the rest of this entry

San Diego-headquartered medical device manufacturer ResMed has acquired UCD spin-out BiancaMed in an all-cash deal. Original investors including DFJ ePlanet Capital and Enterprise Ireland are believed to receive a significant premium on their €11m investment in the company.

Jeannine Gingras, M.D., a nationally and internationally recognized expert in sleep disorders, has opened Gingras Sleep Medicine in Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina.

Dr. Gingras treats infants, children, teens and adults and practices sleep medicine exclusively. She sees patients for all sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, snoring, sleepwalking, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Read the rest of this entry

Two Cookeville sleep centers have announced merger this week. Sleep Solutions of Cookeville has consolidated with the Sleep  Lab of Cookeville Regional, a move that will allow the CRMC facility to expand  its services, double the number of beds for studies and increase its staff  two-fold. The hospital’s board of trustees approved a $250,000  purchase price for Sleep Solutions, its assets and equipment.

With the merger, Sleep Solutions’ rented  facility on North Washington Avenue will close. The Sleep Lab at CRMC,  meanwhile, located on West Fourth Street, will double in capacity.

“We  were both two busy four-bed labs, and we decided it would be best if we joined  efforts,” said Scott Clayton, former CEO of Sleep Solutions and the new director  of the Sleep Lab of Cookeville Regional. “We will increase to six beds on  Tuesday and we’ll be moving to eight beds here as soon as possible.” Read the rest of this entry

Insomnia, one of the most dreaded – yet highly common – is affecting more than 30% of the world’s population. Not surprisingly, people today have been found to experience 20% less of the good night’s sleep that people from 100 years ago tremendously enjoyed. Often caused by stress and anxiety or involving genetics, insomnia is prompting roughly 10 million Americans to pop prescription medicine to help them fall into a deep slumber.

As the number of “insomniacs” around the world soars, so does the need for trusted, relevant data on how alleviate the condition.

Established in 2005, Help-Me-To-Sleep.com aims to provide a wealth of facts and advice on a range of sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and shift work sleep disorder. The website contains insomnia definition to help visitors understand the condition, while tackling in detail what causes insomnia and how to treat it. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[Press Release i]/ June 27, 2011/ – Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE), a holding company that builds value in growth-stage life sciences and technology companies, today announced that it led a $35 million Series D financing for Baltimore, MD-based NovaSom, a diagnostics company enabling home diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Safeguard provided $20 million of financing; the additional $15 million was provided by existing investors, including TPG Biotechnology II Fund and Quaker BioVentures, among others. Proceeds from the financing will be used to fund growth, expand its leadership position in payer and provider markets, and develop additional innovations within the company’s proprietary NovaSom® diagnostic medical device and cloud-based MediTrack® Patient Management Portals. Read the rest of this entry

The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia to treat sleep  problems can reduce suicidal ideation, according to research presented  last week at SLEEP 2011,  the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep  Societies LLC, held in Minneapolis.

The findings show that about 21% of participants with insomnia—65 of  303 participants—reported having suicidal thoughts or wishes during the  past 2 weeks. Group cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia produced a  statistically significant post-treatment reduction in suicidal  ideation. Treatment sessions were conducted weekly until the final two  sessions, which were conducted bi-weekly.

According to the researchers, a growing body of evidence suggests  that self-reported insomnia and poor sleep quality constitute modifiable  risk factors for suicide. Sleep complaints are listed among the top  suicide warning signs by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service  Administration. No previous studies, however, had evaluated the impact  of a sleep intervention on suicidal ideation.

The study included 303 community outpatients between 18 and 88 years  of age who completed group cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia.  The Beck Depression Inventory, which includes a question about suicidal  thoughts or wishes, was administered at both baseline and  post-treatment.

A new study shows that people with primary insomnia may be able to  find relief by wearing a cap that cools the brain during sleep. The  findings were presented last week at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the  Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC, in Minneapolis.

According to the researchers, a reduction in metabolism in the  brain’s frontal cortex occurs while falling asleep and is associated  with restorative sleep. Insomnia, however, is associated with increased  metabolism in this same brain region. One way to reduce cerebral  metabolic activity is to use frontal cerebral thermal transfer to cool  the brain—a process known as “cerebral hypothermia.” Read the rest of this entry

Childhood obesity in North Carolina is at 33.5% according to the  National Conference of State Legislatures. Raleigh  weight loss problems mount as the state will pay $2.138 billion in annual  medical costs of obesity.

One in three children are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity has  increased over 300% in the past 30 years according to the CDC (Center for  Disease Control). Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5%  in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. Obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years  increased from 5.0% to 18.1% during the same time period.

The risk factors for obesity in children and adolescents are cardiovascular  disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure. To make matters worse, they are  at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and poor self-esteem.  Overweight and obese children are more likely to be overweight or obese in their  adult years. This increases their chances of developing heart disease, type 2  diabetes, stroke, cancer and osteoarthritis.

Knowing these facts; would one ever say to your overweight or obese child,  Sweetie, let’s go get some cheeseburgers, fries and a milk shake so later in  life it can result in a heart attack.

Gaming and Internet activity are more likely to have a negative  impact on self-reported teen sleep duration than watching television,  according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric  Association Annual Meeting.

Researchers analyzed data about media usage and physical activity  from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavioral Survey maintained by the Centers for  Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers found different types  of media exposure have different impact on self-reported teen sleep  patterns. Gaming and Internet usage negatively impacted reported sleep  time, while television had no impact, and physical activity improved  sleep time.

Sleep apnea is a deadly sleep disorder but it is quite a treatable disorder. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, one in 15 adults has some form of sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is the interruption of breathing while sleeping caused by either an obstruction or a lack of brain impulse, and can be experienced by adults, teens, children and infants. Sleep apnea not only poses a health risk to the sufferer, it can be very concerning to loved ones. While the sufferer may be unaware, often partners sleep restlessly waiting for their next breath. A recent research study published in the journal “Sleep” found that poor sleep quality and developing brain damage caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could be responsible for a whole host of cognitive issues – from poor memory to heart agitation.

Taking up wind instruments may also help in improving upon the sleep apnea and snoring problems. That’s right. Music is good for the soul, and maybe even help you rest better. A trial study conducted in Germany proved playing the didgeridoo on a regular basis may help as an alternative treatment for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. Playing the didgeridoo may be an effective alternative, as the researchers explain, because learning to play trains “the muscles of the upper airways, which control airway dilation and wall stiffening.” The study was based on a controlled group of 25 moderately affected patients with OSA and found that these participants had less daytime sleepiness after playing the wind instrument developed by indigenous Australians. The participants practiced on average a half hour a day for six days a week over a period of four months. The group consisted mostly of men around 50 years old. They learned lip technique, circular breathing, and finally the complicated interaction between the lips, the vocal tract and circular breathing.