A research abstract that will be presented in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS) says that large  corporations could save millions of dollars in lost productivity by screening  and treating high-risk employees for obstructive sleep apnea .

Results show that a large  corporation in Florida could save an estimated $136 million in lost productivity  over 10 years by screening high-risk employees for OSA and offering treatment  with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.  The study found that  608 employees of the corporation were middle-aged, obese men who were at high  risk for OSA.According to the authors, untreated OSA results in job performance deficiencies  such as excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, irritability  and reduced vitality. Research shows that work performance can be decreased by  30 percent due to sleep fragmentation and repetitive hypoxia, which are  characteristics of OSA. Read the rest of this entry

New research that will be presented Saturday, June 11, at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) in Minneapolis, Minn., quantified the efficacy of mandibular advancement splints (MAS) using a self-administered, at-home device to monitor snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. Clinical assessment of MAS efficacy in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is based predominantly on subjective reports by the patient and partner, and less commonly, on the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), which is the average number of pauses in breathing that occur per hour of sleep. The current study used the Sonomat, a portable, unobtrusive device that has sensors contained within a mattress overlay. These sensors measure AHI by detecting and recording snoring, breathing and body movements.

Results show that MAS treatment reduced the average AHI from 10.3 events per hour to 3.8 events per hour. The respiratory event movement index (RMI), which records more types of events than AHI, was reduced from 15.9 events per hour to 7.6 events per hour. Read the rest of this entry

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) rapidly mitigates OSA in obese subjects but its metabolic effects are not well-characterized.

The researchers postulated that CPAP will decrease IR, ghrelin and resistin and increase adiponectin levels in this setting.

In a pre- and post-treatment, within-subject design, insulin and appetite-regulating hormones were assayed in 23 20 obese subjects with OSA before and after 6 months of CPAP use. Primary outcome measures included glucose, insulin, and IR levels.

Other measures included ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels. Body weight change were recorded and used to examine the lationship between glucose regulation and appetite-regulating hormones. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ Minneapolis, USA/  – SLEEP 2011 will bring current research and clinical practices to the forefront for sleep specialists from around the world this week at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC annual meeting. And Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) will demonstrate the latest advances in sleep with the premiere of “Pathway to Compliance.” The interactive showcase features the latest breakthroughs for diagnosing, treating and managing the entire spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing patients and guides them on their journey to better sleep. “Tremendous strides have been made to deepen our understanding of sleep,” says John Frank, Sr. Vice President, General Manager, Sleep and Respiratory Care, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions. “There is growing evidence of co-morbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. As allies in better sleep and breathing, we are committed to meeting these challenges with intelligent solutions. With “Pathway to Compliance,” we will show how new advances are making the future of sleep and therapy compliance a reality for patients and clinicians.” Read the rest of this entry

Middle-of-the-night waking could be a serious health problem in the school age kids.This could be because of several factors and may also lead to further complexities including the sleep related disorders.Researches have established that infants and school age kids are prone to fall victim of these sleep disorders including daytime sleepiness,sleep apnea,fatigue,sleep deprivation,bedwetting,and others.

School age kids may be affected by any physical problem, an upset stomach, a strained muscle , and it can rouse your child. But the most common culprits are allergies, asthma, and (especially among the overweight) reflux. Read the rest of this entry

This experimental device from Maple Grove-based Inspire Medical is designed to tame symptoms of sleep apnea. Not approved for general use in the U.S., the device is the subject of a new study involving two medical centers in Minnesota. (Courtesy to Pioneer Press: Inspire Medical)

People who struggle with obstructive sleep apnea often find that the leading treatment for the condition can make it just as tough to sleep.

Patients undergoing continuous positive airway pressure therapy – called CPAP, for short – must try to sleep while wearing a mask hooked to a bedside machine. The device pushes air through the mask to open the user’s airway, but many patients find the treatment itself is difficult to tolerate.

That frustrating trade-off is a key reason why two companies in the Twin Cities and another in California are racing to develop pacemaker-style equipment that could provide an alternative. The devices stimulate a nerve that controls tongue movement in hopes of preventing the tongue from blocking the airway during sleep.

The devices are being tested in research studies and – in a best-case scenario – wouldn’t be widely available in the United States for a few years. Even so, manufacturers will showcase their research this week at a meeting of sleep experts in Minneapolis. Doctors and analysts say the technological dream is not yet reality. [Read Complete Post By By Christopher Snowbeck ...  ] 

School age kids if suffer from anxiety may be an easy victim for developing complex sleep related disorders including sleepwalking,daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea, sleep deprivation, bedwetting, and others. Kids obviously do not bear job related anxiety but school-age kids have their own anxieties, such as being unpopular, flunking an exam, even disappointing you.Scary real-life possibilities (burglars, fires) also can keep them up. Kids used to sleeping with you may get anxious when made to go solo.

Your child is exhausted but won’t close her eyes, or suddenly gets a stomachache at bedtime. She may ask for a glass of water or one more hug after lights-out; a kid who won’t sleep alone will complain or cry when you leave. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea is a common disorder that disrupts the affected person’s sleep patterns. The affected patient oscillates between deep sleep and light sleep, and consequently, experiences shallow and uneven breathing.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common type of sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, the airways of the affected person become obstructed or blocked during their sleep, causing their breathing to pause momentarily. This shallow breathing can result in loud snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea is more commonly found in, although not isolated to, obese persons. Another form of sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, is frequently found in people taking certain high-risk medications.

Sleep apnea often goes unnoticed. But, the most common symptoms of sleep apnea experienced by an affected person are dry mouth, sore throat, morning headaches, memory lapses, moodiness, difficulty in concentrating, and frequently disrupted sleep. If a person experiences any of the above symptoms, he or she should contact a sleep specialist. Although medication is not a usual course of treatment for sleep apnea, basic lifestyle changes and the use of breathing devices can help reduce effects of the condition.

CPAP can increase alertness and improve quality of life for sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), even if their symptoms are minimal, according to a study conducted by researchers in Europe. Patients enrolled in the study reported an improvement in daytime sleepiness within 6 months of beginning CPAP treatment.

“Treatment with CPAP clearly reduces daytime sleepiness and improves quality of life in patients with very limited symptoms, at a rate of about half the improvement seen in patients with more severe symptoms,” said Sonya Craig, research fellow at Churchill Hospital, Oxford, England.

Researchers analyzed data from 341 patients from 10 medical centers, with proven OSA but insufficient current symptoms, as judged by both the patient and the sleep physician, to justify CPAP therapy. Read the rest of this entry

Sleeping disorders reported by troops returning from the war zone may be a normal result of time in combat rather than a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, according to a study to be published this summer in the peer-reviewed journal Military Medicine.

“Sleep Disruption Among Returning Combat Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan,” presented during last month’s American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, examines the sleep patterns of 69 servicemembers who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan between 2006 and 2008.

According to an Army news release, 8 percent of soldiers in Afghanistan were taking mental health-related medications to treat sleep problems in 2008, while soldiers in Iraq averaged 5.6 hours of sleep per night, significantly less than the 6.4 hours individuals indicated they required to feel rested. Previous studies have shown that troops returning from war are likely to sleep poorly in the months after they come home.[ Read Complete Post By Seth Robson At Stars and Stripes ... ]

Sleep apnea testing generally requires an overnight stay in a sleep clinic, tens of wires attached to your head and body (glued), and tubes inserted into your nose and in front of your mouth. This setup makes for a difficult sleep on top of existing abnormalities, and, because the clinics need to be staffed all night, is relatively expensive.

Watermark Medical, out of Boca Raton, Florida, provides at home diagnostic solutions for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea by giving patients a headset, of sorts, to wear at home during sleep. Their device, the ARES Unicoder, collects O2 saturation, nasal airflow, pulse rate, snoring, head movement, and REM/NREM via an EEG. This data is combined with clinical indicators to provide an apnea index and respiratory disturbance index that allows physicians to diagnose sleep apnea.

The product, named by the Cleveland Clinic as a top 10 medical innovation of 2010, is being marketed as a reimbursable, less expensive alternative to in-lab sleep apnea testing.

Inspire Medical Systems, the leading developer of neurostimulation therapies for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announced today The STAR trial (Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction), evaluating both the safety and effectiveness of Inspire™ Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) therapy, is currently underway at 9 leading medical centers across the United States and at 4 sites in Europe. In addition, several OSA patients have already been implanted with Inspire therapy in The STAR trial. Read the rest of this entry

Acurest, a provider of custom-made CPAP nasal masks, is now offering its TrueFIT Custom Mask to sleep apnea sufferers in the United States. Made specifically for each individual from the mold of the patient’s face, Acurest’s TrueFIT Custom Mask features hypoallergenic materials, is leak free, and fits comfortably, allowing for ease of movement during sleep.

Derived from collaboration between CPAP users, technicians, and engineers, Acurest was formed in 2008 to further develop custom-made solutions as an alternative to conventional masks.

“Since 1964, I have been studying and treating patients who suffer from sleep apnea,” said neurologist and credentialed sleep physician, Dr John Lawrence Corbett, in a prepared statement. “Everything patients voice to me that they want—comfort and effectiveness—the TrueFIT Custom Mask provides. It’s apparent that the attention to detail, implementation of user feedback, integration of medical innovations, and engagement with renowned prosthetics company, Medical Art, make the mask the best product on the market.”

Acurest has partnered with Dallas’ Medical Art Prosthetics to build state of the art, revolutionary, TrueFIT masks that are contoured to each individual and provide maximum sleep satisfaction. Customized masks can be found by visiting www.acurest.com.au and clicking on the TrueFIT Custom Mask tab.(Source:SleepReview)

Sleep apnea is a disorder that results from interrupted breathing during sleep. Indicators of this condition are snoring and tiredness despite getting a full night’s rest.

Sleep apnea does not immediately present itself as a serious problem, but it may cause heart problems and other health complications. Because of this, it is important to seek treatment for sleep apnea.

The term “sleep apnea” is an umbrella term that can refer to different versions of the disorder. As a result, treatment for sleep apnea can vary from patient to patient. Treatment methods include continuous positive airway pressure, adjustable airway pressure devices, oral appliances, supplemental oxygen bi-level positive airway pressure, and adaptive servo-ventilation—to name a few. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

When diagnosing or treating sleep apnea, your doctor may first recommend some lifestyle changes before prescribing medication. Some helpful lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and losing weight, are effective treatments.

Information on other at-home treatments, such as changing sleeping positions, are also helpful. However, be sure to consult your doctor first.