‘Tis the season for holiday stress.  From last minute shopping, to getting less sleep, to making ends meet financially, to consuming more sweets and drinks at holiday get-togethers.  Americans are faced with many more physical and emotional pressures during the holidays. Recent research studies and surveys in the areas of sleep, eating, and finances are shedding some light on actions one can take to lessen the stress load.

The market research firm Harris Interactive recently conducted a “Holiday Stress Index” study. The poll was based on a nationwide sample of 2,173 adults in the U.S. eighteen years and over.  Ninety percent of the respondents said they experience some level of stress and/or anxiety about the holiday season. However this year, more than a third (38 percent) said they expect to feel more stress and anxiety in this holiday season due to the current economy.  Read the rest of this entry

Restless leg syndrome is often a symptom of conditions or diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, but could also be side effects associated with certain medications. Below is a list of diseases and conditions associated with symptoms like restless leg syndrome, as well as a list of medications related to similar side effects.

We are not medical professionals, and these may not be comprehensive lists. Please contact your doctor if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms or side effects, or similar health issues.

Restless leg syndrome is discomfort in the legs and the strong or irresistible urge to move them. Movement temporarily relieves the discomfort. Restless leg syndrome is often worse at night and can cause sleep deprivation.

Restless Leg Syndrome Could Be A Symptom Of:

Iron Deficiency does not have to be so low as to cause anemia in order to cause restless leg syndrome. It is believed that low iron in brain cells causes signals to get crossed in the central nervous system. Other symptoms of iron deficiency can include weakness, irritability, fatigue, heartburn, abdominal pains, heart palpitations, tingling in the extremities, and soreness in the mouth. Read the rest of this entry

By Jobee Knight

Each of us has our own source of stresses in our lives.  Whether we take these home from the workday or they exist in the home itself, sometimes the pressures can interfere with our sleep.  Stress manifests on the physical level by an outpouring of the adrenal hormone cortisol.  Scientists have recently discovered that increased blood levels of cortisol exist in people with chronic insomnia.  Some individuals may be suffering from a sustained activation of the body’s system for responding to stress.  Related research has also uncovered that in the presence of elevated cortisol, the level of calcium is rapidly reduced in the body – a mineral that’s known to assist with relaxation and sleep.

In a study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (1), investigators monitored the sleep of eleven patients with insomnia and thirteen people without any sleep disorder.  Blood was collected every thirty minutes for twenty-four hours, and levels of the adrenal stress hormones were monitored.  The researches found that the average levels of adrenal hormones measured were significantly higher in the insomniacs than in the control group.  The insomniacs with the highest degree of sleep disturbances secreted the highest amount of cortisol, particularly in the evening and nighttime hours. Read the rest of this entry

UVa Health System, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Division seeks healthy men, women, children and adolescents ages 5 to 65, with snoring and possible sleep-related obstructive breathing disorders for a research study.

The purpose of the study is to determine if an experimental device for sleep monitoring can accurately tell if you are awake or asleep and how well you are sleeping. The experimental device will be compared to a sleep study done using standard sleep monitoring equipment.
The study involves 1 outpatient consent and screening visit that will last about 1 hour, and 1 overnight stay at UVa Health Systems GCRC of about 16 hours for sleep monitoring.

§ Study-related screening visit and overnight sleep test (standard test to detect the presence of sleep apnea) provided free of charge.
§ Compensation for study completion is $ 125.00
Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ Agoura Hills, CA / November 18, 2010/ The new technology is here and Nationwide Medical, Inc. is making it easy to get a good night’s rest by offering the new in-home sleep test to consumers who may be at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The in-home technology has been developed as a way to diagnose OSA and enable physicians to prescribe a variety of methods available for sleep apnea treatment.

The in-home sleep test is a new medical technology that offers a variety of benefits, with the average cost a third lower than a sleep study in an overnight facility. More benefits are the ease of use and convenience of completing the test in the comfort of your own home. Read the rest of this entry

Adults with fibromyalgia had a much higher prevalence and risk of restless legs syndrome than healthy controls, according to new research. The study suggests that treating RLS may improve sleep and quality of life in people with fibromyalgia.

Results of the study, published in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, found that the prevalence of restless legs syndrome was about 10 times higher in the fibromyalgia group (33%) than among controls (3.1%). After statistical adjustments for potential confounders such as age, gender, and ethnicity, participants with fibromyalgia were 11 times more likely than controls to have RLS (odds ratio = 11.2). As expected, considerable sleep disruption was reported by participants with fibromyalgia using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale. In the fibromyalgia group, these sleep problems were more severe among people who also had RLS. Read the rest of this entry

Ever wonder why some people breeze along on 4 hours of sleep when others can barely function? It may be in our genes, according to new research and an accompanying editorial published in the October 26, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study looked at people who have a gene variant that is closely associated with narcolepsy. However, having the gene variant, called DQB1*0602, does not mean that a person will develop narcolepsy; depending on the population, 12% to 38% of those with the variant do not have the sleep disorder and are considered healthy sleepers. Also, people without the gene variant can develop narcolepsy, though this is less common.

Results of the study found that the people with the DQB1*0602 gene variant were sleepier and more fatigued while both fully rested and sleep deprived. Their sleep was also more fragmented. For example, those with the gene variant woke up on average almost four times during the fifth night of sleep deprivation, compared to those without the gene variant, who woke up on average twice. Those with the gene variant also had a lower sleep drive, or desire to sleep, during the fully rested nights. Read the rest of this entry

David Morris, director of Magruder’s Sleep Medicine Center, is presenting a free educational program on the importance of sleep to overall health at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, in the hospital’s conference center. Morris is Board Certified in internal medicine, pediatrics and sleep medicine.

There is a direct and proven link between sleep and your overall health. For example, conditions such as untreated, undiagnosed sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk for heart attacks and strokes. Sleep medicine is a simple way for people to optimize their health by addressing their sleep issues.

There will also be a tour of Magruder’s sleep center and light refreshments will be served.

Registration is required by Monday, Dec. 6, by calling 419-732-4061.

SleepApneaDisorder/ [Press Release]/ (Raleigh, N.C.) Active Healthcare, an award-winning industry leader in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment, is marking 20 years of service with the launch of three state-of-the-art IntegraSleep diagnostic centers in Raleigh, Clayton and Smithfield. The fully functional sleep labs provide one-stop-shopping for quality diagnosis and care for this dangerous, often life-threatening condition, utilizing CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) systems, the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment.

Headquartered in Raleigh, the IntegraSleep centers were designed by Active Healthcare based on a carefully crafted quality patient care model integrating personalized, extensive follow-up care and maintenance which contributes to the company’s 98% customer satisfaction rate. Read the rest of this entry

State Rep. Robert Donatucci was elected to his 16th House term last week, but his career in office was tragically cut short in the early morning on Tuesday, November 9, 2010. Donatucci died in his sleep, his death caused by sleep apnea according to a doctor. Just about a week earlier, Donatucci had gone in for a sleep study, but he found the CPAP mask that he was asked to wear to be uncomfortable and did not complete the test.

“It’s unfortunate that Mr. Donatucci wasn’t tested earlier in life for sleep apnea,” says Philadelphia sleep apnea dentist, Dr. Kenneth Siegel. Dr. Siegel treats sleep apnea patients who, like State Rep. Donatucci, cannot tolerate or do not wish to undergo CPAP treatment, using oral sleep apnea appliances.

According to the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, somewhere between 18 million and 20 million people in America suffer from sleep apnea, and most of them haven’t even been diagnosed. Of those who are diagnosed and are prescribed treatment with a CPAP machine (CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure), fewer than 50% of those patients will comply with the treatment. Read the rest of this entry

People who sleep poorly or do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, researchers have found.

Data from a recent study are scheduled to be presented Sunday, Nov. 14 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago by Alanna Morris, MD, a cardiology fellow at Emory University School of Medicine.

The results come from surveying 525 middle-aged people participating in the Morehouse-Emory Partnership to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities study on their sleep quality and sleep duration. The META-Health study’s co-directors are Arshed Quyyumi, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and director of Emory’s Cardiovascular Research Center, and Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. Donald Bliwise, MD, director of the Emory University Sleep Program, contributed additional guidance. Read the rest of this entry

Hazardous and harmful drinking and sleep problems are common, but their associations among patients seen in primary care have not been examined. We hypothesized that greater levels of alcohol consumption would be associated with several self-reported sleep problems.

In a cross-sectional survey in primary care practices, 94 participating clinicians recruited up to 30 consecutive adult patients, and both clinicians and patients completed anonymous postvisit questionnaires. Patients were asked questions on demographics, alcohol consumption, cardinal symptoms of alcohol use disorders, sleep quality, insomnia, sleep apnea, and symptoms of restless leg syndrome. Multivariate analyses explored the associations of drinking status (none, moderate, or hazardous) and sleep problems, adjusting for demographics and clustering of patients within physician. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ BOSTON, Mass./  Sleep HealthCenters has entered into an agreement with Roadside Medical Clinic + Lab to provide sleep medicine services as part of Roadside Medical’s industry-leading Driver Wellness programs.

Designed to enhance roadway safety by improving the health of commercial drivers, Roadside Medical Clinic + Lab provides cost-effective and professional medical services including DOT compliant physicals, drug testing, Driver Wellness Programs, and now sleep services in the most convenient locations for professional drivers—both on the highway and in company terminals. Sleep HealthCenters will support Roadside’s sleep wellness program by providing education, professional diagnosis and treatment support, all incorporated into Roadside’s overall Driver Wellness program. Read the rest of this entry