Elly Mackay

Sleep needn't be the enemy.

Elly Mackay Blog

Struggling With Distraction? Here’s How Sleep Can Help (Or Hurt) 0

sleep and insomnia

Struggling With Distraction? Here’s How Sleep Can Help (Or Hurt)

There are a lot of distractions challenging us in modern life. There’s a pretty good chance you’re reading this article on your smartphone. That ever-present device is one likely prime culprit in your battle against distractedness.

Another major contributor to distraction? Lack of sleep. Brand new research on sleep deprivation looked specifically at how lack of sleep affects distractedness. In the largest study of its kind on sleep deprivation, scientists found that sleep deprived people have a much harder time rebounding from distractions than people who are well rested.

Distractedness can seem like a minor problem, not least because it happens to so many of us with such frequency. An incoming email pulls us away from completing a timely task at work. The blip of a news alert causes us to lose our place in an article or a book we’re reading. But distractedness is a real and serious issue, with costs to productivity, accuracy, and safety.

Here’s what the latest research has to say about how poor sleep may be contributing to your distraction.

Lack of sleep magnifies

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Does Sleeping With My Dog Or Other Pets Help Or Hurt My Sleep? 0

sleep and insomnia

Does Sleeping With My Dog Or Other Pets Help Or Hurt My Sleep?

As you may know, I’m a pet lover. It didn’t start out that way, but my wife is a serious pet person and I’ve always had dogs. That said, I didn’t grow up with pets sleeping in my bed.  My wife though, she finds it incredibly comforting.

On any given night, it’s Me, Hugo (the French Bulldog), Sparky (the rescue Chihuahua), and Monty (the Devin Rex) cat, and my wife.

I’ve written about pets in my bed before from the perspective of people who are generally “normal” sleepers (the results were that pets are okay as long as they aren’t disruptive).  Recently though, I reviewed a study looking at how pets in the bed can affect those suffering from pain.

For those who sleep with pets, being told by a healthcare provider to discontinue co-sleeping with their dog, for example, can be potentially stressful and unnecessary for patients experiencing pain. It may also increase a pain patient’s feelings of isolation and of being a burden to other family members who may have to take on more night time dog care …

Josh James’ Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment Ultimately Improves His Game 0

snoring and apnea

Josh James’ Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment Ultimately Improves His Game

Astros rookie pitcher Josh James did some research and finally saw a sleep specialist in December 2016, reports MLB.com.

The effects on James’ energy were gradual.

“Just a little bit more refreshed in the morning, a little bit more refreshed about the day, and slowly I started feeling a little bit better every day,” James said. “No naps needed. Normally, I’d come home and need a nap, and now I’d come home and be able to do stuff or cut the grass or watch TV.”

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2018/10/josh-james-sleep-apnea/…

Investigators Reconsider ASV Device Risks for CSA-HFrEF Patients 0

snoring and apnea

Investigators Reconsider ASV Device Risks for CSA-HFrEF Patients

New analyses presented at CHEST bring a differing perspective to the debate surrounding adaptive servo ventilation device therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and central sleep apnea, reports MD Magazine.

In assessing the sole treatment of CSA with SRV in patients with both the sleeping disorder and HFrEF, Saraf and his team pulled from a pre-established population of patients at the university’s Sleep Heart Program. They compared mortality between ASV-treated HFrEF-CSA patients, and patients who previously did not accept positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2018/10/investigators-reconsider-asv-device-risks-for-csa-hfref-patients/…

Strategies for Sleep Apnea 0

snoring and apnea

Strategies for Sleep Apnea

At the beginning, use your PAP machine for short stints during the day while you read or watch TV, reports Harvard Health.

Schedule a regular time to clean your equipment. Clean your mask, tubing, and headgear once a week, ideally on the same day and time so you don’t forget.

from Sleep Review http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2018/10/strategies-for-sleep-apnea/…

The Increasing Prevalence Of Sleep Apnea 0

snoring and apnea

The Increasing Prevalence Of Sleep Apnea

Some may still not be aware of what sleep apnea is but may already have the condition. Its most prominent symptom is snoring and a lot of people are guilty of snoring in their sleep even if they aren’t aware of it. Yet it does not follow that all snorers have sleep apnea. Regardless of this fact, statistics show that sleep apnea cases are rising even if not everyone actually does get themselves checked and treated for it. We are not just talking about mere thousands of cases but almost a billion people suffering from this condition. That’s how prevalent sleep apnea has become and made the sleep market grow exponentially big.

A lot of things contribute to sleep apnea. It is essentially a physical anomaly that leaves a person with a narrower or constricted airway but other things can also make you lose sleep such as obesity, lifestyle, too much use of tech gadgets, hormonal problems, etc. There was a time when people were proud that they are losing sleep because it means they are working way too hard …

How To Prepare Your Sleep For The End Of Daylight Savings 2018 0

sleep and insomnia

How To Prepare Your Sleep For The End Of Daylight Savings 2018

Daylight Savings Time ends on November 4, 2018 in the United States and we return, or fall back, to Standard Time.

Here is the good news: we all get an extra HOUR of sleep on Nov 3rd! But this will affect different chronotypes in different ways and I have some unique recommendations for each of you.

For many, when time is artificially pushed back an hour, they gain some extra, much needed rest. The body experiences a little “jet lag” so to speak, but within a day or so the body will naturally reset itself.  But for some Chronotypes, the extra hour isn’t needed and may, in fact, throw off your natural rhythms.

Here’s What You Need To Know For Your Specific Chronotype

Lions: You won’t need the extra hour of sleep.  If you’re a lion, Daylight Savings Time has a tendency to affect you NEGATIVELY. Why? Because this particular day, your internal body clock will likely be going off at your normal time (5:00am which will now be 4:00am) and you’re not going to need to sleep in. For …

More Than a Third of Sleep Apnea Patients Say Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Has Caused Them to Miss Activities, Finds Jazz Pharmaceuticals-sponsored Survey 0

snoring and apnea

More Than a Third of Sleep Apnea Patients Say Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Has Caused Them to Miss Activities, Finds Jazz Pharmaceuticals-sponsored Survey

A US survey, conducted by The Harris Poll and sponsored by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, asked more than 300 sleep apnea patients and more than 300 partners of people living with sleep apnea about key topics connected to their experiences with excessive daytime sleepiness.

The survey found that than one-third (36%) of patients said their excessive daytime sleepiness has caused them to miss out on activities or events, avoid social situations, or give up activities. In addition, 17% of patients said excessive daytime sleepiness has led to problems at work (such as missing a deadline or meeting, being disciplined at work, losing/leaving a job, making a special arrangement, or missing out on opportunities like a raise or promotion), and 14% have fallen asleep at the wheel of a motorized vehicle (either stopped at a light/sign or while driving) in the last 12 months.

Nearly half of partners surveyed (45%) felt their significant other’s excessive daytime sleepiness negatively impacted their relationships, and 32% of partners reported having avoided social situations or missed activities/events because of their partner’s excessive daytime sleepiness.

“The kind of

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Australia’s ResApp Sees Positive Results from Prospective Sleep Apnea Clinical Study 0

snoring and apnea

Australia’s ResApp Sees Positive Results from Prospective Sleep Apnea Clinical Study

ResApp Health Limited, a Brisbane, Australia-based digital health company developing smartphone applications for the diagnosis and management of respiratory disease, reports positive results from its prospective, double-blind obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) clinical study. Analysis confirmed that ResApp’s machine-learning algorithms were able to accurately identify OSA from a patient’s overnight breathing and snoring sounds recorded using only a smartphone placed on a bedside table. The company is working with Drs Philip Currie and Ivan Ling of Cardio Respiratory Sleep (CRS), who recruited patients at Hollywood Private Hospital and The Park Private Hospital in Perth, Australia.

Data from 582 adult patients was analyzed, of which 62% were male. The mean age of patients was 53 years (range 18-94) with a mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) of 26/h (range 0-143).

ResApp’s algorithms achieved 84% sensitivity and 83% specificity for identifying patients with an AHI greater than or equal to 5/h (patients with mild, moderate, or severe OSA) compared to simultaneous gold standard in-laboratory polysomnography scored using the current 2012 American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) scoring criteria. The area under the receiver operating

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Sleep Apnea, Mouthpieces And Your Sleep 0

snoring and apnea

Sleep Apnea, Mouthpieces And Your Sleep

Sleeping with someone who snores can be stressful as you also lose sleep each night. But the danger is actually twice as bad for the snoring partner because this condition, while it may appear funny and embarrassing to some, is actually a major health risk. Snoring is usually a major symptom of sleep apnea. This sleeping condition causes the person to suffer from constant breathing gaps in their slumber, lasting from several seconds and occur all throughout their sleep. The human brain is essentially choosing between breathing and sleeping in your slumber, meaning you can easily die in your sleep without you knowing.

It is quite common but only a handful get themselves checked for it. Many of these people simply dismiss the snoring thinking it is one of those things you have to accept in life. But how badly mistaken they are. It may not follow that those who snore have sleep apnea but the majority of sleep apnea sufferers snore in their slumber. Having TMJ can actually make it worse! This can go on for years …

In Menopausal Women, BedJet an Effective Treatment for Sleep Disturbances, Night Sweats, Hot Flashes 0

snoring and apnea

In Menopausal Women, BedJet an Effective Treatment for Sleep Disturbances, Night Sweats, Hot Flashes

A new study authored by Jordan Stern, MD, founder and director of BlueSleep Sleep Apnea and Snoring Center based in New York, NY and Darlyne Johnson, MD, a partner at South Shore Women’s Health in Boston, MA, concluded that the BedJet climate comfort system for beds is a highly effective, non-hormonal treatment for women suffering from menopausal sleep disturbance.

The study, titled The Efficacy of the BedJet Climate System for Peri-Menopausal Night Sweat and Hot Flash Symptoms and Corresponding Impact on Sleep, will be published as an abstract in the December issue of the scientific journal Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society. Stern and Johnson presented the results during the poster session at the North American Menopause Society Conference in San Diego on October 4.

The study evaluated the effectiveness of the BedJet System in a population of 46 peri-menopausal and menopausal women experiencing hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbances. Effectiveness was measured using validated sleep, menopausal symptom and quality of life surveys and subjects used the BedJet System for a period of at least

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