Sleep apnea is not just loud snoring, but the snoring is followed by periods of quiet as the person stops breathing. The stoppage of breathing for the snorer many last from several seconds to a few minutes. It is followed by a gasp of breath as their brain wonders where the air went, and then the snoring and breath cessation cycle starts again.

Even though sleep apnea is a common problem, it is under diagnosed and for all the times a person was awake during the night, they may only remember a couple of occasions. Because of the frequent disruptions in their sleep, people with sleep apnea rarely, if ever, get to the deeper stages of sleep and spend their night in the lighter stage 1 and stage 2 sleep. This is why they may feel exhausted and sleepy during the next day.

Sleep apnea tends to affect more men than women, especially those who are over 40 and are overweight.

Some of the other health issues affected by sleep apnea include:

• hypertension
• heart disease
• stroke
• coronary artery disease
• diabetes
• asthma
• depression

Top 10 tips to treat sleep apnea:

1. avoid alcohol several hours before sleep
2. quit smoking
3. lose any excess weight
4. use a pillow designed to keep your head at an angle that will help keep your airway open
5. avoid sleeping pills
6. try a dental appliance
7. surgery may be required to remove excess tissue
8. sleep on your side
9. check with your doctor about changing any medication you are taking
10. ask your doctor about CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). It’s a mask that uses air pressure to keep the soft tissues of your throat open

If a partner notices that your snoring often stops and is followed by a gasp of air, you should see your doctor for the latest cures for your sleep apnea.

 

I just complete six sessions with the Zerona laser and the only inches I lost were from my wallet. This $3,000 scam needs to be exposed and the public warned. Whether the treatment doesn’t work for 5% of the people or 45% of the people who undergo this rip-off scam of a procedure has yet to be determined.

Like a lot of other people I saw an advertisement in my local paper then searched the web to learn more about this weight loss, body contouring laser treatment. I now realize shows like The Doctors, Rachael Ray and even local news programs are not so much information programs as much as an entertainment venue and that they were just acting like giddy school girls and company shrews for the Zerona laser without ever looking into whether this works for everyone like they promoted for fat loss and weight loss.

After my first three sessions I was getting depressed and disappointed because I didn’t see any results and my clothes were all fitting just the same. I told this to the person who was performing the treatments and she blamed me and asked what I was doing wrong. It seems to me the only thing she really knew about the laser treatments was what the Zerona salesperson told her.

I felt like there was something wrong with me as it seems like everyone else was getting remarkable results. I went to the My Zerona web site and filled out their contact us form and asked whether they knew of any cases where their laser treatment didn’t work.  Guess what. I never heard from them.

People in this body contouring field can get a Zerona laser at no cost. I’m not privy to the contract deals, but it seems to me that if they are going to give away a machine that costs several hundred thousand dollars they are probably getting a good percentage of the fee that’s being charged.

A major red flag is that there isn’t any test you can undergo before hand to determine whether the Zerona laser will work or not on you other than if your credit card goes through. And if the Zerona laser doesn’t work, you also won’t get a dime back.

I’ve lost sleep because I feel I was taken by this Zerona laser rip-off scam and a fool for the wishful thinking that there was finally a non invasive procedure for fat loss and weight loss.

Did the Zerona laser not work for you? Leave your comment below. I feel that for every person that got nothing for their money I hope this post should put a dint in the Zerona bottom line by stopping a thousand others from being taken by this Zerona laser scam.

I’m off to scarf down a large pizza and a six pack.

Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith and Elvis are all dead because they abused prescription drugs and frequently used them for no therapeutic use. There is often a notice in the paper about their death that there were no illegal drugs found in their system. Well if you were shooting heroin, popping prescription pills or had a piano fall on your head, you’re still dead. At least the heroin junkie is found dead of a heroin overdose and the piano was an unfortunate accident, unless it was preceded with “Hey, Bubba, watch this.”  But the dead celebrity if often found with a cocktail of half a dozen or more “legal” drugs in their system.

Some drugs taken together can have a toxic effect, sometimes they interact by reducing the effectiveness of each other so neither one is working very well. What can happen with taking multiple prescription drugs is that there can be an additive effect when they’re taken together where their combined strength is multiplied, like where two plus two equals nine.

These celebrities suffered from insomnia and some were taking sleeping pills. But instead of naturally treating their problem they often made it worse by self-medicating themselves and unfortunately died from combined drug intoxication.

More people are dying from overdoses caused by the abuse of prescription medicine than from traditional street drugs and there is no shortage of doctors to be the new drug pushers. Some celebrities are surrounded by an inner circle of hanger-on parasites and some doctors get a thrill being part of the group. They want to impress their friends by claiming to be some celebrity’s doctor, but they’re just on-call with their prescription pads.

Did Anne Nicole Smith need thousands of pills? Did Heath and Elvis need several painkillers and sleep aids? Why did Michael Jackson feel that the only way he could get to sleep was to use the surgical anaesthetic propofol?

People look up to celebrities and sometimes follow their lead. It’s too bad that you only hear about their screw ups. Maybe we need a tabloid headline that reads, “Celebrity Slept for 8 Hours and Woke up Refreshed.” Then again, maybe most celebrity reporters and paparazzi should be thrown in jail for stalking.

The hazards of not getting a good night’s sleep include:

1. Increased stress, obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, memory loss, attention problems, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and mood disorders. And that’s just on a good day
2. Depression, which is a sad thing to have
3. Poor sleepers tend to smoke and drink more which compounds their health problems
4. You get sick more often and it tends to last longer. Your depressed immune system attracts bugs faster than a bowl of fruit at grandma’s house
5. You have a poor quality of life.  Trudging through the day with the only expectation that you’ll be doing all again tomorrow
6. Elderly people who sleep poorly suffer more falls which is a leading cause of death and carpet cleaning
7. Increase cancer rates and drug company profits

The benefits of a good night’s sleep include:

1. You can live longer. More hills to climb, more smiles to give away and more cows to tip
2. About eights hours of sleep each night can help you lose weight. This is eight hours of sleep time, not just in bed time.  It’s sure better than the watermelon or liver and onions diet
3. You have fewer colds because you have a stronger immune system, but only you’ll know this so you can still call in sick to work when the season opens
4. Students do better at school. This is because their heads are upright and the information has a good chance at entering an orifice and contacting a few brain cells as opposed to bouncing off the top of a head lying on a desk
5. You’ll feel marvellous. You’re mentally and physically refreshed and your mood is elevated as you laugh at the other poor saps that are dragging their butts around the office
6. You are more calm and relaxed
7. Your brain can remember new information better so you can be smarter than your dog and lawn mower combined

In these difficult economic times, it’s comforting to know there are medical and patient experts out there who care enough to answer health questions online for free.  Dr. Geoff Rutledge, MD PhD, Wellsphere’s Chief Medical Information Officer, told reporters today about the new Health Maven Program, which connects volunteer doctors, psychologists, nurses, personal trainers, expert-patients and other experts with health seekers who are looking for answers.  Anyone with access to the Internet can get their health questions and concerns answered quickly and at no cost at http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/health-mavens

Health mavens are carefully selected, knowledgeable, health experts who are committed to helping others live healthier, happier lives.  Hundreds of Health Mavens have volunteered to join the program and answer questions, with new Mavens signing up every day.  “We’re witnessing an incredible growth in the number of people using the Internet to find health information” said Wellsphere’s CEO Ron Gutman.  According to an iCrossing research report, for the first time in history people with health questions are more likely to turn to the Web for answers than to their doctor.  “Recognizing this trend among our users, we assembled the world’s leading network of over 1,800 medical and patient experts to share their experiences and expertise with Wellsphere.com’s almost 3 million monthly visitors. We are humbled by the experience, expertise and genuine care these wonderful individuals share every day with people who come to Wellsphere looking for answers” said Gutman.

In addition to providing a wonderful service to people seeking answers to their health questions, the Health Maven program allows participating medical professionals and patient experts to broaden their impact by sharing their experiences and expertise with a much wider audience, and to get the recognition they deserve.  Here are a few of their comments:

"Being a Health Maven gives me the opportunity to interact directly with the Wellsphere community.  It’s been a lot of fun and professionally it’s incredibly rewarding." – Melissa McCreery, PhD

"Wellsphere has taken caring to a new level and I’m glad to be a part of it," – Kathleen Blanchard, RN

"I enjoy being a maven – it seems that doling out advice and answering questions seems to be my calling in life." – Lynn Dorman, PhD

To find out more about the Health Maven program, please visit:

http://www.wellsphere.com/wellpage/health-mavens

Women consistently taking more than half an hour to fall asleep also tend to be in a higher risk category for Type 2 diabetes and other medical problems. See your doctor if this is the case for you.

Top 12 causes of sleep problems women experience:

• menstruation – some become drowsy before and during their period
• birth control pills – alters a woman’s hormonal balance
• sex – may feel frustrated and physically restless if she did not achieve an orgasm
• menopause – may have feeling of depression and nervousness
• pregnancy – many pregnant women sleep poorly just because they can’t get comfortable
• emotional issues – depression and anxiety
• snoring with accompanying sleep apnea
• restless legs syndrome
• poor sleep habits
• narcolepsy – having sleep attacks during the day
• taking drugs and alcohol to get to sleep
• too much caffeine late in the day

Poor overall health can prevent a woman from getting a good night’s sleep. So eat right, exercise, make getting a restful amount of sleep a priority and learn to say “No” to some of life’s requests on your time. Giving the lump on the couch a boot may also help.

People with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are very sensitive to the amount of daylight during shorter winter days and it throws their circadian rhythms out of whack, leaving them with the urge to sleep more if not hibernate. People that have or are depressed are more likely to be affected.

The sleep hormone, melatonin, which regulates the body’s circadian rhythms, normally rises at night and decreases with the morning sun. But the decrease in the amount of sunshine causes a higher level of melatonin to remain in your body.

Some of the symptoms of SAD include:

• difficulty concentrating
• fatigue
• exhaustion
• low libido
• sadness
• weight gain
• a craving for carbohydrate foods (bread, pasta, chocolate)
• a feeling of hopelessness
• irritability
• lethargy
• spending more time sleeping

My mother claimed to suffer from SAD but since she was bitchy and irritable all year round it was hard to tell.

Some of the remedies for SAD include:

• using a strong, full-spectrum light box for 30 minutes every morning
• getting outdoors whenever you can, even on your lunch break
• exercise to boost your "feel good" endorphins

To use a full-spectrum light box, sit 18” away and have the light shining in your face but not directly in your eyes every day after you wake up. A light box with 10,000 LUX will require about 30 minutes. A longer time is required for boxes with less power. You should check with your doctor first if you have any eye problems. The bright light from a full-spectrum light box may damage your eyes.

These remedies may also help shift workers and may lessen the affects of jet lag.

You may also want to read about:
     Circadian rhythms
     Shift work
     Jet lag

There is no question that snoring can affect the quality of the sleep of the snorer and those around them. One proven fact about snoring is that if you put a snorer and a non-snorer together, the snorer will fall asleep first.

Well meaning people have claimed that I snore. Well they are horribly, horribly wrong. I also leave the bathroom smelling like a field of wild flowers after a summers rain and my shower voice makes the angels cry. I also follow Adam’s* advice: “I reject reality and substitute one of my own.”

About a quarter of adults snore occasionally. Well that means that three quarters of you are perfect. Isn’t that special.

Men also rein supreme in snoring. A scientific study costing the equivalent of the gross national product of Latvia, or the gas bill for an hour of cruising on Paul Allan’s yacht, has proved this. They also could have just asked any woman.

Snoring can be worse if the snorer is overweight, elderly or abuses alcohol or drugs (or is related in any way to Keith Richards).

If you are a heavy snorer you should see your doctor to see if there is a physical reason why all the siding of your house has fallen off.
     
There are a few things a snorer can try:

• if overweight, loose some pounds (kilos, eh)
• avoid alcohol or drugs at bedtime
• sleep on your side – place pillows behind you
• use a vaporizer or humidifier to increase the humidity of your bedroom
• quit smoking
• reduce your intake of milk, cheese and bread if mucus build up is a problem
• you could get laser therapy – ask your doctor

If you are a bed partner of a snorer you can:

• get used to it
• wear ear plugs
• go to another room to sleep

Some couples are installing a sound proof retreat room for the non-snorer to go to. It's like a "safe room" but more comfortable and better than trying to get to sleep next to a jack hammer.

* Adam Savage, MythBusters (on 19 times a day)

Teens have a tendency to sleep less that they did just a few years before. That is more because of social factors like staying up watching late night TV than just aging. They like to brag about how late they stayed up and how little sleep they need. These are the ones that will chew your head off for saying “Good morning” (although my mother used to do the “Rise and shine – up and at‘em” routine) and are asleep at the back of the classroom.

Older people may not necessarily sleep less but by the time we reach our mid 40’s, we are spending more time in the lighter stage 1 and stage 2 sleep and less time in the deeper stage 3 and 4. A night’s sleep is also broken up with more awakenings. We are also affected more by noises and other distractions like a ¼ full blatter or our pyjama bottom leg that’s cork screwed up to our thigh.

The elderly tend to have a poor night’s sleep and that is cause by age, pain and poor sleep habits. They also tend to treat sleep difficulties with over the counter sleep medications. Try cutting back on coffee, tea, cola and chocolate. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet and worry about your problems in the morning not when you’re trying to get to sleep.

Accepting that your sleep pattern will change as you age as a normal part of the life cycle will make it easier for you to deal with age related sleep problems. You’ll go to bed and wake up earlier and not sleep as deeply.

I need a name for my affliction and maybe a foundation dedicated to its resolve. Well, “hot feet” in stupid Latin would be Hotus Feetus. And for stupid and lazy people, we’ll call it HF. There. I now have HF syndrome and The Institute for the Cure of HF.

So give generously to find a cure. All donations are completely tax deductible, like my bar tabs as a medical expense and my cat as my infirm dependent grandmother.

All my cures are self prescribed. I start with my feet out from under the covers. If that doesn’t’t work, I’ll lie on my stomach and bend my knees to a 90 degree angle. My theory being if I can get the blood to drain out my feet they may cool off. This only seems to work in the mildest of cases.

I’ve also stood in an empty porcelain bathtub. They’re cool and it sometimes helps. Or sit on the edge of the tub, put in the plug and stick my feet in a small pool of cold water. Sometimes holding them under a stream of cold water from the tap is the way to go.

I’ve also gone down to the basement to stand on the cold cement floor. This works well in the winter. In some extreme cases I’ve also gone outside in winter when its 20 below to stand on the ice covered cement walkway and a few times right out into the snow until my feet are so cold they hurt.

After alleviating my HF, I can almost always go back, get into bed, stick my feet out and go right to sleep.

So hot feet, although rare, may affect your sleep like it does mine.

Lately, I have been using a frozen pack. I got them in the bandage section of the drug store – they can be frozen or heated to treat sprains. I have a few that are about 11" long by 5" wide. I take one at a time out of the freezer, sit down, place it on the floor and gently rest my foot on it.

It hurts so good. Then I’ll switch to the other foot and keep rotating until it’s thawed out. If needed I’ll put it back in the freezer and get another one out.