5 Sleep Apnea Side Effects Your Wife Wants You to Know

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5 SLEEP APNEA SIDE EFFECTS YOUR WIFE WANTS YOU TO KNOW

 

When you wake up in the morning, you probably don’t give much thought to what went on while you were sleeping. But your partner may be giving it a lot of thought. Sleep apnea issues don’t just affect you. They can affect everyone around you. Here are 5 sleep apnea side effects  your wife wants you to know.

1. YOU’RE TIRED ALL THE TIME

Exhaustion is one of the biggest symptoms of sleep apnea. When you stop breathing, your brain sends out a distress call. This causes you to start to wake up, even if you don’t realize it. But waking up, even if it’s just for a few seconds, can disrupt your sleep cycle, leaving you exhausted the next morning. And no one likes a partner who is exhausted all the time.

2. SLEEP APNEA AFFECTS SEXUAL HEALTH 

Past studies in men have shown a spike in erectile dysfunction (ED) among men who suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep experts believe that the link may be due to the body’s levels of the sex hormone testosterone, which naturally rise while we sleep.  Because sleep apnea causes repeated nighttime waking, this chronic sleep deprivation may inhibit the body’s ability to produce and process testosterone, which is partially responsible for libido. Treatment for sleep disorders can usually get you back into the game.

3. YOUR SNORING IS EARTH-SHATTERING

Arguing because of snoring is something that affects more than half of the couples around the world. Loud snoring is the second major sleep apnea side effect. Not everyone who has sleep apnea snores (and not everyone who snores has sleep apnea).   Along with severe snoring, your bed partner may notice a “gasping, snorting, or struggling” as you return to breathing. This can be dramatic and alarming for the person you sleep next to.

4. YOU FALL ASLEEP ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

If you consistently pass out on the couch watching TV or can’t help but doze off in a dark movie theater, this could point to some extreme apnea-related exhaustion. It can cause some deadly consequences, too. This instant ability to fall asleep is one of the major risks with driving. In 2014, there were 846 fatalities recorded that were drowsy-driving-related. These reported fatalities (and drowsy-driving crashes overall) have remained largely consistent across the past decade.

5. YOU’RE MOODY AND YOUR MEMORY IS SHOT

Mood changes and difficulty with memory and concentration stem from the sleep deprivation that comes along with sleep apnea side effects. Poor sleep can leave you feeling crabby, making you no fun to be around.

If you are struggling with any of the issues discussed in this article, contact Comprehensive Sleep Care Center for a consultation and say hello to sleep again.

10 Tips to Help Holiday Insomnia

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Say Hello to Sleep Again

Follow these 10 simple tips to help holiday insomnia. To help reduce the stress, worry and overindulgence that can rob you of sleep and dampen your holiday spirit.

Watch our video Help Holiday Insomnia.

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, it’s game on. You run yourself ragged, trying to cram as much holiday cheer, shopping, and cooking as you can in a short time. Combined with your daily responsibilities, it’s enough to make you lose sleep — and it usually does — turning you from a Happy Elf into more of a Grinch. So I put together these 10 tips to help holiday insomnia.

As a medical director of a large sleep health practice and a mother of two boys, the things dancing in my head while I’m trying to go to sleep are not visions of sugar plums; it’s more likely worry over how to get everything done.

Let’s just say when it comes to sleep issues, ‘tis the season. Read more

5 Ways Not Getting Sleep Affects Your Body

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Not Getting Sleep is Hard on Your Body

It’s no secret we’re sleeping less. Not getting sleep in the amounts we would prefer is due to our fast-paced lives which demand more time, and often that comes at the expense of our sleep. It also should be no surprise that there is a strong correlation between the amount, and more importantly, the quality of sleep we get, and the effect it has on our bodies.

not-getting-sleep-tired-man

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults ages 18 to 64 need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. But according to a recent Gallup poll, 40% of Americans are getting less than 7 hours. Less sleep, coupled with potential sleep disorders can create health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, and memory loss. Read more

The easiest way to get your child on a back to school sleep schedule

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Fond, first day of school memories come to my mind this time of year. My daughter’s picking out their perfect 1st day outfit, freshly sharpened pencils, standing in long lines at the office supply store – chatting with the other parents gathering school supplies, and helping my little one organize them in her new back pack and setting it ready to go by the front door. Yet,  I also remember the harder part of back to school –  having to adjust back to a routine schedule, including a routine sleep schedule and I’m a pediatric sleep physician!

After a summer of late nights and laid-back mornings, it’s likely that your kid could use help adjusting to the earlier bedtimes and wake-up calls. Read more

Help! I don’t understand my bill or insurance! (Part 2)

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1“Health insurance 101” is back in session! In part one, we went over some common insurance terms you should know in order to help you understand your insurance. Many Americans don’t understand their medical bill or insurance, even some doctors like me, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never make sense of it. I hope to help you clear up any confusion you have about the basics of insurance and medical bills.

Let’s start with the part everyone wants to know first — understanding those different charges on your bill.

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Healthier Lifestyles: There’s a nap for that!

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Unplanned and entirely indulgent, the summer nap may be the ultimate luxury nowadays. Before you start asking, “who has the time to nap?” let me make my case for grabbing a quick snooze.

Comedian Carrie Snow once said, “No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.” I think she’s right. Not only does napping elevate your mood, make you more alert and enhance your physical performance (ever tried to run without sleep?), a daily nap may help save your life. Midday sleep or napping is associated with lower 24-hour blood pressure and supports a healthier lifestyle, according to a recent study published in the European Society of Cardiology. So, why do we think napping is only for kids, grandparents, and the sick? Read more

Help! I don’t understand my bill or insurance! (Part 1)

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Don’t understand your medical bill or your insurance? You are not alone! Even doctors like me have a hard time making sense of it. Actually, according to an article in The Washington Post (August 8, 2013), a healthcare economist asked 200 people with health coverage to define four insurance terms. Only 14 percent answered four questions about the four most basic insurance features and got the right answer.

Read more

It’s hot – and I can’t sleep!

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I love summer. The thought of long, lazy days makes me smile. No worries about the kid’s routines, homework, and soccer practice. Just hanging out by the pool, sipping cool drinks, and hearing the wonderful sound of kids playing outdoors. But then it hits me. The ‘dog days of summer’ are coming.  It’s going to be hot – and that means I can’t sleep!  I wake up to the reality that the steamy temps, copious amounts of daylight and more outdoor activities, may actually affect ours and our kids most-needed summer activities – sleep.  Let’s break down summer’s impact on our bodies and what to do about it.

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Win your big sleep apnea battle with this tiny device

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Dr-Nicholas-PapageorgiouAs a dentist at the Comprehensive Sleep Care Center, you may be surprised to know that finding solutions to sleep issues is a big part of my job. And for me, solving the problem of sleep apnea is personal, too. You see, I have family members who suffer from sleep apnea, so I know the havoc it may create in someone’s life. So I’m passionate about educating and treating others who suffer Read more

Buying your CPAP supplies online: The pros and cons

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We all like to think we may be getting great value for our money or the proverbial,‘more bang for your buck’ when we shop especially in today’s internet economy,  So, why should buying a CPAP or CPAP supplies be any different?

At Comprehensive Sleep Care Center, we are often asked “why can’t I order my supplies online?”   The answer is, as you know,  you can; however, we want to point out a few pros and cons to purchasing your sleep apnea masks and other CPAP supplies online.

The pros of purchasing CPAP equipment and supplies online:

1- Perception of cost savings:

The biggest reason we shop online is often to save a few dollars. Normally these larger online/warehouse stores buy machines and products in bulk.  Bulk buying allows for the stores to receive discounted rates which they can normally pass on to the customer. 

2- Perception of  convenience:

When you’re busy, busy, busy it may be hard to add the time it takes in your day to stop at one more place. By shopping online, you save money on gas and commuting time. 

3- Shop on your time:

Who doesn’t love the convenience of being able to shop 24/7? You can order supplies at 3:00 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in your sweat pants.  Read more