Amy Poehler Talks Snoring, Sleep Troubles in Memoir

In addition to an inside look at her work on TV projects like “Saturday Night Live” and “Parks and Recreation,” funnywoman Amy Poehler also discusses her lifelong struggle to get a good night’s rest in her new book “Yes Please.” Poehler has suffered intense snoring for years, at one point writing that she is “convinced my body is trying to gently strangle me to death.”

After undergoing a sleep study, Poehler was diagnosed with sleep apnea when she was 40. Though she was prescribed a CPAP machine to restore proper breathing during sleep, the comedienne – like many patients – has admitted to lapsing in her use of the device.

Poehler writes that she comes “from a family of snorers” who made a habit of recording audio of each other snoring as a way to prove how loud and intense the noise was at night. Oftentimes family members are the ones who have to break the news about snoring to the sufferer.

Snoring is often fodder for comedy, but it’s no laughing matter when it keeps people awake at night or causes the sleeper to experience symptoms like: 

• Restlessness
• Waking up multiple times a night
• Poor quality sleep
• Drowsiness during the day
• Choking, gasping, and other interruptions to breathing

If you have family members who snore loudly or the people you care about worry about your snoring, be mindful about the effect insufficient sleep can have on your health. Snoring is also a potential indicator of sleep apnea, which should always be treated as a serious medical condition.

Please contact a local sleep doctor or call 1 (866) 727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) if you and your family are concerned about your nightly snoring.

TENSION HEADACHE AND TMJ Disorders: The Sleep Connection Identified

Tension Headaches are a type of Trigmeminal Nerve innervated muscle contraction headache. They are closely related to TMJ Disorders (TMD) and postural distortions like a forward head position. Tension Headaches and Chronic Daily Headaches are essentially variations of Muscle Contaction Headaches. Frequently severe muscle pain headaches are called Migraines or Atypical Migraines but are in reality primarily caused by muscle trigger points.

It is important to remember that all muscle contraction headaches are a form of repetitive strain injuries. When there is a postural distortion or bite problem the muscles adapt to protect the whole If there is an acute injury Muscle Splinting will occur. This is where the muscle tighten to protect an injured site.

Sleep disordered breathing greatly contributes to these problems. Patients may snore loudly or have sleep apnea where they periodically quit breathing however the female patients and younger, thinner heathier males and females often have UARS or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome that leaves them tired and sore and ruins their sleep but without the classic symptoms. Learn more about Sleep Apnea and UARS at www.ihatecpap.com that discusses sleep disordered breathing and comfortable alternatives to CPAP for treating these airway issues.  

SLEEP ISSUES ARE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO TENSION HEADACHES, CHRONIC DAILY HEADACHES, MIGRAINES AND TMJ DISORDERS.  THE NHLBI OF THE NIH CONSIDER SLEEP APNEA TO BE A TMJ DISORDER.  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf

The good news is that Neuromuscular Dentistry can usually quickly and effectively correct these problems. There is a new office dedicated to treating TMJ disorders, Headaches, Migraines and Sleep Disordered Breathing visitwww.thinkbetterlife.com for more information on TMJ Disorders and Neuromuscular Dentistry. WWW.ihateheadaches.org is another excellent site concerning chronic headaches and correction with Neuromuscular Dentistry.

Muscle Splinting is normal, in fact it is ideal on a short term basis to protect an injured joint, muscle or tendon. Problems arise when Muscle Splinting is no longer needed but Chronic Muscle Contracture occurs. This will often result in Tight Bands in the Muscle and Trigger Points in the tight bands.

Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction is when there is chronic muscle shortening with associated trigger points. It is similar, in many ways to Fibromyalgia but is more regional in nature. TMJ Dysfunction Patients (TMD) frequently have widespread myofascial Pain and Dysfunction throughout the Head, Neck, Shoulders and Upper Back.

Trigger points and muscle problems tend to spread from one area of the body to another as the muscles continually try to adapt to protect the whole. Unfortunately the muscles work past their Adaptive Capacity. When there is widespread muscle pain, taut bands and pain the condition is called Fibromyalgia and it is often treated as a Rheumatic Systemic Disease but frequently it is best addressed one area at a time, correcting function and eventually having the entire system working again as a single unit.

Patients with chronic pain often develop Alpha Intrusion into Delta Sleep which is the marker for Fibromyalgia. The deep sleep is disturbed resulting in increased pain and sympathetic nervous system activity.

Sleep disordered breathing greatly contributes to these problems. Patients may snore loudly or have sleep apnea where they periodically quit breathing but the female patients and younger, thinner heather males and females often have UARS or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome that leaves them tired and sore and ruins their sleep but without the classic symptoms. Learn more about Sleep Apnea and UARS at www.ihatecpap.com that discusses sleep disordered breathing and comfortable alternatives to CPAP for treating these airway issues.

Sleep Well Illinois is a new company working to do universal sleep screening in Physicians offices to help identify these patients.

• deerfield
 
• fibromyalgia
 
• forward head posture
 
• GLENVIEW
 
• Highland Park
 
• LAKE FOREST
 
• MPD
 
• muscle contraction headaches
 
• muscle splinting
 
• myofascial pain
 
• Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction
 
• postural distortions
• repetitive strain injury
 
• RERA
 
• SLEEP APNEA
 
• Sleep Well Illinois
 
• Taut bands
 
• Taut bands muscle
 
• TMD
 
• TMJ
• trigger point migraine
 
• trigger points
 
• trigger points headaches
 
• UARS
 
• upper airway resistance syndrome

Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Aging: A Dangerous Mix

HealthDay recently reported that as many as one in four men who have reached middle age suffer from sleep apnea. The risk of this serious sleep disorder tends to increase with age alongside other major health issues. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea symptoms, speak to a qualified doctor immediately before your health begins to decline.

Sleep apnea can occur at any age, with even children capable of exhibiting symptoms. However, older adults tend to be at a greater risk, and men are twice as likely as women to develop sleep apnea.

Although lifestyle, genetics, and other factors can play a part, sleep apnea has also been identified as a risk factor for other age-related health disorders and issues, including: 

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Some eye diseases
• Type 2 diabetes
• Memory loss
• Depression

This isn’t an inclusive list of sleep apnea symptoms. Poor quality sleep is a danger to multiple systems in the body, and the risk of serious complications only increases as the patient gets older.

An estimated 4% of Americans experience sleep apnea symptoms. If you believe your health is at risk, please contact a doctor in your community or call 1 (866) 727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) to find a medical professional with knowledge of diagnosis and treatment for sleep disorders.

Sleep Apnea Linked to Memory Loss

If you’re frequently tired and you frequently forget things, it might not just be lack of sleep catching up to you. HealthDay recently reported that patients with advanced sleep apnea demonstrate difficulties with spatial memory skills.

Spatial memory refers to the ability to recall the layout of an environment and the orientation of objects therein. This type of memory makes it possible to remember everything from where you left your wallet in the house to the route you take to drive across town.

Researchers at NYU recently discovered that sleep apnea patients who stop breathing during the deep stage of sleep called the REM cycle tend to suffer disruption to spatial memory, making it more difficult to remember things like the location of a parking space. Given their findings, the authors of the study encouraged doctors to check for signs of memory loss in patients who have sleep apnea.

If you find yourself forgetting things more and more, speak to a doctor as soon as possible. A memory loss screening could involve several different tests, including: 

• An assessment of the patient’s medical history
• A physical exam
• Tests of neurological abilities
• Questionnaires to gauge memory and other mental faculties

A sleep study is necessary to determine whether or not you suffer from sleep apnea. Apnea can compromise the health and function of many parts of the body, so diagnosis followed by treatment could restore many aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Please contact a sleep apnea physician in your area or call 1 (866) 727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today for more information.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea a Liability Behind the Wheel

If you have sleep apnea, you’re seven times more likely to be in a car accident where fatigue is a factor. According to the National Sleep Foundation, people with obstructive sleep apnea are at a high risk of falling asleep at the wheel.

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week falls on November 2 through November 9 this year. The campaign is a time to raise awareness about the dangerous effect obstructive sleep apnea can have on driving ability, not to mention the condition’s serious impact on overall health.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea suffer poor quality sleep due to interrupted oxygen flow. Sleep deprivation limits the focus and good judgment skills that are essential to safe driving.

If you’re chronically tired, the safest decision is to pull over should you find yourself doing the following behind the wheel: 

·         Yawning

·         Daydreaming

·         Nodding your head and frequently closing your eyes

·         Missing turns and exits

·         Following cars in front of you too closely

Sleep apnea can take a terrible toll over time, but a car accident can lead to a host of serious injuries in a moment. If daytime fatigue is endangering your ability to drive safely, it’s time to seek professional help.

For more information on obstructive sleep apnea, please contact a qualified doctor in your area or call 1 (866) 727-6275 (1-8-NO-PAP-MASK) today.