Advice on sleep problems

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Sleep apnea is one of the major sleep disorders, according to experts at the University of Pennsylvania.
It's National Sleep Awareness Week and doctors at the Division of Sleep Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, would like to explain a few little-known facts. Did you know, for example, that if you get up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, you may have sleep apnea? What happens is that the brain works extra-hard to keep up oxygen levels, because breathing ceases temporarily many times during the night in sleep apnea. The stress this imposes on the heart muscle causes release of a substance that triggers the urge to urinate.

People who lose interest in sex or develop impotence may also have sleep apnea.  This is generally because of daytime tiredness which robs them of desire. And although alcohol makes you sleepy, it actually decreases the quality of sleep and makes sleep apnea worse. Taking two or more medicines for hypertension can also cause sleep apnea. Overweight is often a related risk factor. And falling asleep during a movie or watching TV can also be a sign of sleep apnea, again because of daytime sleepiness. As you'll have gathered, the experts think sleep apnea is pretty important when it comes to sleep problems. If you snore and have daytime tiredness, plus any of the risk factors listed above, consider that you may have sleep apnea and seek medical advice

Source
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine 27th March 2006

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