Sleeping, Snoring, and Strokes
Years ago, when I focused on my goals and purposes, I
put on the top of my want list to be able to wake up rested.
It just seemed to make sense. Lately, too many close friends are reporting
how little sleep they get and their apparent lack of regard or ability to
deal with that. This is for them...and you. It could use some editing so
if someone out there wants credit for this, let me know.
STRESS LEVEL ELIMINATION EXERCISE PLAN (SLEEP)
Skimping
on sleep plays havoc with important hormones, possibly damaging brain
cells, stressing the immune system and inviting the growth of fat instead
of muscle.
Cheating
on sleep even for a few nights increases brain levels of cortisol, a
potentially dangerous stress hormone. Lack of sleep can dull the brain,
sap energy, increase irritability and depression and makes people more
accident-prone. You can offset this a little by being in great physical
shape but many abuse this with overstraining and I believe it impairs
their judgment. Dr. Robert Greene, Harvard Medical School neuroscientist
stated “If sleep is needed for brain function to be working in an
optimal way, you are losing that”.
A
National Sleep Foundation survey found that nearly two out of three
Americans did not get their recommended eight hours of sleep a night.
Thirty percent of those get less than six hours of sleep. For most, eight
hours of sleep is adequate, although some function well on six hours, even
four; others need ten. Many have forgotten what a good night’s sleep
feels like.
According
to the Institute for Sleep Medicine, the most common sleep related
problems are snoring, sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleeplessness,
involuntary napping, restless legs during sleep, shift work, jet lag,
insomnia and sleep walking. Interventions for the above include sleep
medicine, neurology (for brain disorders), lung disorders, surgical
treatments, mouth breathing aids, mechanical breathing machines (CPAP
etc), psychology, psychiatry, dentistry, speech therapy and pediatrics.
An
estimated 100,000 car crashes annually are blamed on sleepy drivers. My
recorded Better Breathing Exercise #2, also called the Tibetan Caffeine,
will energize and focus while facilitating a potentially life saving
increased mental clarity and second wind. It is not recommended that you
use it and drive a vehicle but I have done so with great success.
Sleep
loss causes a stress hormone cortisol to increase, while two other
hormones – muscle building human growth hormone and prolactin, which
over sees the immune system – decrease. Studies in animals (primates and
rats again?) and older people show that long-term exposure to abnormally
high levels of cortisol can damage brain cells, causing shrinkage in the
hippocampus, a critical region of the brain that regulates learning and
memory.
If Your Body Clock is Disrupted it Can Speed Cancer Growth
The destruction of the body's natural rhythms accelerated the growth of cancerous tumors in laboratory animals.
In mice whose body clocks -- also known as circadian rhythms -- were disrupted, "the body's defense system was apparently less able to control tumor growth, and others were following up on recent reports that the disruption of the body clock of those who perform shift work seems to result in a higher propensity for cancer.
In half the mice in the experiment, the researchers destroyed a part of the brain that controls the body's natural rhythms, including sleep-wake cycles as well as body temperature, hormone release patterns, immune response and metabolism. The remaining "control" mice received mock surgery.
The mice with part of their brains destroyed lost proper functioning of their body's natural rhythms, remaining at a more constant level throughout the day and night.
Researchers then implanted tumors into all of the animals, and monitored the animals for tumor growth as well as long-term survival rates.
The investigators found that the tumors grew two to three times faster in the animals whose rhythms had been disrupted. Those animals also experienced a significantly worse survival rate, living only 22 days after the tumor graft, compared with 26 days in the other group.
The study authors speculate that the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythms may play a role in fighting off disease by its influence of the body's immune responses or hormonal fluctuations.
SLEEP CLINICS
Great ideas and would be best if they did not so quickly set people
up for being hooked up to breathing machines. But of course some may need
that to stay alive. We are developing a program to integrate our breathing
development techniques with sleep labs.
SLEEP APNEA & CPAP
The mechanical breathing devices can be a good
emergency measure for some. But they do not conform to one's
natural/inconsistent breathing patterns and thus actually
mechanize/control the breathing beyond what I believe is healthy. I
do not believe that at this time there are any programs that train people
to breathe better in conjunction with those mechanical breathing devices.
I believe this is critical to not being forced to use the mechanical
devise for the rest of one's life.
SLEEP CLINIC
A
sleep clinic employee who was also one of my clients reports that the
sleep clinic attaches many electrodes to people to help them to sleep and
the electrodes often keep the patient awake. If they keep some
awake don’t you suspect they take others out of as deep a sleep as they
might be otherwise capable of? A parallel issue; as good as biofeedback
can be, I experienced a restriction of my breathing from the rubber band
around my chest. But I would include biofeedback as a possible adjunctive
approach and see what happens.
A great combination with a high degree of
success related to sleeping and or snoring.
~~ Snoring in children may be cause for concern. At least that's the conclusion in a new study out of the University of South Australia. When they studied over 2,000 children who snored versus those who did not, they found significant cognitive differences. Compared to non-snorers, children who snored showed significantly impaired attention and lower memory and IQ scores. Blunden, S., et.al, 2000. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, Vol 22(5) 554-568.
~~ Sleep deprivation and sleep habits do correlate with academic grades. A study out of Worcester, MA, shows that students who received low grades (C's, D's, F's), obtained about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed an average of 40 minutes later on school nights than students with high grades (A's and B's). Adolescents who slept less than 7 hours reported increased daytime sleepiness, depressed mood, and behavior problems. Wolfson, A. 1998. Child Development, Vol 69(4) 875-887.
SNORING
Snoring can confuse the apnea issue. I believe snoring is a precursor
to and often accompanies apnea. "Doctors at Ludwig-Maximilians-University
in Munich, Germany said in a report, published in the February issue of
the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, that the only sure
way to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea is with an overnight test that
monitors a number of things, including airflow through the nose and mouth,
snoring, oxygen saturation, certain electrical activity of the brain and
body position.
101 patients who complained that they were having snoring problems were examined under one process which included a medical history and a look at anatomy in their nose and throat, and again by overnight sleep tests.
The patients ultimately diagnosed with apnea by the overnight test
had readings on the first physical tests that were not significantly
different from those did not have apnea, the study found.
"In our opinion, all patients seeking treatment for
snoring should be screened overnight using a device measuring at least
oxygen saturation and airflow", the report said.
From Mike:
This gives people the false idea the snoring has nothing to do with apnea. I do believe that is DOES have a LOT to do with apnea including sleep disturbance that makes one more susceptible to other oxygen deprivation and sleep loss maladies.
My best
suggestion for apnea or snoring is to develop the breath during waking
hours. Then it works better while sleeping. Apnea is difficult. That
is why when you see any sign of it you had better get working on it right
away. I believe it requires a coach and significant time spent retraining
the breathing.
Singing is of great assistance. Some clients of mine have had
success with special
breathing redevelopment techniques
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In any event, if you snore I suggest you get our sleep program plus you had better have a medical doctor check you out for sleep apnea. If you DO their testing have it make sure you develop your breathing so that you reduce the chances for needing surgery and or will not have to use or stay on a mechanical breathing device the rest of your life.
Take the
Sleep Quest Sleep Questionnaire
Our Self Help Sleep Program
Our Non-Drug Sleep
Improvement Clinic
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