Let’s “Roast” the Weatherman!

If you’re in SE Wisconsin, then mark Saturday night, April 24 on your calendar, because that’s when the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Foundation will hold its second annual celebrity roast … and this time, we’re putting the weatherman to the fire!

That’s right, meteorologist and all-around good guy Brian Gotter of TODAYS TMJ4 has agreed to have his peers and “friends” stick it to him at the Astor Hotel to benefit the Foundation.  And, of course, Brian will get his shot to “return fire” at the roasters before the evening ends.

A silent auction and wonderful dinner make up the rest of the evening’s schedule.  For more information, visit www.reggiewhitefoundation.org

Let’s face it … who wouldn’t want to stick it to the weatherman???

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)  has been applied to everything from depression and anxiety to chronic pain and addiction.  And as many as 70 to 80% of people with chronic insomnia can benefit significantly from treatment with CBT.  Gains have been shown to last for years after sessions end.  Prescription sleep aids, on the other hand, can help in the short term, but once people stop taking them, they tend to experience “rebound insomnia.”

CBT addresses factors that perpetuate and maintain insomnia, whereas medication often doesn’t.  For many people, chronic insomnia can be the result of distorted thoughts and behaviors that disrupt their sleep.

The  cognitive component of CBT helps alter attitudes and beliefs that cause anxiety, arouse the body, and make sleep difficult.  The behavioral component helps reset the sleep-wake cycle, which can be disturbed by reactions to insomnia.

The Sleep Wellness Institute includes CBT in its comprehensive insomnia treatment services.  Both physical and behavioral issues that contribute to sleeplessness are addressed by board certified sleep physicians and a licensed clinical psychologist.  In addition, we utilize actigraphy to gain an “around the clock” sleep assessment that far surpasses the information available in a traditional sleep diary.

We have also found that CBT can assist  patients who are already using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for a sleep disorder by helping to improve their compliance with therapy by targeting the cognition and behaviors associated with the common difficulties  some CPAP users encounter.

The insomnia treatment services of the Sleep Wellness Institute are covered by most health insurance plans.  For information, call 414-336-3000 and speak with Lisa Cottrell, Ph.D. , sleep behavioral specialist.

Did Sleep Apnea Contribute to Adams’ Death?

Preliminary reports of the tragic death of Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, indicate that he suffered a heart attack, possibly in his sleep (according to NBC).  Reports have also stated that he had an enlarged heart, which is a common side effect of obstructive sleep apnea.  Therefore, unfortunately, it is possible that sleep apnea played a role in his untimely death.

Professional athletes, especially those who play such positions as defensive or offense line in football, are at significant risk for sleep apnea.  They usually have larger than normal necks, which is a definite risk factor, and their body mass index will often be significantly higher than the norm.  For instance, someone who is 6′3″ tall and weighs 319 pounds has a body mass index of 40, which places them at SEVERE risk of sleep apnea.  If their neck measurement is 17″ or more, they are at increased risk.  Does that sound like anybody on your favorite team?

It is important that athletes, their families, their doctors, team trainers all be aware that the body type now so typical in football is, in itself, dangerous to health.  If it leads to sleep apnea, it places them at risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, asthma, depression … and for 38,000 Americans each year it leads to their death.

We’ve seen it before.  On Christmas Night of 2004, NFL legend Reggie White passed away of a heart attack due to complications of sleep apnea.  Sadly, we will see it again.  We may have just seen it in the case of Gaines Adams.

To his family, we send our deepest condolences.  To his peers, we send our deepest concerns that they take the time to find out if they are at risk for sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is dangerous … but very treatable.  Death from sleep apnea is unnecessary.  Knowledge is the key to preventing further tragedies.

Keep this in mind … if you snore at night and feel exhausted during the day, you might have sleep apnea.  If you neck circumference is 17″ or more (15″ for women), you may be at risk.  If your Body Mass Index is 30 or more, you are likely at increased risk.  Don’t wait … contact your personal healthcare provider and find out if you are at risk.

We have a free online sleep apnea risk assessment test available in two locations … on the home page of the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Foundation website, www.reggiewhitefoundation.org, and at www.sleepwellandlive.com Free, easy, comprehensive … it will only take a few moments for you to find out if you are at risk for sleep apnea.  Take the test.  The alternative is something not to be taken lightly.

Steve Gardner, Executive Director

Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research & Education Foundation

Great Reasons to Treat Sleep Apnea Seriously

Have you been told that you might have sleep apnea and are wondering whether or not it’s worth the time and expense to find out?  Here are some important reasons why you should:

1. Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause death.  38,000 Americans die every year of complications due to sleep apnea.
2. Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular disease.
3. Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate diabetes.
4. Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate high blood pressure.
5. Sleep apnea can cause stroke.
6. Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate asthma.
7. Sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate depression.
8. Sleep apnea’s loud snoring and choking/gasping for air at night can damage and even ruin relationships.
9. Sleep apnea can make you so exhausted that you can’t perform at work.
10. Sleep apnea can cause extremely dangerous drowsy driving.
11. And if that’s not enough, sleep apnea can cause or exacerbate erectile dysfunction.

Add to all of that the fact that sleep apnea sufferers experience frequent morning headaches and frequently nocturnal urination, and you’ve got a whole host of reasons to consider sleep apnea as something you don’t want to let go untreated.

And here’s another reason:  most cases of sleep apnea can be treated rather easily and effectively!

Holidays and Dangerous Drowsy Driving Go Together

You’re rushing about wildly, trying to get the shopping done, get to the relatives’ house, trying to jam extra hours into the day, maybe even partying late on week nights.

‘Tis the season … for dangerous drowsy driving.

The roads filling up with college students returning home (often after all-nighters studying for finals), families on the road to visit relatives and friends.  Early morning shopping deals and days that begin and end in the dark all contribute to reduced sleep time and impaired wakefulness.  Add sleep apnea to that mix, and there is strong likelihood that you will encounter or become one of the  drowsy drivers on the road.

Driving simulation studies show that when drivers have been awake for 19 hours, they drive as poorly as when they have a blood alcohol level of 0.10, which is above the legal limit in most states.  If you pull an “all nighter” and then drive, it’s equivalent to driving drunk.   When sleep apnea is also present:  people with untreated mild to moderate sleep apnea, alone, perform worse behind the wheel than people with blood alcohol level of 0.06.

The National Traffic Safety Administration says there are 100,000 crashes per year due to fatigue and sleepiness each year.  And 1,550 deaths.

On average, it takes as little as two seconds of dozing at the wheel to cause you to inadvertently change lanes, swerve into oncoming traffic, or run off the road.

Most drivers do not realize that they are too sleepy and over-estimate their vigilance.  The most common warning signs are:

• Trouble focusing
• Frequent yawning and rubbing of eyes
• Daydreaming and wandering thoughts instead of concentrating fully on the road
• Drifting in your lane
• Not remembering the last couple of miles

What to do if you notice ANY of these warning signs:

• Pull over … call the people you are driving to visit and take a nap in a motel
• If there is another person in the car with you, switch drivers
• Don’t be macho … recognize that your warning signs can be the precursor to an accident … often not only involving you and the people in your car, but pedestrians and people in other cards.

What to do if you suspect sleep apnea:   take our free online sleep apnea risk assessment test at www.sleepwellandlive.com .

Don’t hesitate to contact your local sleep center and get evaluated.   Lives may well hang in the balance.

Sleep Apnea Therapy Improves Golf Score. So What?

From the “Is this a Good Use of Research Money?” file:

Golfers who undergo treatment for sleep apnea may improve their golf game as well as their overall health, shows new research. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that golfers with OSA who received nasal positive airway pressure (NPAP) therapy for their disorder improved their daytime sleepiness scores and lowered their golf handicap by as much as three strokes. Researchers suggest that the possibility of improving your golf game may be a significant motivator to improve NPAP compliance rates among golfers.

“More so than many sports, golf has a strong intellectual component, with on-course strategizing, focus, and endurance being integral components to achieving good play,” said Marc L. Benton, MD, FCCP, Atlantic Sleep and Pulmonary Associates, Madison, NJ. “OSAS can lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, all side effects that can negatively impact a person’s ability to golf to the best of their ability.”

Okay … these findings may encourage some golfers to be compliant with their therapy, and that’s good.  But this story has attracted major news media attention all over the country.  FAR more important for people to know is that treating sleep apnea saves lives, saves marriages, helps diabetics to better manage their disease, and prevents co-morbidities like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, asthma, depression and erectile dysfunction.  That is what people really need to know about getting treated for sleep apnea.

Reggie White Sleep Disorders Foundation Develops Sleep Apnea App for iPhone

The Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation has developed a free iPhone application that enables users to determine if they are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

The “app,” called Sleep Well, combines three screening tools used by sleep specialists to determine an individual’s risk of having or developing the sleep disorder that affects 18 million Americans. It provides immediate feedback once users provide answers to questions regarding their sleep habits, snoring, fatigue, and health factors. iPhone users may find and obtain the app at http://appshopper.com/healthcare-fitness/sleep-well.

The app also includes a feature that will list nearby sleep disorders centers for users.  According to Foundation Executive Director Steve Gardner, sleep disorders centers can be added to the app’s directory upon making a one-time $100 donation to the non-profit organization.  Co-founded shortly after the former Packers Hall of Famer died prematurely at age 43 by his wife, Sara, and the Sleep Wellness Institute, Wisconsin’s oldest and largest independent  sleep disorders center, the foundation’s goal is to spread the word about the dangers of sleep apnea to people of all socio-economic groups and help provide treatment to those who otherwise would be unable to access the healthcare services needed to treat obstructive sleep apnea, the disease that contributed to White’s death.

Remember the Time Change This Sunday!

Millions of Americans will roll their clocks back one hour this weekend for the return to Standard Time. But as clocks move back and we wake on Sunday morning, after “gaining” an extra hour of the day, will Americans use that extra hour to catch up on their sleep? Probably not. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2009 Sleep in America™ poll, two out of every ten Americans sleep less than six hours a night. Even with an extra hour, that’s less than necessary for a full night’s rest. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following tips to help ease the adjustment to standard time:

* Maintain your regular bedtime Saturday night, when clocks move back, and awaken at your regular time on Sunday morning. This can give you an “extra” hour of sleep the next morning and help reduce your sleep debt;
* Block out light and keep your sleeping area dark. Standard time causes the sun to rise about an hour earlier. This can impact sleep, especially for people accustomed to awakening before or around sunrise. The light itself can disturb sleep, so it is always best to sleep in a darkened room;
* Increase the light when you wake up. Light has an alerting affect that may help you wake up. It will also help adjust your biological clock to the “new” sleep schedule;
* Difficulty adjusting to the time change? Staying awake at night or sleeping until your desired wake-up time may be helped by gradually moving bedtime and awakening later by 15 minutes every one to two days.

Somebody’s in Denial

A recent visitor to our blog came here after doing an internet search for “you can’t die from sleep apnea.”

WRONG!

38,000 Americans die from complications of sleep apnea every year.  For those who think you can’t, I have two words:  Reggie White.

I also recently saw someone on Twitter who said “Sleep is for the weak.”

WRONG!

If you don’t get sufficient sleep, your body builds a “sleep debt” and can actually enter a pre-diabetic state.  So if you’re one of those who think sleep is for the weak, please enjoy your shortened, sleep-deprived life.

Steve Gardner

New CPAP2GO Store to Open in West Allis, Wis.

The Sleep Wellness Institute, Inc., will open its third CPAP2GO store  on Thursday, Oct. 1, in West Allis.  CPAP2GO specializes in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, masks and supplies used to help many people with obstructive sleep apnea.  The CPAP2GO stores are the only retail CPAP stores in Wisconsin operated by a sleep disorders center.  The first store opened in Franklin last year, and a Waukesha location opened in April.

The newest store, at 2931 S. 108^th Street, will be open Monday through Saturday, with evening hours Monday through Friday.  It will be staffed by specially trained employees and will feature the “30/30 Advantage” – an in-stock supply of more than 30 masks and a free 30-night comfort and fit guarantee.  Much of the equipment will be covered by most health insurance plans.

The store will be managed by Cody Glorioso, who is the director of the Sleep Wellness Institute’s durable medical equipment department.  The store’s telephone number will be 414-761-CPAP (2727). A website, www.cpap2go.net, provides more information for customers.

The Sleep Wellness Institute is Wisconsin’s largest independent sleep disorders laboratory.  It is fully accredited to diagnose and treat sleep disorders among adults and children by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.