Sleep is a basic requirement for health. We need sleep to fight:

  • Infection
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Support our metabolism
  • Prevent diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Arthritis
  • Kidney disease
  • Parkinson’s
  • Obesity
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Stroke

And to cognitively function optimally in our everyday lives.

Shortened sleep (less than six ours a night) has increased dramatically over the last 30 years. Also, intermittent sleep disturbances throughout the night result in fatigue, disorientation, and decreased alertness. Many people that are depressed, have PTSD, and poor interpersonal relationships, can point to the origins of their psychological problems from diminished sleep. Sleep problems exhibited by restlessness or waking up in the middle of the night are common symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s. A bad night’s sleep can dull our thinking, make it hard to concentrate, and diminish our memory, creating a negative effect on our wellbeing.

Frequent use of sleeping medication is not the panacea for addressing sleep disorders, as its persistent use, puts people at a higher risk of developing dementia. Even people who use sleep medication as infrequently as five times a month are at a risk for developing dementia.

As of recent, people are beginning to realize that there is a huge correlation between the breathing disorder of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep quality. When we have a blockage at the back of our throats, we can’t breathe, and our brains wake us up because we are not getting enough oxygen. As we get older, the muscle tone in the back of our throats lessens, causing our soft palate to drop and close the airway. Being overweight and having a large neck circumference, or being a smoker, also causes a narrowing of the back of the throat. Alcohol usage relaxes the muscles in the back of the throat also causing apnea, or closure of the airway. Weight loss and exercise help, but in most cases the back of the throat needs to be physically opened with either a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) or an oral appliance that advances the lower jaw and pulls the tongue forward opening the air way at the back of the throat. The majority of people do not tolerate using the CPAP on a routine basis and the oral appliance has proven to be highly successful.

There is a connection between obstructive sleep apnea and cancers. When we can’t breathe at night, the resulting decreased oxygen causes our body to stimulate the creation of new blood vessels. This additional blood supply encourages tumor growth.

If you experience insomnia, restlessness, interruptions in sleep due to gasping for breath, snoring, sleep deprivation, sleepiness, seek help! Prioritize sleep and make it important. Your health, your family, and your fellow brothers and sisters will all benefit with you being optimally healthy and mentally aware.

People that are not getting a well-rested sleep on a regular basis are prone to many dangerous conditions. Even loss of an hours’ worth of sleep can increase the risk of a wide range of conditions. When we don’t get enough sleep, our immune system goes into overdrive which causes systemic inflammations and turns on dangerous genetic switches.

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Sleeping apart? Snoring, choking, gasping for breath, and restless sleep are some of the annoying and disruptive characteristics of a spouse that has sleep apnea. Imagine sleeping next to someone who snores as loud as a jet engine, then chokes, stops breathing for up to 90 seconds, and then hyperventilates for up to 500 times a night? On the other hand, how would you like to be poked, shoved, or awakened by your spouse all because you’re keeping them up all night with your loud snoring and restless sleep? That’s two people suffering every single night.  Read more

Much more than an annoyance, snoring and sleep apnea can pose many serious, even life threatening health consequences. Read more