Why does my brain sleep
by Matthew Walker, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
Matthew Walker earned his PhD in neurophysiology from the Medical Research Council in London, UK, and subsequently became an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School in 2004. He is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of California Berkeley. He is the recipient of funding awards from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In 2006 he became a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences. His research examines the relationship of brain and sleep, and the impact of sleep on human brain function in healthy and disease populations.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
Tonight, millions of people will be falling asleep only to wake up exhausted, irritable, and feeling just plain awful. If you are one of those suffering from a sleep breathing disorder, you’d be doing yourself a favour by looking at possible sleep apnea treatments.
Sleep should be something we look forward to every night, right? But if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleeping could be your worst enemy. If you live in Brisbane, Australia and need to be properly tested for OSA, call us on
(07) 3708 3233
You are likely to have sleep apnea if you are overweight (even just a little), have a thick neck, over forty years of age, drink alcohol, smoke or have a deformed airway passage. Signs that you may be suffering from this condition include snoring and people telling you that you stop breathing when you fall asleep.
Sleep apnea is a very serious problem as it blocks the airway passage and causes the sleeper to stop breathing for several seconds. If you stop breathing during sleep, your brain receives a signal telling you to wake up (although you may not remember waking.) Because your brain senses that your body is in danger, you awaken several times a night trying to catch your breath. The more times this happens, the less oxygen you take in and the less rest you get. In the morning you awaken only to find that you feel like you’ve never slept at all. (more…)
Cpap Machines
CPAP MACHINES FOR SLEEP APNEA THERAPY
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious breathing disorder due to the many complications that come with it. However, it shouldn’t be a cause of panic. There are ways to cope with it, using CPAP machines being one of them.
A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine is prescribed by a Sleep or Respiratory Specialist. CPAP is used in providing air pressure to keep your airway open and so avoid sleep disturbances. It also reduces your snoring which will make your bed partner a happier person.
The CPAP works by gently blowing air into the throat to improve the flow of air into the airways. It uses a special mask fitted over your nose and mouth into which air is blown at a certain pressure. This pressure is set so it would be just enough to prevent sleep apnea.
Sleepy Driving
Don’t Sleep and Drive
Ambulance officers at a sleepy driver collision
Each year in Australia, more than 1,300 Australians are killed on our roads and over 32,000 are seriously injured. One cause for these tragic numbers is sleepy driving. Driving a vehicle or riding a motorbike requires perception, good judgement, responsiveness and a reasonable physical capability.
Sleep researchers explain the growing dangers of a ‘sleep debt’ which can very quickly add up. Sleeping as little as six hours a night for 12 days is similar to the dangers of cognitive and performance decline in being awake for 24 hours straight. And being awake for 24-25 is tantamount to having the same impairment as someone who has a blood alcohol level of 0.1 percent, which is twice the legal limit. (more…)
Sleep Apnea and Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes Linked To Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Pregnant Women
Between three and eight per cent of pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes in Australia. Gestational diabetes is a condition where glucose levels in the blood rise to above normal levels in pregnant women. This form of diabetes occurs typically in the second trimester.
A new study found a link between gestational diabetes and sleep apnea, which causes brief interruptions in breathing during sleep. If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can raise the risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.
Snoring
Snoring May Be Early Signs of Future Health Risks
Snoring may put you at high risk to cardiovascular diseases, greater even than those who are overweight, who smoke or have high cholesterol. This is from a study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.