Sleep & Parkinson’s Disease

We all know that sleep is important to function properly and more cheerfully the next day. But did you know that sleep has been found to do wonders with the memory of Parkinson’s disease patients? A recent study discovered that victims of Parkinson’s disease tended to do better on a test of working memory after a night of sleep compared to subjects who got no sleep. Just as interesting was the correlation made: sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, can stand in the way of that benefit.

For those of you who don’t know, Parkinson’s disease usually comes with tremors and slow movements. In addition, this disease can have some nasty effects on a person’s “working memory,” which is the ability to temporarily store and manipulate information. Working memory is crucial in planning, problem solving, and living independently. We’ve already discussed how sleep is beneficial for memory. (If you missed that post, we’ve included the link below for your convenience!) This new study dealt with fifty-four participants who had Parkinson’s disease and ten who had advanced dementia.

Researchers have narrowed down what’s so great about sleep with regards to memory. Remember how we said that subjects with Parkinson’s disease performed better on a working memory test? Well, researchers have linked this performance boost with the amount of slow wave sleep that they subjects experienced at night. This is the deepest stage of sleep that is crucial for what’s call synaptic plasticity—or brain cells’ ability to reorganize themselves and make new connections.

How does this all tie into sleep apnea? Well, since sleep apnea can keep people up at night, it’s no mystery as to how this sleep disorder can interfere with the benefit sleep can have for the memory of Parkinson’s disease patients. Severe sleep apnea can lower a person’s blood oxygen levels for more than five minutes. Researchers found that the study participants who had severe sleep apnea didn’t experience any performance boost on their working memory test. While it should be noted that dopamine-enhancing medications were needed to see most performance benefits from sleep, an association between sleep and improved memory in Parkinson’s disease patients has been made.

The Importance of Sleep: Dementia

How Age-Appropriate Videos Help Kids Sleep

All parents know that a busy day has ended as soon as the kids are fast asleep in their beds. But a new study tells us that it might not be that simple. Even if you do get your kids to bed, relaxation time can be easily interrupted by a child who wakes up in the middle of the night. Researchers discovered that videos and media can play a significant role in whether your children go to sleep at bedtime and stay asleep.

There has been previous research that suggests that there’s a link between what kids watch during the day and the sleep problems they experience at night. A new study confirmed that preschool children appeared to sleep better when their parents were encouraged to cut their kids’ exposure to violent and age-inappropriate videos throughout the day. Researchers gave statistics to back up their claims. For example, twenty percent of the preschoolers whose media exposure was monitored were less likely to have sleep problems at night.

The study dealt with 565 children three to five years old in the Seattle area. The group of kids were split up into two random groups. While the parents of 276 children were encouraged to alter their children’s watching habits over a six-month period, parents of the other 289 kids were encouraged to change their kids’ eating habits instead. Those 276 children were encouraged to watch only “healthy media,” and the 289 others were encouraged to eat more healthily. Researchers collected questionnaires from all of the participating parents at the beginning of the study, at the six-month mark, after one year, and then again eighteen months later.

The results were unmistakable. Answers from the questionnaire collected at the beginning of the study revealed that at the start, forty-two percent of kids from the intervention group had some kind of sleep problem. In addition, thirty-nine percent of kids from the comparison group had some sort of sleep problem as well. Researchers stipulate that the most common sleep problem was that it took the kids too long to fall asleep several nights a week.  

Questionnaires collected at the six-month mark showed that that forty-two percent of kids with a sleep problem from the intervention group dropped down to just thirty percent. Statistics from the comparison group also experienced a decrease, but it wasn’t as drastic. Thirty-six percent of kids in the comparison group still experienced some sort of sleep problem after six months of eating more healthily. These statistics seemed to level out after one year. Although researchers noted that sleep problems started to reappear at the eighteen-month mark, they pointed out the fact that after a year and a half, parents were probably more lenient on curbing their children’s viewing habits.

Focusing on the results within a year after the study began, this study reveals that the media children consumed throughout the day had an impact on their sleep. Children from the intervention group whose parents were encouraged to expose their kids to only age-appropriate media experienced less sleep problems over time. Contrastingly, children from the comparison group, who changed their eating habits rather than their viewing habits, didn’t decrease their sleep problems as much as the intervention group did.

Now that we know that what our children watch really does affect how well they sleep at night, what can we do? Well, the number one thing you can do is to monitor what your children watch. Choose more appropriate content for your kids to be exposed to. Another thing that can promote healthy sleeping for your kids is to turn the TV off at least two hours before bedtime. This way, consistent bedtimes and waking times will be established. We know how important a full night’s rest is to a growing child.

Sleep Apnea Does Not Discriminate

We’ve all heard of the dark and scary tales of sleep apnea. It’s a sleep disorder that comes with baggage like snoring and daytime sleepiness. It’s heartbreakingly linked to cardiovascular disease. And it’s a problem primarily in males. We hate to say it, but these tales are about to get even scarier…

A new Swedish study suggests that sleep apnea isn’t just the men’s problem—women have to worry about it too. Although it’s true that not very many epidemiological studies have been conducted in women, and that the frequency of sleep apnea in women is still uncertain, it should be well understood that sleep apnea is not picky when it comes to its victims.

Dr. Karl A. Franklin of Umea University Hospital in Sweden understands this crucial fact. He and his team of researchers conducted a study dealing with 400 women from a population-based random sample of 10,000 women. These women’s ages ranged from twenty to seventy years old. These 400 women answered a questionnaire and were monitored overnight. The results stipulated that half of the subjects were found to have obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. Even more alarming, fourteen percent of those 200 women had a severe form of OSA. Franklin and his team’s findings prove one very significant thing: sleep apnea does not discriminate between genders.

We say that these findings are significant because sleep apnea isn’t just a simple sleep disorder. No, sleep apnea is known to go hand in hand with a lot more worse things. People with sleep apnea are 2.5 times more likely to report having diabetes. Sleep apnea victims are 1.8 times more likely to report hypertension. Heart disease reports are 2.2 times more likely to come from those with sleep apnea. Even mood disorders are linked to this sleep disorder; People with sleep apnea are 2.2 times more likely to report a mood disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, mania, and dysthymia. And these statistics are compared to those who do not have to deal with sleep apnea every night.

The Scoop on Snoring & Breast-Feeding

Our previous blog post discussed how snoring and a cranky, ill-behaved child go hand in hand. We’d like to give you the inside scoop on snoring—information very closely related to that study we just talked about…

There are a couple of interesting predictors of persistent snoring that we think you should be aware of as responsible and concerned parents. The first is that the persistent snorers from the study discussed earlier were more likely to be African American. In addition to this demographic, the study’s persistent snorers were usually of low socioeconomic status. And not surprisingly, children that were regularly exposed to secondhand smoke were likely to be a part of that unlucky nine percent of persistent snorers.

However, the thing that we found the most interesting didn’t have to do with demographics at all. Interestingly enough, breast-feeding has been linked to snoring. The study noted that young children who had been breast-fed for more than twelve months didn’t become persistent snorers as they entered their toddler years. But that’s not all. Almost twenty five percent of the subjects who were never breast-fed or who were nursed for less than a month developed chronic snoring.

So how does sleep apnea tie into all of this? Well, there have been studies that have connected breast-feeding to risks of sleep-disordered breathing. And as we all know too well, an infamous form of sleep-disordered breathing goes by the name of sleep apnea. These previous studies have observed that children who have been nursed longer between two and five months of age are less likely to develop sleep apnea. This just goes to show why scientists and researchers have suggested that breast-feeding aids infants in the development of healthy upper airway structures. The reason for this is that it’s believed that breast milk might give immune protection against infections that encourage sleep-disordered breathing like sleep apnea.

We hope that if you’re debating on whether to breast feed or opt for the formula, you’d keep this new information in mind. And if this information pertains to you or someone you know, pass it on. The best way to beat sleep apnea is through prevention and awareness.

Kids Snoring at Night & Their Mood during the Day

Parents know too well that a tired and cranky child is a very hard-to-manage and bad-behaved child. But did you know that lack of sleep can also lead to behavioral problems such as depression, hyperactivity, and inattention? And as many of us already know, snoring is one definite culprit in disrupting the quality of sleep.

 

There have been studies that relate unrelenting snoring with new or progressively worse behavior problems in older children. While this is alarming news in itself, new research offers even more unsettling results based on the effects of persistent snoring in even younger children.

 

 A recent study dealt with 249 children and their mothers, beginning in 2003 during the women’s pregnancies. The moms later completed questionnaires about their children’s snoring and behavior when their kids reached age two and then again at age three. Based on the answers in the questionnaires, the results were staggering. Sixty-eight percent of children out of the 249 were dubbed non-snorers; they rarely snored at age two and at age three. Contrastingly, twenty-three percent were classified as transient snorers; they snored loudly a couple times a week at either age. It was the unlucky nine percent of children that fell into the category of persistent snorers. These children snored at least twice a week at ages two and three.

 

Based on this study, a majority of the kids didn’t really have an issue with snoring at such a young age. But what about that nine percent that we deemed as unlucky? Based on the information from the questionnaires, researchers were able to deduce that the kids who persistently snored more than others were the ones that had significantly worse behavior. While this may seem like a cause-and-effect relationship between snoring and mood swings, it’s important to understand that because this was an observational study, only an association between snoring and behavioral problems has been established. Nonetheless, a relationship at the very least has been discovered between snoring at night and behavior during the day.

 

We’ve discussed snoring in a previous blog post before. As many of you may know, snoring, OSA, and sleep apnea are very closely related. With emerging studies and research tying in behavioral problems with snoring, the consequences and effects of sleep apnea continue to grow.

 

Sleep, Asthma, & Your Kids: What asthma, sleep, and your kids have in common!

A recent study dealing with 150 children who have asthma has observed that children with asthma who reside in cities are a lot more likely to experience sleep loss. Researchers stipulate that this loss of precious sleep is the major reason for children missing school, making visits to the emergency room, and participating in sports at lower levels of involvement. Not only that, but daytime functioning in children is greatly affected. In addition, asthma is responsible for 10.5 million missed school days each year in the US according to the ACAAI. But how is asthma related to sleep loss? Children wake up in the middle of the night because of their asthma symptoms, and those with high levels of anxiety or with a lot on their mind find it difficult to go back to sleep. As a result, they get less sleep than they would have if their asthma symptoms didn’t wake them up. Parents say that their children’s quality of life is significantly decreased when their asthma isn’t well controlled. Researchers say that the solution is simple: take precautionary measures. Asthmatic children should be routinely monitored during sleep so as to minimize disruptions in sleep and to ensure that their asthma is properly controlled.

We’ve dipped into how sleep, asthma, and your kids’ safety are related, but how does sleep apnea tie into all of this? We said in the first paragraph that asthma symptoms caused children to wake up and lose sleep. In turn, this loss of sleep leads to absences in school, emergency room visits, a decrease in daytime functioning, and so much more. What’s interesting is that sleep apnea is infamous for disrupting sleep in victims. With what we now know about asthma and loss of sleep, sleep apnea can be connected to those very consequences. So whether it is asthma or sleep apnea, loss of sleep can lead to greater complications down the road. For your children’s safety, be sure to ensure that a full night’s rest is possible. 

The Importance of Sleep: Vaccine Effectiveness

A recent study observed 125 adults and measured their sleep patterns. Each patient received a three-shot course of a vaccine to protect against hepatitis B. Researchers observed that the less sleep a person got, the fewer antibodies their immune system produced in response to the virus. As a result, they did not meet the standard of protection from the virus. For example, patients who slept less than six hours a night were found to be almost twelve times more likely to be left unprotected by the hepatitis B vaccine compared to those who slept seven hours or more a night. Researchers clarified that instead of the quality of sleep, the amount of sleep was a factor that actually affected the amount of antibodies produced in response to the vaccine. The author of the study, Aric Prather stated that there is a “clear connection between sleep and health.” It is important to keep in mind that while an association between vaccine effectiveness and sleep has been established, a cause-and-effect relationship has not.

Seeing that sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that disrupts not only the quality but sometimes the amount of sleep a person can get each night, an indirect relationship between sleep apnea and vaccine effectiveness is formed. It is important to understand that sleep apnea alone can lead to a myriad of consequences and health complications.

N2Sleep Homecare

The Importance of Sleep: Nursing Homes

Did you know that the importance of sleep stretches to nursing homes and whether you or a loved one are admitted into one? A recent study observed 1,700 women over five years. The average age of these women was eighty-three years old. Researchers observed that women who had a greater risk of being placed in a nursing home or a personal-care home were those who experienced fragmented sleep.

They gave the statistics that women who spent the most time awake after first falling asleep were about three times more likely of being placed in a nursing home. However, the number of hours of sleep the women got every night was not a factor. While the study appears to suggest that sleep problems cause nursing home admission at first glance, it should be noted that the study merely found an association between sleep quality and nursing home admission—not a cause-and-effect relationship. Nevertheless, this study is among many that portray the growing significance of sleep on our health and lifestyles.

Sleep apnea and fragmented sleep go hand in hand. If you or someone you know are suffering with this sleep disorder, be sure to find the proper treatment—or you may find yourself at a nursing home.

The Importance of Sleep: Weight Gain

A seven-year Finnish study observed 7,022 middle-aged people. Those who were reported to have sleep problems experienced major weight gain (eleven pounds or more). This is because sleep plays a crucial role in weight gain. 

When we sleep less, we burn less calories. A study had a group of men sleep for twelve hours. Following that good night of sleep, the men were not allowed to sleep the next time. The following morning, the group of men was treated to a delightful buffet. Researchers discovered that the men’s expenditure, how many calories they burned just by being, was five percent less after the night of no sleep—compared to when they slept for twelve hours. Their expenditure decreased by twenty percent following the buffet. In other words, by sleeping less, the men burned less calories. Burning less calories makes gaining weight much easier.

 

When we sleep less, we tend to eat more. A study showed that women who slept four hours a night consumed 329 more calories than those who slept nine hours a night. The men ate 236 more calories. The results suggest that sleep deprivation leads to an increase in nighttime snacking. Not only that, but the snacks of choice tend to be filled with carbohydrates. By sleeping less, more calories are consumed, and more unhealthy foods as well. Such a frequent and unhealthy diet makes weight gain more of a reality.

 

When we sleep less, we tend to crave more. Research has shown that not getting enough sleep can impact hormone levels, including ghrelin levels. This hormone tells you to eat; it boosts your appetite, increases fat production, and makes your body grow. Basically, sleeping less triggers the right hormones to make you want more food. Craving more usually leads to eating more, which results in weight gain.

 

When we sleep less, we retain more fat. The hormone ghrelin promotes the retention of fat. In addition, the number of calories burned off is decreased while glucose production is increased. Retaining more fat means weight loss is that much more difficult.

More obviously, having less time to sleep means having more time to eat. All of these links point to one thing: weight gain. And it fills in the gap between sleep apnea and weight gain. Sleep apnea, known to stand in the way of a proper night’s sleep, can cause all of these things that eventually lead up to weight gain. This sleep disorder means so much more than losing a few hours of beauty sleep. Getting the proper treatment today could help avoid tomorrow’s obesity.