skip to main |
skip to sidebar
A study published yesterday in the journal Sleep compared the sleep of older men and women.
The study involved 956 men and women in the Netherlands; they ranged in age from 59 years to 79 years. The participants reported their sleep quality and kept a sleep diary.
They also used an actigraph for an average of six nights. The device can be worn like a watch; it tracks body movements to provide an objective estimate of sleep measures.
Results show that women reported sleeping 13 minutes less than men; their self-reported sleep also was less efficient.
But actigraphy showed that women actually slept 16 minutes longer than men; their sleep also was more efficient and less fragmented.
“Men strongly overestimate their sleep duration,” study co-author Henning Tiemeier told the AASM.
Further analysis showed that sleep medication use was related to shorter subjective sleep time in women. About 15 percent of women used a sleep medication on at least one night of the study; only 6 percent of men reported using a sleep medication.
Alcohol consumption decreased the sex difference in sleep time measured by actigraphy. Men reported drinking twice as much alcohol as women.
In March the Sleep Education Blog reported on another study of 1,324 men and women. Women slept longer and better than men during one night in a sleep lab.
But another recent study found that women who work full time sleep less than men. Earlier this year a study also reported that female executives may be more prone to sleep problems than male executives.
A study published today in the journal Sleep shows that alcoholics may continue to have sleep problems long after they quit drinking.
The study involved 42 alcoholics with a mean age of 49 years. They had been sober for varying periods of time. Some had abstained from drinking for a few weeks; others had not had a drink in almost two years. Their sleep was compared with 42 controls.
Results show that the percentage of deep, slow wave sleep was lower in alcoholics than in controls. Alcoholics also had more light, stage 1 non-rapid eye movement sleep.
The authors report that these results are reflective of poorer sleep quality. They also suggest that these sleep problems could play a role in alcoholics’ cognitive decline.
The study also found that estimated lifetime alcohol consumption was related to subjective sleep quality; higher lifetime consumption predicted less sleep satisfaction.
Men estimated that they had consumed almost twice as much alcohol as women. But the pattern of alcoholism-related sleep changes was similar in both male and female participants.
The authors report that long-term alcohol abuse causes structural damage to the brain. Sleep measures may reflect these changes in brain structure.
The NIAAA reports that heavy drinking increases your risk of sleep disorders; it also puts you at risk for liver disease, heart disease, depression, stroke and several types of cancer.
In August the Sleep Education Blog reported that drinking alcohol has a negative effect on sleep; decades of research shows that alcohol disrupts your natural sleep cycle.Insomnia due to drug or substance can result from alcohol use or withdrawal.
A new book helps children learn about snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Botts' Dots and the Rumble Line: How They Saved the Trees in Snordom was written by dentist Dr. Michael Simmons. He is a member of both the AASM and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
The book involves a group of civilized boars who are planting trees in the town of Snordom. But all the trees keep falling down before they can take root.
Could it have anything to do with the boars’ snoring problem? The story tells how the boars solve the mystery.
Botts’ Dots is available from BookSurge Publishing. Learn more about the book at www.snordom.com.
In 2007 Scholastic Inc. published My Daddy Snores. Author Nancy Rothstein was inspired by her husband’s loud snoring.
The book tells how Mommy tries everything to escape Daddy’s snoring. She even spends a night in the doghouse. Finally she takes Daddy to the doctor. Will there be a solution for Daddy’s snoring?Learn more about the book at www.mydaddysnores.com. Rothstein also hosts the online Sleep Radio Show.
A new study shows that weight loss may reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in some people who also have type 2 diabetes.
The study involved 264 diabetic adults. They had an average age of 61 years; their mean weight was 226 pounds. They had an average body mass index of 36.7; a BMI of 30 or higher is considered “obese.”
They also had an average apnea-hypopnea index of 23.2. This means that they stopped breathing about 23 times per hour of sleep. An AHI of 15 to 30 is considered “moderate” sleep apnea.
Some participants were assigned to a behavioral weight-loss program; it involved portion-controlled diets and 175 minutes of exercise per week.
Other participants were assigned to a control group; they attended three sessions related to diabetes support and education. The two groups were compared after one year.
Results show that members of the weight-loss group lost an average of 24 pounds. Their average AHI decreased, and they were less likely than controls to have severe sleep apnea at the one-year follow-up. The average AHI increased in the control group.
“These results show that doctors as well as patients can expect a significant improvement in their sleep apnea with weight loss,” lead author Gary Foster said in a Temple University statement. “And a reduction in sleep apnea has a number of benefits for overall health and well-being.”
But about 86 percent of people in the weight-loss group still had sleep apnea at follow-up. The average severity of their OSA remained moderate with an AHI of 18.3, reports MedPage Today.
The AASM recommends dietary weight loss as one treatment strategy for people who are obese and have sleep apnea. But weight loss should be combined with another treatment such as CPAP or an oral appliance.
Read more about weight loss and sleep apnea. In May the Sleep Education Blog reported on another study led by Foster; it found that undiagnosed OSA is common in people with type 2 diabetes.
Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.
Season eight of the hit TV show “The Biggest Loser” has begun. Once again contestants are being screened and treated for obstructive sleep apnea.
“I have put in place a new policy that all contestants need to undergo a sleep study in future seasons,” the show’s medical expert Dr. Rob Huizenga said in a Philips Respironics statement. “The results have been astonishing after two seasons of testing.”
All 16 contestants were diagnosed with sleep apnea during preparations for the new season. Now they are being treated with CPAP therapy. AASM President Dr. Clete Kushida is working with the contestants to ensure that they receive the maximum benefit from ongoing treatment.
Contestants will continue to receive assistance once their time on the show comes to an end. Philips Respironics will help them find a sleep disorders center in their hometown.
In May the Sleep Education Blog reported that excess body weight is a major risk factor for OSA. Treating sleep apnea with CPAP helps some people bring their weight under control.
But research shows that that CPAP alone is unlikely to produce weight loss; CPAP users still need to take an active role in losing weight.
You should talk to your doctor to develop a healthy weight-loss plan that is right for you. For help with sleep apnea you should contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center in your area.
Are you at risk for sleep apnea? STOP and find out. You also can answer these questions on SleepEducation.com to learn more about your risk.Watch "The Biggest Loser" on NBC, Tuesdays at 8/7c.
A study published yesterday in the journal Sleep compared the sleep of older men and women.
Posts
