Eliminate Snoring

Rose know some people have a hard time trying to eliminate snoring.  Snoring usually happens when air passages are blocked inhibiting easy and normal breathing while you sleep unlike when your throat muscles are keep open when you are awake. During sleep the throat muscles relax and sag inward. As these muscles collapse they create a blockage in the airway. The relaxed muscles then cause a vibration of the uvula and soft palate when air is forced through the narrow opening of the air passage as you breathe into your lungs. The soft palate is the upper surface of your mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities just behind the hard palate which has no bone structure. The uvula is the soft tissue that hangs down in the back of the throat.


There are varying degrees of obstruction. One way is when you sleep with your mouth open as this pushes the tongue back against the uvula. Another is when the throat muscles become too lax due to allergies, congestion, smoking, acid reflux, deformities, medication, illnesses, obesity or enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Many of these reasons are treatable by surgery or by changing ones lifestyle.

Lastly, you could be suffering from sleep apnea a condition where the snorer stops breathing for a couple of seconds at a time depleting oxygen from the brain. In this case the snorer awakens gasping for air. This reaction may occur many times throughout the night. Sleep apnea is also known as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. OSA not only causes snoring it also is related to other health problems such as; heart disease, stroke and hypertension. Recent studies have found that a disruption of oxygen to the brain produces more catecholamines. Catecholamines are stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine. An increase of catecholamines will reduce insulin levels which could lead to diabetes over time.


A study done in Israel has shown those that suffer from OSA also have heart disease due to high levels of homocysteine which is an amino acid produced in the body. High levels of homocysteine cause radical damage which irritate blood vessels block arteries and cause oxidation to the low-density lipoproteins or LDLs. OSA is also associated with hypothyroidism as those that are obese and have macroglossia may be the cause. Macroglossia is when a person with hypothyroidism has a bigger tongue. Hypothyroidism is treatable, but the person may still suffer from OSA due to the fact that extra fat on the throat will cause pressure on the air passage.

Losing at least 10% of body fat may alleviate this pressure. If OSA is still present a sleep specialist may recommend a CPAP device or a SleepStrip test. A SleepStrip test is a plastic strip that is fastened to the upper lip. Tiny temperature sensors record when the patient stops breathing. CPAP device is worn over the nose and mouth and will force air into the patient to keep the air passage open. Both devices are worn when the patient is sleeping.


Children that snore usually have enlarged tonsils and adenoids that block the air passageway. Usually removing them will correct their snoring. Some feel children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD snore. Studies have found when treating the snoring problem eliminates ADHD. The sleep-behavior link rests on the concept that snoring, sleep apnea and other breathing problems during sleep diminish the quality of sleep, repeatedly reduce oxygen levels, and affect daytime behavior.

Sleep problems in both children and adults are often undiagnosed, even though they can have a major impact on health, behavior and quality of life. Eliminate snoring; getting enough sleep, adopting a sleep routine, and seeking medical help for sleep disorders can have a huge impact on the life of a child or an adult. If you feel your snoring is causing concerns for you or your bed partner, it is advisable to contact your physician. Snoring may be a warning sign as an unforeseen health problem you may have now or sometime in the future.

How to Make Your Arm Fall Asleep Fast

Rose knows according to Google people search for how to make your arm fall asleep fast 58 times a month. Though I find this a bit odd and a little bit disturbing, I will try to answer the question. If your arm falls asleep it will feel like dead weight, which is definitely a strange sensation. When you wake up in the middle of the night you won’t be able to move your arm at all. As you try to move your arm the uncomfortable tingling intensifies. How does this happen? When you apply pressure to your arm by laying on it for an extended amount of time you will cut off communication from your brain to your arm. As your nerve pathways are squeezed they cannot transmit electrochemical impulses properly. Your nerve impulses carry sensation information from the nerve endings to the brain and when you interfere with the transmission by squeezing the nerve pathways you won’t have feeling and your brain has trouble telling your arm what to do.

The pressure also constricts the arteries in the arm which carries nutrients to the arm’s cells. Without these nutrients the nerve cells behave abnormally, which also interferes with your arms sensations. Due to both of these factors, the information from your arm becomes somewhat mixed up and the brain receives strange messages. Some nerve cells won’t be able to transmit any information at all while others will send message erratically. This is what causes the tingling sensation, which actually serves an important function. The tingling sensation is a warning that you are cutting off circulation and if it is extended for a long period of time may cause nerve damage, therefore, waking you up to tell you to readjust your position.

Once you do move the nerve impulses will begin to flow properly again however, you may not regain feeling right away. It takes time for the nerves to transmit impulses correctly again which may intensify the tingling sensation and is sometimes followed by an uncomfortable burning before your arm feels normal. This is due to the fact that your nerves are made up of separate long nerve cells that carry different impulses. These nerve fibers have different surrounding structures as some fibers are thicker so it will take longer to begin transmitting impulses properly after they’ve been constricted. The fibers that transmit pain and temperature information are thinner so you feel the tingling much quicker. Motor control fibers are also thinner than the ones that control touch, so you can move your arm before you regain complete feeling in it. Eventually, all nerves will return to normal and you will regain full use of your arm.
Good Day
Rose Sheepskill

How to Fall Asleep Fast

Rose knows for those that sleep well at night, we find that it is somewhat hard to believe that someone can’t fall asleep and stay asleep at least 6-7 hours each night. Even though we all experience an occasional night where we toss and turn because our mind is racing. What I really want to know...is sleep overrated? Can I survive during the day with only a few hours of sleep? As I get older do I require more or less sleep? Let’s answer some myths about sleep and get some tips on how to fall asleep fast.

Many people get less sleep than is stated and researched by the National Sleep Foundation. They, being the researchers, are determined that we need at least 7 hours of sleep to function normally during the day. This is for all adults over the age of 18, for those under 18 you require more. But that is no excuse for any of us to sleep in on the weekends and think we can make up for lost shut-eye. Truth is depleting our sleep will make us to feel lethargic during the day, causing us to make mistakes as we fight the temptation to take a nap. How many of us have sat at our desk, either at work or school totally withdrawn from what is happening around us as our eyes are rolling back into our heads? Sleep not only allows us to reenergize, we also process all the information and experiences we have during the day which allows us to recover both mentally and physically. If you find yourself unable to turn off your brain because you have forgotten to do something, need to solve a family issue or work problem….get up and write it down. It is easier to go to sleep faster if we unload what we stress about. Keep a sleep journal or pad of paper next to your bed. If you can get a good night sleep, it will be easier to tackle those issues in the morning.

Some people feel if they watch TV or surf the web in bed they will eventually become drowsy enough to fall asleep while keeping their mind off their stress. This has some truth to it, but watching television and web surfing only makes us stay up past our bedtime. Remember to try and get the required 7 hours of sleep (that’s not 7 hours in bed) so it you have to get up at 7am you need to be asleep by 12am, that means no outside mental stimulation by 11-11:30. This will give you time not only to get ready for bed, but time to fall asleep. If you want something to listen to for a mental distraction, try sleep music such as; easy listening, sounds of ocean or rain or even white noise. There are many products on the market that are known to help us sleep at night. Other suggestions may be self-hypnotic tapes or CDs and Binaural Sound Waves.

Another thing, your television and computer emanate light and any light will interrupt your sleep cycle, because your brain remains unconsciously aware of its surroundings and will prevent you from processing the right amount of melatonin to fall asleep. Melatonin is a naturally hormone secreted in the pineal gland that controls our sleep/wake cycle. If you have problems with insomnia you may want to try melatonin as it is available as a supplement at your local pharmacy or health food store. Make sure you contact your physician before taking any supplement as you might have an interaction with other medications or an adverse side effect if you have other health conditions. Other herbs that are known to cause you to relax are; hops, catnip, valerian and passionflower extract.

Do you snore? For years snoring has been accepted as just a normal part of sleeping. Snoring can be caused by congestion in the nasal passageways. This congestion can be due to a too dry room and a simple solution would be to purchase an air humidifier. Sometimes snoring is due to a narrow or constriction of the air passage due to a condition known an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is very hard on the body and can actually be fatal if not treated. Obesity can also lead to constriction on the neck due to excess pressure contributed to extra weight. Losing at least 10% of body fat maybe enough to alleviate the constriction and stop the snoring. Snoring not only will make you wake up during the night especially if you have OSA, it also hinders your partner’s ability to have a normal night sleep. Snoring is not something you should take lightly and it is recommended if you are a habitually snorer to consult with your physician as they may recommend additional treatment or a sleep specialist. Children that snore may need their adenoids and tonsils removed.

As I mentioned above, if you don’t get enough sleep your body will crave a nap during the day. I am going to suggest two things about taking a nap. 1. Naps are a great way to reenergize yourself during the day, but you don’t need to take more than 20-30 minutes of nap time to do so. 2. Don’t nap after 4pm. Studies have proven people have mental alertness after a “power nap”, but any nap that is longer or later could cause you to stay up later at night and also make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

The best way to stop that occasional night of sleeplessness is to establish a night-time routine. This allows your body and mind to prepare for sleep. Take an hour before retiring to relax; read a book, take a warm bath, have a cup of decaf Sleepytime tea, do yoga stretches or even being intimate with your partner are great ways to get your mind off of your day and get a great night’s sleep. Do you know the saying…Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep the saying should be….What you put off today will always be there tomorrow…and don’t stay awake over the small stuff.
Sweet Dreams
Rose Sheepskill

Sleep Aides News Report: Soon, injection or throat spray for kids with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

Rose knows there are some new studies for throat sprays for children with OSA or obstructive sleep apnea.  Here is an article from health news:

WASHINGTON - A new study has found that kids with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may one day be able to have an injection or use a throat spray instead of getting their tonsils removed to cure their snoring.
The study from the University of Chicago found that a specific gene product might be responsible for the proliferation of adenotonsillar tissue that can cause pediatric OSA.

“We found that in the tonsil tissues of children with OSA, certain genes and gene networks were over expressed,” David Gozal, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, who led the study, said.

“We believe that the results of this gene overexpression is increased proliferation of the adenotonsillar tissues, which in turn can cause partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep,” he stated.

Dr. Gozal and colleagues have been studying potential non-surgical alternatives to treat OSA in children.
To identify potential pharmacological targets, they recruited 18 children with OSA and 18 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched children with recurrent tonsillar infections (RI), all of who underwent surgery to have their tonsils removed.

The tonsil tissue from each subject was analysed for relative expression of the 44,000 known genes in the human genome.

The researchers then further analysed the gene pathways to determine which changes may represent differences with a high likelihood of impact on cellular proliferation.

“We wanted to find the most important and functionally pertinent genes, those with the most connectivity,” explained Dr. Gozal.

“We identified 47 genes and among those, two specific genes, both phosphatases, which are known to be very important at regulating communication in cells.

“Then we looked at the expression of the phosphatase protein and found that children with OSA have higher level of phosphatases in the tonsils,” he said.

In particular, they focused on one protein called phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH) that was expressed in children with OSA, but almost never expressed in the children with RI.

“We asked, ‘What happens if we block this phosphatase?’ ‘Is this a potential target for pharmacological therapy?’” ” Dr. Gozal said.

Indeed, they found that introducing calyculin, a phosphatase inhibitor, reduced the cell proliferation and increased programmed cell death, or apoptosis, a process by which cells self-regulate, in the tonsils of OSA patients.

“Together, these observations suggest that PSPH is a logical therapeutic target in reversing adenotonsillar enlargement in pediatric OSA,” Dr. Gozal wrote.

“The next direction is to identify if selective clones of proliferating cells that may be affected by PSPH or by another of the discovered target genes with the intent of developing a non-surgical alternative treatment to surgery for OSA in children.

“If there is a subgroup of cells that have specific markers, then we may be able to develop a therapy that could be specifically targeted to these cells.

“Phosphatases such as PSPH are an exciting prospective target for therapy in children with OSA.
“We believe if we had effective non-surgical alternatives to tonsillectomies, it would be of great benefit,” he added.

The findings have been published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (ANI)

Sleep Aides: Baby Congested Breathing

Rose knows that baby congested breathing is due to the thickening of the tissue lining of the nose by inflamed blood vessels caused by a virus.  This congested breathing in babies can cause problems with speech development, hearing and sleep.  With significant congestion the baby many snore causing them to wake up periodically during the night.  If they have nasal congestion due to enlarged adenoids the child can have right sided heart failure and chronic sleep apnea with insufficient oxygen levels. Removing the tonsils and adenoids can alleviate the problem.

Baby congested breathing is triggered by a sinus infection, flu, common cold, vasomotor rhinitis, allergies and even over use of nasal sprays or drops.  Over-the-counter medication can make breathing for the baby more comfortable as it will shrink the lining of the nose.  Read the instructions on the medication as drops or sprays should not be used more than three days.  If you use an antihistamine be careful as it can make your baby drowsy. Most pediatricians do not feel comfortable giving antihistamines/decongestants to children less than a year old.

Other alternative methods for congestion relief may include using a humidifier or vaporizer and a nasal aspirator if there is a lot of mucous.  Never use cotton swabs in the baby’s nostrils to remove mucous.

Baby congestion usually worsens when they lay down.  To help them either elevate their head by letting them sleep in a car seat or swing, you can also place an adhesive strip on their nose.  You may consider to contact your pediatrician when their stuffy nose interferes with their sleep and lasts for a two week period, if you notice any swelling in the forehead, eyes, cheeks or nose, blurred vision, coughs over 10 days, sore throat with white or yellow spots on the throat or tongue (signs of strep throat), or gray-green mucous which is an indicator of an infection. 

The doctor may recommend the following tests to diagnosis the reason they have congestion to include; a blood test, x-rays, sputum culture and/or allergy test.  Once the proper diagnosis is made treatment will be given to cure the baby’s congested breathing. This will not only help them sleep better during the night, but you will finally get the rest you deserve, because the last thing you need to worry about is your baby’s breathing.

Remember: How long baby congested breathing lasts depends on the cause. If it’s a typical virus, the symptoms can last for three to seven days. Babies are susceptible to viral infections, there may appear to be short intervals between sickness and wellness as children may have as many as 10 to 12 viral/cold infections per year.

Warning:  VapoRub manufacturer Proctor & Gamble does advise consumers not to use the salve  on youngsters under two years of age. But it makes another, non-medicated product, Vicks BabyRub, for babies three months and older.

Good Day

Rose Sheepskill

Study Shows Healthy Adults Need Less Sleep as They Age

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DDP/AFP/File – Passengers stranded by winter weather sleep at the airport in the central German city of Frankfurt am …

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Healthy older adults need less sleep than their younger counterparts and, even with less sleep under their nightcaps, are less likely to feel tired during the day, a study published Monday showed.

The time spent actually sleeping out of eight hours in bed declined progressively and significantly with age, the study published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, said.

Older adults, aged 66-83, slept about 20 minutes less than middle-aged adults (40-55 years), who slept 23 minutes less than young adults aged 20-30, the study said.

The older adults woke up significantly more often and spent more time awake after initial sleep onset than younger adults.

Deep, or slow-wave sleep, thought to be the most restorative phase of sleep, decreased with age, the study said.

But although older adults slept less deeply and less overall, and their sleep was less continuous than their younger counterparts', they also showed less need for a quick kip during the day.

The study was conducted at the Clinical Research Centre of the University of Surrey in England and involved 110 healthy adults without sleep disorders or complaints.

Forty-four of the participants were young, 35 middle-aged and 31 older adults.

They slept normally one night, the baseline night, then had two nigths where their sleep was interrupted, followed by one recovery night.

During the baseline night, younger adults spent an average of 433.5 minutes asleep compared to around 410 minutes for middle aged adults and 390 for older adults.

On the same night, the younger adults had 118.4 minutes of deep sleep, compared to 85.3 minutes for middle-aged adults and 84.2 minutes for older adults.

But when asked to lie in a comfortable position on a bed during the day and try to fall asleep, young adults nodded off in an average of 8.7 minutes, compared with nearly 12 minutes for middle-aged adults and just over 14 minutes for older adults.

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