Is Sleep Apnea Treatable?

Apnea is referred to as a pause in the normal breathing cycle. The pause in the breathing cycle during sleep is called sleep apnea. The gap between the breathing cycles for ten or more seconds is included in sleep apnea. There are two main types of sleep apneas. The pause caused due to the failure of the breath control system in the brain is known as central sleep apnea. The second type is obstructive sleep apnea caused due to failure of the throat muscle keeping the airway open. The supply of oxygen to the body is interrupted in both types. Resultantly, the supply of oxygen to the tissues of the body is reduced.

What does happen in Obstructive sleep apnea?

The pause in the breathing cycle leads to a deficiency of oxygen to the body tissues. Less energy is required for the smooth functioning of body systems during sleep. However, with the breathing pause, the oxygen level further decreases. The decrease in oxygen to the body tissues necessitates an increase in the heart rate which causes awakening the sufferer. Sometimes, the patients awake with a jerk. It happens in the deep phase of sleep. The repeated pause in the breathe causes disturbance in sleep. This disturbance generates different types of sleep disorders. The people suffering from OSA are more prone to develop snoring while asleep. Snoring results from the obstruction in the airway.

What does cause obstructive sleep apnea?

The obstructive sleep apnea occurs either through narrowing the airway or completely closing the airway. The pattern of disturbance varies in both cases. The main causes of OSA may be tonsil problems and overweight. Some of the individuals with a large neck, small chin, small jaws, and large bite have also been found with such problems. The habits like smoking and drinking alcohol are also the known causes of OSA. Old age, especially above 40 can also be a reason for developing OSA. Along with age factor, ethnicity is also a factor for developing such sleep disorders. The people of Africa, America, Pacific Island, and Hispania have been found with OSA. According to a study, more than 18 million adults in America are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Complications caused by obstructive sleep apnea

Many sleep disorders are associated with OSA. Repeated episodes of OSA lead to sleep deprivation. Feeling sleepy and lack of interest in daily activities are the major drawbacks of sleep apnea. Lethargy, apathy, and dizziness have been noticed in the patients during the daytime. Other complications associated with sleep deprivation like depression, hypertension, loss of appetite and heart problems may also develop.

Management of obstructive sleep apnea

Management of OSA depends on the causative factors. In some cases, the treatment is short whereas in other cases it takes long term procedures and surveillance. Reliance on alcohol and tobacco is the known reason for developing obstructive sleep apnea. Discontinuation of alcohol and tobacco can b helpful to minimize the occurrences. Most of the obese and overweight people develop with symptoms of OSA. Reduction in weight through regular exercise and a balanced diet are recommended for overweight people. Remember! Here weight reduction doesn’t mean dieting. The congenital abnormalities of upper and lower jaws can be treated through surgery depending upon the condition. The concerned surgeon can decide the suitable procedure in this regard. Infected and enlarged tonsils are also treated through surgical procedures. In some cases, the continuous positiveairway pressure device has been proved helpful to reduce OSA. With CPAP the air passage remains open and allow the required amount of air to the lungs. The consultant can recommend the CPAP device for a patient of obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep Disturbance and Noise Pollution

Noise pollution is a common issue for most of the international population. However, the specific finding directly related to sleep disorders is still unknown. But it is also a fact that noise pollution causes a grave disturbance in sleep. Noise whether it is due to road traffic, air traffic or even public place, it causes a disturbance in sleep. A dark and quiet place is ideal for sleep which refreshes your body organs and systems. Noise disturbs your sleep and impairs the functions of body systems that are associated with different stages of sleep.

Sources of noise pollution causing sleep disturbance

Noise can disturb your sleep at any stage. The severity of disturbance depends on the nature and period of exposure. In daily life, we face different types of noise pollution. However, the nocturnal noise is the most dangerous because it affects our routine sleep which is necessary to refresh body systems and to process the memory. Usually, we are exposed to three types of noise. An intermittent noise caused by road traffic. Every passing by vehicle leaves noise along with other environmental pollution. More traffic produces more severe noise. A sleeping place near to the public gatherings like amusement parks, concert halls also impairs sleep.

Air traffic is also a cause of sleep disturbance for the people who live in the aircraft conduit areas. The noise during landing and takeoff creates disturbance in sleep. The noise produced by industrial machinery is one of the major noise pollution of the current era. The industrial noise pollution also affects the sleep of the resident population of those particular areas. Although, the people get used to with the routine noise; however, it leaves long turn sleep disorders to the people who are continuously exposed to the noise. Open railway traffic also a major source of noise pollution for the general public residing close to the railway track.

How does noise ruin your sleep?

Noise impairs sleep in different ways. The continuous noise irritates the sensory systems which usually go on rest during sleep. The disturbance of sensory systems leaves bad effects on sleep in different ways. For example, the brain registers and processes the memory during sleep. Due to noise, the brain cannot perform this action which is directly associated with different stages of sleep. So, the continuous noise is also a factor of sleep deprivation because you cannot go in a deep sleep. The intermittent noise causes sudden awaking from any stage of sleep. Along with awakening, the air traffic sound also impairs the hearing sense. The effect of high pitch sound is more harmful during sleep than awake.

Effect of sleep disturbance on body systems

The above-mentioned sources of noise are unavoidable for every person in society. The noise leaves short term or long term effects on our different body systems. The sleep is helpful for the proper functioning of endocrine and metabolic processes in the body. The perturbation of these functions further causes impairment of cardio-metabolic and psychiatric disorders. The impairment of cardio-metabolic function leads to different types of mood disorders. Stress and different types of biological changes are the outcomes of nocturnal sleep disturbance.

As per research, the heart rate slowdowns during sleep. The sudden awakening with noise necessitates the sudden increase in the heart rate. This effect on noise on the heart generates different types of cardiovascular problems.

The effects of noise pollution on the sensory systems also leave different types of psychiatric problems on sufferers. Prolonged stress, fatigue, anxiety, and depression are also the known outcomes of deprivation of sleep.

The disturbance in the digestive system is associated with sleep. The quiet deep sleep allows the digestive system to work properly.

Recommendations:

The above discussion proves that noise pollution is a solid cause of sleep disturbance. Especially, the disturbance of nocturnal sleep leaves more adverse effects on human health. Therefore, exposure to noise during sleep should be minimized or avoided.

Sleeping in the dark and soundless room is preferably recommended. However, if a suitable environment is not accessible, the earmuffs can reduce the effects of noise. The other measures to reduce the intensity of noise can be practiced as per the availability. The basic aim of taking measures is to avoid or minimize the effects of noise pollution.

Sleep Disturbance with Smartphone and Tablet

The purpose of this post is to highlight the sleep disorders caused by the misuse of the Smartphone. No doubt, Smartphone is a handy and useful device to access the information. Being a portable device, it keeps you connected 24/7. However, misuse of this useful invention is causing different types of sleep disorders, especially in the young generation. Over the night use of Smartphone ruin the sleep of user which results in sleeping daytime. In the subsequent paragraphs, you will read about the possible health issues especially sleep disorders associated with misuse of smartphones and tablets.

How do Smartphones impair your sleep?

The smartphone is a useful device with lots of applications of daily use. However, most of the people use this device beyond the requirements. The first impact of the excessive use of this electronic device affects your sleep. The following bullet points highlight the factors affecting sleep with the use of a Smartphone.

v    Sleep is impaired with excessive use. Many youngsters use tablets and smartphones to play different types of games. Along with the judicial use of getting information, the students spend the additional time on the smart devices. The time specified for sleep is used to play games that cause deprivation of sleep.

v    The blue light with a short wavelength is not only dangerous for eyesight but it also impairs your sleep as well. Continuous watching the blue light screen disturbs the body hormone (melatonin) which maintains the sleep and wake cycles.

v    Smartphone and tablets provide uninterrupted connectivity through social media websites. Connecting with new friends and business partners in overseas countries is the best feature of these smart devices. However, this connectivity urges people to stay connected without caring for their sleep. Even many people have been found sleeping with headphones in ears. This practice leads to sleep deprivation which further generates different types of sleep disorders.

v    Uninterrupted use of smartphones can also cause depression and anxiety due to different reasons. Breakup is one of the social issues which cause depression/anxiety. And 24/7 connectivity is one of the major reasons for a breakup.

v    The music lovers also misuse the Smartphone. Many youngsters have been found listening to music in bed. This practice also leads to sleep deprivation in youngsters.

v    Smartphone is also harmful to babies. The rays and light produced from the screen also disturb the children's sleep.

Measures to be taken to regularize sleep

Considering the proverb “excess of everything is bad” the use of smartphones and tablets should be restricted only to the requirements. The needs for using the devices vary with different communities. However, daily sleep hours must strictly be observed. Every elderly need 6-8 hours of deep sleep that never should be compromised. The use of screen filters must be ensured to minimize the effects of blue light. The researches prove that the use of the phone in laying position shifts more rays to the eyes. So, staring at the screen in the bed must be avoided.