ANCSLEEP BLOG

Up to a fourth of the people in the United States experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the sensation of feeling incredibly tired, as if you can't keep your eyes open. It is a symptom that can impact a person's daily life by impairing concentration, reducing their ability to perform well at work in school, and increasing the risk of accidents.

One way to determine if you have excessive daytime sleepiness is by using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The ESS is a tool that can help doctors determine if you have drowsiness that is of concern or is just a manifestation of poor sleep habits at night. This simple questionnaire is used to determine how a person's sleepiness affects their everyday life.

For people who are concerned about their ability to stay alert during the day, using the ESS, knowing how it works, and knowing what the results mean can help you learn more about your own health. It can also help you engage with conversations with your physician about what your symptoms mean and what to do next period continue reading to learn more about the ESS and how to use it in your journey towards getting a good night's sleep.

Sleep apnea is a very common sleep disorder in the United States. About 24 million people live with symptoms of sleep apnea without knowing that they have it. There are many individuals who will only be able to get diagnosed with an at-home sleep apnea test as they won't have access to a sleep center that does them.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where the muscles in the back of the throat relax, blocking the airway during exhalation. The body must then wake up briefly to begin breathing again. These awakenings are often unrecognized by the sleeper, but may be heard by bed partners or observers who witness the chocking, coughing, and snoring associated with sleep apnea. The sleeper may feel excessively tired during the day, have headaches, and find it hard to stay awake, but be unsure why.

Treating OSA can help relieve some of these symptoms, but also prevent the development of many serious diseases like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure. This is why diagnosing and treatment are extremely important. Continue reading to learn more about at-home apnea tests.  

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease of the spine. It is strongly connected to sleep, as the symptoms of AS - pain, stiffness, and depression - can severely disrupt sleep. 

AS is fairly rare, as only 0.2%-1% of people in the US have it. Up to 91% of individuals who have it report sleep problems. Restful sleep is important for everyone, and could really help limit the inflammation that worsens AS. Continue reading to learn more about the connection between sleep and AS.  

Getting enough sleep is important for helping the body and mind stay healthy. For most people, getting enough sleep can help them remain symptom free and overall healthy. However, if you are experiencing constant headaches, and don't get enough sleep, that could be the reason why. Continue reading to learn more about sleep deprivation headaches and what you can do to improve your symptoms.  

When you think of a sleeping disorder, you may think more about individuals who have trouble falling asleep. This is known as insomnia. However, if you fall asleep too quickly, that may also be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder.

Falling asleep too fast is normally characterized as being able to fall asleep anywhere, or nodding off almost immediately after laying down. Continue reading to learn more about sleepiness, and what may be some indications for you to speak to your health professional about your symptoms.  

Trouble sleeping is a problem that affects everyone at one point or another. Sometimes the issues is just for a night or two because you're feeling anxious, or you're not sleeping in your bed, etc. Some times the issue is over a long period of time, or chronic. That can negatively affect your life in a major way.

If you can't sleep, there are a few tricks that you can try to help you get your z's. Continue reading to learn more about why you can't sleep and what you can do to improve your sleep.  

Sleep issues are very common in individuals with eczema. Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a dermatologic issue where one has itchy, inflamed, and irritated skin. The lack of sleep can actually make eczema worse, with about 47-80% of children and 33-87% of adults with eczema having problems falling or staying asleep. 

Good sleep is very important for healthy brain function and general health. However, there are specific interactions between sleep and eczema that could help individuals who are struggling with both. Continue reading to learn why there is an interaction, and what you can do to assuage those problems.  

People who have trouble sleeping may depend on melatonin, a hormone naturally made by the body, but can also be purchased over the counter as well. Because melatonin is a supplement, individuals who are taking other hormones, such as birth control pills, may worry about the interactions between the two. However, there are no known interactions between birth control and melatonin.

The important thing to know is that the combination of the two may increase side effects, such as tiredness, dizziness, and headaches. Continue reading to learn more about how each of these work in the visually, and how they affect one another one taken at the same time. 

If you are having trouble sleeping, then your primary care physician may refer you to a sleep specialist. It can be difficult to determine who should be your sleep doctor. Of course, here, we would love for you to be our patient. However, it's important for you to make an informed decision about who is going to handle your sleep health.

There are certain characteristics that you should consider whenever you are choosing a sleep doctor. This way you can get the appropriate testing that you need. Learn about what a sleep specialist is, what training and board certification is required, and how you can choose the right doctor that will provide you with the health that you were looking for. 

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night completely parched? This could be because you went to bed dehydrated. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in. Symptoms of dehydration include dry mouth, sore throat, and less urination. However, if dehydration is severe, then you can even feel faint and confused. Dehydration can even impair basic metabolic processes if it gets too severe. 

There is a complex relationship between dehydration and sleep that is not entirely understood. Continue reading to learn more about how dehydration may affect sleep, how how poor sleep might affect hydration, and your ability to stay hydrated throughout the night.