ANCSLEEP BLOG

What is a Sleep Study?

Sleep studies are important diagnostic tools for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian and rhythm disorders. Sleep studies have proven to be particularly important in Alaska where the extreme darkness and lightness tend to either cause or worsen sleep disorders.

Generally, sleep studies are used when:

1. You feel there are major “red flags” in your ability to get healthy sleep but don’t know what the problem is
2. You need to confirm a specific sleep disorder diagnosis

Sleep studies are non-invasive and painless. They monitor:

• Brainwave activity
• Eye movement
• Muscle movement
• Heart activity
• Breathing
• Blood oxygen level

You will conduct your sleep study overnight at our facility.

One of the greatest risks of having an untreated sleep disorder is the prospect of getting into a car crash while fatigued. Many individuals who have sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome experience bouts of drowsy driving. In fact, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving is related to more than 1,500 deaths per year and at least 100,000 motor-vehicle crashes.

Sleep disorders are fairly common, some more than other. The thing they all have in common, however, is their ability to disrupt sleep. Chronic sleep disruptions can make you feel less like yourself.  Sometimes, theys can even make you feel and behave like a completely different person.

If you are reading this, you might be wondering if you have a sleep disorder or problem. Here are causes and symptoms of the most common sleep disorders.

Excess Darkness and Your Circadian Rhythm

For those of us living in Alaska, it’s no secret that we are operating under “unique” circumstances in summer and winter from extreme amounts of light to extreme amounts of dark. Though it might seem counter intuitive, the amount of excess darkness, which is significant in the Southeast and oppressive in the Far North, actually makes sleep more difficult for many people.

Why?

The excess darkness is extremely disruptive. It prevents your exposure to daylight and ability to be physically active. It also can disrupt your hormone levels. The result of all these adjustments is a disrupted circadian rhythm. Continue reading to learn more about this phenomenon and what you can do. 

For individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea who use a CPAP machine on a daily basis, common issues arise that may interfere with quality of therapy. Especially for individuals who are about to, or have just started using a CPAP device, typical problems that CPAP machine users run into are important to know about. Continue reading to learn about 6 common problems and their solutions.

For those of you who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine on a nightly basis, you may be considering whether or not to purchase a CPAP cleaner. CPAP, short for continuous positive airway pressure, is a type of therapy used to treat breathing problems that occur as a result of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because those diagnosed with the disorder experience segments of breathing cessation during sleep, CPAP machines have been known to successfully keep the airway open by gently blowing pressurized air through the airway. This constant pressure keeps the throat from collapsing.

After someone with sleep apnea has participated in a sleep study, and has been told that he or she would benefit from CPAP therapy, the individual must obtain a CPAP machine. Once the individual has learned how to operate it, results are best achieved if the machine is used on a nightly basis.

As a result of the frequent use of the CPAP machine, knowing how to keep the device clean is of the utmost importance. Not sanitizing your CPAP machine could have dangerous side effects. Continue reading to learn more about how to keep you CPAP clean and functioning.

It is estimated that approximately 10% of pregnant women experience disrupted sleep due to sleep apnea. Women who suspect that they may suffer from sleep apnea while pregnant are at risk for a number of dangerous side effects that may be harmful to both the mother and the fetus. However, there are significant symptoms that are easy to identify as well as treatment options that can effectively eliminate the hazardous impacts of sleep apnea in pregnancy.

CPAP, standing for continuous positive airway pressure, is a commonly prescribed sleep therapy for individuals suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. With almost 22 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea, CPAP therapy is the most widely used method to curb the negative side effects of sleep loss. However, its use may not be straight-forward. Continue reading to learn more about commonly asked CPAP therapy questions. 

Unique Challenges of Alaska

Living in Alaska poses unique sleeping challenges most months out of the year. Other than a few months  between “spring” and “fall” in Alaska, we are dealing with darkness that lasts most, or all, of the day, or light that lasts most, or all, of the night.

Sleep Trouble – Could it Be Your Nightcap?

Do you frequently wake up feeling particularly tired? Does it take your brain quite a while to dispel the fogginess of sleep? Feel like you are easily forgetting things? It might be that nightcap before bed.

The fact is: alcohol disrupts important sleep activities, like getting a full night's rest, uninterrupted sleep, and restorative sleep. This is because alcohol blocks REM sleep, and can interrupt your circadian rhythm by breaking your sleep throughout the night. Continue reading to learn about the effects of alcohol on sleep.  

Alcohol Blocks REM Sleep

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is the deepest phase of your sleep. It is the mentally restorative phase of sleep, keeping your brain primed for [National Institute of Health]:

• Memory retention
• Learning

Alcohol suppresses REM sleep, especially in the second half of the night. This means less restoration/stimulation on the parts of your brain needed for learning and memory retention. What this usually ends up looking like is general, decreased performance during the day at work or in school.