Alaskans have enjoyed another Summer of the Midnight Sun, but winter is upon us, so here come those dark days. We now have our next challenge to face, Polar Nights. As the bears crawl into their dens for their long winter naps, we would be glad to join them. The sun-driven energy from the summer is gone, and we are up against the health challenges of trying to be awake while it is dark.
The holiday season has arrived! Not only should you be excited, but there is so much to look forward to. Time with family and friends, shopping, and traveling are all many things that we take part in during the holiday season. However, for patients with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), going untreated while traveling can put them at risk for serious health consequences and, perhaps, ruin their trip as well. Sleep apnea doesn’t take a holiday, so it's important to continue treating it during yours. Here are a few quick tips to make traveling with sleep apnea a little less cumbersome.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
It’s 5:30 am., and that pesky alarm is going off. If you wake up feeling like you didn’t get a wink of sleep, you are not alone. Nearly half of Americans struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. Although the cause of sleep deprivation may be medically complicated, some behavioral patterns also may be contributing. What if you could follow a simple formula that could help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead? Following this 5-step formula, you will set yourself up for a successful night’s sleep. Continue reading to learn more.
Opiate use is at an all-time high in the US. It is a serious epidemic in many cities, especially in Anchorage. It goes without saying that opiate dependency can have dramatic effects on someone’s psychological and physical health. In light of this, lifestyle problems and periphery effects of opiate addiction or taking opiate medications, such as sleep health, go virtually unacknowledged.
The reality is that chronic use of opiate medications can considerably disrupt normal sleep cycles. Unfortunately, this is a revolving door because sleep problems can exacerbate many of the side effects of chronic opiate use, such as:
Let’s look at how opiate medications affect sleep in more detail.