Fighting Fatigue

We all have them now and then, those days when it seems like we’re dragging a tractor behind us - from the moment we step out the door.

While healthy lifestyle choices such as daily exercise and proper nutrition are still the most effective tools for combating daytime fatigue, finding yourself continually tired through the day could also be a compelling case for sleep apnea – a potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by interrupted breathing patterns during sleep.

Sam Bebawy, M.D., Bayshore Community Hospital, who specializes in pulmonary disease and sleep medicine, recommends that anyone struggling with daytime sleepiness, excessive snoring and/or unexplained tiredness talk to their doctor about scheduling a sleep study. This non-invasive, overnight exam utilizes electrodes to monitor key elements of sleep impacted by sleep apnea, including sleep stages, breathing rate, snoring and sleep disturbances.

 “Sleep apnea that is not treated can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, especially heart attack and stroke,” Dr. Bebawy says. “Not only are you making the patient feel good by treating it, you are preventing a serious condition from setting in or getting worse.”

Read more about sleep apnea, Dr. Bebawy, and one patient's sleep study experience in the May/June edition of Hackensack Meridian HealthViews.

Health Experts: A shut-eye starved child is nothing to sleep on

A good night's sleep is as important to your child as a hearty breakfast. Without enough shut-eye, children are more likely to struggle with their school studies, do poorly on the playing field, and suffer depression.

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), children are getting less than the recommended amount of sleep over a 24-hour period. This can make it tough for your child to solve problems and memorize lessons, which can lower grades and self-esteem.

Sleep-starved kids are also more easily frustrated and fidgety. A child's sleep trouble affects the whole family. Parents who are up coaxing a child to bed are robbed of their own valuable sleep.

The best cure is a consistent bedtime schedule. Stick to a bedtime that permits this amount of nightly sleep:

• 11 to 13 hours for a 3- to 5-year-old child. Preschoolers often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Children this age also are more likely to have nightmares and sleep terrors, and to sleepwalk.
  
• 10 to 11 hours for a school-aged child. Schoolchildren spend time with TV, computers, and the Internet, all of which can erode time for sleep. This age group also may be drinking caffeinated beverages that can affect the ease of falling asleep at night. Watching TV just before bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep and may create resistance or anxiety about bedtime. Too little sleep can lead to mood swings, and behavioral and cognitive problems.
  

If the current bedtime for your child is too late, move it 15 minutes earlier each night, until you reach the desired bedtime. Tuck resisters back into their own beds, promptly and repeatedly, until they get the message that you expect them to get to sleep on their own.

Sound Advice for Sound Sleep

• Unplug : Turn off TVs, computers, and cell phones. Better yet, keep such things out of the bedroom, which should be a stimulation-free zone.
  
• Wind down: Start the transition to sleep with dimmed lights and a warm bath; end with reading a book. Avoid watching TV just before bedtime.
  
• Decaffeinate: Drinking any caffeine during the day can affect sound sleep. Caffeine is found not just in coffee and cola, but also in tea and chocolate.
  
• Decompress: Overbooked kids who rush from band practice to dance class to dinner to homework may be too keyed up at bedtime to unwind. Experts recommend one activity per season.
  
• Get help: If, despite these measures, your child still resists bedtime, has nighttime awakenings, or snores, talk with your doctor.

The sleep experts at Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital can help determine if your child has a sleep disorder, or another type of neurological condition. Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital offers the region's first pediatric sleep program, backed by research and dedication from our physicians and nurses. Learn more here.

Adrian Pristas, M.D. talks with Two River Times about sleep apnea severity and treatment

According to the National Sleep Foundation, some 18 million Americans now struggle with sleep apnea - a serious, potentially life-threatening condition that has been linked to heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, blood clots and diabetes.

Two River Times recently spoke with Adrian Pristas, M.D., Medical Director of Sleep Medicine for Hackensack Meridian Health, to help convey both the severity of sleep apnea and the scope of treatment options available to patients.

“Sleep apnea is a relatively common disorder of breathing that occurs during sleep where the posterior air way collapses during certain stages of sleep and causes a cessation of breathing for at least 10 seconds or more,” says Dr. Pristas in the Two River Times piece, "A Snorer's Alarming Affliction: Sleep Apnea."

Read the complete Two River Times piece featuring Adrian Adrian Pristas, M.D., Medical Director of Sleep Medicine for Hackensack Meridian Health, here.

To Nap, or Not To Nap?

With 3 out of 10 U.S. adults now clocking in 6 hours of sleep or less per night, it makes sense that daytime napping would be a viable solution for recovering some of that lost slumber.

Sleep is essential for your mind and body. It keeps you alert and focused. It helps cement memories. It may even boost your immune system, protecting you from illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. Given the benefits sleep can impart, napping should be a no-brainer for better health, right?

Unfortunately, the research has doled out mixed results. For instance, napping may relieve stress and improve alertness. It may also be good for your emotions. One study found napping may thwart negative feelings like frustration and impulsiveness.

But daytime napping may have a dark side.

Some past studies suggest napping may shorten your life. That may be especially true if you nap for more than 1 hour a day. One possible reason for this connection: People who nap more may have an undiagnosed health condition. Napping has been linked to diseases such as diabetes and depression. Or people who nap may simply not sleep well at night — a serious hex on your overall health.

More research is needed to fully decide if napping is a boon or a bust for your health. But it still may not be the best way to make up for lost slumber. Why? Naps don’t give your body enough time in deep sleep. That’s the most restorative stage of sleeping.

Yet, many people all over the world enjoy napping on a regular basis. For example, siestas are a daily ritual in Mediterranean countries. And experts recommend naps for people who work the night shift, suffer from jet lag, or have narcolepsy — a sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.

If you want to take a daytime nap, here are some tips that will help you better catch that extra shut-eye.