Sleep Apnea/Breathing

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea refers to brief interruptions of breath during sleep. There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common, where a person has trouble breathing during sleep due to blockage of the airway. Central sleep apnea is where a person repeatedly stops breathing because the brain fails to signal the muscles that control this action. Sleep apnea affects over 18 million people in the United States. Unfortunately sleep apnea is a commonly undiagnosed disorder and therefore often goes untreated. The consequences of untreated sleep apnea can range from mild to severe, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, brain damage, diabetes, depression, obesity, and impotency. Even though it can strike children and adults or either sex, there are certain risk factors to be aware of. Being an overweight male over 40 can significantly increase your chances of developing sleep apnea. The first step of understanding sleep apnea is to recognize any symptoms. Major symptoms include excessive lethargy and sleepiness, snoring, and headaches. Although challenging to live with, sleep apnea can easily be treated. To find out if you have sleep apnea, or any other sleep related illness, please take our quick and easy online sleep test.

Insomnia
Insomnia occurs when a person has difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep for at least 30 days. There are two types of insomnia, primary and secondary. Primary insomnia means that there is no other health condition that is impacting the lack of sleep. Secondary insomnia means that there are existing health conditions, medications, or substances that are impacting their sleep pattern. An alarming statistic: 1 out of 3 people have insomnia at some point in their lives. If insomnia is left untreated, it can have serious consequences. Overall, sleepiness increases lapses in attention and slows reaction time. If a person is behind the wheel, the effects can be as deadly as one who is impaired by alcohol. Some common causes of insomnia include alcohol and caffeine consumption, anxiety, stress, and depression. Major symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, waking often, having trouble getting back to sleep, and feeling tired upon waking up. To find out if you have insomnia, or any other sleep related illness, please take our quick and easy online sleep test.

Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to sleep and wake normally. People with narcolepsy experience four symptoms: excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep, a sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), and hallucinations. A narcoleptic can fall asleep suddenly, anywhere or anytime, with the episode lasting minutes, or up to an hour. Narcoleptics fall immediately into REM sleep, which for normal sleep cycles, occurs after at least 30 minutes. Narcolepsy affects about 200,000 Americans, but unfortunately, fewer than 50,000 are diagnosed. To find out if you have narcolepsy, or any other sleep related illness, please take our quick and easy online sleep test.

Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome is a disorder where a person must move his/her legs to avoid feelings of unpleasantness. In order to be diagnosed with RLS, one must have all of the following symptoms: strong urge to move the legs which one cannot resist; uncomfortable sensations that are referred to as creeping, crawling, itching, or gnawing; symptoms start/become worse when one is resting and/or lying down; symptoms get better when one moves the legs. RLS affects as many as 10% of Americans, most often in middle-aged adults. Although the cause is unknown, stress definitely makes it worse. Overall, RLS can cause poor sleep quality. This can lead to other issues such as daytime sleepiness, confusion, anxiety, and depression. To find out if you have restless leg syndrome, or any other sleep related illness, please take our quick and easy online sleep test.

Sleep Apnea Statistics

  • Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea
  • An estimated 10 million Americans remain undiagnosed
  • Over 50% of all apnea cases are diagnosed in people aged 40 and over
  • More prevalent in men than women
  • 4 to 9% of middle-aged men suffer from apnea
  • 2 to 4% of middle-aged women suffer from apnea

Insomnia Statistics
  • 20-40% of all adults have insomnia in the course of any year
  • 1 out of 3 people have insomnia at some point in their lives
  • Over 70 million Americans suffer from disorders of sleep and wakefulness
  • Of those, 60% have a chronic disorder

Narcolepsy Statistics
  • Effects as many as 200,000 Americans
  • Fewer than 50,000 are diagnosed
  • 8 to 12% have a close relative with the disease
  • Affects men slightly more than women
  • 20 to 25% of people with narcolepsy have all four symptoms
  • (excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden loss of muscle function, sleep paralysis, hallucinations)

Restless Leg Syndrome Statistics
  • Affects as many as 10% of Americans
  • Can begin at an early age and worsens with age
  • Pregnancy or hormonal changes can temporarily worsen this disorder

Children & Sleep Statistics
  • Over 2 million children suffer from sleep disorders
  • Estimated that 30 to 40% of children to not sleep enough
  • Children require an average of 9 to 10 hours of sleep each night

Women & Sleep Statistics
  • Women are twice as likely as men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep
  • Pregnancy can worsen sleep patterns
  • Menopause and hormone changes cause changes in sleep

Older Adult Statistics
  • Over half of those over the age of 65 experience disturbed sleep
  • Those over 65 make up about 13% of the US population, but consume over 30% of prescription drug and 40% of sleeping pills

General Statistics
  • Adults require an average of 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep each night
  • Sleep problems add an estimated $15.9 billion to national health care costs
  • 84 classifications of sleep disorders exist

 


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Jon W. Samaha, DMD MMSc
Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
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Concord Dentist, Dr. Jon Samaha is dedicated to family dentistry such as Exams, Teeth Whitening, Veneers and more. We are looking forward to your visit to our Concord, New Hampshire dental office.


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