Entry bubble Get Ready for Turkey!

By: Jake | November 25, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

I suggested a way you can work off those extra calories from your Thanksgiving turkey yesterday. Today I'm going to get you prepared for Turkey Day.

Turkey CalendarThe best way to get ready is to go to the USA.gov Thanksgiving page. Here you will find information on everything you need to get ready for Thanksgiving. The page will help you find air travel status for those of you flying, send thanks to members of the U.S. military or learn how astronauts eat turkey in space. Of course there's also tons of recipes with the usual ways to cook your turkey and some unusual ones.

I'm a big fan of trivia and I got these Thanksgiving tidbits from USA.gov:

I'm posting today in Joanne's absence while she attends to a family emergency. I'm sure if she was writing today she'd say the most important thing on Thanksgiving is to be very thankful for what you have, especially those you love.

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cooking   jake   sleep   thanksgiving   tryptophan  

 

Entry bubble When Snoring Isn’t Just Snoring

By: Ginger | October 10, 2008 | Category: Health

Jake wrote about his diagnosis of sleep apnea. I also suffer from sleep apnea. Yes, women can have it too! Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but snoring is one of the indicators. When my doctor asked me about snoring, I told her that I didn’t snore. After all, my husband had never mentioned it. Wow, was I wrong. My husband never told me about my snoring, because he thought I would be embarrassed. Apparently, I sounded like a pig sniffing out truffles!

My doctor suspected a sleep disorder, so I went for a sleep study. No wonder I was so messed up. I had severe sleep apnea, so I was prescribed a CPAP. I went for a second sleep study to determine the correct CPAP setting and mask.

Ginger wearing her CPAP life.My CPAP mask fits over my nose and blows air continuously. It keeps my airways open while I am sleeping. It’s not sexy to look at, nor the most comfortable thing to wear, but the CPAP helped me get my life back to normal.

Before getting my CPAP, I had trouble staying awake while driving. It was dangerous not just for me, but for everyone on the road with me. Think about how many people are on the road driving with untreated sleep apnea. It’s scary! If you are prescribed a CPAP, it should be worn every time you sleep, and you should take it with you when you travel.

General anesthesia and pain medicines can worsen sleep apnea. Tell medical staff about your sleep apnea prior to surgeries. I even brought my CPAP with me for an outpatient surgery. They didn’t put it on me in the recovery room. I woke up to frantic people doing things to resuscitate me. My recollection of the event is a little confusing, but I do recall a hose the size of a boa constrictor (or so it seemed) being pulled out of my nose. I was a little disappointed with my near death experience (no white light or angels), but I was happy to be alive.

I just shared embarrassing details about my snoring and that lovely CPAP picture. It’s only fair that you share your sleep apnea stories with me. Do you, or someone you know, suffer from sleep apnea?

| View Comments [9] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: apnea   cpap   ginger   sleep   snoring  

 

Entry bubble Trouble Sleeping?

By: Colleen | February 27, 2008 | Category: Health

I haven't been sleeping well lately. My self-diagnosis of the problem is:

a) The upcoming Project Runway finale. Will Rami continue to drape everything?! Can Christian hit new heights of fierce? And would Jillian be kind enough to design a coat for me, please?

b) That über catchy and infectious Miley Cyrus song that's in heavy rotation on top-40 radio. Hear the chorus once and it's like permanent super glue to the brain.

Hopefully, my issues will be resolved after Wednesday night's final episode, aided by my vow to listen only to CDs until the Miley phenomenon passes over.

Sadly, over 40 million Americans suffer from non-Miley or reality tv sleep disorders. Not only is this irritating, but it can cause serious health problems like making diabetes and high blood-pressure worse. The average adult needs about 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Try making it easier to get to dreamland by:

  • Avoid caffeine, nicotine, beer, wine, and liquor four to six hours before bedtime
  • Don't nap later than 3 p.m.
  • Wind down in the 30 minutes before bedtime by doing something relaxing (read, listen to music, etc.)

If you have trouble falling asleep most nights for a few weeks or more, you should see a doctor. After evaluation, they can determine if you may need prescription drugs.

I suggest making your life a Project Runway / Miley-free zone.

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   cyrus   disorder   health   miley   project   runway   sleep  

 

Entry bubble Don’t Let a Sleep Problem Disturb Your Winter Slumber

By: Jake | December 24, 2007 | Category: Health

A few weeks ago I thought it was a given that I wouldn’t sleep well tonight. It’s not because I thought Santa would wake me (he stopped coming to my house years ago), but because I was having trouble sleeping every night. What I didn’t know was that I was being plagued by a mild sleep disorder.

The last time I was in the doctor’s office sick, I mentioned that I had trouble sleeping. My doctor suggested I see a sleep specialist because the symptoms I described, waking up multiple times at night, feeling unrested when I woke up and lethargy, were symptoms of sleep apnea.

According to the National Library of Medicine, sleep apnea is a condition where one has episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea can be a serious sleeping disorder because complications can include pulmonary hypertension and stroke. Symptoms include lethargy, loud snoring and waking up out of breath. Causes include obesity and blocked breathing passages.

When I went to the sleep specialist he checked my neck and throat to see if there were any blockages in my airways and he recommended a sleep test. Last week I got the results of my sleep test. The doctor said I do have sleep apnea, but it’s very mild and most likely caused by my sinuses, which act up continuously because of my allergies.

There are a number of treatments for sleep apnea. The most severe cases require surgery or a CPAP machine that opens breathing passages during sleep by pushing air through them. In my case my doctor suggested I take an antihistamine tablet before I go to bed and to not drink fluids two hours before bedtime.

So far this treatment has worked and tonight I should have no problem taking a long winter nap.

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: apnea   disorders   insomnia   sleep