The topic at the latest NTSB (National Transportation and Safety Board) annual conference was about the relationship between fatigue and accidents.

The NTSB has investigated accidents for decades now and they have identified fatigue as the cause or a contributing factor in every mode of transportation.

The lack of recuperative sleep affects your decision-making process, along with judgment, memory and reaction time.  When you do not get enough sleep, you are much more likely to have uncontrollable cognitive lapses or microsleeps which may allow you to doze off for a very short period.  Tragically, this is a critically dangerous environment for train operators, ship, and airplane or highway vehicles.  Just a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death.  A good night sleep is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for a trip, operate a vehicle, or simple errands.

Unfortunately, people do drive drowsy.  If you recognize you are drowsy while driving, pull over, take a nap, and get some fresh air and a cup of coffee.  Do not try to power through it because it could cost  your life and the life of other people on the road.  We lose 30,000 people a year in traffic accidents and some of those fatalities are associated with drowsy driving.  Getting behind the wheel of an automobile is one of the most dangerous places we can be.  Highway fatalities are the fourth leading cause of death in our country.

Everyone is at risk of fatigue.  People who do shift work with varying times and people with sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are even more at risk.  Last year one out of four pilots and train operators complained that their performance is affected at least one time a week from sleepiness.

Sleep apnea affects millions of people in the United States.  It not only affects the person with apnea, but also their bed partner and family.  Consequences are very serious, including the risk of stroke and heart attack. If you feel you may be at risk for a sleep disorder, talk to your primary care physician or go to our website for more information.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630)369-5508.

Hi, I’m Dr. Lydia Sosenko, and I’m here to talk to you about a sleep tip regarding oral appliance therapy or some of the information on the over-the-counter devices that are out there for snoring. We’ve been treating snoring and apnea patients for over 15 years, and common complaints about oral appliances that are internet or store bought include:  they fall out, they don’t last long, and they’re hard to adjust.  Overall, many people have lots of problems with these over-the-counter anti-snoring devices.

Oral appliances made by professionals, by dentists trained in dental sleep medicine are made with impressions of your own mouth and customized models. They are more comfortable, easy to adjust, easy to clean, and far more effective than the boil-and-bite devices that are really made for snoring, not for apnea.

If you are snoring or have apnea and are interested in a professional device that can help eliminate your snoring or your apnea, seek help. We are here to help you. www.TiredOfSnoring.com has a lot more information, including a wonderful audio podcast about the Dangers of Over-the-Counter Snoring Devices.

>>To receive notice of when we add blog posts please subscribe by RSS feed or enter your email address to the left and receive notice in your inbox.<<

Hi, I’m  Dr. Lydia Sosenko, a general dentist limited to treating snoring and apnea patients.  If you or your partner are snoring often, you need to know that it might be a sign of something more serious called  obstructive  sleep apnea (OSA).

During obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)  a patient stops breathing  or has pauses in breathing during sleep that can affect many other areas of health. For a lot more information I urge you to listen to my audio podcast  interview with Dr. Steve Park, an ENT sleep specialist, discussing Treating Snoring: A Life And Death Decision or visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com for more information.

Being overweight can contribute to the severity of someone’s diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which a person ‘stops or pauses’ breathing during sleep.  In some cases, if a person has been diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea and is overweight, lowering weight to a healthier level can contribute to ‘curing’ of the apnea, or lowering its severity.

Increasing exercise commitments together with zoning in on food choices and quantities, often leads to successful weight loss.

Below, our guest blog contributor and fitness expert, Sharon Kline, has given us some straightforward tips for successful exercising.

WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISE ALL YOU NEED IS BALANCE!

I believe in balance in everything you do in life, and when it comes to exercise and living a healthier lifestyle this can be your guideline:

B- Believe you can do it and that you deserve it

A- Allocate the time

L- Learn the proper techniques

A- Accountability

N- New routines

C- Create a successful environment

E- Evaluate your progress

When you have balance in your life, your life will bloom and grow in the most positive ways!

Sharon Kline is a certified personal trainer and owner of Advanced Fitness Plus. Located at 4063 S. Rt. 59 Naperville, IL 60564. Advanced Fitness Plus offers group fitness classes, personal training and boot camps. For more information please visit her website at www.advancedfitnessplus.com. Phone number is 630-202-0583.

>>To receive notice of when we add blog posts please subscribe by RSS feed or enter your email address to the left and receive notice in your inbox.<<

By Dr. Lydia Sosenko

An elbow nudge here, and an elbow nudge there. Finally, your bed partner’s snoring stops after he/she rolls to the side position. Ahhh, silence! A little while later, you get awakened from your partner’s snoring only to discover he or she had rolled again onto his/ her back. Again, the snoring resumes! In most cases, this goes on over and over disrupting both bed partners’ sleep leading to daytime sleep deprivation symptoms. In need of getting a better night’s sleep, you may soon find yourself in another bedroom. And so the pattern continues….

Chronic snoring noises often result from the vibration of tissue in the back of the throat. A narrowing in the airway during sleep leads to increased airway pressure zones during inhalation and exhalation. This increased pressure of air trying to pass through the narrowed zones causes the vibration commonly known as snoring.

Although there are many reasons why the airway gets ‘narrowed’, it’s important to note that most chronic snoring should be evaluated by a trained healthcare provider to rule out a potentially life threatening condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During OSA, the airway becomes very narrow or even closes off resulting in pausing in breathing and the oxygen lowers or dips in the blood levels. These chronic ‘oxygen dips’ have been linked to many chronic health conditions including a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even automobile accidents.

After a medical evaluation a person may be cleared of OSA, but the snoring still may continue when sleeping on the back position.

For those that continue to snore only on their back and are searching for ways to sleep on their side, we are including some suggestions that may help:

Parker Pillow: http://www.comforthouse.com/snorerelief.html

Rematee Products:  http://www.antisnoreshirt.com/help_answer.asp?ID=24

Side Sleeper Bed Wedge: http://www.relaxtheback.com/sleep/bed-wedges/side-sleeper-bed-wedge.htmlHomemade devices—tennis balls sewn into the back of a shirt

Most of these devices can be used nightly and are easy to travel with. Often they can be used to train a person not to favor the back during sleep. Nightly use is recommended for the first several weeks. Slowly decreasing the frequency of use may help retrain your sleep position. If snoring resumes, it’s time to bump up the frequency of use again. If you find yourself with several failed attempts of retraining, or if the snoring persists in all sleep positions; you may need to get your snoring evaluated by a trained health care professional. Other treatment options that may be considered after consult include professional oral appliance therapy or surgery.

Dr.Sosenko is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and the founder of Dental Sleep & TMD Center of Illinois. She offers snoring and apnea patient’s relief through professional oral appliance therapy.  Visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com for more information.

      >>To receive notice of when we add blog posts please subscribe by RSS feed or enter your email address to the left and receive notice in your inbox.<<