For quite some time, exercise has been shown to help improve people’s problems with being sleepy during the day. But why?

Some of the most common reasons for being fatigued and sleepy include the following:

• Depression
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Inadequate sleep
• Obstructive sleep apnea

Physical exercise can help with the first 3 conditions above.

There have been studies showing how exercise can help with depression. Physical exercise has also very important to any weight loss program and can help expedite weight loss measures. In diabetes, exercise can help through helping with glucose control.

Many conditions associated with sleepiness are associated with increased levels of substances known as inflammatory markers. These substances, which include C-reactive protein, tissue necrosis factors and interleukins, circulate in the blood and may cause sleepiness. It has been shown that exercise can reduce the levels of these agents. This may be the reason why exercise can help reduce sleepiness.

Of major importance, is that the inflammatory markers are also associated with cardiovascular disease. With exercise reducing the inflammatory markers, it can in return reduce heart disease.

Although there is yet much to learn on all the benefits of exercise, consider adding exercise to your daily routine to help alleviate excessive sleepiness during the day.

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, Lisle, 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.

Although scientists still are trying to find out why people need sleep, research on the sleep of animals show that sleep is necessary for survival.  Some experts believe sleep allows the body to repair itself: during sleep many cells show increased production of proteins, the essentials building blocks needed for cell growth and repair from stress and ultraviolet rays.  The fact that many biochemicals and physiological processes take place during sleep has led to consensus among researchers that adequate sleep is essential to health and wellness.

A look at the impact of sleep loss on physiological and cognitive functions can also help shed on the purpose of sleep.  Some of the functions include memory and attention, complex thoughts, motor response, and emotional control.  But sleep loss does far more than make us grumpy and groggy.  In the past few years, investigators have found that sleep loss may have harmful consequences for our immune system, as well as contribute to serious illness such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

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. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option call us at (630) 369-5508.

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I recently had a patient who came in for oral appliance therapy, a CPAP alternative treatment for the condition of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). I could not help but notice her red face. Later I found out that what I thought was a form of rosacea, was a reaction to her CPAP mask.

Because I have quite a few patients that use both CPAP and oral appliances (intermittently), here is a list of some of the more common reasons for redness after wearing the CPAP device. Increases levels of adult acne are also not uncommon with CPAP usage.

Some of these reasons for redness or increased levels of acne include:

• Over tightening of the mask straps.
• Not cleaning the mask properly.
• Sensitivity to the mask cleaning products.
• Sensitivity to silicone or the mask material itself.
• Poor fitting mask needing replacement.
• Mask needing replacement.
• Pressure points caused by poor mask fit.
• Moisture accumulation between the mask and the skin.
• Problem with skin products under the mask..

Here are some possible solutions based on the problems above:

• Discuss fit of your current mask with your healthcare professional.
• Review home care-cleaning instructions.
• Consider nasal pillows interphase.
• Consider mask liners or cheek mask liners.
• Don’t over tighten the straps of your CPAP mask.
• Consider discussing problems with others of an A.W.A.K.E. apnea support group.
• Investigate chemical sensitivity of cleaning products.
• Consider oral appliance therapy, an alternative to CPAP.
• Limit skin products under mask.
• Consider mask liners.

Redness and acne that results with the use of CPAP mask can become a real problem for many patients. Because apnea is a life-altering condition that needs to be treated, it’s important to find the root of the cause and attempt to work through it.

Here are some references that many help:

• Mask liners–RemZZZs for over the counter purchase
• AWAKE support group –  http://www.sleepapnea.org/support/a.w.a.k.e.-network-map.html

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, Lisle, 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.

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Sleep Apnea is well known to affect women and men differently.  But new studies show that women with this sleep disorder are actually reported to have greater evidence of brain damage than men with the same condition.

Presence of nerve fibers called (white matter) were compared in the brains of 80 men and women and researchers have found that with /or without obstructive sleep apnea, brain damage in women affected the brain more.

These women’s brains were affected in two areas in the front of the brain (the cingulum bundle and the anterior cingulate cortex).  This is known to play a role in decision-making and regulation mood.

Women are also know to have higher levels of daytime sleepiness, stress, anxiety and reduced quality of sleep, according to the study in the December issue of the Journal of Sleep.

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. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

The evidence that sleep deprivation adversely affects mental and motor performance is striking.  Recent studies have shown that people who are awake for 19 hours score substantially worse on performance and alertness than those who are legally intoxicated.  Getting three, five, or less than seven hours of sleep a night for seven consecutive nights can significantly impair alertness and motor performance.  In addition, researchers have found that people with mild to moderate sleep apnea; a health condition in which breathing stops periodically during sleep and disrupts sleep, did as bad or worse on reaction-time tests as those who would be considered inebriated in most states.