Is it harder for someone with sleep apnea to lose weight?
There was speculation many years ago that sleep deprivation slows your metabolism, which, in dramatic cases, slows to the point where you couldn't lose weight. Science is showing that it's true. There is a tremendous physiological insult to your body including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and elevation in blood pressure. I tell my patients, that being treated for obstructive sleep apnea with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure, the most common treatment for OSA) is not weight loss equipment. But our hope is that if we can control your sleep apnea you will get more consolidated sleep so you won't have these fluctuations in hormone levels. You will rest better, you will be more motivated to proceed with an exercise program, and you will have more energy to proceed with a weight loss program. We hope that [by using CPAP] it starts a chain reaction. Hopefully you will be more mentally and physically prepared to undergo the weight loss and that in itself will lead to more health benefits.

MYTH 1: Men and women require
the same amount of sleep
TRUTH: The way women think causes more activity in the cerebral cortex, a part of the brain that requires more deep sleep to recover 

MYTH 2: Exercising makes it easier
to fall asleep
TRUTH: While exercise may help you sleep,
doing so too close to bed time
can make it harder to fall asleep 

MYTH 3: Alcohol helps you fall asleep
TRUTH: Alcohol might make you feel sleepy,
but it prevents you from getting
the restorative sleep you need to feel rested 

Humidity Questions and Answers
Q:  How much water should a humidifier use during a night?
A:  The amount of water needed varies from one humidifier to the next, from one patient to the next, and with the temperature and humidity of the bedroom.

Q:  My humidifier sometimes runs out during the night and most other nights is 3/4 empty by the morning. What is going on here?
A:  If you mean "why does it vary from one night to the next?" it may be that you are mouth breathing or have mouth leak. If you breathe through your mouth, you let lots of air escape from your mouth. All the extra air that escapes uses up your water more quickly.
If you have questions about your humidifier, or your other equipment, please don't hesitate to call.  Understanding the equipment and how it works helps clients stay more compliant...and healthy! 

If you have changes in your insurance, phone number or address, please remember to call and let us know !  Thank you! 

  December 2010 Newsletter