Ecstacy And Sleep Apnea

December 10, 2009

Not too surprisingly, regular use of the recreational drug ecstacy was found to significantly raise the risk of sleep apnea in young, healthy volunteers. Researchers found that this drug affects deep sleep muscle tone and brain neurotransmitters, leading to more frequent obstructions.

Ecstacy is illegal, but there’s one common and very legal drug that’s just as bad in aggravating sleep apnea: alcohol. Anything that causes muscle relaxation or depresses the nervous system will lead to obstructions. This is why people snore more after having a nightcap, or if they take a muscle relaxing sedative medication.

Worse yet, many people use alcohol as a sleep aid, since they’re too wound up or stressed to fall asleep. Yes, alcohol does make you more drowsy, but once you’re asleep, you’ll stop breathing more often. Due to poor quality sleep, you’ll feel even more stressed by the end of the day. Thinking you’ll sleep better, you have your nightcap and the vicious cycle starts all over again. Over the long term, poor quality sleep leads to weight gain, which aggravates sleep apnea even further.

This begs the question: Does regular ecstacy use cause sleep apnea, or are people with sleep apnea more likely to use psychoactive medications such as ecstacy and alcohol?

What do you think about this issue? Please enter your answer in the comments box below.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog | Leave a Comment

Sleep Apnea & Snoring iPhone Applications

November 6, 2009

Here are a few interesting applications I found on the iTunes store. One is called SnoreMonitor, which is a paid application for the iPhone and iPod Touch devices. They also have a lite version that’s free, with less features.

This application is companion software for SleepApps.com‘s internal nasal dilator clips and boil-and-bite mandibular advancement device. Their nasal dilator is similar to the Nozovent and Sinus Cones-type devices. A similar competing product for the mandibular advancement device is the Somnoguard Pro. The simple mandibular advancement device is not yet available in the US.

This program records snoring sounds and graphs it for you so you can see the snoring pattern throughout the night. You can even hear your own snoring sound clips. Note that the SnoreMonitor is not yet iPhone 3.0 compatible.

Another application is called Sleep Aid, and it has similar features. There aren’t many reviews yet so be careful.

A third application is called Sleep Analyzer. It also records snoring, coughing, sneezing or any other sleep disruptions.

If you get a chance, take a look at these applications and let me know if they’re helpful. I’d love your feedback. Please enter your comments in the box below.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring | 1 Comment

Disappointing Results for Valerian as a Sleep Aid

May 24, 2009

In this month’s issue of Sleep Medicine, researchers reported that valerian, a popular herbal remedy that’s promoted as a sleep aid, was found no better than a placebo. Sixteen older women with insomnia were randomized and given either 300 mg of concentrated valerian extract or placebo before bedtime. Sleep quality was assessed at baseline and after the treatment phase by using a questionnaire, sleep study, daily sleep logs and actigraphy (nighttime movement analysis). After 2 weeks of treatment, no difference was found in all these assessments between valerian and placebo.

Interestingly, people taking valerian had significantly more nighttime awakenings seen on sleep studies. This may be explained by the fact that valerian may have stimulant, rather than sedative properties. Herbalists have noted this apparent paradoxical effect of valerian. There have been many conflicting studies on using valerian as a sleep aid, and this study only adds more fuel to the fire.

My take on this? If valerian works for you, keep using it. Even if its’ beneficial effect is a placebo response, it may be worth using. If not, try something else.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog | Leave a Comment