EEG Biofeedback: Sleep Disorders Sleeplessness | Neurofeedback Pages
Types of Sleep Issues •
What is Insomnia? •
Insomnia Causes •
Insomnia Symptoms •
Causes of Insomnia •
Anxiety and depression = Insomnia? •
What is Snoring? •
Causes of Snoring •
Where does the snore sound come from? •
Causes of Snoring •
Dealing with complaints about your snoring •
What is Sleep Apnea? •
symptoms of Sleep Apnea •
Snoring or is it sleep apnea? •
Quick test to see if you have Sleep Apnea •
Sleep apnea and risk factors •
Treatment for Sleep Apnea •
Tips for preventing sleep apnea •
EEG case study: Sleeeplessness Sleep Disorders
Neurofeedback Sleep: Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that can be potentially very serious, and even life-threatening. In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause in breathing typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more, and the pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour. During the episodes of apnea, the sleeper wakes up to breathe again, disrupting sleep, and also suffers from a brief lack of oxygen.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include:
| * | Frequent gaps in breathing during sleep (apnea) |
| * | Gasping or choking for air to restart breathing, often causing sleeper or partner to wake |
| * | Loud snoring |
| * | Feeling unrefreshed after a night's sleep and excessive daytime tiredness | |
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. Causes of sleep apnea are generally physical in nature, including excess weight or tissue (sometimes from being overweight or obese), large tonsils or adenoids, nasal congestion or blockage or a unique shaped head, neck or chin.
CPAP, a mechanical device worn while sleeping which provides continuous air pressure to keep the airway open, is the most recommended treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea. CPAP can take some getting used to, but provides effective relief when used correctly.
Self help treatments, like losing weight, elevating the head of the bed or sleeping on your side, can also be effective remedies for mild to moderate sleep apnea. Dental appliances and surgery are also treatment options.
Most of us don't think of snoring as something to be overly concerned about-unless our bed partner is disrupting our sleep! But frequent, loud snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, a common and potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep.
Although sleep apnea is treatable, it often goes unrecognized. Untreated sleep apnea can be dangerous and detrimental to your health, so it's important to see a doctor if you suspect that you or a loved one might have it. Read on to learn the warning signs of sleep apnea, how to distinguish it from normal snoring, the medical treatments available, and what you can do to help yourself.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea affects the way you breathe when you're sleeping. In untreated sleep apnea, breathing is briefly interrupted or becomes very shallow during sleep. These breathing pauses typically last between 10 to 20 seconds and can occur up to hundreds of times a night.
Untreated sleep apnea prevents you from getting a good night's sleep. When breathing is paused, you're jolted out of your natural sleep rhythm. As a consequence, you spend more time in light sleep and less time in the deep, restorative sleep you need to be energetic, mentally sharp, and productive the next day.
This chronic sleep deprivation results in daytime sleepiness, slow reflexes, poor concentration, and an increased risk of accidents. Sleep apnea can also lead to serious health problems over time, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and weight gain. But with treatment, you can control the symptoms, get your sleep back on track, and start enjoying what it's like to be refreshed and alert every day.
| Types of sleep apnea |
| * | Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat relaxes during sleep, causing a blockage of the airway (as well as loud snoring). |
| * | Central sleep apnea is a much less common type of sleep apnea that involves the central nervous system, rather than an airway obstruction. It occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing. People with central sleep apnea seldom snore. |
| * | Complex sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. |
Anatomy of a sleep apnea episode
As air flow stops during a sleep apnea episode, the oxygen level in your blood drops. Your brain responds by briefly disturbing your sleep enough to kickstart breathing-which often resumes with a gasp or a choking sound. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you probably won't remember these awakenings. Most of the time, you'll stir just enough to tighten your throat muscles and open your windpipe. In central sleep apnea, you may be conscious of your awakenings.
Sleep apnea signs and symptoms
It can be tough to identify sleep apnea on your own, since the most prominent symptoms only occur when you're asleep. But you can get around this difficulty by asking a bed partner to observe your sleep habits or recording yourself during sleep.
| Major signs and symptoms of sleep apnea |
| * | Loud and chronic snoring |
| * | Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep |
| * | Long pauses in breathing |
| * | Daytime sleepiness, no matter how much time you spend in bed |
| Other common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include: |
| * | Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat |
| * | Morning headaches |
| * | Restless or fitful sleep |
| * | Insomnia or nighttime awakenings |
| * | Going to the bathroom frequently during the night |
| * | Waking up feeling out of breath |
| * | Forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating |
| * | Moodiness, irritability, or depression |
See your family doctor if you suspect sleep apnea
If you spot the warning signs of sleep apnea, see a doctor right away-preferably a sleep specialist. An official diagnosis of sleep apnea may require an overnight stay at a sleep clinic.
Is it just snoring or is it sleep apnea?
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. So how do you tell the difference between garden variety snoring and a more serious case of sleep apnea?
The biggest telltale sign is how you feel during the day. Normal snoring doesn't interfere with the quality of your sleep as much as sleep apnea does, so you're less likely to suffer from extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day.
What's Your Snore Score?
Your answers to this quiz will help you decide whether you may suffer from sleep apnea:
| * | Are you a loud and/or regular snorer? |
| * | Have you ever been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep? |
| * | Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache? |
| * | Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours? |
| * | Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving? |
| * | Do you often have problems with memory or concentration? |
If you have one or more of these symptoms you are at higher risk for having obstructive sleep apnea.
Source: American Sleep Apnea Association
| If you're still unsure whether your snoring is normal or something more serious, the following strategies can help you decipher the symptoms |
| * | Keep a sleep diary - Record how many hours you're spending in bed, any nighttime awakenings, and whether you feel refreshed in the morning. Ask your sleep partner to keep track of your snoring, including how loud and frequent it is. Also ask him or her to note any gasping, choking, or other unusual sounds.
| | * | Record yourself sleeping - Taking a video or audio recording of yourself while you sleep can be very informative and revealing. You can use a sound-activated audio recorder, a video camera, or software that turns your computer into a recorder. |
Sleep apnea causes and risk factors
Anyone can have sleep apnea-young, old, male, female, and even children can suffer. However, certain risk factors have been associated with obstructive and central sleep apnea.
Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea
| You have a higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea if you are: |
| * | overweight |
| * | male |
| * | over the age of 65 |
| * | black, Hispanic, or a Pacific Islander |
| * | related to someone who has sleep apnea |
| * | a smoker |
Other risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea include certain physical attributes, such as having a thick neck, deviated septum, receding chin, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Allergies or other medical conditions that cause to nasal congestion and blockage can also contribute to sleep apnea.
Risk factors for central sleep apnea
Like obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is more common in males and people over the age of 65. However, unlike obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is often associated with serious illness, such as heart disease, stroke, neurological disease, or spinal or brainstem injury.
Self-help treatment for sleep apnea
While a diagnosis of sleep apnea can be scary, it is a treatable condition. In fact, there are many things you can do on your own to help, particularly for mild to moderate sleep apnea. Home remedies and lifestyle modifications can go a long way in reducing sleep apnea symptoms.
| Lifestyle changes that can help sleep apnea |
| * | Lose weight. Even a small amount of weight loss can open up your throat and improve sleep apnea symptoms. |
| * | Quit smoking. Smoking is believed to contribute to sleep apnea by increasing inflammation and fluid retention in your throat and upper airway. |
| * | Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives, especially before bedtime, because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing |
| * | Avoid caffeine and heavy meals within two hours of going to bed. |
| * | Maintain regular sleep hours. Sticking to a steady sleep schedule will help you relax and sleep better. Apnea episodes decrease when you get plenty of sleep. |
| Bedtime tips for preventing sleep apnea |
| * | Sleep on your side. Avoid sleeping on your back, as gravity makes it more likely for your tongue and soft tissues to drop and obstruct your airway. |
| * | Try the tennis ball trick. In order to keep yourself from rolling onto your back while you sleep, sew a tennis ball into a pocket on the back of your pajama top. Or wedge a pillow stuffed with tennis balls behind your back. |
| * | Prop your head up. Elevate the head of your bed by 4 to 6 inches or elevate your body from the waist up by using a foam wedge. You can also use a special cervical pillow. |
| * | Open your nasal passages. Try to keep your nasal passages open at night using a nasal dilator, saline spray, breathing strips, or a neti pot. |
| Throat exercises to reduce sleep apnea |
| Studies show that throat exercises may reduce the severity of sleep apnea by strengthening the muscles in airway, making them less likely to collapse. |
| * | Press tongue flat against the floor of mouth and brush top and sides with toothbrush. Repeat brushing movement 5 times, 3 times a day. |
| * | Press length of tongue to roof of mouth and hold for 3 minutes a day. |
| * | Place finger into one side of mouth. Hold finger against cheek while pulling cheek muscle in at same time. Repeat 10 times then rest and alternate sides. Repeat sequence 3 times. |
| * | Purse lips as if to kiss. Hold lips tightly together and move them up and to the right the up and to the left 10 times. Repeat sequence 3 times. |
| * | Place lips on a balloon. Take a deep breath through your nose then blow out through your mouth to inflate balloon as much as possible. Repeat 5 times without removing balloon from mouth. |
Source Material | References
Popular EEG Biofeedback Neurofeedback Pages
What is neurofeedback? •
How does neurofeedback work? •
How effective is neurofeedback •
Therapeutic uses of neurofeedback •
Who can benefit from neurofeedback •
How does neurofeedback training help better brain function •
Neurofeedback and Medications •
Science behind neurofeedback •
History of neurofeedback •
Neurofeedback Frequently Asked Questions •
Is Neurofeedback Covered by Insurance? •
Neurofeedback or Medications? • Neurofeedback CPT Insurance Codes
** WebSite Notice:
The information contained within this website is Not Intended OR
Implied to be a Substitute for OR Used Instead of Professional Medical Advice.
|
