|
Snoring is
the most common complaint we
hear. Assess your bed partner's
snoring and we can recommend a
solution. |
|
|
|
If you suffer with daytime sleepiness, you
could be at risk for a motor vehicle accident
while driving long distances.
Before you travel this
summer, |
|
|
|
If chronic insomnia is
causing you to turn to over-the-counter sleeping
pills, our experts can find an effective
long-term treatment. For more
information,
|
|
Do you wake up with acid taste
in your mouth or burning sensation in your
chest? If so, you may have
Gastroesophageal Reflux. Call for an
appointment today and let our experts recommend
a solution.
 |
|
| |
 |
|
Sleep Disorders and
Driving |
| With the summer travel season here, it is
important to take extra care to avoid possible
dangers when driving. Patients with
sleep disorders are at increased risk for motor
vehicle accidents or other injuries related to
excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with
narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift-work sleep
disorder (i.e., people who work nights) should be
extremely cautious to avoid driving when feeling
drowsy. Sleepiness can lead to mistakes in
perception or judgment while driving, and may
reduce reaction time.
Each year many people are injured
or killed in motor vehicle accidents in the US,
and sleepiness often plays a role. For 2001,
the Texas DPS Motor Vehicle Accident Report
identified 7,711 motor vehicle accidents that
occurred due to sleepy or fatigued drivers.
Be sure to allow for adequate sleep time prior to
your departure and be realistic about the
distances you can safely travel on any given
day.
If you regularly feel sleepy and
non-refreshed despite adequate sleep time,
consider seeing one of our sleep specialists to
assess the problem before driving any distance
this summer. |
|
What You Should
Know About Over the Counter Sleeping
Pills |
| Why not over-the-counter (OTC)
sleep aides? Diphenhydramine
is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter
drugs for sleepless nights. It comes in a
variety of packages with an array of names,
including: Benadryl, Excedrin P.M., Tylenol PM,
Nytol, Simply Sleep, Sleepinal, and Sominex, just
to name a few.
Does diphenhydramine
work? Research studies on OTCs
are few, but diphenhydramine's impact on sleep
quality is typically short-lived, and the benefits
for getting to sleep and remaining asleep may wear
off after a few nights.
Is
it safe? Diphenhydramine has
been linked with weight gain, grogginess,
confusion, racing heart beat, restlessness,
urinary difficulty, memory problems, and motor
vehicle accidents. All medications should be
taken with caution and none are without
risks. Elderly patients should be especially
careful of such over-the-counter remedies for
sleep.
What to
do? If you have infrequent
problems with insomnia and are in good
health, diphenhydramine could be used up to 3
times per month. If you have frequent problems
with going to sleep or staying asleep, first talk
with your primary care physician about any use of
OTCs. If your sleep problem persists for a
month or longer, consider seeing a sleep
specialist to diagnose and treat the
problem. |
|
Sleep and Gastroesophageal
Reflux (GER) |
| A common symptom for patients with sleep
apnea is waking with acid taste in the mouth or
burning sensation in the chest, which is called
gastroesophageal reflux (GER). "Heartburn"
or GER is strongly associated with increased body
weight, and may worsen whenever lying flat even in
patients without sleep apnea. Many patients
also notice that specific foods and beverages set
the stage for a rough night of GER. Common
examples include caffeine, alcohol, spicy or fried
foods, and chocolate. Additionally, GER may
cause wheezing or coughing in sleep. If you
wake frequently in the night with GER, first talk
with your primary care doctor about the problem,
especially if you have daytime symptoms.
Also discussing the problem with a sleep
specialist may be of additional benefit to ensure
that there are not underlying sleep disorders
contributing to GER symptoms at night.
Studies suggest that treatment of sleep
apnea may reduce the severity of
GER. |
|
Duane Day
Practice Administrator Sleep
Medicine Associates of Texas, P.A.
| |
| |
