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Recent Articles
Sleep Apnea: A Ticking Time Bomb In Your Sleep
5 Reasons You Wake Up Too Early – And What You Can Do About It
Modern Anti-Snoring Gadgets To The Age-Old Problem Of Snoring
Travel, Jet Lag, And The One Time To Use Your Mobile Phone To Help You Sleep
@doctorpark: New post (The Functional Oral and Airway Health Summit) has been published on Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | New … – https://t.co/fkKpLMLwOr https://t.co/CIaEMIO5Kc
Can Baby be Taught to Sleep in a Different Bed?
The Relaxing, Sleep-Promoting, Health-Boosting Powers Of Lavender
@doctorpark: New post (Book Review: Tongue-Tied by Dr. Richard Baxter) has been published on Doctor Steven Y. Park, MD | … – https://t.co/4n77akhWU5 https://t.co/5ZtAyLoeqR
Beddr’s Sleep Sensor-Mobile App Gets $5.6 Million in Series A Funding, Plans to Offer Access to Sleep Physicians in the Future
AASM and AMA Advocate to Block Dentists from Diagnosing OSA
Sleep Myths

Sleep Apnea: A Ticking Time Bomb In Your Sleep

Tom -

The public is very much aware of snoring but rarely do their associate it with sleep apnea. For many, it is just a nasty habit that has plagued millions (especially men) from then until now that we all just have to learn to live with. Even if you snore and have trouble sleeping each night, not many will seek professional treatment because it is expensive and time-consuming. These are just some of the reasons why a lot of sleep apnea cases remain undiagnosed. The majority do not see it is as a major threat to their health and life, so they just learn to accept this bothersome symptom and go on with their lives.

Patients who snore and have sleep apnea but haven’t gotten treatment yet often lack focus and feel overly sleepy during the day. It’s because they weren’t able to get a decent amount of sleep at night. But more than the chronic sleeplessness, sleep apnea in itself is a deadly condition. Think about yourself not breathing for several seconds multiple times throughout your slumber. That’s what happens when you have sleep apnea. These periods of breathing gaps are critical because your brain is trying to decipher whether it should focus on breathing or sleeping instead. It is even more alarming to find out that almost a …

5 Reasons You Wake Up Too Early – And What You Can Do About It

Tom -

For those people who hit the snooze button three or four times before really waking up for the day, this might seem like a luxury problem. But the many people who wake long before it’s actually time to rise, and struggle to fall back to sleep, know otherwise.

Waking too early is an incredibly frustrating sleep issue. It can deprive you of the sleep you need, throw your sleep cycle off kilter, and cause a lot of stress.

Are you one of the millions of people who often wakes at three or four a.m. and struggles to fall back to sleep? There are several possible reasons why this might be happening. Let’s look at 5 of the most common ones—and at ways to address this particular sleep problem.

You have insomnia

Many of my patients think of insomnia as first and foremost an inability to fall asleep at bedtime. While it’s true that people with insomnia frequently do have problems falling asleep at night, that’s not the only form of insomnia out there.

Insomnia has not just one, but several symptoms:

    • Trouble falling asleep
    • Trouble staying asleep
    • Experiencing unrestful, unrefreshing sleep
    • Waking too early

People with insomnia can experience several of these symptoms at once. That’s to say, you might have trouble falling asleep sometimes, and other times wake very

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Modern Anti-Snoring Gadgets To The Age-Old Problem Of Snoring

Tom -

Snoring has been an ancient problem and people from all walks of life complain about it. Back then, the public just made fun of snorers saying that it is a hilarious habit and you likely have your own personal stories to tell about your snoring grandpa, father, uncle, or even complete strangers. But in the light of modern discoveries, science has found out that snoring is actually the most predominant symptom of a deadly yet often underrated condition known as sleep apnea.

With sleep apnea, you literally stop breathing for several seconds to minutes as your brain struggles to choose between breathing and sleep. This is usually caused by an abnormal structure that causes the airway to become narrow, thus the loud snoring sound. It is essentially the air passing through your airway that causes the vibration that triggers snoring.

Over the years, we have seen our fair share of anti-snoring gadgets that promise to reduce, if not totally eradicate, snoring. Some work while others don’t and they usually come at a price. You’re no longer forced to use CPAP because many are apparently not a big fan of it.

We’ve all been told that unplugging — putting our phones away and turning off the television at least 30 minutes before going to bed — is better for our sleep,

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Travel, Jet Lag, And The One Time To Use Your Mobile Phone To Help You Sleep

Tom -

If you are crossing more than 3 times zones, especially if you are going EAST, you will likely experience jet lag.

Jet lag is one of the weirdest experiences you may have, not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Your brain seems to be split into two different realities. All of the things going on around you in your new destination make sense because the sun is out (or not) and the normal things that go on at whatever time zone you are in, match with your external reality.

But there is often one significant problem, your brain is not exactly cooperating. You get tired when you thought you were awake, you get hungry at weird times (and can have weird cravings), and when you do manage to get in bed, your body feels exhausted, but your brain is ready to rock and roll (if you want to learn more about the ins and out of jet lag check out my blogs here). I’d also recommend packing a few Nightfood bars in your bag so that you have an appropriate nighttime snack in your new area and don’t have to go searching and make undesirable choices.

So, what is a weary traveler to do? I would like to introduce you to an application for your phone which has been …

Can Baby be Taught to Sleep in a Different Bed?

Tom -

We all get our best nights’ sleep in our own bed, and babies are no exception. But if you’re spending the night away from home, the option’s not always available.

So is there a way to help your child get a good sleep when they’re away from the bed they’re familiar with? I’ll give you my opinion and suggestions in this week’s video.


Rather read than watch? Click here.

The Relaxing, Sleep-Promoting, Health-Boosting Powers Of Lavender

Tom -

You know the scent when it hits you—the rich, mellow, floral scent of lavender. In Southern California where I live, it grows both wild and cultivated in gardens (including my own). I’m always struck by how instantly calming that familiar lavender smell is. It’s no accident that lavender pops up all the time in soaps, shampoos, lotions and other body and self-care products. It’s wildly popular.

Not long ago, I talked about the most effective essential oils for sleep. Lavender is on that list. It’s one of the well-known, and well-studied, essential oils. Lavender’s potential benefits as a medicinal herb go beyond what many people know. There’s a lot to learn about lavender and how this flowering plant may benefit sleep and health.

What is Lavender?

Lavender is a perennial and evergreen plant. There are more than 40 types of lavender. One that is common and used for medicinal purposes is Lavendula angustifolia. Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean region, lavender now also grows throughout the United Kingdom and in parts of the United States, as well as other parts of the world.

Almost wherever lavender grows, it grows abundantly. It’s a plant that’s known to spread quickly, leading some people to think of it as a weed! The plant’s flowers, leaves and essential oil are all used

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Beddr’s Sleep Sensor-Mobile App Gets $5.6 Million in Series A Funding, Plans to Offer Access to Sleep Physicians in the Future

Tom -

With $5.6 million in Series A funding led by Three Leaf Ventures, Beddr is launching a new product in the sleep space. Other investors in the round included the Stanford-StartX Fund, Delta Dental Washington Seed Fund, and I.T. Farm.

Now available for pre-order, the Beddr SleepTuner is the initial step in the company’s plan to deliver an integrated, digital approach to understanding and improving sleep.

“Working with leading sleep medicine experts, we’re bringing science into consumers’ homes with the first comprehensive solution that helps individuals understand factors impacting their sleep,” says Mike Kisch, co-founder and CEO of Beddr, in a release. “The Beddr SleepTuner helps people objectively understand the impact of sleep position, weight loss, alcohol consumption, as well as current treatments on overall sleep quality. Every morning, an individual will be presented with clinical grade insights and actions that may improve breathing, increase sleep duration, reduce snoring and improve recuperation.”

The Beddr approach integrates a sleep sensor, mobile app, and predictive analytics. The SleepTuner’s sensor is designed for comfort and ease of use when worn while sleeping over the course of multiple nights. It captures and correlates data points that include blood oxygen saturation, stopped breathing events, heart rate, heart rate spikes and sleep position. The SleepTuner connects wirelessly with the Beddr mobile app, guiding users through the “sleep

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AASM and AMA Advocate to Block Dentists from Diagnosing OSA

Tom -

In a recent position statement, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Medical Association argue that only licensed physicians are qualified to order and interpret home sleep apnea tests.

By Dillon Stickle

In May of this year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) got the American Medical Association (AMA) on board to try to block dentists and other non-licensed-physician healthcare practitioners from using home sleep apnea tests (HSAT) to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). According to the AASM article announcing its advocacy of this initiative, the position statement is meant to “defend the scope of practice of physicians and advanced care providers who manage patients with obstructive sleep apnea from encroachment by dentists and other practitioners, who are not trained or qualified to diagnose a medical disease.”

So how long has this resolution been in the works? AASM president Douglas Kirsch, MD, says it has been on their radar for quite some time. “In recent years, questions about the dentist’s role in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing have been raised by dental boards in states such as Texas, Georgia, and Colorado,” he says. “The AASM has been working with members in these states, and with their state medical societies, to ensure that dental boards consider the medical perspective when evaluating the scope of practice of dentists.”

Kirsch

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