Research & Publications

New Device to Treat OSA Patients Who Can’t Tolerate CPAP’s

Date Posted: Sunday, October 5th, 2014 by Alan Berger

The annual SLEEP meeting is the world’s largest gathering of sleep professionals.  This past June the meeting was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  One of the highlights of the meeting was the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a new device to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  This device is intended to treat patients with moderate to severe OSA who are intolerant of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

Designed by Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (Maple Grove,...

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Are Your Kids Getting Enough Sleep?

Date Posted: Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 by Alan Berger

Is it a struggle to get your kids out of bed in the morning?  Does your child have difficulty paying attention or staying focused?  Are you concerned about hyperactive behavior or irritability?  Maybe your child isn’t getting enough sleep. 

In fact, very few of our children are getting adequate sleep.  Last month’s issue of Time magazine stated that only 41% of middle school and 13 % of high school students sleep for an appropriate amount of time.(1)

Sleep is essential to a...

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The connection between sleep apnea and heart failure

Date Posted: Thursday, September 4th, 2014 by Alan Berger

Physicians do not fully understand how heart failure and apnea are related, but evidence suggests that each can contribute to the other, and thus treating one of the conditions can alleviate both.

Reprinted
By Tom Avril, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

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Are You Sleeping in the Wrong Position?

Date Posted: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014 by Alan Berger

Our sleeping position is mainly a matter of comfort but may be dictated by some health issues.  No matter what position you choose to sleep in, it must be comfortable so that you can get that 8 hours of recommended rest each night.  All sleeping positions have positive and negative points but some are better for particular issues than others.

Side sleepers

Sleeping on one side or the other is the most common sleep position.  Most people have a particular preference and you can actually...

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Teen Insomnia Linked To Depression and Poor Performance

Date Posted: Monday, September 1st, 2014 by Alan Berger

A recent study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia has shown that insomnia may be linked to mental health conditions amongst teenagers.  The study, published in Sleep Medicine, identified that up to 11 percent of teens, ages 13 to 16, have experienced insomnia at some point.  (1)

Insomnia or lack of sleep makes it more likely that a teen will have depression, an anxiety disorder, or a panic disorder.

Teens naturally have difficulties getting enough sleep.  As a child...

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Your Child Snores. Should You Be Concerned?

Date Posted: Sunday, August 3rd, 2014 by Alan Berger

Most parents are not even slightly concerned when hearing a child snore. Unfortunately, despite the “cute” factor, snoring may indicate medical problems and contribute to developmental issues.

Causes of Childhood Snoring

Unlike snoring in adults, snoring in children usually is not caused by traditional “obstructive sleep apnea” which is often related to obesity. Childhood snoring is most commonly caused by one of three things:

• Small anatomy: Some children may have smaller than...

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Why Do Former and Current NFL Players Have Sleep Apnea?

Date Posted: Wednesday, July 30th, 2014 by Alan Berger

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), an estimated 18 million adults in the US have sleep apnea.  This life-threatening condition also affects a large percentage of professional athletes and is to be the subject of an upcoming PBS documentary entitled “Tackling Sleep Apnea with NFL Greats”.

Sleep apnea amongst professional football players has been a notable concern since a 2003 article published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that NFL players risk of sleep...

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What is Sleep Hygiene? How Does That Help with My Insomnia?

Date Posted: Monday, June 30th, 2014 by Alan Berger

According to the medical journal The Lancet and as reported by HuffPost Healthy Living, insomnia, despite being trivialized for so long, has become the most common sleep disorder in the U.S.. Nearly 25% of adults are not satisfied with their sleeping patterns and about 10% have insomnia.

We live in a fast paced world and as things get faster and faster, sleep seems to be the first thing to go.  However, insomniacs are twice as likely to have congestive heart failure and five times as likely...

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Living With Your CPAP – 5 Tips That Make It Easier

Date Posted: Sunday, June 29th, 2014 by Alan Berger

Your CPAP may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you – but just like a good relationship, it may not always be easy. 

A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure has been a life-saver, a god-send, a gift for many people who chose to use it.  Most people who try a CPAP find that they really can’t live without it – literally as many believed that it saved their lives.  A CPAP life may be, at times inconvenient, but there are a few tips that can make it easier to live with.

1. Make...

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Tired All the Time? Maybe You Need More Sleep!

Date Posted: Thursday, May 15th, 2014 by Don Sesso

In our 24-hour society, it’s no surprise that there’s a sleep condition called Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). This condition, which is exactly what it sounds like, affects up to 13% of the population and is growing - especially among young people. The reason: Self-imposed sleep deprivation.

The primary causes of sleep deprivation are advanced technology and electronics as well as work and family demands.  The availability of television, radio, internet, smartphones, tablets,...

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