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April 20, 2008
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Had a bad night sleeping? If you are like most Americans, the answer is yes.
The annual Sleep Study for 2008 showed that most Americans are chronically
sleep-deprived. But aside from the usual problems that chronic sleepiness
cause, now there are fresh concerns. Getting too little sleep and having
trouble falling to sleep or staying asleep have been linked to heart disease in
a handful of studies. How is a bad night's sleep linked to heart disease?
The link is inflammation. Lack of sleep seems to promote low-level
inflammation throughout the body. And this sort of low-level inflammation is
exactly the kind of irritant that experts now believe sets us up for clogged
arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Article continues below.
A team led by Harvard researchers looked at the effect of both sleeplessness
and interrupted sleep on C-reactive protein (CRP), an important sign of
inflammation. In one experiment, they kept 10 healthy volunteers awake for
88 hours straight. In another, they let some volunteers sleep for eight hours a
night during a 10-day period and allowed others only four hours of sleep a
night. CRP levels increased dramatically in both groups of sleep-deprived
folks.
Snoring has also been linked to sleeplessness, inflammation, heart disease
and stroke. Snoring that is so severe and so disruptive it interrupts your
breathing (called obstructive sleep apnea), could be a link between
sleeplessness and inflammation. Snorers with obstructive sleep apnea tend to
have intense inflammation in their airways and throughout their bodies. Other
studies have shown that combating sleep apnea by wearing a mask that
delivers slightly pressurized oxygen to the nose and mouth while sleeping
eases this inflammation. It also tends to lower blood pressure.
Here are some tried-and-true tips to help you stop snoring:
Sleep on Your Side. Studies of snorers have shown that most snorers sleep
on their backs. Sleeping on your side can help reduce snoring. But how do
you avoid sleeping on your back? Try impeding your comfort. Remember the
fairy tale of the princess who couldn’t sleep because of a pea underneath her
mattress? Try putting a tennis ball behind your back. When you roll over on
your back, you will become uncomfortable, forcing you to turn over. After a
while, you will find that you sleep less and less on your back.
Raise Your Head. Adding height will open the throat more, reducing snoring.
Use an extra pillow or a thicker one.
Skip Milk. Dairy products are known to increase the mucous in your throat
and nasal passages. Eliminating them will decrease congestion and snoring.
Lose Weight. You need clear airways to breathe. A heavy chest or heavy
throat will close more of your air space, causing snoring.
Don't drink alcoholic beverages, take sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or
antihistamines right before going to sleep, they will cause your muscles to
relax and limit your air passage way.
Relax Your Throat with Tea and Honey. Did you know that many opera
singers drink tea with honey to open their throats for singing? Tea and honey
also open the throat for breathing, helping to prevent snoring.
Don’t Smoke. Smoking closes air passages, increasing snoring.
Avoid Big Meals. That “stuffed” feeling means that you have crowded your
diaphragm, giving you less room to breathe, and increasing the chances that
you will snore.
Nasal Strips and Nasal Sprays. Yes, some of them work. Try one at a time,
one per week until you find one that works for you.
Steam. Anything that reduces congestion will help to reduce snoring.
Humidifiers help by reducing inflammation of your nasal passages.
Firm Pillows. If your pillow is too soft, it make casue your throat to relax too
much during the night, causing snoring.
Related Links
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Can't Sleep-Here's Help
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My Heart Attack
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