Sleep Disorders - Making the Daytime a Nightmare

Frank Guglielmelli was so sleep deprived he was falling asleep at the wheel. Cars would be honking, and away I would go. That's kind of scary and then I realized there's a problem, says frank. 53 year old Frank says he felt as though he was living life in a fog, struggling to get through the day, barely able to keep his eyes opened. After visiting his doctor, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Frank says he had no clue that he had a sleep disorder. He attributed his decreased energy level and fatigue to weight gain and just a part of getting older. “People can have sleep disorders that they really aren’t aware that they have. The biggest problem is that most people are not getting enough sleep. And, there has been recently some studies that say the average American is getting about 6 ½ hours a sleep per night which is definitely below the recommended limit,” says Dr. Ilene Rosen of the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania, Division of Sleep Medicine.

According to Dr. Rosen, there are significant warning signs that may indicate you have a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders affecting more than 12 million Americans. It's when you stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night, often for a minute or longer. Symptoms include loud snoring and a gasping or snorting sound when the person sleeping starts to breathe again.

 “If you don’t have a bed partner to tell you that you are snoring or have sleep apnea, one of the things that you can do is if you notice that you are getting up a lot during the night two, three, four times at night to go to the bathroom,” says Dr. Rosen. Experiencing heartburn during sleep, hypertension, decreased interest in sex or impotence can all be signs of sleep apnea. With today’s frenetic pace, catching the recommended 8 hours of solid zzz’s is a challenge.

 Dr. Rosen says that following some simple steps and planning, you can get the sleep your body deserves and desperately needs. Never exercise or eat within three hours of going to bed. The chemicals that increase in your body immediately after exercising and eating are associated with increased wakefulness. Keep regular hours, go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. Stay away from alcohol and stimulants like caffeine during evening hours.

“In fact, people fall asleep faster but wake up more during the night and have very disruptive sleep and do not feel refreshed in the morning when they use alcohol as a sleep aid,” says Dr. Rosen. Once diagnosed with sleep apnea, Frank began using a CPAP machine which helps keep the airway open while breathing and sleeping at night. “I’m back on my exercise regimen, I’m sleeping properly, using the CPAP things seem to be working.”

In order to help determine if you have a sleep disorder, it is important to pay attention to your sleep habits and daily routine. Keeping a sleep diary may be helpful in discussing your daily patterns with your doctor. Sleep disorders are often diagnosed based on a number of factors including your description of symptoms, age and gender, psychological history, medical history and a family member or partner’s observation of disruptive sleep patterns.

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