Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Sleep apnea and insomnia on the rise in the US Military

This article shows how both sleep apnea and insomnia diagnoses have increased from 2005 - 2014. In my clinic, both conditions make up the bulk of the diagnoses and often exist together. The article states how the rates are higher in more senior personnel. This may be because sleep apnea is more prevalent with advancing age. Also, I frequently see senior personnel who are close to retiring, and have decided to start taking care of themselves. Usually it's because they finally have time to get their medical problems addressed as they approach separating from the military. Some of them wish they had gotten evaluated years prior, as treating their sleep apnea can significantly improve their quality of life.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Float therapy?

I've never heard of float therapy until I saw this article. Apparently, some derive benefit from floating in body temperature, salty water that is inside a sound-proof vessel. The article mentions that "float therapy" may help some with insomnia. I'm not aware of any studies to that effect - the report is only anecdotal. The article states that one reason it may help people sleep could be the same reason why a warm bath is helpful. I just hope people don't fall asleep while in the float chamber.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Netflix vs sleep

This article discusses how the CEO of Netflix doesn't worry about competition from streaming services like Amazon or HBO. Instead, the CEO worries about the human need to sleep a third of our lives. Because when we sleep, we aren't able to watch Netflix. What an interesting perspective. As a sleep-deprived species, I worry about the effect of Netflix on sleep duration! I guess the relationship is bidirectional.