JetBlue pilot may have lost it due to lack of sleep

This article discusses how the JetBlue pilot that recently had a meltdown on the plane may have had a psychotic breakdown due to lack of sleep.

Insomnia linked to watching TV online

This article discusses research showing that people who report having insomnia are more likely to watch TV online or use a tablet to watch TV - these findings are new. The results also showed what we already knew about people with insomnia - they are more likely to be divorced females between 35-54 years old, and self-employed or unemployed. Perhaps people with insomnia watch more online TV as they are more likely to watch TV in bed and in the middle of the night. On an IPAD, for example, someone could watch TV in bed with headphones and not wake a bedpartner. I am not trying to give anyone ideas here, as this practice is terrible sleep hygiene.

Treating dream sleep-related obstructive sleep apnea

In last month's edition of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine is an article by Dr. Su and others about treating a subtype of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that is defined as occurring mainly during dream (REM) sleep - I'll call it REM OSA for short. To give you some background, our sleep can be broken down into two categories: Dream or REM sleep and non-REM sleep. OSA typically occurs in both stages, but can be more prominent in REM sleep. And as described above, some patients have OSA almost exclusively in REM sleep.

Sleep researchers are not sure if REM OSA causes the same type of daytime symptoms as regular OSA - and are thus not sure if treatment will improve quality of life. REM OSA is more common in females and in those with smaller neck circumferences. In this study, Dr. Su assessed daytime functioning with questionnaires to see if CPAP helps.

The results did show that treating REM OSA with CPAP improved daytime functioning, including improved sleepiness, fatigue, mood, and overall status. They concluded that patients with REM OSA should be treated with CPAP. This has been my clinical experience as well.

Cannabinoids and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Marijuana can reduce nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, and researchers have made synthetic versions of the active ingredient in Marijuana, called cannabinoids. This article discusses how sleep researchers are studying the effects of these cannabinoids on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is exciting, as currently there is no medication that can treat OSA.

Australian Olympic Committee bans prescription sleeping pills

This article describes how the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) is banning prescription sleeping pills for Australian Olympic athletes. Per the article, the AOC is concerned about addiction to the sleeping pills after a retired Olympic swimmer, Grant Hackett, said he became addicted to a form of Ambien, called Stillnox.

I'm not sure how banning the use of these prescriptions during the games will prevent athletes from using them after the games are over. Most people who use these medications do not become addicted to them. If the medications improve sleep, this may actually improve athletic performance, as I discussed in a previous blogpost.

Sleep Can Affect Parkinson's Disease Symptoms

This article discusses interesting research about sleep and Parkinson's Disease (PD). I wasn't aware that some patients experience a reduction in their PD symptoms after sleeping, whether it's in the morning after a full night of sleep or after a daytime nap. Researchers are trying to find out why this symptom reduction occurs, but so far have not been able to come up with the answer.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea severity and Diabetes Marker

This article discuss research findings showing that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity is linked to hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1c), a marker for diabetes severity. The more severe the OSA, the higher the HgbA1c. This comes as no surprise as we have known about an association between untreated OSA and diabetes.