Better Sleep Better Health

Many people have trouble sleeping and search for a remedy on the shelves of their local grocery store. But even though they don’t require a prescription, over the counter medicines can carry some significant health risks.

Many over the counter sleep medications are one of two substances. The active ingredient in medications such as  Sominex, Nytol, and Tylenol PM is Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine with drowsy effects. This substance is more well know as the common allergy medication Benadryl. Diphenhydramine has several side effects including:

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Prolonged drowsiness lasting into the next day
• Memory problems

The other most common OTC sleep medication is Doxylamine, found in Unisom and Nyquil. This medication can offer more sedation than many prescription hypnotics and is also an antihistamine.

These substances may help to ameliorate short term insomnia but should be treated with caution. Individuals who are pregnant or have health complications such as glaucoma, enlarge prostate, heart problems, or asthma should not use them. In addition, the effects of these drugs can depress respiratory effort and worsen the effects of sleep apnea, leading to more disrupted sleep. Also the “hangover effect” can be worse than many prescription sleep aids and can increase daytime fatigue. These medications should not be used nightly or to treat chronic Insomnia.

If you suffer from Insomnia, doctors recommend addressing the root source of the condition, not the symptoms. Many health issues can cause Insomnia and there are both pharmacological and natural ways of treating them. Contact a sleep center near you to get tested for an underlying sleep disorder and to treat your insomnia properly.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is widely known as a danger because of its association with increased cardiovascular complications, stroke risk, diabetes, and other health problems. But not many people are aware that OSA can lead to problems with vision as well.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a condition in which a person’s airway collapses during sleep, leading to lowered blood oxygen levels and disruptions from sleep. Many complications can ensue from untreated sleep apnea. Several conditions which affect vision may be connected with the disease:

• Floppy Eyelid Syndrome occurs when a person’s eyelids become exerted, or turned inside out. The patient may awaken with their eyelids flipped inside out and can experience watering, stickiness, discomfort, blurred vision, downward pointing eyelashes, and eyelid droop or inversion. These events can lead to conjunctivitis and corneal injury. Most of the time this condition is benign, but it could indicate the presence of OSA.

• Glaucoma is a serious condition that can lead to blindness. It’s caused by damage to the optic nerve and is often associated with increased pressure in the fluid of the eye. OSA is associated with both primary open-angle Glaucoma and normal-tension Glaucoma. The constant variability of blood pressure and oxygen levels caused by OSA may contribute to this disease. In fact, one study found that 20% of patients with Glaucoma may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

• Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) occurs when vision is suddenly and painlessly lost in one eye upon awakening. It has been associated with OSA and can cause irreversible vision loss.

• Papilledema is swelling of the optic nerve in both eyes. It typically occurs due to increased pressure within the skull and can lead to progressively worsening vision and, in some cases, blindness.

These and other conditions may be brought on by OSA. It is prudent for everyone to visit an eye doctor every 2 years and if any signs of these conditions arise, get screened for Obstructive Sleep Apnea by a sleep specialist.

The National Sleep Foundation recently conducted a bedroom poll to determine what environmental factors influence Americans sleep the most. The NSF Bedroom Poll looked at different areas such as temperature, romance, sleep habits, and bed condition and polled 1500 people from all walks of life to get the results.

Respondents were asked to rate the level of impact each factor has on their ability to get a good night’s sleep. Some of the more interesting results:

• Pillows and bedroom temperature were the two areas that have the most impact on sleep (70% and 69% impact respectively). Professionals recommend a cool environment as being the most conducive for sleep.

• Bedroom darkness and sheets were also considered important factors with 57% and 53% of participants rating them as being of high importance. These are common factors impacting good sleep hygiene, along with bedroom temperature.

• Snoring from a bed partner is a common reason for people to lose sleep with 41% of respondents saying it impacts their night. This shows that there are still millions of people being affected by untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea and its most common symptom, snoring.

For more on good sleep hygiene visit the NSF or Oregon Sleep Associates.