Better Sleep Better Health

It’s that time of year again. The airports are crowded with people traveling home, the store shelves are packed with gravy and stuffing, and turkeys everywhere are looking around nervously.  After the feast is over, we’ll all loosen our belts and relax for a nap. Invariably, some Uncle or Aunt will repeat what they say every year, “Did you know that it’s the Tryptophan in the Turkey that makes you tired?” And everyone will nod and then drift off. But this year, you can amaze your family by jumping up and exclaiming, “Not true!”

Your startled relatives will be surprised to learn that despite popular belief, the Tryptophan in the Thanksgiving turkey is not a strong sleep inducing factor. Tryptophan is a essential amino acid for humans derived from our diets. In it’s purified form it can be a mild sleep inducing substance. However, to get large levels of Typtophan to the brain, it must be taken on an empty stomach. When consumed with other foods, Tryptophan loses it’s effectiveness because it has to compete with other substances trying to cross the blood brain barrier.

“Tryptophan is taken to the brain by an active transport system shared by a number of other amino acids, and there’s competition among them—like a crowd of people trying to get through a revolving door,” said Simon Young, a neurochemist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada in National Geographic.

Not enough of the Tryptophan from Thanksgiving turkey reaches the brain to cause drowsiness. In fact, though turkey contains a fair amount of the amino acid, many other foods such as beef contain more. Yet we never hear about a “post steak” nap.

So what does make us nod off every year after the meal?

Well, Thanksgiving usually involves eating thousands of calories which we normally wouldn’t ingest all at once. This amplifies the normal post lunch tiredness as your body tries to digest and metabolize this massive amount of food and leads to nap time. So this year after you munch away, try going out for a nice walk to burn off some of those excess calories.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Do you have Diabetes? If so, your sleep may be more important to controlling your blood sugar than you think…

Research indicates that 50 to 80% of people with Type 2 Diabetes also suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea and a lack of restorative sleep in general is considered a risk factor for developing the disease.

Oregon Sleep Associates is hosting an exclusive free seminar on Diabetes and it’s connections with sleep. Board Certified Sleep Specialists Dr Daniel Root and Dr Jennifer Kim will be speaking. Seating is limited so reserve your spot now.

Where: Oregon Sleep Associates, 2228 NW Pettygrove St, Suite 150, Portland, OR 97210

When: Thursday, June 24th @ 5:30-6:30pm.

Diabetic refreshments provided.

Please RSVP to 503-288-5201 or email: admin@oregonsleepassociates.com

Recently came across this from the AASM Weekly Update:

“Forty-five percent of U.S. residents have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, possibly increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a data brief released by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on Monday, ABC News reports.

This is the first study conducted by the agency to examine the combined effect of all three conditions. The study is based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing study that administers interviews, physical examinations and laboratory tests to participants. The results showed that about 3 percent of adults have all three conditions, while 13 percent have two.

The report also found that about 15 percent of adults with one or more of the conditions have not been diagnosed. According to experts, the cause of these chronic conditions is related to the purported obesity epidemic that has swept the country over the past few decades. Nearly 67 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to the CDC.”

This finding is very important because, as we have reported in the past, having Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are all contributing factors to severe sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. If you have any of these conditions talk to your doctor and get screened for sleep disorders. For more information on sleep or to talk to a board certified sleep specialist, contact Oregon Sleep Associates.

Since Starbucks Coffee® opened its first location in 1971, the company has ballooned to have more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries.  In recent years sales of energy drinks such as Rockstar® and Redbull® have reached well over 3.5 billion dollars annually. While slick advertising and aggressive business tactics can help explain the successes of these products, there is one underlying reason for it all:  Caffeine addiction.

Caffeine has been called the most popular drug in the world and is used by over 80% of the population. It is found naturally in over 60 plants including the coffee bean, tea leaf, and cacao pod. All over the world people consume caffeine on a daily basis in coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, and some drugs. Because caffeine is a stimulant, most people use it after waking up in the morning or to remain alert during the day. While it is important to note that caffeine cannot replace sleep, it can temporarily make us feel more alert by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production. Once in the body, caffeine will persist for several hours: it takes about 6 hours for one half of the caffeine to be eliminated.

Though there are numerous studies to support the idea that caffeine causes physical dependence, traditionally it has been thought of as having fairly benign health effects. However, in recent years more evidence has surfaced on the damaging prospects of caffeine use. In one 2007 study by Kaiser Permanente, researchers reported that the risk of miscarriage by pregnant women doubles with just moderate caffeine use. They advised that pregnant women reduce or eliminate their caffeine intake. Also, the substance has been found to increase blood sugar levels in people with Type II Diabetes, making it harder to control that disease.

Doctors recommend limiting caffeine use to less than 200 mg per day, or about the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee. Try not to consume any caffeinated items within 8 hours of your bedtime.