Recently, New York Senator Chuck Schumer requested railroads to conduct sleep apnea studies on railroad conductors on each rail line and have them published. While being tired plays a factor in some of these train accidents, is there something these train conductors can do to improve their sleep, so that they can perform at peak performance as they move thousands of people at a time. It is scary to think that someone will fall asleep at the wheel.
Currently 1 out of 15 people or 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea according to the National Sleep Foundation. The majority of those have obstructive sleep apnea where the throat collapses during sleep which causes a blockage of the airway. The other kind of disorder would be central sleep apnea where the brain signals to the breathing muscles are unstable causing someone to stop breathing.
If you ever noticed someone who is snoring, that is a sleep apnea indicator that should be evaluated by a health professional. If your wife or husband sleep in another room, go get a sleep study evaluation!
Typically people who have sleep apnea are deprived of sleep, you might find that they have different performance issues with work, memory, driving. They might be more irritable or depressed. If left untreated it can lead to falling asleep while driving, heart attack and other cardio pulmonary conditions.
Typically if you are male, over weight, over 40 years old, a neck size of 17 for males and 16 for females, large tongue, large tonsils, small jaw bone, family history, gastroesophagel reflux, deviated septum, allergies or sinus problems put you at risk for sleep apnea.
So, what can you do for sleep apnea?
First, make sure you improve the place that you sleep. Remove any distractions from the bedroom, such as clutter, electronics and the television.
Next, preparing for sleep, can start with ending your last meal a few hours a head of time, reducing liquids so you do not have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or coffee because of the caffeine, minimize light, reduce noise, adjust the temperature of the room so it's not to hot or too cold. In fact, Tim Ferriss (Author if the Tools of Titans) uses what is called the ChiliPad to regulate this sleep temperature. Enjoy a book. Click here for some books I have read. Try a sleep mask as well
A little yoga can help you unwind and relax the body and mind for bed as well. For a calming stretch routine to do before bedtime, check out the Rock-a-Bye Beast Stretch video by Sagi Kalev on Beachbody On Demand, inside the Body Beast program menu.
During mid day, if you can take a nap, take a short nap of 10-15 minutes.
May people whose throats physically collapse because they are relaxed during sleep, use a device called a cpap (Continuous positive airway pressure) or bi-pap (bi-level positive airway pressure to keep the throat open for breathing while sleeping. Always work with your healthcare professional to make evaluations for your sleep. If there is a physical abnormality in your throat, some medical professionals will alter your airway with surgery or a medical appliance.
Accoring to Respiratory Medicine a study found that consistent exercise in subjects who suffer from sleep apnea significantly improves sleep outcomes. The study authors included sleep data from eight clinical articles with 180 participants and examined overall sleep as well as the number of disruptions per hour of sleep in people who also exercised daily. They found that subjects who exercised had fewer breathing interruptions at night and this group also reported being less sleepy the next day.
Sometimes our busy worklife does not allow a convenient time to workout, which is why Beachbody on Demand All Access Pass provides a routine and trainer available 24/7 for your schedule. However, rigerous exercise for some people is okay before bed. May others prefer to stop their last workout 2 hours before bedtime to allow adrenaline and heart rate to come down.
Note that the body prefers a routine, so by creating consistent habits and routines, your body will want to wake up at a certain teim, exercise at a certain time, and go to sleep at a certain time!
Remember Sleep is not Overrated! Visit your doctor and be safe at work and any activity that needs you to be alert and awake!
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