Written by David Volpi, M.D., P.C., F.A.C.S.

This month’s blog is for anyone who has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and is having trouble using—or refusing to use—a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine while sleeping.

 

CPAP machines help nighttime interrupted breathing by pumping a continuous flow of air into the nasal passages, keeping the airway open, and preventing or greatly reducing snoring and paused breathing. Still, many people are…

I’ve been a practicing ear, nose, and throat specialist for more than 20 years, and one thing I know for certain about my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients is—they have to do the treatments in order to get better.

The problem is that some OSA patients who would benefit from Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines can’t or won’t use it because they find it uncomfortable, even though CPAPs have proven to be very effective in increasing oxygen flow and reducing apneic…

If you work in an office and don’t get much sunlight, it may be reducing the amount of time you sleep and exercise, according to new research released in June.

The study was authored by Ivy Cheung, a doctoral candidate in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience program at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill, and colleagues. Cheung presented the findings at SLEEP 2013, the 27th annual meeting…

Smartphones, iPads, and other personal electronic devices are great ways to communicate and entertain ourselves, but they may also be negatively impacting the quality and quantity of our sleep.

As personal electronic devices have become more ubiquitous, the bright-light emitting screens that allow the use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms have become a more common reason for sleep disruption, whether users realize it or not.

Why is that? Melatonin is a hormone produced by…