Time to wake up to hazards of sleep apnea

Walruses groan, hogs grunt, tigers snarl. But those guttural noises can’t compare to the heart-stopping, brain-dinging, sleep-robbing snorts, gasps and snores that humans with sleep apnea emit.

Sleep apnea — interruptions to breathing while asleep, lasting 10 or more seconds — is triggered when soft tissue in the back of the throat blocks airflow, by irregularities in the brain’s breathing instructions, or by both. Twenty-five million Americans have SA. Risk factors include obesity, smoking, drinking alcohol and taking muscle relaxants/sedatives, but even children can have it.

SA causes daytime fatigue, forgetfulness and mood changes. Untreated, it can be life-threatening — to both the person with SA and others. People with SA often fall asleep at inappropriate times and are at risk for ministrokes, plus cardiovascular and cognitive problems.

And now federal agencies declare that they’re not going to require SA testing for truck drivers and train operators, putting lives at risk. The NTSB considers SA the probable cause

of 10 deadly highway and rail accidents that it’s investigated since 2000.

SA usually is managed by eliminating risk factors and/or keeping airways open when you sleep by using an oral appliance or a mask delivering positive airway pressure. If that doesn’t work, there’s the device newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration that uses implanted electrodes and a remote control to stop the muscles in the back of your throat from obstructing airflow. Occasionally, airway-widening surgery is needed.

So, for your health, your bedmate and travellers on roads and rails, if you think you have SA, pledge to Stop the Snore (www.sleepeducation.org), and

see your doctor pronto! Sleeping for two

Perhaps no worker is more notoriously sleep-deprived than a hospital staff resident. In one scene in “Grey’s Anatomy,” Meredith confesses, “I fell asleep at a restaurant, at a table, while I was on a date.” And 40 years ago, Dr. Mike fell asleep — face down into his dessert — while at his boss’s dinner party. Can YOU wipe cream pie off your face gracefully?

We all need sleep, and that’s especially true for pregnant women. A new study looked at records for almost three million births and found that women with insomnia were 30 per cent more likely to have a preterm birth (before 37 weeks), while five per cent delivered before 34 weeks. In addition, 40 percent of women with sleep apnea delivered preterm.

Researchers think sleeplessness leads to elevated inflammation, which over time can trigger early delivery. Preterm infants can have breathing, heart, gastro and brain problems, as well as chronic health and behavioral/cognitive issues.

So if you’re pregnant or planning to be and have sleep issues, talk to your doc and ...

• Shoot for 30 minutes of

moderate exercise daily, with your doc’s approval.

• Make the bedroom cool and comfortable.

• Eat ever-smaller meals as the day goes on. And make sure to get two nutrients associated with better sleep: magnesium, in leafy greens; and tryptophan (an amino acid that converts into the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin) in egg whites, soybeans, chicken and pumpkin seeds.

• No midnight snacking.

• Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed.

• Practise 10 minutes of mindful meditation before sleep. The danger of loneliness

In the 2000 film “Cast Away,” Tom Hanks played Chuck Noland, a man stranded on an island for four years. Noland finds a volleyball from the wreckage of his plane and, out of loneliness, draws a face on it, naming it Wilson. Noland then constantly talks to his new “companion” as if it were another person.

Clearly, one of the most basic human needs is to be connected to others. Friends, family, colleagues — they aren’t just fun to spend time with. Being connected makes you healthier and happier. But according to a paper presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association recently, loneliness is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in America.

Approximately 42.6 million adults over age 45 are suffering from chronic loneliness, according to AARP’s 2010 Loneliness Study, and the public health consequences are devastating. The researchers found that social isolation increases the risk of premature death significantly — even more than obesity does. And you know what a health threat that is!

If you feel lonely or blue, even occasionally, it’s time to plug back into the world. If your isolation is because of illness, find local, online and telephone-based support groups for people with your condition. If you’re new to an area, volunteer with local organizations in schools and charities or join a club (try a cooking club), and you’ll get social very quickly. If you’ve lost touch with former friends and family, reach out. Make the effort. You’ll reduce your risk of early death by 50 per cent. Sun protection, not sunscreen, for infants

In 1959, three-year-old Cheri Brand was the first Coppertone Kid, promoting the (now quite unacceptable) slogans, “Don’t Be a Paleface,” and “Tan, Don’t Burn.” You’ve seen the image? It was of a pigtailed tyke having her swimsuit bottom pulled down by a playful puppy, revealing her snow-white backside.

We’ve come a long way from those attitudes, thank heavens. We know that whatever your natural skin colour, protecting yourself from a tan is the smart move in order to dodge wrinkles and skin cancer.

That’s especially true for infants and younger children! But you don’t want the protection that comes from lathering on chemical-loaded sunscreens. They can be dangerous for young ‘uns! In fact, the Food and Drug Administration cautions: Do not use sunscreens on infants. The many chemicals in sunscreen can harm newborns. For example, nine of the 15 UV filters in sunscreens are known hormone disruptors. Bad for grownups, terrible for infants and kids. So:

• Keep infants out of the sun. Dress them in lightweight, tight-weave long pants, a long-sleeve shirt and wide-brimmed hat. Put a canopy over the stroller.

• Watch infants carefully for signs of overheating or dehydration. Feed your child breastmilk or formula regularly. (Store it in a cooler.)

• If your infant becomes sunburned, get out of the sun and apply cold compresses to the area. Call your pediatrician.

• Toddlers need extra protection from the sun, too. Use protective clothing and hats, stay out of the sun and apply minimal amount of sunscreens made with micronized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide only.