November 28th, 2011 New Study Suggests Treating Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer’s Can Really be as Easy as Side Sleeping, Says Rematee
New Study Suggests Treating Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer’s Can Really be as Easy as Side Sleeping, Says Rematee
(PRWEB) November 17, 2011
A recent study by the American Psychiatric Association of Psychiatric Services concludes a direct connection between sleep apnea and certain psychiatric conditions. It also points out that the solutions for psychiatric patients are just as simple as those for all individuals suffering from sleep apnea. Companies like Rematee provide a solution that is both non-evasive and ensures side sleeping.
Sleep apnea is a relatively common sleep disorder that causes patients to stop breathing from 20 seconds to 40 seconds, due to a relaxed and thus partially collapsed airway. Although it will not outright wake its victims, it will bring them to a lighter stage of sleep, disrupting the rest and relaxation needed by the brain, as well as other parts of the body.
Because the brain is so affected by this sleep disorder, much research is being done as to how it relates to psychiatric conditions. Studies are showing that the effects of sleep apnea on certain mental conditions, including that of Alzheimer’s disease, are actually quite prominent.
Some of the most conclusive research was done at the University of California, San Diego, where Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D., one of the nation’s leading experts on sleep disorders, works as a professor of psychiatry. Her research was specific to aging populations, and has been published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
After looking at 52 different men and women suffering from Alzheimer’s and OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), Ancoli-Israel, alongside other researchers, found that the lowered oxygen levels available during sleep can worsen cognitive function while awake.
Test subjects that were treated with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), a breathing machine commonly used by sleep apnea sufferers, showed improved cognitive functions after a matter of weeks. This suggests that continued use could lead to continued improvements, though there are no studies that suggest CPAP treatments can cure Alzheimer’s in sleep apnea patients.
For more information about this study, read this recent article from Family Practice News.
However, the CPAP machine is an expensive solution—one that may not be necessary if the problem can be solved in less expensive, but still effective way. Using positional therapy, Rematee has designed an “Anti Snore Shirt” and a “Bumper Belt,” both of which provide enough pressure to prevent the sleeper from rolling over and obstructing their airway, yet are gentle enough so that the wearer does not awaken. Rematee’s products essentially re-educate the individual to sleep on their side, which counteracts gravity and keeps their airway from collapsing, thus stopping one of the major causes of sleep apnea.
The research detailed above clarifies the need for a fast and efficient diagnoses of sleep apnea, as well as immediate, responsible treatment. Before investing a surplus of money on expensive therapies, try sleeping on your side. If you notice an improvement but you’re struggling to remain on your side at night, that’s where Rematee can help. You can find out more about Rematee on their website at http://www.rematee.com/
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