This may come as a surprise to you, but sleep apnea is more common than you think. Yes, while it might seem like you are the only one who suffers from sleep apnea, weíd be willing to be that at least a few of your close neighbors suffer from it to. Well, the information age now allows you to listen to thousands of different opinions and possible cures for whatever ails you. Sleep apnea is no different. Follow these three tips and you should be all set in your quest for more information.
1) Start with a basic search on multiple websites. Try the regulars like Yahoo, Google, and MSN. Try searching for ësleep apnea symptomsí or ësleep apnea treatment.í Getting multiple sources of information can only make your information quest easier. Some search engines are better for some types of information (Google seems to be especially handy for scientific searches) while others are not. Get a lot of different information sources.
2) Another great source of information for everything is wikipedia.org. While we definitely donít recommend trying to treat your sleep apnea yourself based upon the information you find (always see a physician, we arenít physicians and canít give a medical opinion), wikipedia.org is a good place to start looking for any information as it is ìuser editedî. ìUser editedî means that anyone can conceivably change the information on wikipedia.org. Itís almost like a democracy of information presentation. Itís definitely worth a look in your sleep apnea research.
3) Donít forget to look for information specifically on understanding sleep apnea. If you canít understand what sleep apnea is, you are going to have a tough time even if you follow tips #1 and #2 to the letter. Get informed and try to understand what sleep apnea is. There are a ton of great resources out there if you look hard enough.
After reading this, I hope you can still sleep well. Sleep-inducing medicines, popularly known as sleeping pills, have a reputation of helping people get some peace and quiet at night. Sleep deprivation is such a difficult condition to have since it literally zaps a person's energy to do the more important things in life, at work and at home. Specifically, it is used by chronic insomniacs who desperately need to get that well-deserved rest. Insomniacs often flip over the hundreds of cable channels each night hoping to get tired enough to sleep. For them, it does not matter if they sleep in from of the t.v. as long as they do get to sleep eventually. But t.v. surfing loses its effectiveness after a few nights, leaving the insomniac up and awake the whole night, and, yes, bone-weary the next morning. Manic workloads, job-related stresses, and the ever-toxic idea of work itself leaves a person with no other option but to trust the ìfastî relief. Studies show that people who are prone to stress and other everyday worries are the ones who would most likely resort to the use of sleeping pills. Other studies, however, also show that long-term use of sleeping pills could cause unwanted side effects or health problems. People who often take refuge or rely mostly on these sedatives are more prone to negative effects and even life-threatening situations as:
*Degradation of activities
Studies prove that continuous use of sleeping pills can reduce brain cell activity, affect short-memory term and cause hang-overs. The aftermath of taking these sedatives may seem manageable, but in the long run, these effects may escalate into more serious problems such us forgetfulness and lack of focus. You wouldn't want to report to your workplace with confused and groggy, right? Also, it's a bad thing to forget certain work errands just because of sleeping pills. *Dependence
Just like how the body forms its natural defense through the production of antibodies, the body may also develop an immunity to the drug. The frequent intake of a certain drug would lessen the potency of the active ingredients. Eventually, the user would have to take higher doses of the drug, and be open to the risk of developing a drug dependence or addiction. Sleeping pill addiction is, in fact, fast becoming a common health concern.
* Death
People who use sleeping pills have undeniably higher mortality rates than those who don't. Sleep apnea patients are advised to refrain from taking sleep-inducing pills. As sedatives, sleeping pills tend to lengthen the pauses in breathing when one is asleep. This situation can jeopardize the health of people with sleep apnea. Every year, many cases of death are attributed to the effects of these drugs.
As the saying goes, we can buy luxurious bed but we can never purchase a good night's sleep. This proverbial statement just proves that many people are really struggling to board another express train to Dreamland. And the struggle goes on. For some people, a good night's sleep is like a rare commodity. The artificial inducement of sleep may be necessary but caution must always be exercised to prevent sleeping pill overdose. Getting some ìshut-eyeî with the help of a pill or two need not lead to the sleep of death.
All over the world, night after night, millions of people are riveted to their TV sets - but not to watch the latest soap, or CSI. Not to watch Jay Leno or Sex in the City. Not to see who outwits, outlasts and outplays others in Survivor. No - they are spellbound by the efforts of a small band of obese people trying to overcome the effects of years of overeating.
It's not surprising that for so many people this is compulsive viewing. Obesity is the new epidemic. Fat children lumber around school playgrounds while their overweight mothers fill shopping carts with wrong choices. Then... they sit down at night to watch The Biggest Loser. They see dramatic weight loss and startling new body shapes beginning to emerge. They want the same results - and they begin to think it might be possible.
But who has four or five hours a day to work out? Who can afford a personal trainer several times a week? And who has the luxury of their own personal adviser on calorie content and smart food choices? The answer is: not many people. But you have to remember that this is television: it's a false situation. As the players keep reminding themselves and the viewers: "This is a GAME. You have to make the most of your time here - it's going to be so much harder out in the real world."
IS it harder in the real world? Probably. But you can take lessons away from watching this reality show. You can make it work for you, as well as for the contestants. Here are three practical and useful lessons you can put to use immediately.
1. Put Weight Loss First.
In the Biggest Loser household WEIGHT LOSS COMES FIRST. Make it come first in your household, too. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. In fact, so simple that many people just overlook it. They try to fit exercise and meal planning around everything else in their lives, instead of making it a priority.
Think: what is most important: getting the weight off, and becoming fit enough to put years on your life - or watching another TV show? Sit down with a pen and paper and allot at least one hour a day to planning meals, recording what you eat, and doing some form of exercise. You've still got 23 hours left to do everything else!
2. E is for Exercise - and Enjoy!
What else do you notice in the Biggest Loser household? The more they exercise, the more they seem to enjoy it. Oh sure, they grunt and they groan; they sweat and they complain. But as the weeks go on, you'll hear them say things like: "I never thought I'd say that I look forward to working out - but now don't feel right if a day goes past without exercise!"
The secret to enjoying exercise is finding what's right for YOU. If you don't really enjoy the gym, look for other forms of exercise. You need a mix of cardio and resistance training - but it doesn't have to be on machines. Walk, swim, dance, climb hills, push a wheelbarrow in the garden... there are endless choices that can be fun for you. Research what happens to various muscle groups - and to your heart - when you exercise, and pick activities that you will enjoy.
3. Identify the Triggers.
Emotions run high when the contestants have to face their demons. Weight gain is rarely from just a physical cause. If you keep a food diary, and faithfully record not only what you eat but when (and why) you eat it, you'll soon see a pattern of emotional eating. What are YOUR triggers? Boredom? Tiredness? Family arguments?
Once you have identified these triggers, you can start working on strategies to defeat them. This can be as simple as challenging yourself every time you want food. ("Am I hungry - yes or no? If I'm not hungry, then why do I want to eat? Am I really just thirsty? If I'm running to the fridge because I'm upset, is there something else I can do to feel better? Is there a long-term solution that will fix this forever?" and so on.) If you're not yet ready to deal with the root cause, then be prepared with food that won't add to your problems with the resulting rolls of fat. Make sure that you have 'good' food at hand - but also food that you LIKE.
These are just three of the lessons that anyone can take away from watching The Biggest Loser. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all by yourself.
