Treat apnea, sleep well, be healthy
Peaceful sleep can be a means to maintaining good health, especially as the body ages. Of course, nothing sleeps more peacefully than a kitten, especially Emerson, who is almost 3 months old in this picture. He would now be about 8. Credit: AP, 2003
Your snoring and restless sleep are not only disturbing your partner. They may be killing you.
"There's so much research coming out that ties poor sleep quality and quantity to medical and mental-health ailments," says Dr. Steven Park, a sleep physician and surgeon at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and author of "Sleep, Interrupted" (Jodev Press, $25). Park says that some sleep disorders are caused by breathing problems. Case in point is sleep apnea, in which a person stops breathing for a short time while asleep. "When you have snoring, gasping, choking, waking up, it's obvious you have apnea," Park says.
Sleep apnea is more common in older people because as we age, the soft tissues in the throat sag, making breathing more difficult. "Aging is a natural consequence of not breathing well and not sleeping well," Park says. The problem is made worse if you sleep on your back or are overweight.
Left untreated, apnea can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Park says when he sees older people who complain about poor sleep and being fatigued, they often are taking a slew of prescription drugs to control various conditions. Park believes had they treated their apnea or other breathing problems earlier, they could have averted many serious ailments because their sleep would have been protective and restorative. "In the majority of cases they may not have to be on as many medications," he says.
But many people who don't have sleep disorders still have trouble sleeping. Park says you can get a better night's sleep by doing quiet activities before bedtime, such as reading, meditation or breathing exercises. Do not eat anything heavy or drink alcohol before going to sleep. And click off the laptop, tablet or smartphone well in advance of bedtime. "They have very bright, stimulating LED lights," he explains. Park offers numerous better-sleep tips at his website, doctorstevenpark.com.
As for that leftover Thanksgiving feast in the refrigerator, Park says the supposedly sleep-inducing tryptophan in turkey is overrated. "You have to eat an enormous amount," he says. But what about that drowsy feeling after a Thanksgiving meal? "It's the turkey plus everything else you're eating -- the carbohydrates, the potatoes, the gravy, all the fat and the alcohol," he says. "It may help you fall asleep faster, but because you're eating larger amounts, sleep quality goes down."
