Losing Sleep Because Of Sleep Apnea Can Put Your Life At Risk

Most of us just long for the comfort of our bed and get a good night’s sleep after a long day at work or school. Our tired bodies need to recuperate so it has the energy it needs to face another day because you just can’t get away from the daily grind. It’s the reality of life. There are people, though, who don’t get to enjoy the luxury of sleep that most individuals look forward to at the end of the day. It really is such an irony that they end up sleepy the entire day but unable to fall into deep sleep at night even though sleep is all they can ever think of. It is not that they don’t like sleeping, it’s just that they can’t. It may be hard to believe but it is true and millions suffer from sleep deprivation because of it. What’s the contributing factor then?

You may have heard of sleep apnea by now and most likely associate it with snoring. Well, it is true that most patients diagnosed with sleep apnea snores but it is also worth noting that not all snorers have sleep apnea. What many tend to overlook is how sleep apnea contributes to sleep deprivation. Sure, the snoring itself is a major distraction to sleeping and most patients have a hard time breathing that leads to short shallow sleep. Now, think of the dangers if you constantly lose sleep. You may be more prone to accidents such as road and occupation hazards for people who drive or operate pieces of machinery in their daily life. However, you can’t just ignore the figures and countless accidents caused by drivers sleeping on the road as is the case of most people suffering from chronic sleep deprivation.

Excessive sleepiness can cause cognitive impairments and put individuals at a higher risk of motor vehicle crash. However, the perception of impairment from excessive sleepiness quickly plateaus in individuals who are chronically sleep deprived, despite continued declines in performance. Individuals may thus be unaware of their degree of impairment from sleep deficiency, which raises the question of whether these individuals are at an increased risk of motor vehicle crash. A team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital addressed this question and their results are published in BMC Medicine.

(Via: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180404114716.htm)

Sleep apnea should not be taken lightly. You should not be reminded over and over again especially that a big chunk of the population suffers from whether they know it or not and it seriously impacting their lives. The moment you lose sleep, there is a part of you that is not in its perfect shape. Your cognition is mostly affected as you tend to lose focus more and feel lost at times because of excessive sleepiness. Many people unknowingly suffer from it because they tend to shrug off the symptoms thinking that you just have to bear with symptoms like snowing or the continuous breathing gaps in your sleep when help is available as long as you seek for it. While the cure is still elusive, there are still things you can do or medications you can take to offer you relief from your symptoms and thereby allow you to sleep better at night.

Researchers found that "[s]evere sleep apnea was associated with a 123% increased crash risk, compared to no sleep apnea," and that "[s]leeping 6 hours per night was associated with a 33% increased crash risk, compared to sleeping 7 or 8 hours per night," read the study, which was published online in the journal BMC Medicine. 

"We found that chronically sleep-deprived individuals don't perceive themselves as being excessively sleepy and thus don't perceive themselves as impaired," said lead author Daniel Gottlieb, MD, MPH, associate physician in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, in a statement released by BWH. "This resulted in an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in sleep-deprived individuals."

(Via: https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/04/05/studying-car-crashes-involving-those-sleep-deprived-unaware-it-12797)

Sleep apnea is often a problem associated with your anatomy so there is little you can do about that unless you opt to undergo an invasive surgery, which has its added risks. But if surgery is not an option for you, do not lose hope yet because there are little things you can do to change your situation. Sometimes, your lifestyle also contributes to the worsening of sleep apnea symptoms and changing a few of your not-so-good habits can go a long way in helping you get your lost sleep back. It would also make more sense to avoid long drives or having to operate heavy machinery when you have trouble sleeping because you might end up in the emergency room with just one wrong move. Talk to your doctor now and find out what else you can do to sleep like a baby at night despite your sleep disorder.

The post Losing Sleep Because Of Sleep Apnea Can Put Your Life At Risk is available on The Euro Toques Blog

source https://www.euro-toques.org/2018/04/12/losing-sleep-because-of-sleep-apnea-can-put-your-life-at-risk/

Caring For Your Skin After Childbirth

Women play such an important and sensitive role in the big picture that is mankind. Motherhood sets them apart from their male counterparts as women have the natural ability to carry and deliver another human being into this world. The risks they have to take and the difficulties they go through is unique to them that it is often a relief when the baby comes out. The thing is the real work begins once you have your little bundle of joy with you. The long sleepless nights can take its toll not to mention the pains of breastfeeding if you choose to feed your own child. With the countless obligations, unstable hormones, and the mere fact that your baby needs you all the time often leaves most mom unable to care for themselves. They neglect skincare and proper grooming as they usually are covered in baby spit and poo. Some even experience skin tags, that require specialized creams to remove.

What women should be aware of is that they can still look great and feel good in their own skin even with this added responsibility on their shoulders. You may not be able to religiously follow a 10-step skin care regimen that is all the rage now but you can definitely do something about maintaining your youthful looks and pleasant appearance. Various changes happened to your body during pregnancy and you may feel that you don’t look your best anymore but simply taking care of yourself can lift you up from your baby blues and help you fully embrace this new chapter in your life. You don’t even need to buy expensive skin care products to get that glow back on your cheeks or somehow make those unsightly stretch marks or other blemishes disappear.

Post pregnancy every mother gets complacent with her skin care regimen. Given that you have to be on your toes and vigilant 24/7 taking care of the new baby, the fact that you are able to breathe is like a blessing, let alone sticking to your pre-pregnancy skin care routine. But mothers, you still cannot be ignorant about your health and also your skin. As soon as the initial hustle-bustle settles down you have to get back to a healthy routine to reclaim your life back. This is easier said than done, especially when it revolves around skin care because a glowing and blemish free skin is a mother’s least worry. Here is why you should avoid going to parlours during pregnancy. 

But postpartum as the hormonal levels fluctuate, makes you fatigued, lethargic and tired, it takes a toll on your skin too. Increased production of hormones HCG and progesterone increases blood volume during pregnancy giving that pregnancy glow. But the after effect on skin post delivery is exactly the opposite. Many moms may experience uneven skin tone, dark circles, eye bags, acne, patchy pigmentation (chloasma), stretch marks and dull skin. All of this coupled with a sluggish metabolism and baby blues can make things worse. 

(Via: http://www.thehealthsite.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-guide-pregnancy/post-pregnancy-skin-care-routine-10-dos-and-donts-to-follow-d0318/)

Simple steps like cleaning your face with a gentle cleanser, toner, and moisturizer can go a long way in making you look like your pre-pregnancy self once more. It won’t take so much of your time and you surely can still be there for your baby his/her every waking hour. Do this in between naps or when someone else is there to look after your newborn. Doing this twice daily at most is all you need, no need to overdo it. If you have more time on your hands, it won’t hurt to exfoliate too during your quick baths. It’s a great way to remove dead skin cells and leave you with soft and supple skin that you won’t be embarrassed to showcase in public.

Here's some more good news: melasma typically dissipates after you finish breastfeeding. "On some women, it goes away sooner, but usually it takes a few months after you stop breastfeeding for your body to feel completely normal again." If the spots don't lighten on their own after you stop breastfeeding, you can also talk to your dermatologist about professional treatment options, like microdermabrasion and retinol creams.

(Via: https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/What-Pregnancy-Mask-44128640)

Even skin changes like melisma during pregnancy can be taken cared of especially if you breastfeed since it usually disappears on its own if you are a breastfeeding mom. It is not common for these blemishes to persist way after you ceased breastfeeding but if it does and it bothers you, that’s when you’ll need the help of an expert on procedures like microdermabrasion that may cost you more than just a few dollars. Applying sunscreen can also help prevent more of these blemishes from appearing as well as lightening eye creams or slices of cucumber placed under your eyes to lessen dark under eye circles. What’s most important is that you get lots of sleep whenever you can no matter how impossible it may seem because enough shuteye will not only boost your mood but work like magic on your dull and tired-looking skin that has gone through so much since you got pregnant.

The following blog post Caring For Your Skin After Childbirth is courtesy of https://www.euro-toques.org/

source https://www.euro-toques.org/2018/04/11/caring-for-your-skin-after-childbirth/