sleepdisorders

Sleep disorders

These notes are from a presentation by Dr. Steven Marks, Phoenix Fire Health Symposium 2007.

Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep nightly.

We also need a regular sleep pattern. Good luck!

To feel well rested, we also need to get all stages of sleep. For example, REM.

Deep sleep where you have your dreams. ( Getting promoted!)

If you have poor sleep, you may experience:

sleepiness (blue chair)

decreased reaction time (answering the Chief's questions)

Impaired cognition ( what did we just bump?)

Irritability ( you know who you are)

Anxiety

Depression

Increased accidents ( what did we just bump?)

Be Careful!

Be aware of medicines that cause disrupt sleep like, pseudophed, antidepressents, amphetamins, nd diet pills.

There are common medical problems that cause sleepiness.

  • Chronic pain.

  • Hayfever

  • heartburn

  • Depression

  • arthritis

Some of you may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This is when you stop breathing when you snore!

Your brain goes into survival mode and wakes you up.

There are some physical findings in sleep apnea:

Upper body obesity

Thick neck ( 17" or > in men and 16" or > in women)

Hypertension

Narrow airway (elevated tongue,elongated soft palate, small jaw)

Sleep apnea is associated with risk of mortality. It goes up with age. People with sleep apnea have a higher risk of accidents than all drivers. All drivers includes those that are intoxicated!

Spousal Arousal Syndrome-

I know what you are thinking. No it's not that. This is when you inadvertently wake up your spouse in the middle of the night. Yup, that's why they are so grumpy. It is your fault!

Insomnia-

You may have insomnia if you have difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying awake, or poor quality of sleep. It is often associated with Distress and impaired function.

LACoFD Fit 4 Life Phoenix Fire Health and Fitness Symposium