Sleeping, Snoring, Strokes

From Mike:
Years ago, when I focused on my goals and purposes, I put on the top of my want list to be able to wake up rested. It just seemed to make sense. Lately, too many close friends are reporting how little sleep they get and their apparent lack of regard or ability to deal with that. This is for them...and you.

Cheating on sleep even for a few nights increases brain levels of cortisol, a potentially dangerous stress hormone. Lack of sleep can dull the brain, sap energy, increase irritability and depression and make people more accident-prone. You can offset this a little by being in great physical shape, but many abuse this with overtraining, and I believe it impairs their judgment. Dr. Robert Greene, Harvard Medical School neuroscientist stated, "If sleep is needed for brain function to be working in an optimal way, you are losing that."

A National Sleep Foundation survey found that nearly two out of three Americans did not get their recommended eight hours of sleep a night. Thirty percent of those get less than six hours of sleep. For most, eight hours of sleep is adequate, although some function well on six hours, even four; others need ten. Many have forgotten what a good night's sleep feels like.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is our primary energy currency and is produced in large quantities during sleep. It, among other tasks, replenishes the brain's energy supplies. ATP is mostly made up of hydrogen and the oxygen we breathe. Sleep deprivation causes the brain to bumble along on dwindling energy stores. Your judgment can go way down when this happens. You are not as aroused, your alertness suffers, and your reaction time decreases. Dr. Greene also states that "With increasing sleep deprivation, people can't avoid becoming drowsy and dropping off even when they don't want to."

An insidious and subtle issue is the chair you are sitting in. Do you often fall asleep watching a program you would have rather stayed awake to watch?

An estimated 100,000 car crashes annually are blamed on sleepy drivers. People report that using my recorded #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2, also called the Tibetan Caffeine, energizes and focuses while facilitating a potentially life-saving increased mental clarity and second wind. It is not recommended that you use it and drive a vehicle, but I have done so with great success.

Sleep loss causes a stress hormone cortisol to increase, while two other hormones -- muscle-building human growth hormone and prolactin, which oversees the immune system -- decrease. Studies in animals (primates and rats again?) and older people show that long-term exposure to abnormally high levels of cortisol can damage brain cells, causing shrinkage in the hippocampus, a critical region of the brain that regulates learning and memory.

Sleep deprivation and sleep habits do correlate with academic grades. A study out of Worcester, MA, shows that students who received low grades (C's, D's, F's), obtained about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed an average of 40 minutes later on school nights than students with high grades (A's and B's). Adolescents who slept less than 7 hours reported increased daytime sleepiness, depressed mood, and behavior problems. Wolfson, A. 1998. Child Development, Vol 69(4) 875-887.

The less we breathe, the less we stay in touch with our intuitive sense. I asked the creator of a college holistic health program, "Why do we put our students under such high-volume academically based, sleep-stealing stresses during school years and doesn't that set up a pattern of future potential self abuse and why would we want to do that?" His answer was a sheepish grin and that "Maybe it is some form of initiation." I believe that part of the reason is that if the student is given more time to breathe and reflect on his or her inner processes, the student will do what the student feels is more appropriate for the student; that may challenge and threaten the smoothness and efficiency of the present educational system. A subject worth an entire library section.

Anecdotal aside: L.M. Boyd's Grab Bag column shares that "researchers say your marriage can be expected to last longer if your sleep/wake cycle is the same as your mate's." They recommend that you synchronize your body clocks but don't say how. A breathing exercise (such as products #120 Better Breathing Exercise #1, #130 Better Breathing Exercise #2, or #140 Breathing Self Esteem) that couples can do together can work wonders. The relationship may well be less stressed and run smoother or more "consciously."

In mice whose body clocks -- also known as circadian rhythms -- were disrupted, "the body's defense system was apparently less able to control tumor growth." Others were following up on recent reports that the disruption of the body clock of those who perform shift work seems to result in a higher propensity for cancer.

In half the mice in the experiment, the researchers destroyed a part of the brain that controls the body's natural rhythms, including sleep-wake cycles as well as body temperature, hormone release patterns, immune response and metabolism. The remaining "control" mice received mock surgery.

The mice with part of their brains destroyed lost proper functioning of their body's natural rhythms, remaining at a more constant level throughout the day and night.

Researchers then implanted tumors into all of the animals, and monitored the animals for tumor growth as well as long-term survival rates.

The investigators found that the tumors grew two to three times faster in the animals whose rhythms had been disrupted. Those animals also experienced a significantly worse survival rate, living only 22 days after the tumor graft, compared with 26 days in the other group.

The study authors speculate that the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythms may play a role in fighting off disease by its influence of the body's immune responses or hormonal fluctuations.

Human health is at its best when we have regular routines. This need is magnified in cases of chronic illness, so regular schedules in patients are well advised.

The findings may also point to ways that proper functioning of the body clock checks tumor growth. Journal of the National Cancer Institute May 1, 2002;94:690-697

While being underweight may support longevity, too little sleep may hasten aging. Decline in sleep is one the earliest events of aging. People should preserve the quality of their sleep as carefully as they look after their nutrition, exercise and attitude.

In a SUNY Buffalo analysis of 1,348 adults in a stroke-screening program, the frequency of prior stroke or TIA was 14% in stay-abeds who routinely slept for more than eight hours a night, vs.. 5.4% for those who slept either for six to eight hours or for less than six hours. In addition, daytime somnolence racked up a stroke frequency of 14%, vs.. 4% for those who stayed awake, stroke neurologist Adnan I. Qureshi and colleagues reported at the International Stroke Conference here.

After adjustment for age, race, gender, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes, the risk for stroke was independently and significantly associated with daytime somnolence and extended sleep duration.

Dr. Qureshi reported that the disturbed-sleep patterns were not associated with carotid atherosclerosis. Depression or sleep apnea may play a role, although the mechanism is still uncertain.

Some say the Taoist way is to sleep on the side. This position compresses the rib cage on one side.

From a respiratory psychophysiology perspective, stomach sleeping has been an indicator of long-term unresolved emotional issues or present-time anxieties or insecurities. A strong desire to sleep on the belly can draw one's attention to an emotional issue surfacing for resolution. Lie on your back and place your left hand over your heart and right hand on your belly. It should feel somewhat comforting. There is a key "sleeping on one's back" training insight taught in the #176 Rapidly Improving Your Breathing Video, workshops, private sessions, and teacher trainings.

Director, Sleep Disorders Center, Albany, NY. "Many individuals who snore, mouth breathe during sleep. The open mouth posture unfavorably alters the pharyngeal airway. Furthermore, the nasal mucosa, which is bypassed by mouth breathing, may have receptors which respond to airflow and serve as afferent stimuli for the neural regulatory mechanisms of respiration. Eliminating this afferent input to reflex arcs involving upper airway muscles may predispose one to Obstructive Sleep Apnea." [Sleep Medicine Chest Physicians Course Handbook]

Mouth Breathing
Though we need the mucous (not excessively though) and tiny hairs in the inside of the nose to filter dust and airborne particles, breathing from the mouth is on the average about twice as easy as through the nose. So during sleep, and situations calling for extra energy, we often take the path of least resistance and breathe through the mouth. During sleep, this opens the mouth and awakens the opportunity for sound. If the throat is blocked or the tongue is closing off the throat enough (a breathing block), excessive noise can occur.

Snoring in children may be cause for concern. At least that's the conclusion in a new study out of the University of South Australia. When they studied over 2,000 children who snored versus those who did not, they found significant cognitive differences. Compared to non-snorers, children who snored showed significantly impaired attention and lower memory and IQ scores. Blunden, S., et.al, 2000. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Neuropsychology, Vol 22(5) 554-568.

From Mike:
I felt sick to my stomach after reading this. How sad. If they only would have tried to develop the breathing first.

My best suggestion for apnea is to develop the breath during waking hours. Then it works better while sleeping. Apnea is difficult. That is why when you see any sign of it, you had better get working on it right away. I believe it requires a coach and significant time spent retraining the breathing. Singing is of great assistance. For sleep apnea, some clients of mine have had success with special breathing redevelopment techniques.

The mechanical breathing devices can be a good emergency measure for some. But they do not conform to one's natural/inconsistent breathing patterns, and thus actually mechanize/control the breathing beyond what I believe is healthy. I do not believe that at this time there are any programs that train people to breathe better in conjunction with those mechanical breathing devices. I believe this is critical to not being forced to use the mechanical devise for the rest of one's life.

• Practice correct internal breathing coordination plus optimal ergonomics in sitting, standing and sleeping. With them, many sleep-related problems can be dealt with effectively. However, when apnea exists, conventional medical approaches such as CPAP may be required lest the apnea cause further heart strain.

• Exercise? Yes, absolutely, exercise can help one sleep. However, exercising too close to bedtime can keep you awake. Hakuin, perhaps history's most famous Zen Buddhist monk said, "Meditation in movement is a billion times superior to meditation in stillness." I am also working on a video for those looking for a "moving and breathing meditation."

• "Lose weight if you are overweight, get plenty of sleep," recommends James Biddle, M.D.

• Supplement with calcium magnesium with additional magnesium and potassium (500 mg each). I prefer oyster shell calcium due to its inclusion of natural trace minerals from the sea. Also Vitamin B12, biotin, magnesium have been mentioned as relevant.

• Get plenty of sleep.

• Sleep on a regular schedule (i.e., the same time frame each night).

• Keep your bed for sleeping (and making love), not watching TV.

• Sleep on a stiff mattress.

• Try special magnetized mattresses. I got some benefit from one for one night. After then I didn't notice any difference. No trouble sleeping anyway. Try them out before you buy them.

• Make sure you have nostrils that are open. Try my favorite "stick-ons" such as Breathe Right and the Chin-Up Strip. Breathe Right band aid strips bought at the drug store can help. Allergies can close them. Improper breathing causes excess adrenaline which stimulates excess histamine. That is one reason we often take an "anti histamine" when we have a cold. Rebalancing the breathing often reduces excessive adrenaline.

  The Chin-Up strip has been used successfully to eliminate apnea. It is also being used in conjunction with CPAP and BPAP (mechanical breathing devices) as it causes a better seal and reduces loss of air. This increased oxygenation, of course, affects ALL cellular metabolism and lung function quite positively. The Chin up strip has been associated with an increase in the success rate with being able to eliminate the need for the mechanical devices.

• Try the Sleep Soundly audio if you feel that sound might be helpful.

• Have your lover give you a foot massage.

• Either one of the following has worked. Not WILL work, HAS worked. Access Nose Breathe® Mouthpiece and with it, use the #120 Better Breathing Exercise #1 (product #120).

• Eat a light and/or complex carbohydrate meal at dinner. Save the meat, fish and poultry proteins for earlier in the day. Eating high concentrations of protein for dinner gives you "long-term" energy as well as loads up the digestive and assimilation process a nocturnal "second job." You don't need long-term energy when you are sleeping unless to somnambulate several miles or hours. However, turkey contains Tryptophan that is the precursor to serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps us sleep. Many people sleep better after a high complex carbohydrate meal. Approximately 70% of the complex carbohydrates get converted into carbon dioxide and are excreted by the breath, if you breathe fully that is.

• Eat the following pre-bedtime foods that aid sleep: bananas, celery and celery juice, wheat germ, brown rice, lemon water and honey, brewer's yeast.

• Avoid salty and sugary foods before bed.

• Try to avoid excitement before going to bed as well as caffeine, alcohol and drugs that may interfere with sleep.

• Be careful using valerian. It can make one drowsy during the day. Melatonin may be safer and gentler but should be monitored by a health professional as should valerian.

• Avoid tranquilizers and nervous system depressants before sleep.

• Try SnoreStop "Clinically proven to stop or reduce the symptoms of snoring."

• Try Snore Guard®.

• Practice biofeedback as an adjunctive approach. Note that as good as biofeedback can be, I experienced a restriction of my breathing from the rubber band around my chest.

• Get tested for hypothyroidism. Thyroid problems can effect sleep. Dr. Andrew Weil states that snoring can stem from hypothyroidism (poor breathing makes worse) or a deviated septum.

• Have a medical doctor check you out for sleep apnea...NOW. If you DO have it, make sure they train you to develop your breathing so that you will not have to stay on a mechanical breathing device the rest of your life.

• There is a product that wakes you up several times so you do not sleep as deeply. Wonder if it adds to excessive sleep loss? I don't think it's a good idea. In fact I think the idea is ridiculous.

• A sleep clinic employee who was also one of my clients reports that the sleep clinic attaches many electrodes to people to help them to sleep and the electrodes often keep the patient awake. If they keep some awake, don't you suspect they take others out of as deep a sleep as they might be otherwise capable of?

• Consider CPAP & surgery as a last resort. The American School of Medicine's June 1998 Resource Manual includes a published paper where the author states that surgical means to alleviate snoring have not been widely accepted as yet. It says that:

  "Diagnosis usually requires tests called polysomnography, conducted in a sleep lab. These tests measure the frequency and duration of apnea episodes, as well as heartbeat rate, frequency of awakening, and changes in arterial oxygen saturation. Obstructive Sleep Apnea may be treated with behavioral methods, continuous or intermittent positive airway pressure devices (CPAP) or surgical treatments. No currently available treatment is very successful. CPAP is usually most successful, but many patients find the devices difficult to use. People build up a dependency on them, and they do not drive the breathing in a reasonably inconsistent -- natural -- way. Tracheostomy is the only other treatment that is as effective, but few patients want surgery that requires a permanent prosthesis in the neck."

  I have heard of surgery in the throat even removing the uvula. If they have not tried to retrain the person breathing, then this may well be akin to unbridled abuse of the surgical modality.

Most medical research behind breathing is based on experiments with rodents and monkeys. None of which breathe like humans. I mentioned before that too few apnea sufferers or snorers are being properly trained to breathe better and so most end up staying on the equipment for life.

From a respiratory psychophysiology perspective, even average breathing is the basis of a great deal of (internal) common sense. So for some, the above information is all that is needed to make a life-saving/enhancing change. For others, whose nervous system, breathing blocks, and/or lifestyle preclude this "common sense," extra-ordinary or "optimal" measures are in order. #176 Rapidly Improving Your Breathing Video

To see how breathing might relate to sleep, take our breathing tests. Our recommended program to improve breathing to help sleep and to help augment any medical program for recovery from stroke is the #179P Sleep Program. Stroke and apnea patients should use this with full knowledge and permission of their attending physician. They will want to take the Free Breathing Tests and use our program to augment whatever the physician recommends.