Restless Leg Syndrome and Sleep Apnea

Do people snicker when you tell them you have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)? They wouldn’t if they knew the amount of sleep deprivation RLS can cause. The name Rest­less Leg Syndrome^– may be part of why people don’t take this condi­tion as seriously.

Restless Leg Syndrome causes an urge to move the legs and sometimes arms and it is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the legs. It generally is worse at nighttime and is relieved by movement. In a large number of cases it can be accompanied by sleep deprivation or sleep apnea and then it is also called periodic limb movement disorder.

The cause is known on­ly in a minority of cases. About 40 percent seem to run in fami­lies and several genet­ic factors have been iden­tified. Iron deficiency sometimes is associat­ed with RLS and replacement of the iron can im­prove symptoms. Mod­erate exercise, leg mas­sage and heat (say, a warm bath before bed) are some non-drug ways of improving symptoms. Levodopa/carbidopa, a Parkinson’s drug, is an effective treatment; pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole (Requip) also are effective for ma­ny people.

Some people with restless legs syndrome never seek medical attention because they worry that their symptoms are too difficult to describe or won’t be taken seriously. Some doctors wrongly attribute symptoms to nervousness, stress, insomnia or muscle cramps. But RLS has received more media attention and focus from the medical community in recent years, making more people aware of the condition.  An expert in the condition, usually a neurologist, is essential for severe cases. A specialist in diagnosing sleep apnea will be able to evaluate if the condition is causing sleep apnea and it may be necessary for the physicians to coordinate treatment.

You can learn more about Restless Leg Syndrome at the Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191

Common Sleep Problem Linked With Memory Loss

The part of the brain that stores memory appears to shrink in people with sleep apnea, adding further evidence that the sleep and breathing disorder is a serious health threat.

The findings, from brain scan studies conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, show for the first time that sleep apnea is associated with tissue loss in brain regions that store memory. And while the thinking and focus problems of sleep apnea patients often are attributed to sleep deprivation, the scans show something far more insidious is occurring.

“Our findings demonstrate that impaired breathing during sleep can lead to a serious brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking,” said principal investigator Ronald Harper, professor of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A.

The researchers don’t know why the sleep disorder affects brain tissue but theorize that it’s related to repeated drops in oxygen. During an apnea episode, the brain’s blood vessels constrict, starving its tissue of oxygen and causing cells to die. The inflammatory process, also linked with heart disease and stroke, further damages the tissue.

The data show the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea.

Consistent Sleep Patterns Tied To Healthier Weight

A new study published online recently in the American Journal of Health Promotion suggests that keeping to a consistent sleep routine may help people maintain a healthier weight.

Bruce Bailey, a professor in exercise science at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, and colleagues found that women who woke at the same time and went to sleep at the same every day had lower body fat.

Prof. Bailey suggests going to bed late and sleeping in may do more harm than good:
“We have these internal clocks and throwing them off and not allowing them to get into a pattern does have an impact on our physiology.”

While previous studies have looked at sleep patterns and weight, this is the first study to look at the link between consistency of bed and wake time and body fat.
For their study, the researchers examined data on more than 300 young women aged between 17 and 26 attending two major Western US universities.

At the start of the study period, the women were assessed for body composition and were then given activity trackers to record their movements during the day and their sleep patterns at night for 7 consecutive days and nights.
The results showed that:

1. A consistent bed time, but particularly a consistent wake time, were linked to lower body fat.
2. Sleeping less than 6.5 or more than 8.5 hours a night was tied to higher body fat.
3. Sleeping between 8 and 8.5 hours a night was tied to the lowest levels of body fat.
4. Quality of sleep also appears to make a difference to body composition.
5. Participants whose wake and sleep time varied by more than 90 minutes had more body fat than those whose variations were limited to 60 minutes.

The researchers said they found wake time was particularly tied to body fat. The participants who consistently woke at the same time every day had the least body fat.
Prof. Bailey suggests consistent sleep patterns are probably closely tied to good sleep hygiene.
Altering sleep hygiene likely changes patterns of physical activity, which in turn alters hormones involved with digestion, with a knock-on effect on body fat.

Prof. Bailey’s recipe for improving sleep quality is to exercise, keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and only use your bed for sleeping in. He adds that:
“Sleep is often a casualty of trying to do more and be better and it is often sacrificed, especially by college students, who kind of wear it as a badge of honor.”

They found participants on a low-calorie diet lost the same amount of weight whether they slept an average of 8.5 hours or 5.5 hours each night. However, while they lost the same amount of weight, the composition was different.

Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea Can Be A Real Killer

NYC Train Driver Had Severe Sleep Apnea

The driver of a train that derailed late last year in New York City, killing four passengers, reportedly suffered from “severe sleep apnea.” William Rockefeller, the engineer at the controls of the Metro-North commuter train that derailed in the Bronx, had the sleep disorder at the time of the accident, and it had not previously been diagnosed.

 

In a development that could have wide-ranging implications for those who treat sleep disorders and/or sell sleep-related equipment, it is now confirmed by what those in the industry already knew, namely that sleep apnea can “cause drowsiness.”

“I was dazed, you know, looking straight ahead, almost like mesmerized,” Rockefeller reportedly told investigators. “I don’t know if anybody’s ever experienced like driving a long period of time in a car and staring at the tail lights in front of them, and you get almost like that hypnotic feeling staring straight ahead.”

“The disorder, characterized by shallow or interrupted breathing during sleep, often goes undiagnosed, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health,” wrote Jonathan Allen of Reuters. “Jeffrey Chartier, Rockefeller’s lawyer, also confirmed the diagnosis, saying Rockefeller cooperated with investigators and provided access to his medical records.”

Rockefeller’s last routine physical examination for Metro-North was in May 2011, and his last visit to his own doctor was in May 2013, the report said. “Before the accident, doctors had diagnosed Rockefeller as obese and having hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, low testosterone, vitamin D and B12 deficiencies, and mild high-frequency hearing loss,” wrote Allen.