Another common sleep disorder is apnea, a collapse of the airways that afflicts approximately 18 million people in the United States. Many can be helped with a plastic face mask attached to a continuous positive air pressure machine that gently maintains positive pressure in the patient's airway during sleep, thus preventing the sof tissue collapse that causes the syndrome. But more than a third of patients can not tolerate using the device. Alteratives include surgery, dental devices, oral pressue therapy (a device that essentially provided a cacuum inside th mouth) and changes in sleep position.
Or losing weight. Every 1 percent drop in weight causes a 3 percent decrease in sleep apnea. With more than 2500 sleep clinics accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which has close to 10,000 members encompassing medical prfessionals of all types, finding help for a sleep problem is easy. But be prepared to answer some personal questions: Do you keep your iPhone on the nightstand and "forget" to turn it off? Are you playing video games at 11pm and expecting to sleep 10 minutes after shutting down the Xbox? Do you check your work email one "last" time at midnight? Many people find these discussions uncomfortable.
Or losing weight. Every 1 percent drop in weight causes a 3 percent decrease in sleep apnea. With more than 2500 sleep clinics accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which has close to 10,000 members encompassing medical prfessionals of all types, finding help for a sleep problem is easy. But be prepared to answer some personal questions: Do you keep your iPhone on the nightstand and "forget" to turn it off? Are you playing video games at 11pm and expecting to sleep 10 minutes after shutting down the Xbox? Do you check your work email one "last" time at midnight? Many people find these discussions uncomfortable.
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