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Adventures in Polysomnography

Bronchitis linked to snoring
January 31, 2008 11:30 AM by Pam Ryan
New Korean research indicates that regular snoring may double the risk of chronic bronchitis. From earlier research , we already knew that people who suffer from chronic bronchitis are more likely to snore, or have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This Read More...
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Heath Ledger's Death: an Important Lesson
January 28, 2008 10:56 AM by Pam Ryan
Actor Heath Ledger died last week. While the autopsy was "inconclusive", and the official cause of death has yet to be announced, the press is buzzing about the likelihood of an accidental overdose. Sources say that a variety of prescription medications Read More...
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How many masks?
January 24, 2008 11:11 AM by Pam Ryan
How many masks do you have available at your sleep laboratory? Do you try to always get the "latest greatest" masks, or do you stick to mostly "tried and true"? How often do you use a full-face mask instead of a nasal mask? I got to talking about these Read More...
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Cell phones accused of damaging sleep
January 21, 2008 9:02 AM by Pam Ryan
I have a vegan friend who has always distrusted cell phones, and refuses to use one. I used to laugh at this, likening it to my father's early misgivings about microwave ovens. When we got our first microwave in the 1980s (as a gift), Dad would hurry Read More...
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Worming our way toward the purpose of sleep
January 17, 2008 9:34 AM by Pam Ryan
Why do we sleep? This fundamental question has remained a mystery for thousands of years. The precise answer has always eluded us (and is likely to be quite complex). But the more we study this question, the more it seems to me that the bottom line is Read More...
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The sweet spot: sleep length, sleep depth, & diabetes
January 7, 2008 9:17 AM by Pam Ryan
You probably already know that there is a link between poor sleep hygiene and death . If we graphed this relationship, we'd get a "U-shaped" distribution. In other words, if your sleep duration is extreme - either extremely short or extremely long - your Read More...
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Bacterial Filters
January 4, 2008 7:45 AM by Pam Ryan
Do you routinely place a disposable bacterial filter at the far end of each patient's CPAP tubing before connecting hose to machine? From an infection control standpoint, it may be an important question, especially if your lab provides heated humidity Read More...
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Obesity and sleep
January 2, 2008 10:27 AM by Pam Ryan
I ran across a great article published in the Baltimore Sun ( click here to read it ), that discusses the link between sleep and obesity. Research has consistently found a correlation between sleep deprivation and obesity, and has also established a possible Read More...
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Orexin-A as a nasal spray
December 31, 2007 7:34 AM by Pam Ryan
Exciting new primate research , published in the December 26, 2007 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that a quick whiff of orexin-A can correct many of the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. Prior research had already shown that Read More...
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Teens and “Junk sleep”
December 27, 2007 9:27 AM by Pam Ryan
A lot of teenagers will be receiving electronic gifts this holiday season: cell phones, iPods, computers, etc. But if they use them in the evening in their bedrooms, they may fall victim to "junk sleep" - sleep whose quality and quantity are not adequate Read More...
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Medicare proposes loosening sleep test rules
December 18, 2007 11:35 AM by Pam Ryan
On December 14, 2007, Medicare released a DRAFT of a new position statement on home testing. Click here to read it. Medicare is collecting public comment for 30 days, and plans to finalize the new policy by March 2008. The good news: the new document Read More...
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Accredited Lab Investigated for Medicare Fraud
December 17, 2007 8:54 AM by Pam Ryan
Are all Medicare tests at your sleep lab run by RPSGTs, REEGTs, RRTs, RNs, or similarly qualified techs? If not, you might be in trouble. Medicare recently launched an investigation against HMS Diagnostic, an AASM-accredited sleep laboratory located in Read More...
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Eyes Wide Open
December 13, 2007 9:50 AM by Pam Ryan
Have you ever seen anyone sleep with their eyes open? At first, the sleeper looks a bit like a zombie, because the pupils are barely visible. Then when REM sets in, it gets even more bizarre - while the body lies motionless, the pupils start darting in Read More...
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Perk Up!
December 11, 2007 11:10 AM by Pam Ryan
Your eyelids are feeling very heavy after a long night shift, and as you reach for your car keys, you wonder if this time, you really might have a fall-asleep crash on your homeward commute. Which is more likely to improve your driving: taking a short Read More...
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There’s no such thing as one restless leg!
December 5, 2007 9:54 AM by Pam Ryan
More and more, I hear people - physicians, techs, patients, media spokespeople - referring to Restless Leg (singular) Syndrome. Where did this come from? Does anybody have just one restless leg? Now, if you've ever scored a PSG, it's true that many patients Read More...
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