Health
It’s Hard To Ignore The Sounds Of A Snore
By
Aug 10, 2008, 21:28

(NAPSI)-How many times has your bed partner’s snoring been so loud that you were forced to sleep in a different room? If your sleep suffers because you can’t ignore your loved one’s snore, you’re not alone.

In fact, 67 percent of adults polled in a National Sleep Foundation survey reported that their bed partner snores, and 31 percent said they sleep in a separate bedroom or use earplugs because of their partner’s sleep problem.

But it could be more than a snore since snoring, along with excessive sleepiness, is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

OSA affects up to 18 million Americans and occurs when a person repeatedly stops breathing or experiences shallow breathing for short periods of time during sleep because the tongue and tissues at the back of the throat relax and block the airway to the lungs. While a primary symptom of OSA is excessive sleepiness, other symptoms include frequent loud snoring followed by interrupted periods of silence, gasping for air, restless sleep and morning headaches.

OSA is commonly treated by the nighttime use of a mask-like device and pump called nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This device must be worn every night in order to be effective and many people with OSA have trouble sticking with treatment for a long period of time. However, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that men with OSA are 60 percent more likely to adhere to using CPAP when sharing a bed with their bed partner.

“I find that my male patients use their CPAP more consistently throughout the night when sleeping in the same bed as their spouse,” said Richard K. Bogan, M.D., FCCP. “This helps minimize the loud snoring that might otherwise keep one’s bed partner awake and cause both the patient and his spouse to suffer from sleepiness during the day.”

Even when CPAP is used every night, some patients continue to feel excessively sleepy during the day. In one clinical study, as many as half of the patients with OSA who used CPAP still experienced excessive sleepiness.

“It is not uncommon for patients to still feel sleepy the next day despite receiving treatment for their OSA,” said Dr. Bogan. “Although often overlooked, this residual excessive sleepiness can significantly impact one’s day-some of my patients with OSA report that they are too tired to spend time with family and friends, or to stay awake at work.”

Patients with OSA who regularly use CPAP yet continue to feel excessively sleepy during the day should discuss their level of sleepiness with a physician.

A new Web site, www.StillSleepy.com, provides an online tool that helps patients with OSA track their daily level of sleepiness over time and also lets users compare levels of sleepiness with others who use the tracker. Results can be printed out in a report and used to start a conversation with a doctor about how to best manage symptoms.

For more information about OSA, visit www.StillSleepy.com.

Note to Editors: Please note: This article was written by Cephalon, Inc., makers of PROVIGIL® (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV].

PROVIGIL is a prescription medicine used to improve wakefulness in adults who experience excessive sleepiness (ES) due to one of the following diagnosed sleep disorders: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), or narcolepsy.

In patients with OSA, PROVIGIL is used along with other medical treatments for this sleep disorder. PROVIGIL is not a replacement for your current treatment. Consult your doctor about the importance of continuing your current OSA treatment while taking PROVIGIL.

PROVIGIL may cause you to have a serious rash or a serious allergic reaction that may result in hospitalization or be life-threatening. If you develop a rash, hives, sores, swelling, or trouble swallowing or breathing, stop taking PROVIGIL and call your doctor right away or get emergency treatment.

PROVIGIL is not approved for use in children.

If you experience chest pain, depression, anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis, mania, thoughts of suicide, aggression, or other mental problems, stop taking PROVIGIL and call your doctor right away or get emergency treatment.

PROVIGIL does not replace sleep and may not stop your ES completely. Do not drive or do other dangerous activities until you know how PROVIGIL affects you. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking PROVIGIL.

PROVIGIL has the potential to be abused or lead to dependence. Please use only as directed.

Tell your doctor if you have: history of mental health problems (including psychosis), heart problems or had a heart attack, high blood pressure, liver or kidney problems, a history of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction, or are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding.

Women who use hormonal birth control may have a higher chance of getting pregnant, while taking PROVIGIL, and for one month after stopping. Talk to your doctor about other birth control methods while taking PROVIGIL.

Common side effects of PROVIGIL are headache, nausea, nervousness, stuffy nose, diarrhea, back pain, anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness, and upset stomach.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

For more information, ask your doctor, or call 1-800-896-5855, or visit www.PROVIGIL.com.

This information does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your condition or treatment.

Please see the Patient Information in the Full Prescribing Information for PROVIGIL.

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