In today’s edition of the Los Angeles Times, the popular syndicated columnist “Ask Amy” is asked the following question:

Dear Amy: My wife insists that we sleep in separate rooms. She says I snore — and maybe I do, a little — but sleeping alone makes me feel emotionally alone.

I’ve tried to compromise, asking her if we could stay together for a while first before splitting — but she will not yield, not even a little.

I was sad, but now I’m angry too.

After 20 years of marriage, I feel utterly rejected.

Help!

Sleeping Alone

Dear Alone: I read an article recently saying that “snoring rooms” are the latest thing in home design.  These little soundproof bedrooms give everybody a chance to get a decent night’s sleep if there is a snorer in the house. But the idea isn’t that the snoring room will become a separate bedroom– but more of an occasional refuge.

I agree with you that your wife’s actions are destructive, and your reaction is completely understandable. The charitable assumption is that your wife is so disabled by two decades of interrupted slumber that it has made her lash out.

But I don’t think this is really about the snoring.

Snoring is a relatively easy issue to grapple with, compared with what you two are facing — a lack of intimacy and exile to emotional Siberia.

Whenever a relationship changes so radically, it’s safe to assume there is something major going on.

You need to get to the bottom of this, and a marriage counselor could help.

The response that Amy gives “Sleeping Alone” assumes that the core problem is a lack of intimacy and that going to a marriage counselor would be the best solution. Though a lack of intimacy may have developed over the years of snoring, it is not intimacy that is the problem…

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Image by mlhradio via FlickrHave you been gasping every time you pull into the gas station to “fill ‘er up” and you watch the little $$ signs fly away out of your precious pocket book, while the gas prices go through the roof? There certainly is a cost to drive anywhere these days, and I don’t see it getting any better any time soon… Read the rest…

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Part 1 (part 2 on next page)The recent expose on 60 Minutes by Leslie Stahl was an amazing piece of journalism. As quoted by CBS News:”Human beings spend on average one third of their lives asleep. We know we need to sleep but most of us have never really given a whole lot of thought to why. Read the rest…

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Starting a new relationship after becoming divorced or widowed can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for women. Getting close to someone after a painful situation such as a death or divorce can be difficult in and of itself, however when you snore, moving the relationship to the next level can be even more emotionally trying.

While men significantly outnumber women when it comes to snoring, nearly a quarter of the female population is affected. Women are also less likely to suffer from sleep apnea, however, to those who are affected, treating the disorder can take the romantic edge off of any date.

Snoring can be a very sensitive issue, especially for women. It leaves people in a very vulnerable position and open to ridicule and rejection. I have had many female patients who have been in this situation and it can quite literally mean the end of a dating relationship.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the tongue, soft palate and tissues in the back of the throat block the airway.
When this takes place, the brain signals the body to wake so that breathing can resume. In addition to sleep deprivation, sleep apnea can cause a host of other serious medical conditions, including an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and even heart attacks.

In order to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea you must be tested by a qualified sleep lab.

If you are a woman who snores, and are looking for help, there is hope! Your dating life can be revived. Just come on in and see me for a free consultation. My practice is located near Los Angeles.

What you will find is that some sleep apnea treatment may requires a patient to use a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure). This device forces air into the patient’s nose through a specially designed mask, however many patients are uncomfortable with this type of treatment and I have found that nearly half are CPAP intolerant.

Another great option for treating sleep disorders such as OSA is the use of an oral appliance. The basic oral appliance treats apnea by adjusting the position of the tongue moving the jaw forward, eliminating the risk that soft tissues will obstruct the airway. We have a patented and FDA approved oral appliance called the “FullBreath”, which has been shown to reduce apneic incidents by close to 85 percent.

It’s covered by most insurance, Medicare and we have financing available. Comment’s are welcome.

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I don’t know if you are like me, I love holidays. It’s great to celebrate being alive and having family to share it with. Each new year we have the opportunity to “start over” again and refocus attention on what is really important to us, what goals we want to set, what we want to stop doing, and what we want to start doing better.

Perhaps you have decided that your health is important. Living that “healthy lifestyle” by eating right, getting some exercise, losing weight, and living a more balanced life. You start the year with great gusto and a commitment to do the right things.

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This holiday season there should be someone very special on your gift list…. YOU!

I have a very special message for you this year.

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As the youngest of 76 million boomers are now move through their 40s, men especially over 40 are more likely to have sleep disorders than women.

About 37 percent of American adults ages 30-69 have at least mild OSA. In a sleep apnea cycle, breathing stops, blood oxygen levels drop, and the person wakes briefly gasping for breath. This continues hundreds of times throughout the night. Apnea is classified as a complete cessation of breathing. Each episode of sleep apnea lasts a minimum of 10 seconds

What causes this high prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in baby boomers? It’s not just because they are ‘boomers’; rather, it is due to the continued changes of growing older. Changes in airway anatomy occur with age. The soft palate gets longer, the pharyngeal fat pads increase in size, and the shape of bony structures around the pharyngeal airway change. All of these contribute to the increased prevalence of sleep apnea in baby boomers.

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