Category: Blog

Dr Andrew Rosenstengel Sleep/Respiratory PhysicianHoly Spirit Northside Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with repetitive episodes of reduced airflow through the upper airway (hypopnoeas) or complete upper airway obstruction (apneas) associated with reduced blood oxygen levels (desaturations). This condition is more prevalent in obese patients. These patients are in turn more likely… Continue reading Obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease

Dr Katherine Semple | MBBS (Hons) MPhil FRACP Thoracic and Sleep PhysicianPulmedica, Greenslopes Private Hospital | t: 07 3847 8890 | f: 07 3847 8891VMO Mater Adult Hospital Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are both common diseases. Almost 20% of COPD patients also have OSA. The combination is associated with… Continue reading COPD and OSA Overlap Syndrome

Dr Michael Fanning Insomnia: A sleep physician’s perspective The next time a patient complains of insomnia, before you reach for a prescription pad to write temazepam, consider the following… apart from poor sleep hygiene and psychophysiologic insomnia (whereby the patient’s anxiety about insomnia exacerbates the insomnia), insomnia is frequently secondary to circadian rhythm disorders and… Continue reading Insomnia: A sleep physician’s perspective

by Dr Sadasivam Suresh. In children Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is an outstanding example of the seamless transition from normal phenomenon to an abnormal pathology. Snoring is noted in at least 15% of paediatric population at any one stage and is considered benign when it is not associated with any other sleep symptomatology. The… Continue reading Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Children

Dr Geoff Eather Respiratory and Sleep Physician Telephone: 07 3846 7955 | Facsimile: 07 3217 2523 | Website: www.qsdu.com.au Well recognised risk factors for motor vehicle accidents include driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and excessive speed. It has been estimated however that 15 to 20% of all crashes are related to sleepiness.… Continue reading Sleepiness and Driving Risk

Gender Difference In Snoring and How It Changes with Age: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression. Chan Chung-Hong; Wong Billy M; Tang Jin-Ling; Ng Daniel K Department of Paediatrics, Kwong Wah Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. chainsawtiney@gmail.com Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung ( Germany ) Dec 2012 , 16 (4) p977-86 PURPOSE: The aim of… Continue reading Men’s Issues & Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

The older patient population is growing rapidly around the world and in the USA. Almost half of seniors over age 65 who live at home are dissatisfied with their sleep, and nearly two-thirds of those residing in nursing home facilities suffer from sleep disorders. Chronic and pervasive sleep complaints and disturbances are frequently associated with… Continue reading Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease & Sleep Disorders

Central sleep apnea is not a single disease entity, but rather includes several disorders in which the common abnormality is an absence of ‘signals’ from the brain, to the respiratory muscles which regulate breathing. In some people, recurrent central sleep apneas during sleep are not associated with any apparent effects or physiologic disturbances. In others,… Continue reading Central Sleep Apnea

What is Insomia? Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep waking up too early in the morning un-refreshing sleep Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of… Continue reading Insomnia

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) and restless leg syndrome (RLS) are distinct disorders, but often occur simultaneously. Both PLMD and RLS are also called (nocturnal) myoclonus, which describes frequent or involuntary muscle spasms. Periodic limb movement was formally described first in the 1950s, and, by the 1970s, it was listed as a potential cause of… Continue reading Periodic Limb Movement Disorder