An estimated 3.3 million Canadians age 15 or older have problems getting enough sleep and that may be affecting their health and quality of life. For many the road to a good night’s sleep is paved with obstacles – often a sleep disorder, ranging from insomnia to restless legs syndrome to sleep apnea.

“The consequences of sleep deprivation can be serious. For example, it has been shown that sleep times less than 5 hours per night are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases,” says Dr. Doug Bradley, a senior investigator in the area of sleep apnea at Toronto Rehab, Canada’s largest provider of adult rehabilitation services.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person to stop breathing for short periods, in some instances hundreds of times a night, as a result of the collapse of their throat. Dr. Bradley’s research has found that there is a direct connection between sleep apnea and stroke. “Our studies have found that for people with moderate to severe sleep apnea, the odds of having a stroke in the next four years were almost four times greater than if you did not have sleep apnea,” says Dr. Bradley. More information on Dr. Bradley’s studies is available online at www.torontorehab.com.

How might sleep apnea increase stroke risk? “Recurrent interruptions in breathing during sleep deprive the brain of oxygen which increases adrenaline production causing blood pressure and heart rate to increase, and the blood to clot more readily” explains Dr. Bradley. “This can predispose people who suffer from hypertension to hemorrhagic strokes, and to strokes caused by clot formation in brain blood vessels.”

Signs of sleep apnea include:
• Loud habitual snoring;
• Restless sleep;
• Waking with a headache in the morning; or
• Excessive sleepiness at work, during social situations or while driving.

There is hope for people who suffer from sleep apnea. The most effective treatment for the disorder is continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP.

This device controls sleep apnea by forcing air through a tube and into a mask worn over the nose at night. Air pressure is transmitted through the nose and into the throat where it props the throat open allowing for continuous breathing and a good night’s sleep. - News Canada