Sleep Apnea Book

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Foreword By Noah S. Siegel, MD

The more I learn about sleep, the more I am enchanted by its restorative powers and the more I am motivated to better understand its mysteries. How is it that ‘shutting down’ for 7-8 hours per day provides the foundation of so many of our essential bodily functions? Sleep clears of brains of waste products, consolidates our memories, refreshes our muscles, regulates hormones and synchronizes our organ systems. At the end of the day, my mind feels dull, I am more moody and my muscles feel fatigued. Yet in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, I can focus better, my body aches less and I am ready to attack another day. Therein lies the miracle of sleep! Despite the fact that sleep is essential to optimal functioning, the majority of us have sleep problems. Those sleep problems may be as straightforward as not getting enough of it or having difficulty falling asleep. There are also very common intrinsic sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which is the focus of this book. It is well known that individuals with sleep apnea commonly have poor sleep quality. Sufferers of OSA don’t thrive because they don’t breathe well at night. As a result, their sleep is less restorative. It is often challenging for individuals with OSA to accomplish simple daily tasks. Many sufferers are not productive at work or lack adequate energy to optimally interact with family members. Furthermore, untreated obstructive sleep apnea is stressful to the body and increases risk for hypertension, irregular heart rhythms, stroke and neurocognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s disease. By now, I may have convinced you that untreated sleep apnea is bad and sufferers need therapy. While continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is effective, this….. Read the forward in it’s entirety here