Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder of interrupted breathing during sleep. It usually occurs in association with fat buildup or loss of muscle tone with aging. These changes allow the windpipe to collapse during breathing when muscles relax during sleep . This problem, called obstructive sleep apnea, is usually associated with loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has this disorder). Sleep apnea also can occur if the neurons that control breathing malfunction during sleep.

Almost everyone does it at one time or another, but is it more than just a nuisance to everyone who hears it?

Snoring may be related to sleep apnea (a risk factor for high blood pressure, heart fai

"Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may have little affect on blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and hypertension," according to an article in CHEST, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

According to this Life Extension article, the "... American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study reporting that food eaten early in the day generated more energy (diet-induced thermogenesis) than food eaten later in the day. This study provided evidence that the body's basal metabolic rate is highest early in the day, burning off calories as energy, whereas these same calories consumed at night are more likely to be stored as fat (Romon et al 1993). Based on this evidence, some physicians advocate that overweight patients should not eat anything after 7:00 p.m.