Sleep Technology

  I was a postdoctoral fellow at Argonne National Laboratory and had the pleasure of working with George Sacher. At the time, he was president of the Gerontological Society of America and had spent his life working on ways to increase lifespan. He was a proponent of hormesis, the idea that moderation was the path to a longer life. Of course, some things should be off the list, like a moderate amount of murder. 

Sleep problems can predispose individuals to many medical conditions. Conversely, medical disorders can lead to sleep disturbance. In fact, sleep disturbance represents one of the most challenging, yet exceptionally common problems faced in the primary care practice today.

Unlike what many people think, sleep apnea is not just a sleep problem.  Sleep apnea is failure to breathe properly during sleep. This means vital organs don’t get the oxygen they need.  It is a serious problem, especially for the heart. During sleep, the body should be resting.  With sleep apnea, the body struggles due to low oxygen levels causing increased stress on the heart.