The efficacy of three different mask styles on a PAP titration night.

Background: This study compared the efficacy of three different masks, nasal pillows, nasal masks and full face (oronasal) masks, during a single night of titration with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Methods: Fifty five subjects that included men (n=33) and women (n=22) were randomly assigned to one of three masks and underwent a routine titration with incremental CPAP applied through the different masks.

Results: CPAP applied through the nasal pillows and nasal mask was equally effective in treating mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea.

Moderating laboratory adaptation with the use of a heart-rate variability biofeedback device (StressEraser).

Difficulty sleeping is a common problem with laboratory polysomnograms. This affects both polysomnograms that are used as a clinical tool to investigate sleep pathology or as an outcome variable in research. The goal of this study was to use a handheld biofeedback device (StressEraser) to improve sleep quality in the laboratory.

Vagus nerve stimulation, sleep apnea, and CPAP titration.

Epilepsy and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are two relatively common disorders known to coexist and potentially exacerbate each other. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a currently used, adjunctive treatment for partial epilepsy and is generally well tolerated with few associated side effects. Some of the more common side effects include hoarseness of voice, laryngeal irritation and cough, especially after VNS current increases and the first few weeks of treatment.

Sleep disorders in multiple sclerosis.

Sleep disorders are pervasive in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) although clinically underrecognized by most physicians. The most common sleep disorders seen in patients with MS include insomnia, nocturnal movement disorders, sleep-disordered breathing, narcolepsy, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Factors that influence the quality of sleep in this patient population include pain, nocturia, depression, medication effect, location of lesions, and disease severity.

The role of actigraphy in the study of sleep and circadian rhythms.

In summary, although actigraphy is not as accurate as PSG for determining some sleep measurements, studies are in general agreement that actigraphy, with its ability to record continuously for long time periods, is more reliable than sleep logs which rely on the patients' recall of how many times they woke up or how long they slept during the night and is more reliable than observations which only capture short time periods. Actigraphy can provide information obtainable in no other practical way. It can also have a role in the medical care of patients with sleep disorders.

Caffeine consumption and weekly sleep patterns in US seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders.

Objective: To survey caffeine use by seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-graders and relate its use to age, sex, sleep characteristics, and day of week

Methods: Students kept a daily, 2-week diary of their sleep times and use of caffeine containing drinks and foods. Data were analyzed by fitted multiple regression models

Results: A total of 191 students participated. Caffeine intake ranged between 0 and 800 mg/d.