Sleep Clinic Pretoria

18/02/2020

15/10/2019

18/12/2018

https://www.cpapessentials.co.za/cpap-machine-at-night/

Sleep Apnea is a disorder that effects the sleeping pattern of people, using your Cpap Machine at night is the logical time to use it.

05/12/2018

Holiday season can throw your family’s sleep routines off course. All the excitement can heighten your kids’ energy and that big to do list can leave you feeling drained and exhausted. Try to maintain a normal sleep pattern for all in the family and you may beat the holiday blues - you know those horrible blues you get when you return to the new year. To all of South Africa, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a fabulous New Year.

19/11/2018

https://www.cpapessentials.co.za/continuous-positive-airway-pressure-machines/

11/12/2017

To our clients and friends.

We wish you the joys of the season and a New Year filled with many paths to happiness. Sleep peacefully and bring in the New Year rested and well.

14/11/2017

Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being. We spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, and the overall state of our "sleep health" remains an essential question throughout our lifespan.

It comes as no surprise that so many poets have explored sleep in their work. A lullaby by Thomas Dekker

" And I will sing a lullaby,
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.
Care is heavy, therefore sleep you,
You are care, and care must keep you ;
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby,
Rock them, rock them, lullaby. "

15/03/2017

15/03/2017

Easter Holidays

It’s that time of year again where we all pack our bags, take a break and go on holiday. Driving to your destination can be taxing even if you are only in the car for three hours, so make sure you are well rested the evening before.

Even the best driver is not aware of the pull of sleep and rolling down the window and turning the radio volume higher will certainly not help. Driving is actually a complex task with decisions being made every second. Keeping you, your passengers and others on the road safe, should be a top priority when travelling even for a short distance.

A few tips to keep you safe on the road:

• Avoid driving between midnight and 6am ( sleepiness is at its most intense)
• Don’t drink alcohol – we think no explanation is needed here
• Enjoy the drive – rushing makes for bad judgement
• Have a nap before you drive, this clams the mind and allows it to focus on the upcoming drive
• Take a break every 2 hours (at least 15 minutes) – if you have another licenced driver in the car, let them take over whilst you rest.
• Caffeine can help with sleepiness but remember that the effects will hit you later.
• Keep some healthy snacks with you and munch on those when you need some energy
• If you driving on the toll roads, try making sure that all toll money is ready so you don’t get distracted looking for it whilst approaching the toll.
• Turn your phone off – it is there for your convenience

We wish you a safe journey on your travels and happy holidays this Easter Season.

13/12/2016

Sleep Clinic Pretoria wishes all its clients a holiday season blessed with laughter, peace, and love."Out with the old, in with the new" May 2017 bring you happiness,comfort and success.

03/12/2016

Vitamin D and Sleep

Vitamin D may be called a vitamin, but it is actually a group of fat-soluble hormones that the body produces when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

You may have heard before that vitamin D is important for bone and immune health. It can also ward off infection and calm inflammation. Researchers have begun to study how vitamin D affects sleep. Vitamin D is one of the oldest steroid hormones,influencing the most basic elements of survival—like your metabolism, your ability to reproduce, and your sleep.

Researchers believe that the vitamin D "sweet spot" is different for every person. Taking a vitamin D2 supplement may only make matters worse, so use natures best source - the sun. Vitamin D3 produced through the skin from sun exposure without sunscreen is the best source of vitamin D to promote healthy sleep. With so many of us working in doors and fear of skin cancer, our vitamin D deficiencies are on the rise.

Just remember the rules:
Stay out of the sun between 10am and 2pm
Use a good sunscreen after 15 minutes of sun exposure
Understand your own limitations
Keep hydrated

If you feel skin tingling, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fever or swelling you may have over exposed yourself.

24/10/2016

Study on colours and a good night’s sleep.

A study done on colour and sleep patterns was done in Britain recently and came out with some interesting results.
The study, carried out by Travelodge, looked into 2,000 homes across the country to investigate the influence of colour on quality of sleep. They found that people sleeping in rooms decorated in calm colours, such as yellow, blue or green, received the best night’s sleep.

Blue: Those with bedrooms this colour tend to get the best rest. They grab nearly eight hours a night and wake feeling happy and positive. It is linked to calm, soothing feelings and is thought to slow the heart rate and even reduce blood pressure. There are specialised receptors called ganglion cells in the retina part of our eyes, which are most sensitive to the colour blue. These receptors feed information into an area deep in our brain that controls 24 hour rhythms and affects how we perform and feel during the day. That interaction between light, sleep and wakefulness is supremely important.

Green and yellow: These colours are also great, with those choosing these colours clocking up roughly seven hours and 40 minutes of sleep.

Purple, grey and brown: These colours really get a thumbs down. Purple tends to be mentally stimulating which does not allow us to “turn off” before bedtime, often causing vivid dreams or nightmares. Grey and brown are dreary colours and can indicate depression, so they are best avoided.

Judging from this study one can obviously say that room colour is important in order for you to relax and for sleep to be induced. Change the colours slowly and see if your sleep patterns change.

03/08/2016

Snoring can affect both partners sleeping pattern. Have you ever woken up and both of you have complained that the other one snored all night. You not alone…….so maybe you should consider that you have a sleep disorder but you not sure what sleeping is really all about. Don’t let a bad night sleep affect your work, relationship or energy levels. Find out more about what real sleep is all about and ways to assist a good healthy sleeping pattern.

http://www.sleepclinics.co.za/sleep-disorders.php

18/06/2016

What is sleep?

The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. Infants generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about 9 hours on average. For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although this varies for the individual.The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too little sleep creates a “sleep debt,” Eventually, your body will demand that the debt be repaid.

Nerve-signalling chemicals called neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or awake by acting on different groups of neurons in the brain. Neurons in the brain stem, which connects the brain with the spinal cord, produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin that keep some parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons at the base of the brain begin signalling when we fall asleep. These neurons appear to “switch off” the signals that keep us awake.

Like food we all need to make sure that our sleep patterns and quality are balanced to our individual needs to make sure your emotional and physical overhaul health is in tip top shape.

http://www.sleepclinics.co.za/

18/06/2016

Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the interruption of breath during sleep that lasts for at least 10 seconds, as a result of repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occurs during sleep. This obstruction is usually associated with a fall in blood oxygen or arousal from sleep and may be caused by large tonsils or a large tongue, excess tissue in the upper airway, blocked nasal passages or the structure of the jaw and airway. Patients with OSA may experience daytime symptoms such as sleepiness, fatigue, and problems with memory and concentration.

http://www.sleepclinics.co.za/obstructive-sleep-apnea.php

18/06/2016

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

Sleep Disorders are diagnosed using an overnight sleep study, called a polysomnogram (PSG). Although a patient’s symptoms and medical history can suggest they might have OSA, until a sleep study is done, the formal diagnosis cannot be made. A patients medical history and physical examination will be given. After which an appointment will be made for an overnight study. The patient stays the entire night and should try to sleep as much as he/she normally does at home.
We recommend that the patient brings items that will help him/her to be more comfortable such as a pillow, toiletries and pyjamas. Patients must also bring all medications that they might need overnight.
http://www.sleepclinicpretoria.co.za/