Are Your ALLERGIES Stealing Your Zzzz’s
AND Your Health ?

Tossing & Turning Today’s 24/7 Society Sleep Deprivation &Your Health ?
	According to The Gallup Organization, 49% of adults in the United States do not sleep well for at least 5 nights a month, 10–40% have intermittent insomnia, and 10–15% have long-term sleep difficulties.
	Adequate Sleep is crucial to proper brain function – no less so than Air, Water, and Food – but Stress and Health Issues i.e. Allergies can modify Sleep-wakefulness cycles.
	Sleep is not just a time to get away from daily life, and it is not a time off. It is an active state that is important for renewing our mental and physical health each day. The body requires Water, Food and Sleep. Sleep is just as important as Water and Food for our Bodies. Several factors affect or can cause drowsiness. Our body has an internal clock which signals for us to be Sleepy twice a day; in the evening at bedtime and about twelve hours later during the –siesta” time of the afternoon. The sunlight and darkness cycle helps our body coordinate the internal clock with the external environment. Although each person’s Sleep needs and times vary, an average adult requires about eight hours of restful Sleep each night. If you do not get enough Sleep, you become Sleepy. The longer and the more prolonged the Sleep deprivation, the Sleepier a person is. This can affect your Mental as well as your Physical Health.
	National Sleep Foundation, 40 % of Americans are so Drowsy during the Day that they can’t do their Work Effectively.
	Sleep Deprivation is a common problem that affects the life and well-being of millions of Americans. Inadequate Sleep and widespread Sleep disruptions are contributing factors to the many problems and frustrations that have become part of the American way of life. The National Sleep Foundation’s 2002 Sleep in America poll found that 47 million adults may be putting themselves at risk for Injury, Health and Behavior Problems because they aren't meeting their Minimum Sleep need.
	Any amount of Sleep deprivation will diminish mental performance. Research has shown that even losing one or two hours of Sleep can impair your ability to drive. Excessive Sleepiness reduces your Alertness and Performance. It can affect your attention span and causes memory difficulties. Studies have found that being awake for 18 hours produced impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration of .08, which is the legal limit for alcohol. After 24 hours of being awake, it jumps to .10.
	According to the British Snoring and Sleep Apnea Assoc., Britons are losing Two Years of Sleep in a Lifetime because of their Partner's Snoring.
	NHTSA/VTTI study confirms that drowsy driving is a ‘Silent Killer’ ….Moderate or severe drowsiness was cited as a factor in 22-24% of the crashes and near-crashes, with cell phone use being the second most-cited factor at 7.2%, followed by reading at about 3%. In their conclusion, researchers note that drowsy driving "is a significant problem that increases a driver’s risk of a crash or near-crash by four to six times” and that it “may be significantly underreported in police crash investigations."
	Teenagers are especially at risk. Research indicates that teenagers need more Sleep than adults close to nine hours every night, on average. Yet, a survey of teens shows that only 15% actually get that amount of Sleep regularly. That means 85% of today’s teenagers are not getting enough Sleep. About 26% are only getting six or fewer hours of Sleep on good nights. Other pressures such as school and family including part-time jobs, family chores and schoolwork add stresses and constraints to a teenager’s Sleep schedule. In addition, teenagers are liable to give in to peer pressure and make poor decisions such as staying out late at night, smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs all of which could disrupt Sleep. Signs may include trouble concentrating, mood swings, hyperactivity or aggressive behavior.

Are Your Allergies Stealing your ZZZZ’s And Your HEALTH ?
	There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between Sleep quality and physical and mental health.
	New studies are discovering just how vital Sleep is to overall Health. So, Sleep habits should become a standard part of a complete check-up, researchers say.
	Archives of Internal Medicine: Patients with Allergic Rhinitis, such as that caused by Hay Fever and other Allergies, have more difficulty Sleeping and more Sleep disorders than those without Allergies. Allergies have been shown to affect Quality of Life and several studies have suggested that they may contribute to Snoring and Breathing problems during Sleep, including Sleep Apnea, a temporary halt to breathing
	Researchers evaluated 1,348 adults for the association between the risk of getting a stroke with Snoring, Sleep Duration, and Daytime Drowsiness. Even after taking classic risk factors into consideration – Age, Race, Gender, Cigarette Smoking, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes – the risk for Stroke was independently and significantly associated with Sleep factors.
	The disordered breathing – and disrupted Sleep – associated with Snoring can lead to Attention-Deficits and Hyperactivity, Asthma and Allergies, as well as Aggression. Because these problems can adversely affect Academic performance, Snoring can be considered a serious threat to a child's intellectual potential.
	Patients with Allergic Rhinitis, such as that caused by hay fever and other allergies, have more difficulty Sleeping and more Sleep disorders than those without allergies
	Researchers have found a connection between Snoring and Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in some young Children. Twice as many ADHD children experienced frequent loud snoring, compared to the general population of children.
	42% of those with Allergic Rhinitis vs. 18% of those without said they had difficulty falling aSleep.
	Research by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that Sleep Deprivation is associated with an almost a two-fold increased risk of being Obese for both children and adults. The Epidemic' of Obesity is paralleled by a Silent Epidemic of reduced Sleep Duration with short Sleep duration linked to increased risk of Obesity both in Adults and in Children.
	The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America found that 48% of Child Asthma Sufferers experienced disturbed sleep as a result of Asthma.
	36% of people with Allergic Rhinitis reported Insomnia compared with 16% of those without.
	Archives of Diseases in Children, Sleep disturbance was studied in children with nocturnal Asthma. Researchers found that children whose sleep was disturbed by nocturnal Asthma also exhibited signs of psychological problems and impaired performance in school. However, they also found that if treatment were given to improve the nocturnal symptoms and thus reduce sleep disturbance, improvement in mental function followed. This and other studies provide evidence that the effects of asthma on sleep and the possible psychological. Asthma is one of the leading causes of children missing school.
	"There is increasing evidence that there is a very strong relationship between Sleep Quality and Physical and Mental Health, Insomnia and trouble Sleeping are most often associated with High Blood Pressure, Heart Failure, Anxiety and Depression. Instead of treating the insomnia itself, a health-care provider might be better off treating one of these comorbidities. Allergic Rhinitis, caused by Hay Fever and other Allergies, have more difficulty Sleeping and more Sleep disorders than people without allergies. Research results show a significant impact of Allergic Rhinitis / Allergies on ALL dimensions of Sleep Quality and, consequently, a lower Quality of Life as reflected by more somnolence [Sleepiness]; daytime Fatigue and Sleepiness; and impaired Memory, Mood and Sexuality, with a significantly increased consumption of Alcohol and Sedatives.
	Institude of Medicine estimates 50 to 70 million Americans already chronically suffer from a Disorder of Sleep and Wakefulness. Reports confirm a link between Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Disorders to a wide range of health consequences, such as an increased risk of Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Depression, Heart Attack and Stroke."
	Journal Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Research finds that people with Perennial Allergies may attribute their daytime Fatigue to causes such as the Side Effects of Medications, when, in fact, the Fatigue may be a result of Nasal Congestion and associated Sleep Fragmentation.
	People who have Sleep-related breathing disorder -- marked by frequent pauses in breathing, labored breathing, or reduced breathing during the night -- were two to 2.6 times more likely to develop Depression.
	63% of allergic rhinitis sufferers said they felt like they weren't getting enough Sleep compared with 25% of the controls.
	Allergies have been shown to affect quality of life and several studies have suggested that they may contribute to snoring and breathing problems during Sleep, including Sleep apnea, a temporary halt to breathing.
	All Sleep disorders and complaints--including insomnia, waking up during the night, snoring and feeling fatigued when awakening--were more common in those with allergic rhinitis, who also slept fewer hours, took longer to fall aSleep and more often felt Sleepy during the day
	The effects of Allergic Rhinitis on Sleep became more pronounced when the condition was moderate to severe. As Allergies worsened, individuals slept fewer hours at night, felt Sleepy more often during the day, took longer to fall aSleep and found it more necessary to take sedative drugs
	"Treating Allergic Rhinitis or other nasal symptoms may improve dramatically the Quality of Sleep. In the long term, such a strategy would have positive repercussions on a societal level; for example, the numbers of road and work accidents would be reduced. Considering the high incidence of Allergic Rhinitis and the high rate of associated Sleep Disorders, the issue is one of public health."
	Subjects’ Sleep is often interrupted with what we call MicroArousals. They don't wake up during the night, however, they may complain of being tired as soon as they wake up. Suggesting that if these people can breath easier at night, they have a less interrupted Sleep pattern.

Are Your ALLERGIES
Stealing Your Zzzz’s AND Your Health ?

Visit Your Medical Professional and Find OUT !