Cutting calories can help sleep apnea

Obese adults eating fewer calories can have positive effects on sleep apnea and blood pressure.

A recent study conducted by Brazilian researchers reported that consuming fewer calories could improve sleep apnea and lower blood pressure in obese adults.

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep. Additionally, the disorder is associated with high blood pressure, heart problems, and stroke.

The Brazilian study involved 21 obese adults, between 20 and 55 years old, with sleep apnea. Some of the 21 adults reduced their caloric intake by 800 calories over a 16-week period, while the remaining made no changes to their diet.

At the study’s end, investigators found that those who reduced calories had lower blood pressure, had lost more weight, had fewer breathing issues during sleep, and had higher amounts of oxygen in their blood.

Findings of the study were announced at the American Heart Association high blood pressure meeting in San Francisco last week. Data and research presented at medical seminars is deemed inconclusive unit it is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Dr. Marcia Klein, study co-author and adjunct professor at the University of Rio de Janero State University in Brazil, said the study’s findings reveal that moderate energy restriction in obese adults can improve sleep apnea, as well as blood pressure and heart rate.

Even a slight energy restriction, said Klein, can improve an obese adult’s entire cardiovascular system.

Klein also said that losing weight through dieting and exercise should remain the number one combative against sleep apnea. As a result, systolic blood pressure is often lowered by weight reduction.

Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading that reflects the force of blood in the arteries when the heart beats. The bottom number in a reading, diastolic blood pressure, measures pressures in the arteries between heart beats. A good blood pressure reading is considered to be below 120/80 mm Hg.

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Childhood sleep issues could signal eating disorders

A study that looked at what may signal a child may eventually develop an eating disorder found that sleep problems during early childhood was the only signal found.

Researchers, clinicians, and sufferers are often interested in finding out what leads to eating disorders, what causes them, and how we can predict them (if at all). A recent research study done in Norway and published by the Journal of Eating Disorders sought to do just that.

Researchers used results from a 15-year-long longitudinal community study to investigate risk factors from early childhood (before age 5) for adolescent eating problems. The study began with 921 mothers completing questionnaires regarding their 1 ½ year old child. 784 mothers completed questionnaires at age 2 ½ and 737 at age 4 ½. When the children were 16 years old, 373 mothers also completed a questionnaire about eating problems called the Eating Attitudes Test.

The study looked at several possible risk factors from early childhood including picky eating in early childhood, sleep problems, internalizing problems, shyness, and emotionality. Interestingly, the only risk factor that was associated with the development of eating problems in adolescent was early childhood sleep problems.

Although this does not mean that sleep problems cause eating disorders, it may mean that there is some type of psychological or biological problem that results in both sleep problems in early childhood and eating problems in adolescence. However, given that this is the only study to show a such a correlation, the results must be duplicated before anyone begins to worry about a sleepless two-year-old developing an eating disorder at age 16.

Interestingly, picky eating in early childhood was not correlated with the development of eating disorders late in life (much to the relief of toddler parents everywhere).

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Child's academic success affected by eating and sleeping habits

This article offers diet and sleep tips for children to ensure academic success.

Adults often hear what they should be doing to improve their health. But many of these known wellness behaviors are important for kids, too, and two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) experts say school success depends on making the right choices.

Health habits, such as eating and sleep patterns, are linked to academic success, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Your brain can't work if you're not consuming enough calories, and in general that's not a problem," explained Krista Casazza, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. "But when kids go to school without eating breakfast, their cognitive function can be affected."

Casazza suggests kids start the day with fruits, proteins and whole grains. Avoid sugary cereals because they cause a sugar high, then a crash.

"A balanced breakfast will fuel the body for a long period and help sustain their attention level through lunch, when they need to eat well again," Casazza said. "This will hold them until dinner, and they won't snack ravenously after school."

If the kids do need to eat something prior to dinner, consider these options: • Offer healthy choices like yogurt, fruits and veggies. • If they want "kid stuff," baked chips can be an option, in moderation. • Drink water. Soda lacks nutritional value.

Once homework and dinner are done, sleep needs to be the priority.

"Children need a good night's sleep for their overall school performance," said Kristin Avis, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine.

"Lack of sleep can lead to problems with attention and memory in the classroom, affect impulse control and mood regulation lead to anxiety and even depression," Avis said.

Avis said kids ages 6-12 should get nine hours sleep nightly as should adolescents ages 13-18 -- but typically they average little more than seven hours per night.

"Often parents think one night of sleep loss won't matter, but that's all it takes to affect them the next day," Avis explained. "If they are chronically deprived, it can snowball and make matters worse."

Catching up on lost sleep on the weekend can make matters worse.

"If kids sleep in Saturday, they have a hard time going to bed Saturday night; so they sleep in Sunday and have a hard time going to bed Sunday night," Avis said. "Monday morning they are tired, and it's hard to wake up for school. They struggle to get back on a good sleep schedule."

Avis recommends a consistent bedtime seven days a week.

"It keeps their clock set so they can go to bed at a certain time, sleep well through night and wake up well rested the next morning," Avis said.

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