4BetterSleep Centers Follow 37

Did you know that sleep can make you thinner? While many people know that poor sleep is linked to health conditions like hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease; weight gain and obesity were off the list…until now.

A recent study of twins from the University of Washington demonstrated that sleeping less than seven hours a night on a regular basis is associated with an increased body mass index (BMI) – the measurement used by doctors to determine obesity.

What the researchers observed was that genetic predispositions for weight gain were enhanced among those getting “short sleep” of less than seven hours a night. Conversely, those who slept eight hours a night or longer had a lower BMI.

“Sometimes a tough problem can keep you up at night. In the case of being overweight, I suggest sleeping on it,” said Dr. Terrence Moore MD, Director of the 4BetterSleep Centers in the Park Cities area. “Getting eight hours a night makes weight loss and keeping trim easier.”

The reason for this is primarily hormonal. Insufficient sleep alters your metabolism, according to Dr. Moore. It increases hormones that stimulate appetite and decreases the hormone Leptin, which tells your brain you are full. Even worse, you crave sugar and carbohydrates, not broccoli – a consequence that will continue during your next sleepy day encouraging even more junk food cravings.

“The late-night munchies are biological consequences of sleep loss, not lack of willpower,” notes Dr. Moore.

And it is a huge problem affecting millions of Americans. Average hours of sleep per night have decreased by 1.5 hours over the past century – a trend that is accelerating. Since 2001, for example, the percentage of people getting approximately eight hours sleep decreased from 38 to 28 percent. 

This chronic and widespread lack of sleep may be an important factor in the ballooning epidemic of obesity. Sufficient sleep can be a powerful weight loss tool by increasing the body’s natural appetite control and curbing junk cravings.

“While one or two late nights won’t necessarily affect your weight,” said Dr. Moore. “Habitual sleeplessness is a health risk. If you have trouble getting eight hours a night, you may need to see a specialist to find out why and to get back on track – for your weight and your health.”

Not sure if you have a sleep problem? Take an online sleep quiz. Learn more about sleep disorders and/or arrange for a sleep study by calling 214-466-7222 or at www.4bettersleep.com.

P. Terrence Moore, M.D.

4Better Sleep Centers
Wake Up to Life Again

8722 Greenville Ave #102
Dallas, Texas 75243
214-466-7222
www.4bettersleep.com

Did you know that getting less than eight hours of sleep per night could actually cause you to gain weight? When the body receives less than eight hours of sleep each night, it experiences sleep deprivation, which affects important hormones that regulate hunger and satiation.                                

The production of leptin, the hormone that tells the body it is full, is decreased when you don’t get enough sleep, and the production of ghrelin, the hormone that tells the body it is hungry, is increased. So a lack of sleep causes the brain to believe you need more food than you really need, which is why you feel hungry all day after a sleepless night.

But that is not all. You have probably also noticed that you are not only constantly hungry, you are hungry for junk food.  Junk food is specially designed to satisfy specific aspects of self-gratification to which we are especially susceptible when fatigued.

The amount of sleep we get each night affects the types of foods we crave. Sleep deprivation affects the body’s cravings for carbohydrates and sweets. Foods that are high in carbs and sugar contain more glucose, which fuels the brain. When we don’t get enough rest, our brains search for ways to get more glucose so it can continue to function, leading the sleep deprived person to reach for a soda and a cookie rather than an apple.

The good news is that there are things you can do to help you sleep better. For starters, you can follow these simple tips for getting better sleep:

• Take a hot shower before bed. Not only is a hot shower or bath relaxing, but the cooling that takes place after a shower actually induces sleep.  Our body temperature naturally increases as bed time approaches, preparing us for slumber.
• The three S’s of the bed. Only use the bedroom for three things and three things only- sleep, sex, and sickness.  Keep the television, laptop, iPad and iPod out of the room. Train your brain to relax when you are in bed. Also, the LED lights associated with electronic devices is very stimulating to the brain.
• Keep the bedroom dark. The darker the room at night, the more melatonin the body produces. Even the slightest bit of light from an alarm clock or cell phone can interfere with melatonin production. If you need to get up in the middle of the night, use “low blue” lights, which will not interfere with melatonin production. 

If lifestyle changes are not enough to ease your body into a full night’s rest, contact a sleep center. You may have a medical condition such as sleep apnea that is interfering with your body’s ability to sleep soundly.

P. Terrence Moore, M.D.

4Better Sleep Centers
Wake Up to Life Again

8722 Greenville Ave #102
Dallas, Texas 75243
214-466-7222
www.4bettersleep.com

Do you lose sleep over losing sleep? Does your mind race about work, family, a new idea, anything, everything, when it is time to turn out the lights?  Do you experience a heighted sense of arousal or physical tension when you get into bed?  Do you frequently sleep better away from home? Do you worry about not being able to sleep? 

If you answered yes to any of the above and you feel that your sleep is not refreshing, then you may have what sleep specialists term Psychophysiological Insomnia.  Now before you say to yourself, “Hey, doc, I am not crazy”, that is not what this ten dollar term means.  It refers an increased level of arousal associated with attempts to sleep in the bedroom. It frequently results from a learned inability to sleep that is characterized primarily by the symptoms referenced in the opening paragraph. 

For you non-psychologists, this learned inability to sleep is a type of classical conditioning. In classical conditioning a person associates one thing, the stimulus, with a second unrelated thing, the response.  In classical conditioning the response is not voluntary, but the association of the stimulus and response is learned.  The thinking is that patients with Psychophysiological Insomnia have “learned” that they cannot sleep in the bed.

Unlearning this association is simple, but does require some commitment on the part of the patient.  Commonly used is a technique called Stimulus Control Therapy, one of a number of different Cognitive Behavior Therapies employed by sleep specialist.  Behavioral therapies involve time and commitment, but are generally effective for many types of chronic insomnia, which often have a component of psychophysiological arousal as an ongoing factor.

Good sleep promotes good health.

P. Terrence Moore, M.D.

4 Better Sleep Centers
Wake Up to Life Again

8722 Greenville Ave #102
Dallas, Texas 75243
214-466-7222
www.4bettersleep.com

Bedwetting (Enuresis) is common and considered normal in the five and under age. Primary bedwetting is defined as bedwetting in a child who is at least six years old and has never been dry for more than six months previously. The bedwetting must occur at least twice a week on average.  It is more common in boys than girls and very frequently runs in families.  It occurs in 10% of 6-year-olds, 7% of 7-year-olds, 5% of 10-year-olds and 2% of 12-year-olds.

Secondary bedwetting, conversely, is the reappearance of enuresis once a child has been regularly dry for at least six months.

Primary bedwetting may be viewed as a maturational problem inasmuch as some children mature at earlier ages than others. Secondary bedwetting may indicate stress, psychological problem or an underlying physical problem such as sleep apnea, sleep-related epilepsy a urinary tract disorder or diabetes to name a few.  Children with secondary bedwetting should have an appropriate medical evaluation which may include a sleep study.

Bedwetting can be a disruptive force in the family, but it need not be so. Therapy for primary bedwetting is often very successful, but needs to be a committed family effort.  First of all, the child should not be blamed or made to feel shame for the bedwetting.  It is an involuntary event.  Positive reinforcement should be the rule e.g.  praise for dry nights or charting dry nights.  Behavioral therapies include:

1. Restricting fluids in the late afternoon and early evening.

2. Scheduled awakening.  Initially, depending on the age of the child, the parent may need to assist with this, but later the child may be awakened by an alarm.

3. Alarm therapy also called “bell and pad” therapy.  This involves a moisture sensitive pad which activates an alarm.  This method works best in older children who tend to be more motivated. It is successful in a large majority of children.

The child usually sleeps through the alarm, but will often stop urinating.  The child should be changed, dry sheets placed on the bed and the alarm reset.  Eventually, most children sleep through the night without urinating or will awaken to go to the bathroom unassisted.

Whatever approach you choose patience should be the order of the day (and night).   It is important to understand that the time to respond to therapy is highly individual and could take some months.  A steady persistence will pay long-term dividends.  Having spare sheets and bedclothes ready will make things go more smoothly.  Gently telling your child not to cry or worry and that this will eventually pass can go a long way toward making him feel better. 

Above all, remember that everyone outgrows bedwetting.

P. Terrence Moore, M.D.

4 Better Sleep Centers
Wake Up to Life Again

8722 Greenville Ave #102
Dallas, Texas 75243
214-466-7222
 www.4bettersleep.com

BubbleLife Park Cities would like to welcome Dr. Moore and 4 Better Sleep Center to our neighborhood.

Dr. Moore is an expert in diagnosing and managing sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorders and sleep-related epilepsy. He also evaluates children with ADHD, ADD, enuresis and behavioral problems all of which can be related to problematic sleep. Dr. Moore also treats patients with migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis as well as disorders of the spine, nerves and muscles.

His years of experience as a neurologist and his understanding of the brain, the organ of sleep, allows him to understand better the connection between the mind and body in relationship to sleep in both health and disease. He understands that high-quality sleep is indispensable for health, daily functioning and optimum quality of life, from childhood through old age, from the overscheduled teenager to the nonstop soccer mom, from the high pressure business executive to the retiree. He uses the very latest techniques available in the field of sleep medicine to assist his patients back on the road to quality sleep.

Dr. Moore is a Tulane University School of Medicine graduate and completed his internship and residency in neurology at LA County/USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He received his board certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1991 and the American Board of Sleep Medicine in 1995. He received further board certification in Sleep Medicine under the aegis of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 2009. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and is licensed in the state of Texas. 

Dr. Moore lives in the Park Cities, with his wife and four children.

If you wish to wake up to life again, Dr. Moore can help.     

4 Better Sleep Centers
Wake Up to Life Again

8722 Greenville Ave #102
Dallas, Texas 75243
214-466-7222
www.4bettersleep.com