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Energy Drinks for Sleep Deprived Perk Obesity Prevention?

Monday, September 6th, 2010

High Energy Drink Display

A recent study by Melanie Heckman and Dr. Elvira Gonzales de Mejia has found that Yerba mate tea and green coffee may contribute to the prevention of obesity and aid in “long-term weight maintenance.” Their detailed study of energy drinks, published in May 2010 on Wiley.com’s Online Library, uncovered some interesting data regarding the health benefits of their ingredients. The drinks are touted for their energy boosting properties which supposedly “improve mood, enhance physical endurance, reduce mental fatigue, and increase reaction time,” all of which are affect the growing sleep deprived population. The secondary perk of obesity prevention and long term weight maintenance should certainly stimulate increased sales for their growing market.

The energy drink market has experienced exponential growth in the last few years. Energy drinks now comprise 62.6% of the functional beverage overall market. In 2008 the US accounted for $7.6 billion of the $26.9 billion worldwide market. The energy drink segment amounted to $4.8 billion in 2008 and it is expected to reach $19.7 billion by 2013. The popularity of the market has expanded from the initially targeted 18-34 year old age group using the drinks to compensate for a lack of sleep to drinks designed for women, drinks designed for athletes, and drinks in powdered form to be added to water for travelers and people constantly “on the go.” More health conscious people are being drawn to more natural alternatives, gluten-free, diabetic, and vegetarian friendly versions.

A growing concern is the use of energy drinks mixed with alcohol which effectively masks the signs of intoxication. The typical drowsiness seen when intoxicated is hidden by the stimulation prompted by the caffeine. Further research in this area needs to be done.

Caffeine, of course, is the primary ingredient in the majority of the energy drinks. It is used to stimulate the central nervous system. It is supplied by brewed coffee, yerba mate, and green tea. Caffeine has been confirmed by many studies to increase the secretion of epinephrine, the power booster of the body. It is responsible for the heightened alertness of the “flight or fight” response to danger. The “fight or flight” response increases the brain’s information processing system speeding awareness, attention, and reaction times. Caffeine has also been shown to reduce the effects of sleep deprivation.

Taurine is another concentrated ingredient found in 21% of energy drinks. It is the “most abundant amino acid found naturally in our bodies.” Taurine aids in the digestion of lipids. It is important to brain, nervous system, and cardiac functions. It is an antioxidant, an immune function regulator of white blood cell production, a calming influence on the brain, and a performance enhancer for athletes.

Guarana, from the Paullinia cupana plant, is another ingredient rich in caffeine that has been shown to increase mental alertness, fight fatigue, and increase endurance. It contains up to three times the amount of caffeine as coffee, but is much slower to release its effects. It is a “timed release capsule” of caffeine. It is also a popular ingredient of herbal weight loss pills due to its lipid metabolism or fat burning capabilities.

Ginseng is an ingredient used as a stress fighter, a fatigue fighter, and an immune function stimulator. A Southern Illinois University study in 2002 helps to explain the popularity of energy drinks containing ginseng. The study found that it increases libido and copulatory performance in male mice, greatly increasing its desirability as an aphrodisiac for the 18-60 year old male market.

Yerba mate, from the Ilex paraguariensis plant, is the main ingredient of yerba mate tea which has been consumed in South American countries for centuries. Its rich assortment of amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and other phytochemicals play roles in inhibiting inflammation, diabetic reactions, and oxidative stress. It has also been shown to help control obesity and to reduce LDL-cholesterol in individuals under statin therapy. Yerba mate’s high caffeine content, as a central nervous system stimulant, provides the main reason for its inclusion in many energy drinks. One 8 oz cup of yerba mate tea delivers the equivalent (78mg) of caffeine to an 8 oz cup of Red Bull.

B vitamins are the vitamins that play essential roles in cellular processes. The regular diet of an average person will contain the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of these water soluble vitamins as they are found in many popular foods. A typical energy drink container (250ml) “may contain 360% of the RDA of B6, 120% of B12, and 120% of B3 (niacin).” “Drinks like 5-Hour Energy contain 8333% of the RDA for B12 and 2000% of the RDA for B6.” The B vitamins act as coenzymes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, in fat synthesis, and in fat breakdown. All excess B vitamins beyond the RDA are flushed out of the system since they are water soluble.

More and more, high energy drinks are incorporating other antioxidants like pomegranate and acai to the already mentioned yerba mate, green tea, and ginseng in order to attract more health conscious consumers. They can also be expected to add more vitamins and minerals, weight control formulations, and low sugar options to expand their dynamic market.

I have not been a fan of energy drinks in the past, but the Heckman and Gonzales de Mejia study has convinced me to give them a try. Our increasingly sleep deprived populace will certainly be happy to hear that their high energy elixirs also assist in the prevention of obesity and long term weight maintenance. “Hmmm…these taste pretty good. I thought they would be much more syrupy.” The sleepless and tired are already sold. Soon there will be countless others reaching for the magic in the cans.

Energy Vending Machine

Will the school pop machines, recently emptied of non-diet type soft drinks, be replaced by Red Bulls, Rockstars, Sambazons, Sobes, Venoms, Monsters, Full Throttles, Zolas, NOSs, and Java Monster Mean Beans? We’ll know in a few months…no make that days…no make that hours…no make that minutes…doesn’t matter…gotta get going…no, I am going! CHARGE!

"Red Bull Elevation Charge"

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Bedbugs on the Attack, Leaving Victims Sleepless, Tired, and Scratching

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Bedbug

The headlines across the U.S. today are screaming the resurgence of bedbugs:

In January of this year I posted an article entitled “Mattress Outlet Poker: ‘Buy In’ is Cheap, but Stakes are High!” In it I discussed the risks involved with buying used mattresses which are often labeled by unscrupulous dealers as “manufacturer’s seconds.”  The hitchhikers and stowaways hiding in used mattresses and in used furniture have launched a monumental troop surge attacking primarily the Midwestern and the Eastern fronts of the U.S.. Their victims are being left sleepless, tired, and scratching. Their victims are being displaced to living rooms, family rooms, and porches as their bedrooms are being besieged by the pesticide resistant strains of the attackers. Not only are the victims of these tiny pests being forced from their bedrooms, they are left sleep deprived and scratching 24 hours a day as they attempt to find a strategy to counterattack the bedroom terrorists. Victims are being subjected to the life endangering side effects of sleep deprivation.

Bedbug Bites

Bedbugs are a ruthless and resilient species. Their life cycle inspires fear in anyone who has ever experienced their bite. A good video on how to identify bedbug bites can be found HERE. A UC Davis article describes the bed bug lifecycle as follows:

“Female bed bugs lay 200 to 500 tiny, white eggs in batches of 10 to 50 on rough surfaces such as wood or paper. Glue-like material covers the eggs, which hatch in about 10 days. After hatching occurs, the eggshells frequently remain stuck in place. There are five progressively larger nymphal stages, each requiring a single blood meal before molting to the next stage. The entire life cycle from egg to adult requires anywhere from 5 weeks to 4 months, depending on temperature and availability of food (blood). When temperatures are in the range of 70° to 82°F, development occurs most rapidly.

 Nymphs and adults generally feed at night and hide in crevices during the day. Common hiding places include seams in mattresses and box springs, cracks in bed frames, under loose wallpaper, behind picture frames, and inside furniture and upholstery. Occasionally people pick up bed bugs in theaters or on buses and trains. They also can bring them into their home on clothing, bedding, luggage, or firewood.

 Bed bugs can go without feeding for 80 to 140 days. Older stages of nymphs can survive longer without feeding than younger ones, and adults have survived without food for as long as 550 days. A bed bug can take six times its weight in blood, and feeding can take 3 to 10 minutes. Adults live about 10 months, and there can be up to 3 to 4 generations of bed bugs per year.”

Further reading reveals that the most effective technique for eliminating bed bugs is to hire a professional heating service that can heat the room to very high temperatures. Heating the room for two hours at 140°F, or three hours at 130°F “will kill most bed bugs and eggs.”  Other techniques involve insecticides, boric acid, diatomaceous earth, fumed silica, etc. Most of them need to be combined with frequent monitoring, as they are not totally effective. Meticulous laundering of bedding, high temperature drying, and thorough vacuuming are all necessary.

In early February I posted “Update on Bed Bugs” in which I described a dry ice trap designed by a Rutgers University duo: Changlu Wang and Vincenzo Avarello. Their inexpensive alternative to professional pest control services is described here:

The dry ice trap is constructed with  a 64 ounce double bowl cat feeder, a 1/3 gallon insulated container, and bottle of talc powder. The jug is used to hold the dry ice. As the dry ice warms to room temperature it, it releases carbon dioxide gas which attracts the bed bugs. The 1/3 gallon container is capable of releasing the gas for 10 to 12 hours. The cat feeder dish needs to be wrapped very tightly with a white cloth to allow a surface for the bed bugs to easily crawl up. The inside bottom surfaces of the inverted cat feeder are then coated with a thin layer of talc. The powder will prevent the bed bugs from escaping the trap. The filled dry ice container is then placed on top of the dressed and treated inverted cat feeder with the lid of the container left slightly open. Some warm water should be barely cover the bottom of the trap to kill the bed bugs that become trapped.

The trap should now be placed in or around the suspected bed or sofa. Late afternoon is best for set-up as bed bug activity begins at night. Use one trap per room, and check the traps in the morning. One trap can catch as many as a thousand bugs per night, “depending on infestation levels.”

I have yet to receive any comments as to the effectiveness of this inexpensive alternative to the high costs of professional services. If anyone has tried this trap and found it to be effective, your comments would be welcomed by all who are plagued by these unwelcome attackers. A complete construction plan can be found  in an article by Barb Ogg at the University of Nebraska, Lancaster.

The bedbug attacks have prompted at least five states to call in the Department of Defense to request money to combat the bloodsucking terrorists. Ohio petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow the use of the pesticide Propoxur to defeat the enemy, but the EPA denied the request based upon concern for its effect on children. The EPA set up a meeting with representatives of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense to discuss the attack which is “not yet a national security issue.”

Bedbugs, nearly eradicated from the U.S. in the 40s and 50s through the use of DDT, have developed a resistance to the weaker pesticides that replaced it. Pest control companies are limited by EPA regulations and their approved substitutes. While the EPA searches for newer, more potent chemicals to kill the bloodsucking terrorists, the victims continue to scratch their arms, their faces, their backs, their breasts, their buttocks, and their legs.

Hopes for a quick solution to this war on the bedroom terrorists appear dim in light of the other wars our government is currently battling. The costs to fight this battle will, no doubt, be borne by the victims of this war. As they “scratch” around for the money to pay the exterminators, the doctors, and the retailers to salve the itching, we hope they don’t fall victim to the often fatal ravages of sleep deprivation.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

Click HERE for an Emmy Award winning documentary on bedbugs.

For an interesting National Geographic video on bedbugs click HERE.

Comments are welcomed below.

 

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Sleep: Synaptic Protein Burner and Critical Catalyst to Learning

Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Sleeping (left) vs. awake (right) synaptic protein brain cell images of fruit fly. Credit: Courtesy of UW Health Public Affairs

The scientific world studying the relationship between sleep and the brain is wrapped in a cloud of controversy. The discussion and the experiments continue in the effort to clarify the exact roles played by REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and non-REM sleep in the learning processes of the brain. One side of the argument asserts that REM sleep is the VCR that records and re-records the important details of the day’s waking hours. The other side argues that REM sleep is when the hippocampus and the pre-frontal cortex disconnect allowing for free association, new connections, creativity, and solutions to complex problems. It will probably be years before we know which theory is correct, but we do know that sleep deprivation inhibits the learning process. Ask a student whether he would stay up all night tonight studying for a final if he had another final to study for the following night. The answer would probably be something like, “Are you nuts? I’d be brain dead tomorrow. There’s no way!” Sleep is the synaptic protein burner. It is the critical catalyst to new learning. While science attempts to discover where and when the burning occurs, we can rest assured that “sleep allows the brain to regroup after a hard day of learning.”

 Giorgio Gilestro, Giulio Tononi, and Chiara Cirelli have found in their research at The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health that synaptic protein levels “drop by 30 to 40% during sleep.” “The brain uses up to 80% of its energy to sustain the synaptic activity” of the day’s ever-changing impressions. Their studies have shown that four pre-synaptic proteins and one post-synaptic protein in the brains of both fruit flies and rats rise during waking hours and fall after sleep. ScienceDaily.com reports that the researchers believe “sleep—by allowing synaptic downscaling—saves energy, space and material, and clears away unnecessary “noise” from the previous day.” The refreshed brain “is then ready to learn again in the morning.” Tononi hypothesizes that the weakening progresses throughout the cycling in and out of REM and non-REM sleep, leaving only the strongest connections.

Paul Shaw, PhD., and assistant professor of neurobiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, supported Gilestro, Tononi, and Cirelli’s findings in his study of fruit fly brain cells. He found, according to ScienceDaily.com that new brain synapses form during learning experiences. When the fruit flies slept the new synapses deceased. When sleep deprived, the fruit flies did not show the decrease in new synapses. Shaw explained that “there are a number of reasons why the brain can’t indefinitely add synapses, including the spatial constraints of the skull.” His theory gave ScienceDaily.com the title for their article: “Sleep May Help Clear Brain for New Learning.”

The contrarian view is supported by data compiled by Marcos Frank of the University of Pennsylvania. ScienceNews.org reports that his experiments with kittens show that “sleep strengthens connections between brain cells rather than weakening them.” Ripple activity during sleep appears to replay the synaptic firing in the same sequence as the actual daytime experience when the kitten was exploring his new maze.

Matt Wilson from MIT found that rats and mice experienced replay of the day’s events during slow-wave or non-REM sleep, “but the timing is compressed.” REM sleep replays events “in real time, and not always in the same order as the way they actually happened.” He attributes the difference in timing to the hippocampus/cortex connection.

Sciencenews.org  reported in the same article a study by Robert Stickgold and Erin Wamsley at Harvard Medical School which found that humans who dreamt during a nap after playing with a virtual reality maze performed better than those who did not. More remarkable was the fact that those who thought of the maze as they were falling asleep or who dreamt of the maze before they awoke performed ten times better than other nappers. Stickgold postulates that REM sleep temporarily disconnects the hippocampus and the cortex. The interrupt frees the cortex for disparate associations and solutions. “What your brain is leaving you with in the morning is a memory which is less accurate, but more useful,” he says.

The arguments over strengthening connections and weakening connections during sleep and REM vs. non-REM sleep benefits will continue to be studied and debated for years. Gilestro, Tononi, Cerelli, and Shaw have proven that synaptic proteins decrease during sleep and increase while we’re awake. Sleep, we know, is an indispensable catalyst to learning. Our body needs to drink of its refreshment. Our brain needs to consume its food for survival. Dr. Shaw says, “Right now a lot of people are worried about their jobs and the economy, and some are no doubt losing sleep over these concerns. But these data suggest the best thing you can do to make sure you stay sharp and increase your chances of keeping your jobis to make getting enough sleep a top priority.”

Ready for a nap? Or, will you be going to bed early tonight?

May your dreams be “synaptic protein burners.” Shopping for Sleep? Please click HERE, or look for it at Amazon.com

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Stress Reduction Shot or Pacifier for the Sleepless, Angry Public?

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

 

Vaccine: Choice or Mandate for the Future?

Governments worldwide are anxiously awaiting further tests on a new vaccine announced yesterday by Rachel Quigley in her Mail Online article from the UK. Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a professor at Stanford University, is “on the path to a genetically engineered formula that would remove the need for relaxation therapies or prescription drugs.” His studies on glucocorticoids, the hormones chiefly responsible for our fear responses, have led him to the vaccine which works on rats. He admits that human trials are years away. Will the strong-armed governments of the world, seeking to calm the sleepless and sometimes angry public masses controlled by them, allow the tests on humans to wait that long?

Glucocorticoids are essential for life. They are present in the cells of almost all vertebrates. Cortisol is the most important human glucocorticoid. It “regulates or supports a variety of important cardiovascular, metabolic, immunologic, and homeostatic functions.” Cortisol, along with adrenalin, works to assist the brain in remembering stressful and dangerous situations. Those memories stimulate the fear and flight responses to dangerous situations that may confront us in the future. It is vital to the survival of the species.

Dr. Sapolsky thinks that the human species produces too many glucocorticoids and that man cannot turn them off after stressful situations. He claims, according to Quigley’s article, the hormone “becomes toxic both biologically, by destroying brain cells and weakening the immune system, and socially, when people continue to snap at their friends or family hours after the original cause of tension has vanished.”

The “Sapolsky shot” utilizes a herpes virus carrying genetically engineered “neuroprotective “genes to “neutralize the rogue hormones.” The shot supposedly short circuits the brain’s natural response to stress. Claims are that “It would leave you fresher and ready to deal with another threat, so you can maintain your drive, but with more focused calm.”

How will the short-circuited brain remember the stressful situation? Will a future similar threat be ignored by the chemically altered passive brain? Research in this important area must be done before human trials are initiated.

The FDA, with its quick approvals of fluoride additions to water supplies, aspartame and acesulfame potassium addition to foods, drinks, and medicines, despite studies proving their harmful effects, does not inspire confidence. Headlines across the internet already shout the “brain-eating” and “lobotomizing” effects of the “Sapolsky shot” as well as the conspiratorial applications of this vaccine as a secret additive to government required vaccinations worldwide.

Billions of dollars are being donated by the wealthy “elite” of the world in efforts to control population growth through vaccinations. Some nations refuse the donated vaccinations because of an increase in sterility among their female populations following their widespread use. It isn’t much of a stretch to suspect the ever-reaching arms of big governments everywhere to promote the “Sapolsky shot.” They are no doubt dreaming about the future populations of calm and sleepy subjects, no longer stress-filled, sleepless, and angry about the loss of their freedoms. FDA approvals for human testing will be quickly forthcoming.  The “Sapolsky shot” is coming to a clinic near you. It will be provided free of charge by your friendly government sponsor. There are no harmful side effects according to the Center for Disease Control, the FDA, and the Administration. The supply will be “unlimited” according to Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius.

The stress-filled, sleep deprived masses are already lining up for their calm inducing injections. Yoga and meditation will become a relic of the past as our minds and bodies slumber into a passive stupor of paralytic responses. As our self-preserving survival responses to stress are neutralized the pandemic of sleep deprivation will probably disappear. At risk will be our doubting responses to the threats of government theft of our liberties.

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Pakistan Air Lines President Blames Sleepless, Tired Pilots for Crash

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

Smoking Hole in Pakistan. Courtesy of AP.

Yet another deadly “smoking hole in the ground” adds to the continuing trail of death left by sleepless and tired pilots being stretched beyond their limits by schedules designed to maximize profits for their employers. 

The worst air crash in Pakistan’s history of Airblue’s flight ED-202 from Karachi to Islamabad killing all 152 aboard may be attributed to pilot fatigue according to the President of Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA). Captain Sohail Baloch told a private news channel “The pilot may be suffering from accumulated fatigue because they are not given adequate leaves.” He added that the pilot was not in a no-fly zone and speculated that the plane was off course due to bad weather. The pilot had to ”resort to visual queues for landing” because communication with the control tower had been lost due to the weather.

The Hindu.com reports that the pilot , Pervez Iqbal Chaudhry, “had 35 years of experience and had logged over 25,000 flying hours.” Airblue official Raheel Ahmed was quoted in the same article explaining that the Airbus A321 was ten years old, had been used by them for the past four years, and was fully serviceable with no technical faults. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the aircraft at 2600 feet was cleared to land when it rose up to 3000 feet for no apparent reason and then disappeared from the radar. “The (control) tower did not receive any SOS message or report of a technical problem before the crash,” Malik said.  

Only nine weeks ago the world was mourning the loss of 158 people in an Air India crash in the Mangalore hills. That “smoking hole” left eight survivors. The experienced British pilot of that flight misjudged his landing so badly (2000 feet) that “senior pilots, including the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (IPCA) are already blaming pilot fatigue for being responsible for the major accident,” as reported in a China Post article. Two years before that “an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Dubai overshot its destination by 350 miles after its pilots apparently fell asleep due to fatigue.” The ICPA in response to the Mangalore crash sent a letter to the Prime Minister complaining that “up to 78 percent of crashes were caused by fatigue-related human error.” Flight and Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) in India have not been changed since 1992 when they had no scientific basis for the regulations. Attempts were made in 2005 to change the FDTL but the rule changes were withdrawn under pressure from the “private operators.”

The flight and duty time restrictions worldwide reflect the lack of response from the FAA to the plethora of data now available regarding the effects of sleep deprivation upon mental and physical performance. Our rule changes were dropped in 1995 in response the airline industry’s complaints. Even the unions, strongly supported by then President Bill Clinton, wanted to drop the duty time hours from 16 to 14 hours. Andy Pasztor, in a Wall Street Journal article titled “Dispute Over Cost Delays Pilot Rules,” blames the delay in the rule changes on a dispute between the FAA and the White House Office of Management and Budget. Budget officials have told the FAA informally that “the proposal’s projected cost to airlines wasn’t justified by the anticipated safety benefits.”  Since the FAA is controlled by former air line executives and Washington is still held in the firm grip of powerful airline lobbyists like Linda Daschle we cannot expect the “change” promised by our President in the flowered oratory of his campaign.

The European Cockpit Association, a group of pilots unions with over 38,000 members, accuses the European Union (EU) of “ “endangering air safety by failing to act on the recommendations of experts who say cuts in flying hours are needed to curb pilot fatigue.”  The Air Canada Pilots Association, with over 7,000 members, has been asking for changes to Transport Canada’s regulations for years. Dave Ross, of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing pilot unions at six regional airlines, says, “It’s money. If you can’t fly as long as you do today, then that increases your cost.”

 The world continues to scream the alarms to the FAA. The FAA’s mission statement is “to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.” The FAA’s vision statement is “ to reach the next level of safety, efficiency, environmental responsibility and global leadership. We are accountable to the American public and our stakeholders.” The world waits, awake to the ever increasing danger of sleepless and tired pilots threatening our lives. The FAA, Congress, and the Administration continue to hit the snooze button while confined to the bedroom of the airline industry’s sleep inducing lobbyists.

The “smoking holes” of death and the smells of burning flesh are permeating the atmosphere of Obama’s flowery campaign rhetoric about cleaning up the halls of Washington. In 2007 newsmax.com reported on Mr. Obama’s lamenting the fact that “the disproportionate influence of lobbyists and special interest is a problem in Washington (and) in state capitals.” He admitted then that he was “swimming in the same muddy water” and that he knows the waters are muddy. He said “I want to clean it up.” The world is waiting for Mr. Obama, Mr. Babbitt (FAA Administrator), and Mr. LaHood (Transportation Secretary) to exit the bedroom of the airline industry’s sleep inducing lobbyists and go to work on new pilot fatigue regulations. The safety of millions flying the skies continue to see the smoke and to smell the burning flesh. The time has come for you to douse the flames.

Here’s a link to a very sad slide show of crash site photos, courtesy of AP and thehindu.com: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article538554.ece

Another link to a related article from thehindu.com: http://www.thehindu.com/news/article540335.ece

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Insomnia Cure Bred from Mother Nature and Israel

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Insomnia

Circadin® “not only improves the onset of sleep, but also improves the quality of sleep” says Nava Zisapel, company founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Neurim Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Zisapel, a Professor of Neurobiology at Tel Aviv University, reports that people who take the drug “have better daytime functioning and an improved quality of life.” The drug stimulates the body’s natural melatonin production. Her prolonged release formula of a mere 2mg dosage mimics the pineal gland’s production of the sleep inducing hormone. Melatonin production normally begins at dark, peaks at around 2am, and then gradually disappears at daylight. Dr. Zisapel began her work in 1992 and she received approval to market it in 2007. The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) at that time approved it for the short term (3 week) treatment of primary insomnia in patients over 55 years of age. The drug, unlike traditional sedatives, does not impair cognitive functions the following day, nor does it impair psychomotor skills. There are no abuse or dependency risks. Insomniacs, numbering nearly a third of the world’s population, will be cheered by the European Commission’s July, 2010 approval to expand the treatment duration from 3 weeks to 13 weeks. Circadin® is the first insomnia treatment approved for the extended length of time. It is currently marketed in Australia, Thailand, and Israel. US, Asian, and Latin American markets are in the registration process.

Insomnia, defined as the “difficulty to initiate or to maintain sleep,” affects almost all adults at one time or another. Transient (symptoms less than a week) insomnia and short term insomnia (one to three weeks) can occur as a result of jet lag, indigestion, shift work schedule changes, noisy sleep environments, stress, and recent medical situations. Long term (more than 3 weeks) or chronic insomnia is usually caused by psychological or medical conditions such as depression, pain, heart disease, acid reflux, asthma, sleep apnea, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, brain tumors and strokes. Delayed or untreated insomnia costs America $42 billion dollars a year in healthcare costs. The seriously sleep deprived insomniacs have been limited to prescription sleep aids with their risks of dependency and abuse, or to over the counter antihistamines with their residual drowsiness hazards. The FDA has consistently discouraged natural supplements since they have no jurisdiction over them. They have issued warnings against the use of the natural alternatives of valerian, melatonin, and kava.

Circadin® is now in use in over 33 countries. It is naturally preferable to prescription sleep aids and their over the counter competitors.  It’s time for the FDA to approve it for the sleepless and tired insomniacs of the USA. Everyone deserves a good night’s rest!

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Sleep and the Cell Phone: Insomnia Stimulant or Gateway to a Cure?

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

The bedtime cell phone calls

A recent survey found that 82% of Americans don’t leave home without their cell phones and 50% of Americans sleep with their phones nearby. 56% of Americans regularly use the alarm clock feature. Globally 67% use the alarm clock feature requiring them to have their cell phones in close proximity to their beds. Texting has become the focus of communication for teens today. 87% of the texting teens admitted to sleeping with, or next to, their phones. With a third of US teen cell phone owners texting more than a 100 texts a day, many of these are occurring at night while in bed. Cell phone use has been found to reduce sleep. Its use at bedtime, according to research detailed by Geoffrey Lean in The Independent, increases the time it takes to reach the deeper stages of sleep and decreases the time spent in those valuable stages of sleep. Deep sleep deprivation “can lead to mood and personality changes, ADHD-like symptoms, depression, lack of concentration and poor academic performance.”

The study, funded by the Mobile Manufacturer’s Forum, embarrassed themselves with the scientists’ findings that “components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are adversely affected by exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals.”  The researchers believed that the radiation was activating the brain’s stress system making the subjects “more alert and more focused, and decreasing their ability to wind down and fall asleep.” Almost half of the people in the study also reported to be “electrosensitive” experiencing headaches and impaired cognitive functions.

A much larger study followed 1656 Belgian teenagers for a year. The research found that most of them used their phones after going to bed. Those that did so once a week were three times more likely to report feeling “very tired” than those who did not use them in bed. Those who used them in bed more than once were five times more likely to report feeling “very tired.” Dr. William Kohler of the Florida Sleep Institute said “Anything that disrupts the integrity of your sleep will potentially have adverse consequences in functioning during the day, such as grouchiness, difficulty concentrating, and in children hyperactivity and behavior problems.”

James Horne and his colleagues at the Loughborough University Sleep Research Center in England found that cell phone signals disrupted brain wave patterns “long after” the cell phones were turned off. The subjects in his study, as described by Douglas Field in Scientific American, also had difficulties falling asleep. They found that delta wave patterns characteristic of stage two sleep (50% of total sleep) were negatively affected for nearly an hour after the phone was shut off. His findings and those of others are stimulating additional research into electromagnetic radiation and its affect on mental behaviors. Sensitivity to such low level radiation raises concerns of mind control.

The cell phone, while exhibiting negative influences on deep sleep, is soon to become a critical tool to the sleep deprived. Dr. Phillip Low has found the way to link a single channel EEG to a SPEARS algorithm which is capable of mapping an entire night’s worth of brain activity. His company, NeuroVigil, uses an adhesive, wireless sensor or a head strap to monitor the brainwave activity. “NeuroVigil’s sleep monitoring solution streams and records the patient’s EEG data through their cell phone or smartphone.” Dr. Low, a 30-year-old neuroscientist is about to market his iBrain device (the size of two pennies) which, according to Daniel Heimpel of the Huffington Post, will “revolutionize the study of sleep, speed the diagnosis of disease, and tap into the multibillion dollar sleep and neurodiagnostics markets.” Until now, sleep tests have averaged more than $3,000. The cost has been prohibitive for the more than seventy million Americans suffering from sleep disorders. The sleep tests have previously required hook-ups to multiple electrode systems and overnight stays in uncomfortable strange laboratory environments not at all conducive to regular sleep patterns.

The data from the iBrain may unlock keys to cures and/or medications for sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleep disorders. It will assist in the pre-market testing of pharmaceuticals of the future. The pharmaceutical companies, the Defense Departments, and the transportation industries are all knocking on Dr. Low’s door. They would all like a piece of Dr. Low’s brain as well as his company but he has decided to run his company on his own terms.

Dr. Low’s brain, the iBrain, and your cell phone may provide the keys to the gateway of your brain…and the solution to your sleep problems. A dream comes true?  

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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Sleep Deprivation Pandemic Infects the Healthcare Industry

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Sleepy, stressed nurse

The pandemic of sleep deprivation is costing the national economy more than 56 billion dollars a year. These costs have been well documented and proven in many studies. The costs to the health of our doctors and nurses are only beginning to be disclosed. The costs to patients’ health and lives will probably remain clothed by the disinfected, sterile sheets used to cover our helpless and totally dependent bodies. The white code of silence in the health industry is more pervasive than the blue code of silence practiced by our law enforcement agencies. Legal consequences of sleep deprivation’s gangrenous effects in the health industry will keep the facts locked in the icy drawers of the basement morgue.

A recent study of 80 registered nurses conducted by the University of Maryland found that serious sleep deprivation was infecting the industry. The “common practice” of successive 12 hour shifts is increasing the risk of health problems and is increasing the odds of “making patient errors.” 12 hour shifts have been a trend since the nursing shortages began in the 70s and 80s. Jeanne Geiger-Brown, PhD, RN, and associate professor with the school of nursing at UMD, says that nurses often prefer the long shifts and the extra time off to normal 8 hour shifts. The problem with successive 12 hour shifts is that over 50% of those shifts last longer than 12.5 hours. When commute times and responsibilities at home are added to the long workday, there is very little time for sleep. Nurses reported an average sleep time of 5.5 hours between shifts and an even lower average of 5.2 hours for night shift nurses. They reported “extremely fragmented“ sleep. Fragmented sleep is not restorative and the resulting sleep deprivation takes its toll.

A study reported by Reuters in London found that people who work 10 or 11 hours a day have a 60% greater chance of an adverse heart event than those who work an 8 hour shift. One or two hours of overtime did not show an increased risk. Workplace stress by itself “may be as hazardous to your health as smoking, high cholesterol and other conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease” according to a Wall Street Journal report on Canadian research. It is difficult to imagine a more highly stressed working environment than a hospital emergency room.

The negative effects of sleep deprivation are: a lack of focus and attention; slowed thinking and reactions (similar effects to drinking); apathy; weight gain; high blood pressure and heart disease; a weakened immune system; and depression. These effects can then lead to self-prescribed sleep aids at night and stimulants for work-time wakefulness. That combination can be deadly in the hands of those entrusted with our healthcare. The death of the infected healthcare providers will take time. The effects of weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, weakened immune systems, and depression take time to wreak their havoc on the human body. Nurses and doctors in a sleep deprived state have the immediate potential to accidentally take the lives of the patients entrusted to their care.  

Intern work hours were reduced in 2003 from 100 hours a week to no more than 80 hours a week. They are also “limited” to no more than 30 hours in a shift. Those shifts can be repeated every third day. Harvard researchers found that 84 percent of the more than 4000 interns surveyed reported (despite risk of career ending repercussions) work hours in violation of the standards. Their fatigue and lack of concentration is resulting in driving while drowsy car accidents, needlesticks, and scalpel accidents. They risk blood borne illnesses to themselves and associates, errors in prescription recommendations, early burnout from the stresses of the profession, and depression.

Researchers from the UCSD School of Medicine, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), found that the parietal lobes of the brain (responsible for arithmetic performance) are much less active following sleep deprivation. Gregory G. Brown, PhD., associate professor of psychiatry at UCSD, said “…there is not a brain system to come on line to compensate for the negative effects of sleep deprivation.” Arithmetic calculations are used countless times a day by doctors and nurses computing doses of medications and in the planning and execution of operational procedures. The following photos from the December 1999 issue of NeuroReport illustrate the findings.

Photos from the December 1999 Issue of NeuroReport

Sleep deprived brain activity, as shown on the bottom, compared to well rested brain activity shown on the top, certainly endangers the life of the patient. The red areas show least intense activity and yellow areas show most intense activity. The calculations might easily result in deadly mistakes. Jeanne Geiger-Brown cited a study of 393 nurses on 5,317 shifts that found “the odds of making errors by those who reported working more than 12 hours in shifts was three times greater than nurses who reported working 8.5 hour shifts.” She was co-author of an article called “Is it Time to Pull the Plug on 12-Hour Shifts?”

Those 12-hour shifts are not likely to end soon. The shortage of doctors and nurses is worsening once again. It is bound to get even worse as we get closer to the salary constraints of a government administered healthcare system. The white code of silence in the health industry will then be cloaked by a second layer of government cover-up of the life-threatening shortage of sleep deprived healthcare providers. Will there be enough drawers in the icy basement morgues for our future healthcare recipients?

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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FAA and NTSB Sound Asleep. Pilot Fatigue Screams the Alarm Again!

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Time to Wake Up!

Despite a promise the Obama administration made in June of 2009 proposing “new limits on how many hours airline pilots can fly” the FAA, the NTSB, and air safety regulators across the globe continue to “sleep in” while the screaming alarms continue to sound. The crash of the Air India flight last week killing 158 people sounded the most recent alarm on possible pilot fatigue and pilot error. The reason I say “possible” is because the investigation for cause of that particular disaster has not been completed. It is doubtful that pilot fatigue will be blamed for the crash. Our air safety regulators choose to continually hit the snooze button and then to throw the alarm out the window. They will no doubt find a simpler cause to the crash. They do not want to confront the airline industry or the airline unions with the stringent new regulations necessary to protect our safety in the air.

Randy Babbitt, FAA administer, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, attended congressional hearings convened to discuss the crash of the Continental Connection Flight 3407 on February 12, 2009 near Buffalo, NY. The crash killed all 49 people on board as well as one person on the ground. The crash was caused by pilot fatigue. Babbitt told Congress and the media that he would propose a new rule addressing pilots’ fatigue related complaints dealing with multiple take-offs and landings (often described as more stressful than long flights) “in the next several months.” Mr. Babbitt, you can wake up now. It’s been well over a year now and we have not seen your new regulations. Babbitt assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) the task of drafting the new rule changes by September 1, 2009. The committee completed their task on time. An Aviation Today article detailing Mr. Babbitt’s promises described the ARC’s 18 members working together with unions, airline industry representatives, and the FAA. Mr. Babbitt said the group was examining “flight time, duty, and rest limitations; including definitions of rest, duty, fatigue, captain’s authority, and reserve. Scientists who specialize in fatigue made presentations about sleep opportunities, circadian rhythms and potential scheduling.” Wrapping up his speech Mr. Babbitt said, “I can’t say this any more directly than I am right now: We all have to take on additional responsibilities whether we’re legally required to or not. This is about safety, and safety is about saving lives.” The ARC finished up in September 2009, but Mr. Babbitt has been silent ever since.

Our administrators are not the only air safety regulators shunning their alarm clocks’ screaming cries. The European Cockpit Association, a group of pilots unions with over 38,000 members criticized the European Union’s “endangering air safety by failing to act on the recommendations of experts who say cuts in flying hours are needed to curb pilot fatigue. Here in the EU, pilot fatigue is the single biggest “hot potato” safety issue where neither the European Commission nor the European Aviation Safety Agency has shown any leadership to move decisively towards science-based EU rules.” The CBC in Canada has repeatedly reported on Transport Canada’s failures to respond to pilot fatigue issues. More than a dozen crashes linked to pilot fatigue have occurred since Regionnair’s flight 347 crash 10 years ago. Serge Gagne, the pilot of that flight had been working 30 days straight when he crashed in 1999. He was in his 18thhour of duty and was 60 hours over Transport Canada’s monthly limit. The Air Canada Pilots Association, with over 7,000 members, has been asking for changes to Transport Canada’s regulations for years. The regulations haven’t been changed since 1995, and before that, the changes last made were in the 1940s. Our own NTSB has been pressing for new regulations on pilot hours for 19 years. An FAA proposed rule change in 1995 was halted by the air industry. Pilot unions wanted to reduce the duty hours from 16 to 14, but the airline industry said no. Dave Ross, of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing pilot unions at six regional airlines, says, “It’s money. If you can’t fly as long as you do today, then that increases your cost.” Mr. Babbitt, Ray LaHood, the Obama administration, and the airline industries need to ask themselves “How much money is human life worth?”

 The Wall Street Journal recently chimed in on this issue with an article by Andy Pasztor titled “Dispute Over Cost Delays Pilot Rules.”   He attributes the delay of proposed changes to a dispute between the FAA and the White House Office of Management and Budget. He says that budget officials have told the FAA informally that “the proposal’s projected cost to airlines wasn’t justified by the anticipated safety benefits.”

Front row seats at the FAA, formerly representing the airline industry belong to:

  • David Weingart: FAA Chief of Staff. Six years with Northwest Airlines.
  • Hank Krakowski: Chief Operating Officer. 30 years at United Airlines.
  • Ramesh Punwani: Chief Financial Officer. Past CFO and VP of Pan American World Airways
  • David Grizzle: Chief Counsel. 22 years at Continental Airlines. Responsible for agency regulation, safety enforcement and compliance programs, and personal and labor law.

Joining these FAA administrators in affecting current air safety regulations and concerns are the following important lobbyists:

  • Former Senators John Breaux and Trent Lott, along with at least 17 former congressional aides and staffers now with Delta Airlines.
  • Sharon Pinkerton, former FAA Assistant Administrator, now with the airlines main lobbying group: Air Transport Association of America.
  • Linda Daschle, wife of former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, former ATA executive and former FAA deputy administrator and acting administrator in the 90s. Now she is one of Washington’s top lobbyists, paid more than $440,000 a year to lobby for American Airlines.

Regulators, airline executives, congressional representatives, and lobbyists are constantly exchanging places in the merry-go-round for money. While they ride their ever changing horses, air safety regulations will take the back seat near the toilets where we can listen to the constant flushes of empty promises disappearing into the thin air.

 In the meantime, we will continue to read frightening data, such as these, reported by Stephen Stock and the investigation team of CBS4 in Miami:

  • “1011 incidents nationwide since 1978 where pilot fatigue caused a safety concern on board the aircraft or an actual crash. 689 of those incidents happened in the last five years (2005-2009).”
  • “Data from the FAA, NTSB, and NASA shows the problem is growing. There were 189 incidents in 2008 which is up from 117 incidents the year before (2007). And in just the first 9 months of 2009 there were 104 incidents of serious pilot fatigue which is the same number as in entire years in the past.”

Their investigation team even found a brochure, published by the NTSB in 1990, “calling for the FAA to address fatigue immediately.”

 Randy Babbitt’s latest word comes from his statementbefore the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation on Update: The Agency’s Call to Action on Airline Safety and Pilot Training. His complete statement can be found on faa.gov. He laments that, despite his direction for an aggressive timeline for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by the end of last year to update the rules from the mid-1990s, it did not happen. He says, “However, with my continued emphasis on this topic, we hope to issue an NPRM this spring. Although this is slightly later than I originally hoped, it is still an extremely expedited schedule and I can assure you the FAA team working on this is committed to meeting the target.”

 FLUSH, FLUSH, FLUSH…

 RING, RING, RING…

 Anyone hear the alarm going off? It’s ringing! Daylight has arrived. No one hears it. Our sleep deprived pilots are on their radios airing their distress signals. The music of the flushing toilet, the carrousel, and the ride for money are drowning out the cries for passenger safety. When will our regulators awaken from their sleep paralysis?

 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

Comments and discussion encouraged. Please click on the comments below.

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Blue Light and Yellow Goggles: Essential Equipment for Sleep and Mood?

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Blue Light Box

 

Yellow Goggles

Blue light therapy and yellow goggles are becoming essential equipment for sleep disorders, for depression, and for seasonal affective disorder. Advanced sleep phase syndrome, delayed sleep phase syndrome, periodic insomnia, shift work sleep disorders, and jet lag are all related to circadian rhythm interruptions. Photoreceptor cells in the retina have been discovered that are directly linked to the “circadian pacemaker” of our brain: the pineal gland. The pineal gland produces melatonin which is the hormone responsible for our sleep-wake cycle. Daylight suppresses melatonin production and darkness stimulates its production, increasing sleepiness. Kate Le Page, in a recent article, traced the birth of light box therapy to the sanatoria of Europe in the 1870s. Sunlight was found beneficial to the treatment of bacterial diseases common at the time. Scandinavian countries, where the sun is in short supply for much of the year, have taken light therapy more seriously than the rest of the world. A light “shot” can be found on the menu in Finland cafes where you can drink your coffee while receiving your light therapy at the table. Sweden has equipped many cold war bomb shelters with full spectrum lights for therapy purposes. Russia is using light therapy to reduce worker sick days and to increase productivity. Their research has found a link between light therapy and an increase in the body’s ability to cope with pollutants and to boost immunization effectiveness.

Steven Lockley, Charles Czeisler, and George Brainard have done extensive studies on the utilization of blue light to combat sleep issues. They have found that blue light contains more energy than white light and it can be more efficient utilizing less time and energy to alter the sleep-wake cycles. Lockley, in the Harvard University Gazette, suggests that blue light “may be a powerful countermeasure for the negative effects of fatigue for people who work or study at night.” Blue light proved more beneficial than green light in reducing sleepiness, speeding reaction times, and focusing attention.

Dr. Joshua Gooley, in Annals Academy of Medicine, details more specific prescriptions:

  • For later sleep-wake times and phase delay shift:
    • Evening bright light therapy before bed, dim light after wake time.
  • For earlier sleep-wake times and phase advance shift:
    • Morning bright light therapy after wake time, dim light prior to bedtime.
  • For entrainment of sleep-wake cycle and phase advance shift:
    • Morning bright light therapy after wake time, when sleep episode occurs during night.
  • For adaptation to shift work and large phase delay shift:
    • Bright light therapy in evening/night, dim light after work, strict adherence to regular sleep-wake times.
  • For jet lag, eastward travel, and phase advance shift:
    • Morning bright light therapy after wake time (home time), dim light prior to bedtime.
  • For jet lag, westward travel, and phase delay shift:
    • Evening bright light therapy before bedtime (home time), dim light after wake time.

Blue light boxes are available from many sources. The time required to affect a shift should be 15 to 30 minutes over a period of a couple of days. The light source should be placed 1 to 2 feet above the subject and not directly in line with the eye. The photoreceptors linked to your circadian pacemaker detect the light from the bottom of the retina. During dim light periods yellow goggles should be worn for 1 to 2 hours in order to filter out the blue light spectrum.

The best information I found on light therapy for treating depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) comes from psycheducation.org. Light therapy was proven to be as effective as antidepressant medication therapy with far fewer side effects. Its use, however, for depression and SAD should take place under a doctor’s supervision. Treatments were initiated at 30 minutes a day and decreased to 15 minutes for maintenance through the winter months. If you are a night owl, your treatment should occur as late as 8 or 9 am. If you are a lark, your treatment should occur as early as 5 am. The therapy works best when applied 8 to 9 hours after the onset of melatonin secretion. The time will be relative to your particular circadian rhythm. An excellent quiz to help determine your rhythm and optimum treatment times and durations can be found at cet-surveys.org.

Get ready for the blue lights and the yellow goggles. Before too long they will be mandatory equipment for our sleep deprived and depression plagued world. Until then, enjoy the sun and the natural cheer it brings!

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.

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