I don’t think many individuals realize how important sleep can be on your weight loss journey, whether you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or not.
Being one of the few contestants not diagnosed with sleep apnea on the ranch this season, I never imagined how important a role the CPAP machines have played in my life.
My dream to become a contestant was something that my father supported 200 percent, so much that he offered to join me on my quest to be a contestant.
Read More...Each person’s experience with sleep apnea is a unique combination of symptoms and consequences. If you suffer from the condition, it’s time to get out your CPAP machines and be proud that you have taken action to seek treatment because you’re better off than the other estimated 20 million people who haven’t.
Today is also National Sleep Apnea day. If you are new to CPAP therapy then kiss your sleep apnea mouthpiece because you are most likely still in the initial adjustment phase, which could last from days to weeks. Wearing a CPAP mask with air pressure hitting your face is not the most comfortable experience, but you will get use to it! After a few nights when you wake up feeling fully rested and ready to take on the day, you will be thankful you did.
Read More...When the contestants at The Biggest Loser ranch talk about their sleep apnea equipment you will hear a common theme. “I didn’t know anything was wrong – I just thought I was tired.”
For most, being diagnosed with sleep apnea was a shock. This is not an uncommon issue in the United States. It is conservatively estimated that at least 18-20 million Americans have sleep apnea.
Read More...Feeling sleepy at the wheel? It’s more common than you think. A growing number of traffic accidents in the U.S. are related to a commonly undiagnosed condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA. The transportation authorities have recognized this as a major contributor to drowsy driving, and they are looking for ways to get more [...]
Read More...Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It’s killing one in four people each year. In 2010 heart disease cost the U.S. a reported $316 billion dollars. This amounts to all the health care, medications, lost productivity, and alternative treatment sleep apnea, which is considered to be a prevailing factor in many heart disease patients.
Read More...Written by Arthur Wornum, Biggest Loser Contestant
I remember one early morning in 1981, my father stood in the living room with the phone in one hand and tears streaming down his cheeks. He had just received word that his father had died in an automobile accident.
Jesse J Wornum, Sr (my grandfather) had fallen asleep at the wheel and wrapped his car around a pole.
My father, Jesse Wornum Jr, was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea over five years ago. At first, my dad was not a compliant CPAP user. He seldom used his CPAP equipment. One of our family's worst fears was my father falling a sleep at the wheel. Whenever he left one of our homes, we would take turns calling him to make sure he stayed awake as he drove.
Then two years ago, he fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended a vehicle. That was the wake up call he needed to make sure he was using his cpap machine every night. Since then he has been a regular user of his sleep apnea equipment and no longer falls asleep at the wheel.
When I was cast for The Biggest Loser, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. When we first received our CPAP machines, I had a hard time getting used to the mask and would make up excuses all the time of why I wasn’t using it. After struggling with my weight loss for a couple weeks, I decided I was going to use everything available to me to drop weight and ensure my success at the ranch.
This included using my sleep apnea equipment on a nightly basis. After using my CPAP machine every night and working hard in the gym and the kitchen, I lost 20 lbs that week!
I was convinced that my CPAP machine, along with my nutrition and trainers, was one of the reasons for my success that week. I now saw the importance of wearing my mask every night. That is until I went home for two weeks.
I decided to leave my equipment at the ranch and wasn't using my machine. One morning after not getting a full night’s sleep and waking up early, Arthur Wornum fell a sleep at the wheel. I actually nodded off and luckily caught myself before anything disastrous could have happened.
This incident reinforced to me how I don’t want to continue that cycle of men in my family. I immediately called the team at the ranch (Nationwide Medical, Inc./Philips Respironics). They got me what I needed and I haven’t missed a day on my CPAP since.
"Nationwide Medical, Inc. is a sponsor of The Biggest Loser."
"Philips Respironics is a sponsor of The Biggest Loser."
"NBC and The Biggest Loser do not endorse the facts, advice or recommendations included in this website."
I remember one early morning in 1981, my father stood in the living room with the phone in one hand and tears streaming down his cheeks. He had just received word that his father had died in an automobile accident.
Jesse J Wornum, Sr (my grandfather) had fallen asleep at the wheel and wrapped his car around a pole.
Sleep apnea can be very dangerous, yet few people take it seriously. If not cared for, it can lead to a variety of other health issues, even death. That is why it is so important to understand if you are at risk, so that your doctor can recommend the right sleep apnea solutions to offer you a better chance at a quality life you deserve.
If untreated, sleep apnea can contribute to other illnesses, such as depression, hypertension, weight gain, heart disease, stroke, sexual dysfunction, and poor quality of life. Does this sound scary? Well it should because sleep apnea is a real problem that can be treated with cpap equipment and a good follow up care program.
Read More...This week at the ranch, Moses broke a weight loss record. He attributes much of his success to his CPAP. Here is his story in his own words:
For the past 15 years, I have seen my sleeping habits change drastically. I’ve always been someone who snores, not realizing that was a possible sign of sleep apnea.
Through time, I seemed to always be tired throughout the day. I have friends who are on CPAP machines and they swear by them. They say their sleep apnea equipment goes everywhere with them wherever they will be spending the night. So when coming to The Biggest Loser, I was so excited to get my very own CPAP machine and CPAP supplies to help with my sleep problems.
As you know, most of the contestants on The Biggest Loser use sleep apnea equipment to treat their OSA. How do they balance sleep and exercise?
The Biggest Loser contestants are challenged daily to learn all the tools to maintain weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
These include exercise, nutrition and yes, sleep. Which is the most important? It’s about finding a balance to do them all.
There is a wealth of information regarding exercise and nutrition and how important they are to being healthy. Our daily lives are inundated with messages to exercise and eat healthy and they even provide information on how to do that!
Maybe you have been exercising and eating right for months now. Even so, you still have been feeling run down and can’t seem to get those extra pounds off.
What’s missing? Healthy sleep.?
If you have a child with behavior problems or attention difficulties it might be a case of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is actually quite common in children and growing in numbers every day. Sleep apnea solutions can be identified and the disorder can treated without progression if diagnosed early on.
Children with OSA are more difficult to recognize, but symptoms and treatment methods are similar to those of adults. Being overweight and having trouble sleeping at night could be clear indicators that your children should be tested.
here are some underlying symptoms to look for…
