Snoring can interfere with marriages everywhere.

Snoring, lack of romance blamed for Saudi Arabia divorce rates

Marriage contractor reveals what most women in Saudi Arabia complain about

• By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
• Published: 12:31 August 20, 2013
• Manama: Up to 80 per cent of the divorce cases in Saudi Arabia are initiated by women, mostly within one year of marriage.
  “The women start the procedures and insist on the divorce often for trivial issues,” a marriage contractor said, quoted by local daily Al Youm. “These are mainly snoring, the look of the husband inside the house and the lack of romance as a result of the influence of dramas and media on the impressionable minds of young wives,” he said.
  The figures and causes for divorce were discussed at a meeting of religious figures tasked with drafting marriage contracts in Al Qateef in eastern Saudi Arabia.
  Ways to address the rising figures of divorce rates in the kingdom included urging families to check the background of men who propose instead of relying on matchmakers.
  Most marriages are arranged in Saudi Arabia where the mixing of the sexes is strictly controlled and limited, giving women matchmakers great opportunities to promote potential spouses.
  “Parents have a highly significant role in ensuring that the men who want to marry their daughters have a good reputation and a satisfactory behaviour,” Judge Mohammad Al Jirani said, quoted by the daily.
  Other suggestions included not rushing into making final decisions on the divorce until all ways for a reconciliation are exhausted and the spouses are given ample time to reconsider their options.
  Divorce is permitted in Islam, but only as a last resort when it is no longer possible for the marriage to continue.

  
  

  Originally Published at:  http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/snoring-lack-of-romance-blamed-for-saudi-arabia-divorce-rates-1.1222214

Divorce Reasons: Couple Splits Due To Husband's Incessant Snoring

Posted: 08/15/2013 3:21 pm EDT  |  Updated: 08/15/2013 3:30 pm EDT

Weird divorce stories are nothing new, but this may be one of the strangest we've ever heard.

According to China.org, one man's snoring was so disruptive it prompted his wife to file for divorce. In the filing, she claimed that she hasn't gotten a full night's sleep since they married. She also mentioned that the man's heavy snoring made her ill and caused her to lose a significant amount of weight.

The divorce was granted and the judge asked the man to pay his ex a settlement of 5,000 yuan, or $806.45.

Sure, snoring may be a strange reason to file for divorce, but it's happened before.In 1997, an Iranian man filed to divorce his wife because of her snoring; she admitted to drugging him with sleeping pills at the beginning of their marriage so he wouldn't notice her snoring habit.

Other odd-ball grounds for a split? In 2012, a Nigerian woman divorced her husbandbecause he talked too much, and a Taiwanese woman divorced her husband in 2013 because his penis was too small.

Originally Posted At: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/divorce-reasons_n_3763023.html

Could singing stop snoring? Doctor says vocal exercises could be the key to a peaceful night's sleep

A set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which can cause snoring

• The discovery was made after a singing teacher devised a way to help her friend stop snoring
• Following the programme for three months reduces the frequency and severity of snoring and improves sleep 

By EMMA INNES

PUBLISHED: 12:03 EST, 16 August 2013 | UPDATED: 16:58 EST, 16 August 2013

A simple set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which are a major cause of snoring, experts believe.

The discovery was made after a singing teacher devised a way to help a friend stop snoring.

Alise Ojay designed a programme of singing exercises which targeted the throat and stopped both chronic snoring and sleep apnoea, which causes people to stop breathing during deep sleep.

A simple set of daily vocal exercises can strengthen the weak throat and palate muscles which are a major cause of snoring

Her finding prompted a major study at Exeter University and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

It saw 30 snorers try the exercises for a few minutes every day for three months.

By the end of the trial, their snoring had significantly improved compared to 30 others who didn't try the treatment.

 

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Malcolm Hilton, a consultant otolaryngologist who led the research, said: 'Alise told me that a number of people had benefitted from the singing exercise programme she had devised to strengthen the throat muscles.

'I then set up this trial and the results have been really interesting.'

‘The conclusion that we came to was that the three month programme of daily singing exercises reduced the frequency and severity of snoring, and improved overall quality of sleep.’

The three month programme of daily singing exercises reduces the frequency and severity of snoring, and improves overall quality of sleep

Mr Hilton said all the trial participants found the singing exercises easy to perform and were able to keep them up throughout the three months.

He added: ‘It opens up a whole new avenue of potential treatment which avoids surgery, so it is definitely good news for snorers.

‘However, it must be used in conjunction with lifestyle changes. Being overweight, for example, is the biggest, single independent predictor of snoring.’

The research has been published in the International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, an open-access journal.

Additional Notes from Norman Blumenstock, DDS, MAGD

One of the problems with this research stud was that the presence or absence of obstructive sleep apnea was never determined.  It would have been important to see how well the vocal exercises impacted those individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.

Child obesity rates dropping

Changes small, but 1st time in generation there’s improvement

Cathy Payne

   @cathyapayne USA TODAY

   New evidence suggests the nation is finally turning the corner in the campaign against child obesity.

   Small but significant improvements in obesity rates of low-income preschoolers were counted in 18 states from 2008 to 2011, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden said Tuesday. “This is the first report to show many states with declining rates of obesity in our youngest children after literally decades of rising rates.”

   The CDC analysis looked at rates in 40 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. It excluded 10 states because some had changed how they collected data.

   Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands had the largest decreases in obesity, with a drop of at least 1 percentage point. Rates held steady in 20 states and Puerto Rico. They rose in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

   Researchers analyzed weight and height data of about 11.6 million kids ages 2 to 4 in federally funded maternal- and child-nutrition programs. Data were from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System.

   “Although obesity remains epidemic, the tide has begun to turn for some kids in some states,” Frieden says. “While the changes are small, for the first time in a generation they are going in the right direction.”

   Previous research has shown one in eight U.S. preschoolers are obese, the CDC says. Those who are overweight or obese are five times more likely than normal-weight peers to be overweight or obese adults.

   “It’s great news, but it’s too early to say I feel confident that we are securely on the path to improvement,” said pediatrician James Marks of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Results are surprising “because of the speed at which the epidemic appears to be turning around. The highest-risk children in almost half of the states are getting healthier.”

   Frieden cited three positive contributing trends: changes in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which now aligns more closely with U.S. dietary guidelines; more breast-feeding and more programs such as Let’s Move!, an initiative developed by first lady Michelle Obama to tackle childhood obesity.

EPIDEMIC IS NOT OVER YET

   highest obesity rates in low-income kids ages 2-4

   16.8%

   California

   16.6%

   New Jersey

   16.6%

   Rhode Island

   16.4%

   Massachusetts

   15.8%

   Connecticut

   SOURCE: CDC, 2011

Common sleep disorders in children

Posted on: 6:44 am, August 5, 2013, by Web Staff, updated on: 11:22am, August 5, 2013

See the video at this link... http://myfox8.com/2013/08/05/common-sleep-disorders-in-children/

Snoring is the number one sign of a sleep problem in children. A child may be snoring due to a number of causes such as oversized tonsils and/or adenoids, anatomical issues such as a small jaw or airway diameter, and allergies or asthma that cause swelling of the linings of the airway.

If your child is snoring, it is important to seek medical advice quickly, as it can also be a sign of a more serious sleep problem in children called obstructive sleep apnea, which causes breathing to actually pause during sleep.

Other common sleep disorders in children include nightmares, night terrors and sleep walking. Symptoms of sleep disorders in children have often lead to misdiagnoses of behavioral disorders such as ADHD. Therefore, parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of possible sleep disorders in children which are consistent snoring (three to four times a week), breathing that pauses during sleep, waking up with a headache, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, restless sleep, difficulty getting up in the morning, falling asleep at the wrong place or time, poor growth, bed-wetting, consistent night terrors or nightmares, behavioral issues and difficulty concentrating.

If your child is displaying symptoms of a potential sleep problem, talk to your primary care physician about getting referred for a sleep study. Annie Penn Sleep Disorders Center and Cone Health Sleep Disorders Center (next to Wesley Long Hospital) both offer pediatric sleep studies for children 5 years of age and older.  Leading the studies is an exceptional team of board-certified sleep medicine specialists, sleep technologists and respiratory therapists who use state-of-the art sleep monitoring equipment.

Spokesperson Background:

Christy Hall is the manager of Annie Penn Sleep Center and Respiratory Therapy and has been a respiratory therapist for twenty-five years.  She is a graduate of California College of Health Sciences with a degree in respiratory therapy.

Snoring Gives Away Suspect Hiding From Police

Source: CBS Detroit  http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/08/01/snoring-gives-away-suspect-hiding-from-police/

August 1, 2013 6:52 PM

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP (WWJ) – A Pontiac suspected of stealing a car picked the wrong time for a nap.

Authorities say it all started Tuesday morning when a car was stolen from a Waterford gas station. An Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputy quickly located the vehicle and gave chase, but the suspect was able to get away near Independence Oaks County Park.

About three hours later, said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, is when the man managed to reveal his hiding place while he was sleeping.

“A homeowner in Independence Township heard something outside — she thought she heard someone snoring,” Bouchard said. “And she saw a set of feet under her deck.”

The woman called 911, deputies arrived, and the 49-year-old man was taken into custody outside at the home in the 5400 block of N. Ridge Trail.

Bouchard said this is not typical criminal behavior.

“You wouldn’t expect, with the adrenaline of the possibilities of what’s going to happen to him would allow him to simply fall asleep on someone else’s property,” Bouchard said.

The man, a recent parolee, is charged with car theft and fleeing and eluding police. Officials say the suspect may also be involved in a breaking and entering in Waterford Township and another in Independence Township that same night.

His name was not immediately released.

Bad Night's Sleep? The Moon Could Be to Blame

July 25, 2013 — Many people complain about poor sleep around the full moon, and now a report appearing in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, on July 25 offers some of the first convincing scientific evidence to suggest that this really is true. The findings add to evidence that humans -- despite the comforts of our civilized world -- still respond to the geophysical rhythms of the moon, driven by a circalunar clock.

"The lunar cycle seems to influence human sleep, even when one does not 'see' the moon and is not aware of the actual moon phase," says Christian Cajochen of the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel.

In the new study, the researchers studied 33 volunteers in two age groups in the lab while they slept. Their brain patterns were monitored while sleeping, along with eye movements and hormone secretions.

The data show that around the full moon, brain activity related to deep sleep dropped by 30 percent. People also took five minutes longer to fall asleep, and they slept for twenty minutes less time overall. Study participants felt as though their sleep was poorer when the moon was full, and they showed diminished levels of melatonin, a hormone known to regulate sleep and wake cycles.

"This is the first reliable evidence that a lunar rhythm can modulate sleep structure in humans when measured under the highly controlled conditions of a circadian laboratory study protocol without time cues," the researchers say.

Cajochen adds that this circalunar rhythm might be a relic from a past in which the moon could have synchronized human behaviors for reproductive or other purposes, much as it does in other animals. Today, the moon's hold over us is usually masked by the influence of electrical lighting and other aspects of modern life.

The researchers say it would be interesting to look more deeply into the anatomical location of the circalunar clock and its molecular and neuronal underpinnings. And, they say, it could turn out that the moon has power over other aspects of our behavior as well, such as our cognitive performance and our moods.

Many people complain about poor sleep around the full moon, and now a report appearing in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, on July 25 offers some of the first convincing scientific evidence to suggest that this really is true. The findings add to evidence that humans -- despite the comforts of our civilized world -- still respond to the geophysical rhythms of the moon, driven by a circalunar clock. (Credit: Current Biology, Cajochen et al.)

Source:  Science Daily ... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130725125303.htm?goback=%2Egde_3289633_member_260969519