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The sleep disorder you might not know you have - Alayna Vaughan

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TEDEd Animation

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A leather mask that clamps the mouth shut. A cannonball sewn into a soldier’s uniform. A machine that delivers sudden electrical pulses. These were all treatments for a problem that has haunted humanity for millennia: snoring. It might seem harmless, but snoring can be a sign of something more dangerous. So, what exactly causes snoring? Alayna Vaughan digs into the troublesome sleep disorder.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

There are several recourses available in order to educate yourself further on this topic. Additionally, primary care physicians are able to refer you to sleep medicine physicians who specialize in sleep disorders like sleep apnea. They can give patients and families information about sleep apnea, the steps it takes to diagnose it, as well as explore treatment. Here are some useful links:

1)   Mayo Clinic is an excellent recourse for those looking to obtain a brief overview of an illness, treatment, and prognosis.

2)   For those wishing to read up on latest research on the subject, the Journal of American Heart Association published a study in 2019 about the relationship of obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease.

3)   The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine created this card which describes the screening questions for obstructive sleep apnea in an easy to remember mnemonic: STOP-BANG

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alayna Vaughan
  • Director Rémi Cans, Boniato Studio
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Animator Andy Redwood
  • Composer Alain Girardot
  • Sound Designer Jean-Baptiste Montmartin
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Fact-Checker Krystian Aparta

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