Brian Connely liked mornings.

He naturally woke a half hour before dawn, rested and ready for a full day.

He loves backpacking and never minded moving his loud snoring more than 50 yards from the tent so buddies could sleep.

But then mornings became more difficult.

He had to take cold showers and drink two or three pots of coffee just to wake up. He fell asleep on the job and felt his mental sharpness and Irish gift of gab slipping.

His wife noticed he held his breath for short periods of time while sleeping-in between the snoring.

After months of personal research and a night in Wyoming Sleep Diagnostics, Connely was diagnosed with sleep apnea.

He started using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system, a machine that prevents breathing pauses and oxygen shortages to the brain by blowing air into a sleeper's mouth through a mask.

"After one night on CPAP I felt like an 18-year-old man just ready to tear it up," Connely said.

Connely is not alone.

America is a sleep deprived nation.

"Our lifestyles are fast," said licensed respiratory therapist Bill Malloy, who sells CPAP machines at All PAP in Casper. "Our pagers, our cell phones, our electronic devices get in the way of our circadian rhythm."

Some people can't shut off their mind in bed. Some have a more serious sleep disorder. Either way, the fatigue is taking a toll.

Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, stroke, irritability and depression, said Larry Defa, a licensed respiratory therapist at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center's sleep lab.

It's time to wake up … and smell the coffee.

It's OK to appreciate it and perhaps have a mug, but no more three-pot days to make up for three-hour nights. Use these tips from sleep lab technicians and respiratory therapists to get better shut-eye.

"Once people correct this, they feel like they have a whole new lease on life. They feel so good," Defa said.

Smart days make restful nights

Sleeping better begins during daylight hours. Choices about food, time and emotions carry into each night.

* Exercise. The more people exercise, the more they are able to lose weight, Malloy said. The more weight they lose, the better they sleep because their belly is not pushing on their diaphragm and restricting air. When people sleep better, they have more energy to exercise. Just don't exercise right before bed.

* Nap little. Don't take long naps, said Jeff Starkey, owner of Wyoming Sleep Diagnostics. If someone must nap, they should keep it brief (10 to 15 minutes) and earlier in the day.

* Limit caffeine. If possible, cut it out entirely, Starkey said. Otherwise, stop consuming at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.

Patients have told Starkey they drink 18 Mountain Dews a day, he said. "You shouldn't have to drink that much to get going."

* Avoid 2 a.m. bathroom trips. Limit liquid intake before sleeping, Defa said. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is the deepest sleep stage and cycles about every 90 minutes. If something disrupts a person's REM cycle, Defa said, they lose that deep sleep stage and must wait more than an hour for the next cycle.

* Snack small. Eating heavily right before bed can add to weight gain and inadequate sleep, Starkey said.

* Don't worry. Deal with emotions earlier in the day, an article on www.webmd.com said. Avoid working right up to bedtime or in bed. Calm mental activity at least an hour before hitting the sack.

* Schedule sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night, Starkey said. It trains the body to feel tired at appropriate times.

"There's a reason we get chilly at night," Malloy said, advising not to ignore the body's signals that it is slowing down.

Better nights make better days

When people get enough good sleep, Starkey said, they have more energy, are more productive, are less grouchy and can drop weight as their metabolism increases. Most people need at least eight hours, but teens and children may need nine to 10 a night.

* Keep the bedroom a bedroom. An article on www.webmd.com said if a person can't sleep or wakes in the night, they should go to another room to watch television or read until they feel sleepy. Also, avoid working and discussing emotional issues in bed.

* Sleep dark, cool and quiet. Hang dark curtains, Starkey said. Wear ear plugs and an eye mask, especially if in a busy area of town. Do not turn on bright lights in the middle of the night. Use a night light.

* Don't be alarmed. Make sure alarm clocks don't face the bed, Starkey said. When people wake, notice the time and fall back asleep thinking they only have three more hours, they worry about not getting up on time and don't enter deep sleep again.

* Buy a comfortable bed. Starkey likes pillowtop mattresses and uses them in his sleep lab. A high quality bed can be expensive, but Starkey thinks it's worth the money.

* Defy gravity. It works against people who sleep on their back, Defa said. The tongue and trachea muscles must work to keep the airway open and more easily fall into the throat when someone lays on their back.

"It's like sucking through a wet straw," Defa said of sleep apnea sufferers. Their oxygen goes down and when their brain reminds them to breathe they are kicked from deep sleep into light or completely wake up. Defa said 99 percent of patients he sees are better on their side.

**What cuts Zs short?

Several sleep disorders prevent people from getting good sleep. Here's the more common ones.

* Obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. Sleep apnea occurs when airway and trachea muscles weaken, slack into a sleeper's throat and cause short pauses in breathing, licensed respiratory therapist Larry Defa said. This lowers the oxygen level in the body, increasing risk for stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure and general daytime sleepiness due to lack of deep sleep cycles.

Sleep apnea is one of the most common disorders that Jeff Starkey, Wyoming Sleep Diagnostics owner, encounters in patients. Most sufferers find relief by diligently using a Continuous Airway Pressure System, a machine that keeps throat and tongue muscles around the airway open by blowing air into the mouth.

Dental appliances can help reduce snoring in people who don't have sleep apnea, Starkey said.

* Restless legs syndrome. This disorder causes a person's legs to jerk all night long while they sleep, Starkey said. It disrupts their sleep by kicking them out of their 90-minute Rapid Eye Movement cycles, Defa said. The less REM cycles experienced, the more tired a person feels in the morning.

Medication is available to treat restless legs.

**On the net…

www.sleepfoundation.org

www.webmd.com

**Reach Hannah Wiest at (307) 266-0535 or hannah.wiest@casperstartribune.net