Latest news with #FAASM
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Maximize Mental Clarity: Simple Steps To Sharpen Focus And Brain Power
Ankur Bindal, MD, MPH, FAPA, FAASM, is a board-certified psychiatrist and the CEO, Founder and President of KAB Medical Group Inc. My patients often say they feel spaced out and unfocused. While there can be other medical issues going on, as a psychiatrist and sleep medicine practitioner, I know just how much lifestyle choices can affect the mind. Whether it's mental clarity or emotional regulation, there are simple, science-backed habits business leaders and other professionals can incorporate into their daily lives to boost brain power. If you've ruled out other causes, a few small changes to your routine could significantly improve your brain power. Let's walk through a few practical strategies for clearing the mental clutter, leaving you refreshed and ready to tackle the workday. One of the key areas to focus on is your pre-sleep routine. After all, quality sleep is the foundation of mental clarity. When we sleep well, our brains are better equipped to handle challenges, process information and stay focused throughout the day. However, achieving that level of rest often requires intentional habits before bedtime. Developing a nightly ritual creates a positive association with sleep. This is a cornerstone of what we call 'sleep hygiene.' Everyone is different, but a few strategies include: • Technology-free time: Turn off screens an hour before bed to reduce blue light exposure and mental stimulation. Switch to less stimulating activities without screens, like reading or taking a bath. • Gentle activities: You can read, listen to calming music or engage in mindfulness exercises like meditation or breathwork. • Stretching: Gentle stretching can release tension and relax your body, signaling that it's time to wind down. • White noise: For those who struggle with intrusive thoughts or external noise, white noise can help create a calming environment. Some people buy a white noise machine, but there are many YouTube videos and white noise apps to choose from. These small changes can de-stimulate the mind and promote the natural onset of sleepiness. What you consume—and when—matters. Avoid heavy meals or alcohol within two to three hours of sleep so your body can digest and wind down. Nutrition is complex, but for most people, eating more whole foods (especially fruits and vegetables) can help you feel better. Additionally, planning your meals to include balanced, nutritious lunches and snacks can help sustain your energy and focus throughout the workday. Avoiding overly processed or heavy meals helps prevent the mid-day crash, keeping you sharp and productive. Regular exercise enhances mental clarity and supports sleep, but for many people, it's best done earlier in the day or at least three hours before bedtime. If you have trouble winding down after working out, try exercising in the morning instead of the evening. Journaling is one of my favorite tools for improving mental focus and reducing stress. Writing down your thoughts creates a safe mental space for processing emotions, identifying patterns and gaining perspective on your day. When you journal, you're essentially clearing your mental 'desktop,' slowing down repetitive thoughts and freeing up your mind for the day ahead. Whether you jot down a gratitude list, record your worries or map out tomorrow's goals, this practice fosters self-awareness and promotes relaxation. Some people like to journal on their smartphones. That's fine, but the physical practice of putting pen to paper is part of the meditative experience of journaling. Try both approaches to see which one you like best. Practicing mindfulness or meditating, even for five minutes, can do wonders for mental clarity. These activities help you stay present, reduce mental noise and improve your focus over time. Pairing mindfulness with your pre-sleep routine can be particularly effective in calming an overactive mind, although meditating first thing in the morning is helpful, too. Like any skill, mental clarity improves with practice. Developing consistent routines for sleep, mindfulness and journaling not only boosts your focus but also creates a sense of stability and control in your daily life. I've found that the more regularly you engage in these activities, the more your brain will reward you with sharper focus and improved cognitive performance. If you struggle to stick with new habits, set alarms on your phone or enlist the help of an accountability buddy. Make it as easy as possible to implement these habits. For example, most phones have a sleep mode that dims the screen at a specific time. I've found that most business owners benefit by scheduling these practices into their work calendar and prioritizing it as a work meeting time block. Blocking off time for mindfulness, journaling or even a pre-sleep routine ensures these habits become a non-negotiable part of the day. Just like any critical business task, protecting this time can lead to better focus, decision-making and long-term success. Maximizing your mental clarity doesn't require overhauling your life—just a few intentional tweaks to your daily habits. A consistent pre-sleep routine, mindful journaling, and thoughtfully timing meals and exercise clears the mental clutter and allows professionals to approach each day with renewed energy and focus. By integrating these small but impactful strategies, you may find yourself better equipped to handle work and life's demands with a sharp mind and a calm, focused demeanor. The information provided here is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for advice concerning your specific situation. 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Associated Press
25-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Apnimed to Host Virtual Investor Event Highlighting the Potential for AD109 as a Novel Pharmacotherapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea on April 11, 2025
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Apnimed, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of first-in-class oral therapies that address the neuromuscular dysfunction of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep-related breathing diseases, today announced that it will host a virtual investor event on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM ET. To register, click here. The event will feature leading experts in sleep medicine, Douglas Kirsch, MD, FAAN, FAASM (Wake Forest University), and Nathaniel Watson, MD, MSc, FAAN, FAASM (University of Washington), who will provide an in-depth analysis of the unmet medical need in OSA and the shifting treatment paradigm. In addition, Apnimed will unveil new analyses exploring the potential impact of pharmacotherapies on the OSA treatment landscape, with a focus on AD109, Apnimed's investigational oral tablet designed to target the neuromuscular root cause of upper airway collapse in people with OSA. Apnimed's leadership team will also provide an update on its ongoing Phase 3 SynAIRgy and LunAIRo trials, and a preview of Apnimed's go-to-market strategy to unlock the blockbuster potential of AD109. Top-line results from Apnimed's Phase 3 SynAIRgy and LunAIRo clinical trials are expected in the second quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2025, respectively. A live question and answer session will follow the presentations and KOL discussion. About Douglas Kirsch, MD, FAAN, FAASM Dr. Kirsch is the Medical Director of Atrium Health Sleep Medicine, where he maintains an active clinical sleep practice and oversees clinical sleep medicine for the multi-state hospital system. He is currently a Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Wake Forest School of Medicine and was previously on the faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School and Harvard Medical School. He was the 2018-19 President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and was the Program Chair for the SLEEP Meeting in 2012-14 and the Chair of AASM Sleep Medicine Trends course from 2023-5. His current interests include emerging technology in Sleep Medicine and proving the value of Sleep Medicine care. About Nathaniel Watson, MD, MSc, FAAN, FAASM Dr. Watson is currently Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Neurology, Co-director of the Sleep Center, and Director of the Harborview Medical Center Sleep Clinic at the University of Washington. He holds certifications with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with a Sleep Medicine subspecialty, and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Watson is a former President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Board of Sleep Medicine. Over the course of his career he has held multiple research grants to study sleep disturbances and published extensively for medical and lay audiences. He has led the development of guideline and consensus documents regarding monitoring and managing sleep disturbances. His research has investigated genetic aspects of sleep duration and metabolic disease, mental health, and inflammation. His current investigations include the relationship between sleep and cancer risk, the impact of artificial intelligence and consumer sleep technology on human sleep and sleep medicine, and increasing access to sleep care for Native American populations. He is a passionate advocate for sleep health, with efforts focused on promoting healthy school start times, abolishment of daylight saving time, and transportation safety. His sleep advocacy and media work has touched millions of lives. Dr. Watson studied medicine at the University of North Carolina and obtained his master of science in genetic epidemiology from the University of Washington. He completed his medical internship, neurology residency, and clinical neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Washington. He has also conducted postgraduate studies at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Colorado. About AD109 AD109 could be the first pharmacological treatment to improve oxygenation during sleep by directly addressing the underlying neuromuscular cause of upper airway collapse in people with obstructive sleep apnea. It is a first-in-class combination of aroxybutynin, a novel antimuscarinic, and atomoxetine, a selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NRI). Their combined pharmacological synergy targets the root neuromuscular cause of OSA. AD109 is a once-nightly oral pill that is designed to lower the complexity of intervention and may help more people benefit from effective, restorative sleep. In a disease characterized by complex and invasive treatment options, AD109 may be a simple solution to help improve oxygenation and health wellbeing for people living with OSA. About Obstructive Sleep Apnea Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious chronic sleep-related breathing disease where the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing intermittent oxygen deprivation. It is caused by two overlapping mechanisms: neuromuscular dysfunction during sleep and predisposing anatomic abnormalities. The impact of OSA spans age, sex, and body type—there is no single face of the disease. Every night, greater than 54 million people in the U.S. and 1 billion people worldwide with OSA intermittently stop breathing, exposing them to serious, long-term health risks. An individual with OSA can experience hundreds of these sleep apnea events in a single night. Each sleep apnea event reduces blood oxygen levels and deprives cells of the energy they need to perform vital functions. Ultimately, failure to effectively treat OSA increases the risk of long-term health consequences and quality of life impacts, including daytime fatigue, impaired judgement, premature death, and severe and potentially life-threatening health complications, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Yet, even after being diagnosed, the majority of people with OSA either refuse, abandon, or underutilize treatment. In addition, no currently available treatments address the underlying neuromuscular dysfunction present in all OSA cases. About Apnimed Apnimed is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to breathing new life into the sleep-related breathing disease treatment landscape. The company envisions a new era where novel oral therapies simplify intervention, expand the reach of diagnosis and treatment, and elevate the health and expectations of everyone in the sleep-related breathing disease community. Based in Cambridge, Mass., Apnimed is advancing a focused pipeline of oral pharmaceutical product candidates designed to help improve oxygenation for people living with obstructive sleep apnea and beyond, to other sleep-related breathing diseases, including several that are part of our joint venture with Shionogi & Co., Ltd, Shionogi Apnimed Sleep Science (SASS). Learn more at or follow us on X and LinkedIn. Media Contact:
