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Understanding Sleep Apnea and Where to Get a Quick & Easy Test in Kenmore

Sleep Apnea can prevent us from having restful sleep, but a better understanding of this condition can help us find the right solution.

On average, we spend 25-35% of our lives asleep. 229,961 hours with our eyes closed. Quality sleep is just as essential to us as food and water. So, what does our body do with all this downtime? What important business do we have to do in the dark? Did Wake Up Jeff from the Wiggles know more than he let on?

The science of sleep is still somewhat a mystery. The biological purpose of a good eight hours rest is still not completely known; all we really know is that we need it. Adequate sleep is imperative to almost every system in the body, from the nervous system to brain, heart, lung function, the metabolism and the immune system.

Recent studies suggest that a lack of good sleep can create a myriad of health issues such as obesity, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

What is Sleep Apnea?

One of the leading causes of poor sleep is Sleep Apnea, which is common, but because it happens when you’re asleep, it’s very hard to diagnose.

We all know what the word ‘sleep’ means. It’s the wonderful thing you get to do after work, dinner and a glass of wine. But ‘Apnea’ is a Latin word, which translates literally to ‘suspended breath.’

There are a few kinds of sleep apnea. The most common of which is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. When you sleep, the muscles in your body relax and can even become somewhat paralyzed.

In Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the region behind your throat can become obstructed because your body is so relaxed that the muscles that would usually keep your throat passage open. In such a state, the relaxed muscles can nearly or completely block off your throat. If you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you can stop breathing for up to 10 seconds, hence, ‘suspended breath.’

These periods of ‘suspended breath’ in the night cause lowered oxygen levels which leads your body to believe that it is being suffocated. This instigates a stress response, you experience heightened levels of adrenaline, high blood pressure and high heart rate.

In some cases, Sleep Apnea instances can occur hundreds of times per night, so you can imagine the havoc this wreaks on our bodies.

How do I know if I have Sleep Apnea?

There are several questions you can ask yourself to know if you have Sleep Apnea.

Do you snore?
Do you wake up tired even after a full night’s rest?
Do you wake up in the morning with a dry throat?
Not to be rude, but are you overweight? Overweight people are much more prone to Sleep Apnea due to the simple fact that more weight accumulates around the neck, the area that directly relates to our intake of oxygen.
Are you depressed? If depression is coupled with any of these other symptoms, then it might be a good idea to take this seriously.

What do I do to fix it?

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage Sleep Apnea and eventually get better sleep.

The first port of call is exercise. Maintaining a healthy weight is the simplest way to fix Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It can take the pressure off your throat and allow you to breathe freely.
Quit smoking and drink less alcohol.
Invest in a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. These machines ensure constant and steady oxygen to your body. Using a CPAP machine will ensure a good night sleep, which will, in turn, support your body and your health. Because your body is getting the rest that it needs in order to heal itself, many of the health issues that arise from sleep apnea will improve naturally.

You can find a great range of these here at Kenmore Amcal Pharmacy.

You need to sleep, and you need to sleep well for your own health. The surest way to know if you have Sleep Apnea is to go to your local pharmacy for a sleep test.

Kenmore Amcal Pharmacy offers half-priced Sleep Apnea testing for the month of January 2020 at $49.00 per test.

If you would like any further help, to be tested for Sleep Apnea or to find help managing it, come on down to our pharmacy to find a friendly team to assist you.

*The helpful staff at Amcal+ Pharmacy in Kenmore ready to assist in fighting sleep apnea. (Photo credit: Kenmore Amcal Pharmacy)*

Katie Robertson is a writer, editor, and avid health researcher, paving her own way to wellness. Katie has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing.

When she’s not working, Katie lives in the world of fiction and you can often find her hiding in her herb garden with a good book.

Police Reminds Residents in Inner West Area to “Lock Your Vehicles”

Residents in the Inner West area including Kenmore are reminded to lock their vehicles following a spike in the number of car break-ins in recent weeks.

The police said that in almost all of these reported cases, the vehicles broken into had been left unlocked. The targeted inner west suburbs were Kenmore (10), Indooroopilly (six), Mitchelton (six), and Auchenflower and Toowong (four each).

Police provided these tips on what to do when you leave your car:

Remove the ignition key: Whilst the engine can be started without the key, thieves are more likely to break into a car with the key in it.
Close and fasten all windows: Windows should be fully wound up. Be particularly careful with sliding windows as they would sometimes appear to be firmly shut, but the spring catch hasn’t engaged properly. Quarter glass windows also need care as they provide the thief with an easy way in.
Lock all doors the boot: Ensure that you have taken the keys with you even when the car is left in the driveway or in the garage. When you get out of the car, double check that you have locked all the doors and the windows are fully closed. Also check that the boot is locked.
Don’t leave property in the car: Don’t tempt the thief. Take all valuable property out of the car. If you have to leave valuables in the car, make sure they are out of sight (preferably locked in the boot).

All small valuable items should be taken with you. Never leave your vehicle unsecured even if only for a few moments and make sure you activate your alarm or anti-theft device every time you leave the vehicle.

Have any information for the police? Please contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form. Or report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au.

For stolen cars or motorcycles, provide the registration number, make, model, colour and the time and place of the offence.

Bushfire Fundraiser: Cafe Fiori Donating Part of Sales to Firefighters

As much as Australia’s animals and wildlife are unique, its firefighters are also the exceptional heroes who have been facing the toughest conditions, saving every living being affected by the bushfires. Like many establishments around the country, Cafe Fiori in Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is also doing a bushfire fundraiser to benefit these modern-day conquerors working hard to keep Australian communities safe from harm.

On Saturday, the 18th of Jan 2020, Cafe Fiori will hold a bushfire fundraiser to benefit the firefighters. The restaurant has pledged to donate 50 percent of its sales on meals for this particular day to the Rural Firefighters of NSW.

“The devastation of the bushfires is nothing short of horrific. Here at Fiori, we feel passionately about supporting those souls who have given so much to their community and the communities of others,” the management of Cafe Fiori stated.

*Photo Credit: Cafe Fiori Kenmore Village/Facebook*

Whilst this is, in itself, a great reason to order food from Cafe Fiori, they will make your visit more exciting as they will also set face painting activities for the kids. Some superheroes in costumes are also scheduled to visit the cafe around 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

So, bring your whole family if you’d like to contribute to a worthy cause, eat good food and enjoy the activities!

Cafe Fiori will begin the fundraiser at 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For inquiries, phone +61 7 3878 2485.

Revisiting the Old Friary in Kenmore Hills

Glen Olive House. St John’s House of Rest. St Christopher’s Lodge. Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres. Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality. Over the years, the Old Friary Complex has gone through multiple incarnations and metamorphosed into what it is now.

The Old Friary Complex located at 139 Brookfield Road in Kenmore Hills was once a special centre for the Anglican friars in Brisbane. Developed as a self-sufficient farm and social facility, the site was formally known as the Centre for Christian Spirituality.

From 1965 to 1987, the Old Friary was frequented by the locals and was referred to as “the Friary” as it was bustling with activities and forging fellowship, especially among the young members of the community. Aside from tending to the nursery and learning pottery, the friars and their friends in the community also carried out social work around Brisbane.

But the history of the Old Friary began decades before this. The house owned and designed by one of Brisbane’s most notable architects, Richard Gailey, was actually built in the 1890s. It was part of a structure known as the Glen Olive House in Toowong.

*Photo Credit: State Library of Queensland*

Richard Gailey’s House

Mr Gailey from Donegal settled in Brisbane in 1864 and achieved to establish his practice within a year. Known for designing the Fernberg (Governor’s residence), Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Baptist Tabernacle, the Regatta hotel and the Orient hotel, Mr Gailey built Glen Olive as a landmark site with a ballroom, an atrium, and several rooms with extensive verandahs.

In 1901, Dr E. S. Jackson purchased Glen Olive and decided to sell the property in sections. William Melbourne Watts, then the Queensland’s Land Commissioner, bought a section of the house, which was to be erected at his 47 acres lot on top of a hill in the “beautiful Brookfield district.” Watts bought this land in Kenmore Hills from Charles Patterson, a timber merchant.

By 1925, Mr Watts transferred the ownership to his son, William Phillips Watts, who then sold 24.5 acres of land in 1933 to the Brisbane Franciscan Communities led by Reverend Robert Bates of the Franciscan order of the Church of England. At that time, the Old Friary was known as St John’s House of Rest for aged men.

From St John’s House of Rest to St Christopher’s Lodge

With several staff rooms and a large dining room, the complex could accommodate 30 men who helped cultivate the vast land. But as a hilltop site, this self-sustaining home for the aged was found to be too remote to cater to the needs of its aging occupants. When St John’s Home of Rest relocated to Toowong in 1934, the Brookfield site became a boys’ home and was renamed to St Christopher’s Lodge.

The refuge, now managed by the Franciscan order’s Sisters of St Clare, taught the boys to farm and their produce was regularly sold at the Brookfield Show. The young men were also guided and molded with cultural, moral and religious convictions until they were old enough to leave the boys home and start their new life as adults. Reverend Bates also secured the boys’ education at universities around Brisbane.

However, St Christopher’s Lodge ceased to operate when Reverend Bates died in 1955. Part of the hilltop land was also sold to the Presbyterian Church, which established the Blue Care Aged Care Facility and Iona Nursing Centre in Brisbane.

What remained of St Christopher’s Lodge became a base for the friars for its church missions until the property was transferred to the Corporation of the Synod of the Church of England Diocese. In 1966, the site persisted as a self-sufficient farm and handcraft manufacturers as operated by Anglican Society of St Francis. The structures were also rehabilitated whilst Henry Clark & Sons built a new chapel designed by Merrin and Cranston Architects.

‘Friary Pottery’ and ‘Friary Fayres’

By the 1970s, the friary was used as a temporary housing facility for volunteers. It attracted many guitar-playing hippies who enjoyed tending to the farm, making preserves and moulding pottery. Thus, the brands Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres were born and its products were sold at various Brisbane markets and events.

Some of these products also found its way onto the shelves of the department store David Jones. The items created for Friary Pottery and Friary Fayres were also mandatory gifts to VIPs who visited Brisbane, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality

By the 1990s, more extensive renovation and upgrades were done to the site to establish the Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality. It became a public place for locals to enjoy some quiet time if there were no booked events taking place. Additional contemplation areas were built and planted with trees with the help of volunteers, whilst a coffee shop with a gift store operated in the area from 1995 to 2004.

In 1998, part of the site became a private residential housing estate known as the Friary Fields whilst the centre continued to be a place of retreat and a venue for community activities. The Brookfield Centre for Christian Spirituality was cited as a local heritage place in 2017.

In 2018, the Anglicans expressed interest to sell or lease the Old Friary despite some opposition from the locals. A year later, the Uniting Church’s Blue Care bought the property under the agreement that much of it will still be used as a community area.

Fig Tree Pocket Named Among Top Waterfront Suburbs in Brisbane

Fig Tree Pocket is among the top waterfront suburbs in Brisbane, a recent study of absolute waterfront properties across Australia revealed.

Knight Frank’s Australian Prime Waterfront Index measures how much an absolute waterfront location can influence the rise in value of a property. The research looked into each major Australian cities for prime property including Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, and for the first time this year, Brisbane.

In Q3 of 2019, waterfront properties in Brisbane enjoyed a 45.1 percent premium with New Farm, Fig Tree Pocket, and Hawthorne emerging as the top waterfront suburbs.

REA Group’s realestate.com.au reports that the median house price in Fig Tree Pocket at $1,054,000 with 56 houses changing hands from 1 December 2018 – 4 December 2019; in comparison, the Qld median house price is $495,000.

It is Sydney, however, which exhibited the most added value at 94.9 percent, up from 89.3 percent last year. In Gold Coast, premiums went up 66.5 percent, whilst Perth’ value uplift remains at 53.6 percent. Melbourne took a different route, as it saw a decline from 30.4 percent to 27.3 percent.

Across Australia, prime waterfront properties are worth more than their inland counterparts, by an average of 63 percent with homes located on the harbourfront commanding the largest added value of up to 97 percent.

Absolute waterfront properties represents 42 percent of the total number of

super-prime sales across Australia in Q3 2019 — the highest share recorded so far — with homes located on the coast taking 46 percent of the share of all absolute waterfront properties sold during the period.

The report said that demand for super-prime waterfront properties are affected by a variety of reasons such as emotional purchase and sole financial purposes — especially that “waterfront properties are generally the most liquid within each market.”

Kenmore Christmas Giving Tree Sends Holiday Cheer to Elderly

Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is sending Christmas cheer to elderly folks who would not have any gift to open this season of giving.

Through efforts of the Rotary Club of Kenmore and Helloworld Travel Kenmore, the Christmas Giving Tree lets shoppers at the shopping centre spread a bit of happiness to those living in age homes.

Currently, there are still tickets left, so anyone wanting to express their generosity can head over to the Christmas Giving Tree located in front of Helloworld Kenmore. Choose a suggestion from the remaining labelled gift tags hanging from the tree and return the gift to the people at Helloworld Travel.

Aside from the Christmas Giving Tree at Helloworld Travel, Kenmore Village Shopping Centre is also partnering with Kenmore Rotary Club to receive donations from shoppers through its Christmas Hamper Collection Box. The gift hampers will be given this Christmas season to people in need.

Visit the collection box at Centre Court to see the full list of suggested items to donate.

Council Bans Townhouses in Low-Density Suburbs, Emerging Communities in Kenmore and Other Suburbs to be Rezoned

Brisbane City Council has voted in favour of banning townhouses in low-density suburbs and rezoning of emerging suburbs, such as Kenmore, as part of the proposed citywide amendments.

The Council pushed for the townhouse ban in a bid to protect the city’s character suburbs, following feedback from residents during the citywide consultation. The ban will prevent large developments in low-density residential suburbs by restricting the consolidation of lands into 3,000 sqm or more lots.

Also, under the amendment, more than 40 hectares spanning 54 parcels of land in suburbs including Belmont, Carindale, Kenmore, Tingalpa, Wishart, Mansfield, Robertson, Runcorn and Sunnybank will be rezoned from emerging community to low-density residential zone.

Approved as well is the amendment to protect important sites such as the heritage-listed Lamb House and other identified pre-1911 houses across Brisbane, as well as the addition of 128 new sites to heritage mapping.

Other amendments include the adjustment of car parking space requirement: a minimum of one car park per bedroom; two car parking spaces for apartments with two to three bedrooms; and two-and-a-half car park spaces for apartments of four or more bedrooms.

In its submission regarding the townhouse ban in single-home areas, Property Council of Australia recommended Council to abandon the proposed amendment, outlining the long-term growth and affordability challenges Brisbane faces and the likely impact of the ban.

“The proposed ban on townhouses and apartments in low density residential areas in BCC is likely to result in increased pressure on the housing market and less diverse and liveable housing in high-demand areas of Brisbane,” Property Council of Australia said.

PCA also added that the amendment could result in 322 fewer direct and indirect jobs per year and potential gross value loss for the Queensland economy of about $47 million per annum.

The amendment package will be sent back to the State Government for final review and approval.

Celebrate All Things Merry and Bright at Brookfield’s Bush Christmas and Twilight Market

‘Tis the time to have a joyful evening full of food, shopping and entertainment as Brookfield’s Bush Christmas and Twilight Market is set to happen on 6 December 2019 at the Brookfield Showgrounds.

Ho ho ho! Who’s ready for Christmas?

Whether you’re still on the hunt for some Christmas presents or you just want to have a relaxing yet fun Friday night out, Brookfield Showgrounds for the Christmas Twilight Market and Bush Christmas celebration surely sounds like a great idea.

Brookfield Markets and Brookfield Show Society have joined forces in creating this free family-friendly event, and it’s deemed to be the best Twilight Market there is yet.

*Photo credit: Brookfield Markets/ Facebook*

Running from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., the event will feature a number of local businesses and handmade lane stalls to offer guests a variety of items that are perfect gift ideas for Christmas.

Also in line with the Holiday season, the Brookfield Showgrounds will be decorated with Christmas trees, ornaments and lights.

Food stalls and an open bar will also be placed at the venue for everyone’s enjoyment.

Apart from the food and shopping stalls, there will also be plenty of entertainment activities lined up for the night. These activities include pony rides, bush animals, face painting, jumping castle, and even a visit from Santa Claus himself.

Visitors will also delight in merry Christmas carols and line dancing that will take place at the event.

Brookfield’s Bush Christmas and Twilight Market is a fundraising event for the Brookfield State School.

Speed Limit on Brookfield Road Reduced

The Council will finally cut the speed limit on Brookfield Road to 50km/h, nine years after the community petitioned for its reduction. The new speed limit, down from 60kmh, will take effect by the year-end as pavement markings and other signs and safety measures have yet to be set in place.

Pullenvale Councillor Kate Richards confirmed the speed limit reduction on Brookfield Road in a press statement. It comes after a hearing with the community, which also involved parents of the students attending the Brookfield State School.

Apart from enforcing the new 50km/h speed limit, the Council plans to install the following features along Brookfield Road and the stretch of Boscombe Road, where the school is located:

Speed Awareness Monitors (SAM), before school term one in 2020
Two flashing Horse Crossing Ahead signs, projected for early 2020
Pedestrian crossing near bus stops and between Brookfield and Boscombe Roads, subject to consultations and availability of funds

Unfortunately, Cr Richards said that Brookfield State School “did not the criteria for a school zone,” which commonly has a 40km/h speed limit.

Brookfield Road is a downhill slope, which makes it easier for motorists to speed. During the summer season, the cast of the western sun makes the road stretch quite difficult to see. Council is making these changes in the interest of public safety.

“We are committed to actions that improve safety for all road users and will continue to deliver projects to make Brisbane an even better place to live,” said Cr Richards.

Kenmore is Among the Top Brisbane Suburbs for Auctions Clearance Rate

Whilst it is not considered as an auction-led city, Brisbane has shown notable auctions activity growth in recent years, especially in sought-after suburbs like Kenmore.

The latest Domain report analysed the number of auctions data in each suburb, as well as the number of properties sold by auction and its correlating clearance rate, over the 12-month period to August 2019.

The study revealed that Kenmore and WIshart are the top Brisbane suburbs for auction clearance rates with 62 percent. That figure is more than double Brisbane’s average of 30 percent during the same period.

The attraction of Kenmore lies in its value for money, considering the 10 percent price difference between Kenmore and Chapel Hill. Wishart, on the other hand, have some properties selling for $200,000 to $300,000 over their reserve. Low turnover and the Mansfield catchment are its main auction clearance rate drivers.

Other suburbs with high clearance rates include Kallangur-60%, Chapel Hill-57%, Chermside West-55%, and Wavell Heights-54%.

The report, however, notes that these suburbs, including Wishart and Kenmore, have low number of auctions. It is therefore important to look at other factors that affect the auction activities on a particular suburb, such as the number of properties listed, how many of these properties were withdrawn, and the number of auctions that were held.

As far as Brisbane suburbs that recorded the largest number of auctions, Camp Hill leads the list with a total of 104 auctions in the 12 months to August 2019. Other auction-heavy suburbs include Sunnybank Hills, Paddington, Calamvale, Wynnum, New Farm, Bardon, and West End.