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Are You Getting A Good Night's Sleep?

Feeling tired? In addition to the stress that results from daily living, many of us suffer from sleep disorders that prevent a good night’s sleep. There are more than 84 sleep disorders, but the majority of us suffer from what experts call poor "sleep hygiene." Sleep hygiene does not refer to taking a shower or brushing your teeth before bed, although that can be a part of your nightly routine. Experts refer to sleep hygiene as how you prepare to go to bed and how much sleep you allow yourself.

The National Sleep Foundation has some tips to promote a healthy night’s sleep:

Keep a regular sleep schedule. By maintaining a regular bedtime and wake time – even on weekends – you can fall asleep and maintain sleep quality throughout the week. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Don’t eat or drink just before bedtime. While a light snack may help you sleep better, a heavy meal may make you uncomfortable. Restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent frequent bathroom trips. Exercise at least three hours prior to bedtime. Exercising just before bedtime will make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Exercise makes you more alert and causes your body temperature to rise. It takes about six hours for that elevated temperature to begin to drop. A cooler body temperature signals the body that it’s time to sleep. Use relaxing bedtime rituals. Avoid stimulating activities like working or exercise that make it more difficult to fall asleep. Try an activity that is relaxing, such as taking a hot bath, reading or listening to music. Most importantly – get enough sleep. Most people need at least seven to eight hours of sleep.

Try these suggestions and see just how more awake and alert you feel each day. If you still have trouble sleeping or staying awake during the day, talk to your doctor about scheduling you for evaluation and possibly a sleep study to determine if you have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or periodic leg movements.

Cone Health Sleep Disorders Center

The Cone Health Sleep Disorders Center performs multiple types of neurodiagnostic testing, including overnight sleep studies, multiple sleep latency tests and the maintenance wakefulness test. For more information on sleep disorders, click here .

Referrals to the Sleep Disorders Center  can be made for:

Difficulty falling asleep Difficulty staying asleep  Difficulty staying awake. Difficulty maintaining a regular sleep/wake cycle. Snoring Witnessed Apnea Sleepwalking Bedwetting Nightmares REM behavior disorder Restless leg syndrome Periodic leg movement disorder Sleep-related seizure disorder Night terrors

The Cone Health Sleep Disorders Center evaluates and treats patients who suffer from a wide spectrum of sleep disorders. Tests are conducted in one of eight spacious sleep bedrooms which address the comfort and dignity of our patients. The Sleep Disorders Center's accreditation with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine ensures that our professional and technical staff adhere to evidence-based practice parameters, which leads to excellence in diagnostic testing and clinical care.

Our three professional staff members are board certified with the American Board of Sleep Medicine and regularly participate in continuing education opportunities to ensure that quality patient care is provided through comprehensive evaluation and treatment.

• Polysomnography with and without nasal continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) titration.
• Multiple sleep latency (MSLT).
• Maintenance of wakefulness testing (MWT).

Physicians (interpret results) Rakesh Alva, MD Keith Clance, MD Carmen Dohmeier, MD Vineet Sood, MD Clinton Young, MD

 Locations:

The Cone Health Sleep Disorders Center 509 N. Elam Avenue Greensboro, NC 27403 Phone: 336.832.0410 Fax: 336.832.0411  Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is also a two-bed sleep lab housed at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville.

The Sleep Disorders Center provides a comprehensive spectrum of diagnostic tests, including: