Sleep Disorders Center Offers Tips To Help You Snooze Easy

Stress is probably the most frequent cause of short-term insomnia. Stress — and your body’s reaction to it — can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can also affect the quality of your sleep.

Stress comes in a variety of forms. Excessive workloads, family situations, financial setbacks, health or medical problems can be stressors for America’s adults. Even good stressors, like a new job, can disrupt sleep, according to David Oelberg, MD, medical director of the Danbury Hospital Sleep Disorders Center.

The stress levels of many Americans have been raised because of the threat of terrorist attacks and the all too vivid details of war in many parts of the world, which television brings into our living rooms and sometimes our bedrooms.

“Sleep is important when you feel stressed and/or anxious. It is an essential part of our daily lives and well-being,” said Dr Oelberg.

He said that getting seven to nine hours of restful, uninterrupted sleep is particularly important when dealing with the physical and emotional symptoms and consequences of stress.

“Without sufficient sleep, the impact of whatever situation is causing your stress can be exacerbated. Concentration, decisionmaking, memory, and reaction time are all affected by sleep deprivation,” Dr Oelberg said.

Several studies show the impact of stress on sleep. Researchers in Sweden found that when workers faced a difficult next day, their apprehension resulted in a decreased amount of slow wave sleep, a deep level of sleep that accounts for about 25 percent of total sleep time.

The Danbury Hospital Sleep Disorders Center offers these tips for dealing with insomnia that may be stress-related:

éExercise. Regular exercise is a good way to relieve stress; however, do not exercise too close to bedtime.

éRelax. Give yourself plenty of time — about two hours — to “wind down” before bedtime; engage in a relaxing, nonalerting activity such as reading or listening to music. Soaking in a warm bath or hot tub can also be relaxing.

éAvoid alcohol and nicotine, especially close to bedtime. Alcohol is not a sleep aid; do not use it to try to help you sleep.

éDo not eat or drink too much before bedtime.

éCut back or eliminate caffeine. Excess caffeine has the potential to disturb sleep at night.

éGo to bed only when you are tired. If you do not fall asleep within l5 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room and try a relaxing activity such as reading. Return to your bed when you are sleepy.

éIf you are having a problem sleeping at night, do not nap during the day.

éIf your stress and/or insomnia continue, talk to your doctor.

The Danbury Hospital Sleep Disorders Center is a National Sleep Foundation Community Sleep Awareness Partner working with NSF to help raise awareness about the importance of sleep. The Danbury Hospital Sleep Disorders Center is a nationally accredited sleep center by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

It provides sleep diagnostic testing to patients ranging from infants to the elderly. The center is staffed by board certified Diplomats of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and testing is performed by licensed respiratory therapists who are specially trained and/or registered in sleep testing.

 For more information, call 731-8033 or visit www.danburyhospital.org.