Dr. Gilbert O’Gawa, who suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, gets some rest with the help of a breathing device fitted by sleep technician, Michael Smith, at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital Sleep Center in Petoskey. (Marci Singer/News-Review) 

One-third of Americans are losing sleep over the state of the U.S. economy and other personal financial concerns, according to a new poll by the National Sleep Foundation.  
The poll suggests that inadequate sleep leads to unhealthy lifestyles and negatively impacts health and safety.

“If the economy is preventing you from sleeping, the question is do you want to treat it now so when the economy turns around, you’ll be ready to work?” asked Northern Michigan Regional Hospital Sleep Center technician, Michael Smith.

The number of people reporting sleep problems has increased 13 percent since 2001. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 70 million people in the United States are affected by a chronic seep disorder or intermittent sleep problem, with women suffering from lack of sleep more often than men and with increasing frequency as they age.

Smith said we all have temporary insomnia because of stress in our lives but when it becomes “normal” not to sleep, it becomes a problem.

“It’s normal to wake up and change positions three to five times an hour. When we think about it we remember waking up two or three times a night to adjust a pillow or pull up a blanket, but it’s actually much more than that. Loss of sleep becomes a problem when it starts interfering with daily activity or if it affects your ability to work,” Smith said.

Paul LeValley, the center’s sleep representative, said while the center treats more than 80 sleep disorders, insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy are the most common.
Dr. Gilbert O’Gawa has been one of the Sleep Center’s patients for nearly six years.

“My wife didn’t mind my snoring but it bothered her when I stopped breathing and would wake up with a snort,” he said.

After a series of tests, O’Gawa was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.

“Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious issue and shouldn’t be brushed aside,” LeValley said. “If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, habitually snore or have been told you stop breathing at night you should consider talking with your primary care provider about a sleep evaluation.”

Although there’s a lot of components not understood about sleep disorders, research has shown that sleep disorders are linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. And while sleep disorders are not preventable, they may be linked to other preventable conditions and can be managed with surgery, positional therapy, weight loss, medications or bite splints, among others.

Smith said sleep treatment can also help in the management of blood pressure, mild diabetes and can even aid with weight loss.

“We’re designed to sleep eight out of 24 hours a day. I like to tell patients to loosen a third of the spokes on their bike and see how it runs on the other two thirds. It likely won’t and that’s the same with respect to how reliant we are on sleep to help us function properly.”

For more information about the Sleep Center at Northern Michigan Regional Hospital, call (866) 775-3372.

Tips for Healthy Sleep
— Try to have a standard relaxing bedtime routine and keep regular sleep times. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet and that your pillows, sleep surface and coverings provide you with comfort.
— Exercise regularly, but finish your workout at least three hours before bedtime.
— Avoid foods and drinks high in caffeine (coffee, colas and tea) for at least eight hours prior to bedtime and avoid alcohol for a few hours before bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol disturb sleep.
— Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex; if you do this, you will strengthen the association between bed and sleep. It is best to remove work materials, computers and televisions from the sleep environment.