Little Company of Mary Urges You to Give it a Rest
Community Invited to Take the Sleep Awareness Challenge
EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. - February 28, 2008- Sleep experts at Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers encourage you to catch more Z's. To understand why you haven't been doing so, take part in the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) Annual Great American Sleep Challenge beginning March 3rd through 31st. The online campaign is designed to teach Americans that healthy sleep starts with adopting sleep-savvy habits and promoting a successful sleep environment. LCM sleep specialists are educating the community by providing information, such as the Sleep Challenge to help you learn about getting better sleep to improve your health and safety.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans are affected by chronic sleep disorders and irregular sleep problems that can significantly diminish health, alertness, and safety. According to Richard D. Kern, M.D., medical director and sleep expert at the Little Company of Mary Sleep Disorders Center, sleep problems are especially a common complaint among women and can lead to depression, irritability, weight gain, impaired job performance, and problems with memory, and other cognitive functions. Dr. Kern explains that sleep problems vary from inadequate sleep, trouble falling asleep with trouble staying asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue, as well as loud snoring, restless legs, sleepwalking, night terrors, and other unusual sleep behaviors.
Dr. Kern offers some sleep advice, which is also encouraged by NSF:
· Finish eating at least two to three hours before bedtime
· Keep a regular bed and wake schedule, including weekends
· Develop a relaxing bedtime routine
· Create a soothing sleep environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool
· Sleep on a comfortable mattress pad and pillows
If you still have difficulty sleeping, you may have a sleep disorder and need to consult with a sleep disorders specialist, which according to NSF have an estimated 85 -90% success rate of getting their patients better sleep.
Little Company of Mary Hospital is the premier provider of sleep disorder studies with the recent opening of their new Sleep Disorders Center. The Center has doubled in capacity allowing more patients to receive help in obtaining their much-needed sleep. The physicians at the Sleep Disorders Center offer more than 40 years combined experience evaluating patients with sleep disorders and conducting sleep studies. Testing is performed in the comfort of a bedroom environment, and uses the latest state-of-the-art technology to monitor and test sleep patterns in a safe 24-hour secure location. In addition, the Center will offer sleep studies for children ages five years and older beginning in July.
To access the NSF Sleep Challenge or to learn more about sleep disorders please visit www.LCMH.org/sleep. To receive a sleep assessment, please ask your primary care physician for a referral if needed or contact Little Company of Mary's Sleep Disorders Center at 708.423.7378.
###
Photo Captions:
1. Little Company of Mary Hospital recently unveiled its new Sleep Disorders Center, which doubled in capacity and offers a bedroom environment.
