If we told you Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists had invented a medicine that could help manage health disorders, make you rest better, breathe deeper, feel stronger, improve digestion, and generally enjoy life more, would you want it?
Sleep Disorders require treatment.
Likewise, if we told you it was free, and had no side effects whatsoever, would you take it? FLASS actually has invented no such medicine, no such magic pill. But we know about something equally good, free, and totally natural: a normal 7.5 hours of nightly, regular, healthy sleep.
Sleep disorders, chronic diseases, and sleep deprival are epidemic in the US today. Many people are either unaware or in denial of its existence. Even many patients who understand they have a sleep disorder make conscious choices to avoid their CPAP masks. Do you willfully deprive yourself of even the minimum number of healthy sleep hours?
Sleeptember: A Harvest of Sweet Dreams
If you do, or you know someone who does, the September Blog articles here at FLASS are dedicated to you. Did you know September is “Sleeptember?” As the summer season transitions officially into a golden fall, Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists are focusing September on issues of sleep, sleep disorders and breath. Hence, the new name of the month, “Sleeptember.” We hope you will backtrack and review or read our previous blog article which introduces this topic.
Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprival Haunt the US Culture
By sheer coincidence, this is also the month that the American Sleep Apnea Association has designated the “Sleeptember” outreach campaign. They hope to affirm the importance of a healthy night’s sleep. The organization also wants to alert them to sleep disorders and educate them with information and advocation. Also, by sheer coincidence, these are also our missions
The ASAA is an instrumental organization advocating sleep health. They strive to manage chronic disease and promote general well-being through healthy sleep. They raise awareness (and money) for medical research in studies that prove sleep health matters to everyone. But it especially matters to these high-risk groups:
- · People, coping with the physical trials of Cancer,
- · Children coping with each age of proper development,
- · Women, handling the changing cycles of life,
- · Patients, challenged with heart problems,
- · People, dealing with anxiety and other mental issues.
Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprival Precipitate Disaster for American Health
Dreams are what you make them. Treatment may be the answer.
Here at FLASS, we, as health professionals and sleep specialists, are taking the vision of Sleeptemeber personally, with blogs such as this one. We hope to inspire you and everyone who reads this blog series. We ask you to download the AP available from the Sleeptember website. It measures the quality of your sleep health. We predict it will be an eye-opener for you.
At FLASS, sleep specialists know what a difference healthy sleep habits can make in your life when you accomplish an appropriate amount of sleep. This is true whether you are managing a chronic condition or simply trying to deal with everyday issues of work and family.
You can read and research some valuable information about sleep issues afflicting us today in many periodicals and reputable Internet resources. We checked up on some of the above groups and we want you to better understand what happens to the respiratory system and general health when a routine of sleep deprival is self-imposed or ill health interrupts your sleep cycles.
Sleep Disorders Respond to Treatment
Might you have a sleep disorder? If you have been diagnosed with a sleep or sleep-related disorder, you need to know about it and take your treatment plan seriously. The only way you can know you have a sleep disorder and begin appropriate treatment is if you take a sleep test, and obtain a diagnosis from a doctor.
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, we invite you to check out the following reputable online resource to look at the dozens of sleep disorders that might be causing your challenges.
We think examining the massive number of sleep disorders on that list might open a conversation with your doctor. We hope you will share with your health provider any problems that might be causing you to:
… sleep fitfully, or feel compelled to stay awake until you are totally exhausted,
… feel mysteriously severe pain when trying to sleep
…exhibit restlessness or snoring until you startle yourself.
A Special Note: FLASS is asking you to look at that list, not for self-diagnosis, but to realize you are not alone. Use the information to discuss your issues with your doctor or health care provider. Sleep tests are a good starting point to a better life.
The Sleeptember Question: Why Is Our Culture Avoiding Healthy Sleep?
Waking up frequently and not being able to get back to sleep.
Since we have established it is Sleeptember, let’s discover a few fun facts about sleep. No more excuses: Although we all know a good night’s sleep is essential to good health, many of us presume to be far too occupied and energized to indulge in blissful slumber.
- In modern life, it seems so easy to steal from the sleep schedule and extend our hours to work or play. However, FLASS wants you are to be aware of how badly you might be hurting your health:
- Some studies prove that avoiding sleep can cause unhealthy weight gain. Lack of sleep muddies your sharpest mental powers of thought. Caution! You have nothing to lose except your short term memory.
- Studies show that over the long term, inadequate sleep habits can cause the beginning of cardiovascular disease.
- Your lack of healthy sleep can lead you down a deadly path if you are behind the wheel when the symptom of daytime drowsiness occurs.
Lessons in Sleep Facilitation
See if you identify with any of these quirky mini-case studies:
Miss A: You might have the latest and most expensive smartphone, but you battle your ancient, lumpy pillow every night.
Mrs. C: You spend hundreds of dollars for your car payment, but you bought the cheapest mattress you could find. And it is 10 years old. But that saggy place in the middle only hurts your back a little bit.
Mr. D: Your room never gets quite dark due to lights spilling into improperly covered windows.
Mrs: J: Your television is never turned off. You believe the screen flickers and noise (especially gunfire from old movies) help you sleep. The truth is electronic screens do not initiate sleep cycles.
The Numbers Caused By Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprival
Experts tell us that in 1910, “the average adult American slept nine hours a night. Since then the average has dropped steadily. Most sleep physicians believe that the average adult needs eight to eight-and-a-half hours of sleep a night, with seven hours being the minimum for almost everyone.” Here at FLASS, we agree that 7 hours is the minimum. The CDC, Center for Disease Control, revealed that “Americans between 25 and 64 who sleep six hours or less a night increased from 20 to 25 percent in 1985 to 30 percent in 2004.”
We leave it up to you to make deductions about the sociological impacts of these statistics for the future.
Here in Orlando, which is almost a city that never sleeps, we hope you will pause and think about your sleep habits. We invite you again to download the AP mentioned above. Perhaps we even dare you to do so. Moreover, if your 9-year-old child has soft blue circles under his eyes and falls asleep in his grade school class, it might be time for both of you to check into one of our four beautiful Centers for Sleep Testing.
Below is one of our favorite Good Night Wish Quotations for you:
“Dream sweetly…Sleep Deeply…Wake Happily.”