Institute Tireless in Sleep Studies

By Tim Henley, The Daily Oklahoman

Mar. 30–EDMOND — When a patient walks into the Sleep Disorders Institute at Edmond Medical Center, a physician asks a series of questions regarding sleep habits. A common response is that he or she sleeps with the television turned on, which can create disruptive sleeping patterns, said Donny Pierce, a physician at the center, 1320 E Ninth. Although you might not consciously hear it, the brain picks up the television activity. That prevents the brain from resting, Pierce said. “If the light changes suddenly on the TV or if there’s a loud siren on TV, the brain gets micro-arousals when that happens,” Pierce said. “When you hear noises in your sleep, your brain speeds up.” Sleeping with the television on is one of many bad sleeping habits that contribute to the development of sleeping disorders, said Dr. Jeremy Cole, a physician at Edmond Medical Center. This is National Sleep Awareness Week. Physicians at Edmond Medical Center want the public to learn about the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleeping disorders, including sleep apnea and insomnia. Sleep apnea is brief interruptions in breathing during sleep which causes the person to wake up gasping for air, according to the Edmond Medical Center Web site. Someone’s neck circumference and body mass index can be an indicator for sleep apnea, Cole said. Although overweight people are more likely to develop sleep apnea, Cole said it can affect anyone regardless of weight. “We are now noticing that people who are not obese have a substantial prevalence of apnea,” Cole said. Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it might be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, according to the hospital’s Web site. Sleep apnea also can cause depression, difficulty remembering and irritability, Cole said. Physicians at the hospital’s sleep lab treat sleep apnea using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. The machine delivers enough air to the lungs through a mask to keep the airway open. Before prescribing the machine, a physician perform a physical examination, and the patient might be asked to stay overnight and undergo a sleep study so physicians can monitor sleep activity. “It’s very difficult to cure this condition, but it certainly effectively treats it if it’s used every night according to orders,” Cole said. ‘We’re not sleeping enough’ A sleeping disorder associated with all age groups is insomnia. Insomnia occurs when a person has difficulty obtaining an adequate amount of sleep. Insomnia can be caused by stress, depression, exercising within two hours of going to bed, nicotine, too much caffeine and working inconsistent shifts, Pierce said. Cole said the recommended amount of sleep is 9 to 12 hours daily. “I don’t know anyone who sleeps that long,” Cole said. “They’re lucky if they get seven hours. We’re not sleeping enough in this county.” Cole warns against sleeping less during the weekdays and trying to catch up on sleep during the weekends. “You’re not catching up,” he said. “You’re still chronically sleep-deprived. If you chronically shorten your sleep cycle you may never be able to get fully recovered.”

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