Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center
Posted by Melissa Carter at 4/6/2009 9:57 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: gay lesbian Bert Show Q100 sleep disorder Bert Show sleep Melissa
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: gay lesbian Bert Show Q100 sleep disorder Bert Show sleep Melissa
I'm sleeping differently already.
On air I have talked about my sleep issues, mainly due to the 3:30am alarm every day. But I've been doing this schedule since 1995, so why just in the past couple of years has it seemed to get worse?
That's why I have spent time with the Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Atlanta, where Dr. Lacey has interviewed me and had me undergo an overnight study at their Center, which should really be called a hotel. After monitoring everything from my breathing to my heart rate to my brain patterns, Dr. Lacey came up with his recommendations.
First, he made sure I understood that as long as I was working the hours I do, my sleep would never be 100% healthy. However, he explained that by helping the percentage of disturbed sleep that we can control, I could see dramatic results.
Speaking of results, I learned from my overnight study that 78% of my sleep is in the first two stages of sleep, and that I only spend about 8% of my time in deep sleep. They also learned that my deeper sleep is disturbed, but I don't wake up, about 17 times per hour. However, I do not have sleep apnea, snoring issues, or restless leg syndrome which can cause those "arousals" in the night. SO what is causing those disturbances?
Unlike Bert, whose Circadian Rhythms needed to be reset with his light box, my issues may not only be related to the hours I work but also what my body has gone through with my dialysis and kidney transplant (and all the meds in between.) He changed my sleeping pill to try and achieve more efficient sleep, despite the short amount of it, plus we are checking my iron levels to see if those disturbances in my sleep are due to nutritional abnormalities. All of these decisions are in conjunction with my Nephrologists at Piedmont Hospital so that all my medical care is being monitored together.
I already see a difference in the way I sleep, and what seems to be a deeper sleep since changing pills, since I wake much more alert than before. Once we figure out the nutritional levels, that sleep may continue to improve.
Why not find out what issues are going on with you, by going to our Ask the Experts page? It's totally free, and learning how to get better sleep will not only help you but also all the people around you. Better sleep = better relationships = better life!
Melissa,
I'm so glad you were able to participate in this sleep study and now have some answers to your questions.
I wish you all the luck with this and many pleasant dreams while you finally get some well deserved rest..
Take good care,
Jody
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My doc just ordered a sleep study for me this past Wednesday, so I'm going to set one up with Northside. It's nice to get some personal feedback on how they've helped you and that you're seeing positive results already!
~ Joyce Ann
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Wow, I never knew that Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center. That's pretty interesting...
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