Sacred Heart - Inspiring Health

of Quality Z s A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP REPLENISHES AND RESTORES ENERGY, HELPING YOU WAKE UP REFRESHED, ALERT, AND READY TO FACE THE DAY. WHEN YOU SLEEP, your body cycles through four phases. Waking can disrupt this cycle, meaning you may not reach the physically restorative third our sleep stage known as deep sleep, or the fourth stage where ms might dreams occur and the brain stores memories. sed by "The amount and quality of sleep we get is just ing serious? as important to our overall well-being as food, physical activity, and hydration," says Kelly Gullo, Registered Polysomnographic Technologist at Sacred Heart Sleep Disorders Center. "Not getting enough high-quality sleep can weaken the immune system, cause irritability, and make a person dangerously accident prone." SNOOZING FOR A GOOD CAUSE The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates between 50 and 70 million people suffer from sleep disorders, meaning they have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up. If you meet the recommended seven to nine hours of shut-eye but still feel groggy, it may be time to talk with your doctor about sleep health. Think your sleep problems might be caused by something serious? Visit sacredhearteauclaire.org and select "Sleep Aware" from the HealthAware Assessments box in the lower right-hand corner for a free online test. DEPRIVED? Are You Sleep > "A primary care physician can help identify sleep disorders and offer solutions," Gullo says. "Some disorders—such as sleep apnea, which affects breathing during sleep—are harder to spot and may require a sleep study." Sleep studies are painless, noninvasive, and can be scheduled at your convenience, regardless of work shifts. During the test, a registered technologist like Gullo uses advanced technology to monitor heart rate, brain waves, breathing, limb movement, and other parameters. The average adult requires between seven and nine hours of sleep every 24 hours to keep mentally and physically fit. Yet sleep is often the first priority to go as you balance commitments to your family, friends, and job. "So many of us tell ourselves, 'I can catch up later,' but sleep debt adds up quickly," says Kelly Gullo, Registered Polysomnographic Technologist at Sacred Heart Sleep Disorders Center. "You can 'catch up' on sleep, but if you miss two hours of sleep a night for five days, that's a 10-hour sleep debt. Going to bed early one night or sleeping in on Saturday isn't going to fix it." Instead of playing catch-up, Gullo recommends practicing good sleep hygiene. That means going to bed every night and waking up at the same time every day, even on the weekend or a holiday, and creating a restful environment in your bedroom by eliminating distractions and keeping the temperature comfortable. SAC R ED H E A RTE AU C L A I R E .O RG the ABCs 15

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