TOWN OF WALLKILL – This coming Sunday morning, we will lose an hour of sleep as clocks will spring forward.
The Center for Sleep Medicine at Orange Regional Medical Center recognizes the importance of public education and awareness when it comes to the time change and proper sleep.
According to Dr. Samer El Zarif, associate medical director of the hospital’s Center for Sleep Medicine, diagnosing sleep disorders early on can lead to a better night’s sleep and a healthier life overall.
“Sleep disorders can be associated with high blood pressure, headaches, heart disease, heart attack, chronic fatigue, and even death,” he said.
Common sleep disorders can include sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and shift work disorder – a sleep disorder characterized by insomnia and excessive sleepiness affecting people whose work hours overlap with the typical sleep period.
The National Sleep Foundation offers the following tips to get a good night’s sleep:
Establish a regular sleep schedule
Practice a relaxing “wind-down” bedtime routine
Avoid nicotine and caffeine close to bedtime
Exercise daily
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet and comfortable
The ORMC Center for Sleep Medicine is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
For more information about sleep services at Orange Regional Medical Center or to find out if you are at risk for a sleep disorder, visit www.ormc.org/sleepcenter.