Dr. Terry Peery addresses attendees at the St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center ‘Importance of Sleep’ Seminar.
Today’s blog wraps up our Importance of Sleep focus for the month of April. A special thank you to Dr. Terry Peery who spoke to the attendees at our Importance of Sleep Seminar last night at the CHASCO Family YMCA. We hope those who attended learned not only the true importance of sleep but also what actions you can take to improve your sleep habits. Sleep is a basic biological need that is essential to our health, performance, safety, and quality of life and sleep deprivation has serious negative consequences. Five steps you can take to improve your sleep habits are:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time consistently. Keep these same hours during the weekend.
- Don’t’ eat heavy meals for dinner or meals within three hours of falling asleep.
- Don’t exercise within three hours of going to bed. Try and exercise in the morning if you can which boost your metabolism.
- Do not have a television in the bedroom. This causes arousal and disrupts sleep.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine after 2:00 p.m.
Almost a third of Americans have some type of sleep disorder. Our Sleep Lab is designed to diagnose and evaluate these disorders, which can include sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia or sleep-related seizures. Take the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to determine if you may be at risk for a sleep disorder. If your score is 10 or above, please consult your physician regarding a possible sleep disorder. Call 512-901-1808 for more information or to schedule a sleep study. Studies are scheduled daily, including weekend.
The topic for May will be Stroke Awareness so mark a spot in your calendar on May 10th as we will have a featured speaker and offer free Stroke screenings including blood pressure check, blood sugar check and stroke risk assessment cards. Check back on May 1 for more information on this seminar!
Holly Krivokapich
Health and Wellness Coordinator
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center
