Have Trouble Sleeping? Local Doctor Gives Advice on Improving Sleep Habits

Have you ever had trouble sleeping? 

Whether it’s having trouble falling asleep, snoring or simply not getting enough sleep, most everyone has a bad night of sleep in their past.

Luckily, there’s help for those tossers and turners out there.

Dr. Bradley Rowens of West Bloomfield spoke to a crowd Tuesday about sleep problems at in Novi.

Rowens focused on two issues: sleep apnea, or pauses in breathing while sleeping, and insomnia, which is characterized as difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Rowens, whose practice has been sleep disorders for the last 10 years and who specializes in insomnia, believes that everyone needs to educate themselves on sleep health because everyone deals with it.

“Sleep is a paramount issue,” Rowens said. “Everyone has an issue or a question about sleep.”

Insomnia

The best way for anyone to change their sleep habits or treat insomnia, according to Rowens, is not with pharmaceuticals, but by altering daily habits, such as simply not lying in bed when you’re not tired.

Rowens gave these tips for fighting insomnia:

• Only get in your bed when you're sleepy. Your bed is only for sleep.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and exercise before you go to sleep.
• Track what you do and what you eat and drink to try to figure out what is keeping you awake.
• Avoid sleeping when it's light outside.
• Turn down the thermostat. Cooler temperatures are better for sleep.
• Make sure you take any medications at the appropriate times.

Despite the available options and information, Rowens still believes that people will always have sleep issues, partly because of the 24/7 demands of today’s society.

“My view of insomnia is that every year it gets worse,” he said. “I think every decade there is more and more stress, so there is less and less sleep, and less and less free time. I think insomnia is a chronic disease for everyone.”

Sleep apnea

Another sleep disorder, sleep apnea, occurs when people stop and start breathing during sleep.

The most noticeable symptom of sleep apnea is snoring, but that does not mean all snorers have sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea often start snoring, then stop breathing altogether, followed by a large snore or gasp for air.

Novi resident Bob Hart, who attended the lecture and has had a snoring problem, was relieved to hear this information.

“This was great information for me, because like he said, just because you snore doesn’t mean you have sleep apnea,” said Hart.

Nate Shepard of Southfield has already been treated for obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by the throat muscles relaxing and blocking one’s airways.

Shepard already wears a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask to help him breathe while sleeping, but he still attended the lecture so that he can keep up to date with his sleep treatments.

“I’ve never been to a class like this, even though I’ve got a CPAP and have gone to the doctor,” Shepard said. “This gives me a broader picture of sleep apnea.”

Shepard added that the CPAP mask has improved the quality of sleep for him and his wife, but he’s still going to try and lose 10 pounds because Rowens said that losing weight could improve his condition even more.

People interested in talking to Rowens can contact the Sleep Disorders Center at Providence Park Hospital at 248-465-4290 or 800-547-8421.