Published on January 14, 2011

Can’t Sleep? Genesis Sleep Expert Offers Advice For Insomnia

You’ve been lying awake since 2 a.m. Your mind is racing; the clock beside you is ticking; and, the prospect of going to work without 7-8 hours of sleep has you in a panic.

If insomnia plagues your nights, you’re not alone: It’s the most common sleep complaint among Americans, the National Sleep Foundation says. How can you get to sleep?

“The standard answer is to limit your stimulation as much as possible,” says neurologist Stephen Rasmus M.D., a board-certified sleep specialist and medical director of the Genesis Sleep Disorders Center in Davenport. “Put the clock away, so you can’t see how much time has passed. The brain is a powerful machine; it can’t just think of nothing. So, try to think of something that’s totally boring.”

Breathing exercises also can help, and there’s one particular one he recommends to patients: “Lie there and focus on your belly, which is usually where you can sense your breath the best. The only thing you’re allowed to think of is your belly going up and down, up and down,” Dr. Rasmus says. “As soon as your mind wanders, which it will in about a minute, then bring your thoughts back to your belly. Don’t change your breathing...you’re just an innocent observer watching your belly breathe. See whether you can meditate yourself back to sleep.

“If you do this for 15 minutes, and it’s going nowhere, then it’s better to break the spell. Get out of bed and look out the window for 5-10 minutes to break the experience. Don’t go online, read a book or watch TV. If you think you can fall asleep, you will be better at falling asleep. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or remain asleep. “It’s not a serious problem unless it affects your daytime activities,” Dr. Rasmus says. “When I treat an insomniac, over several office visits I’ll learn the patient’s sleep habits and what we can do to help him or her fall asleep and stay asleep. If all else fails, we do resort to sleep medications. Although they can be very effective for some insomnia sufferers, it’s a myth that they help everyone sleep.”

Contributing factors to insomnia can include: stress, worry, caffeine, aging, medications, pain or an underlying disease or condition. Regardless of whether patients need a sleep medication to alleviate insomnia, establishing and maintaining healthy sleep habits will always help.

About the Genesis Sleep Center
The Genesis Sleep Disorders Center, with programs in Davenport, DeWitt, the Illini Campus in Silvis and Mercer County Hospital, performs tests that assist in the diagnosis of excessive daytime sleepiness, insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sleepwalking and childhood sleep problems.

The centers at the Davenport and Illini campuses are fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and offer board-certified sleep physicians and registered sleep technologists. Those same experts perform sleep tests at Genesis Medical Center, DeWitt and Mercer County Hospital in Aledo, Ill., as well.

To see a board-certified sleep specialist at the Genesis Sleep Clinic, call centralized scheduling at (563) 421-3200 or toll-free (866) 829-8108. If you have specific questions, call the sleep staff at (563) 421-1523.

You’re Invited...
“Insomnia: Difficulty Going to Sleep and Maintaining Sleep” will be the second in a free sleep lecture series presented by the Genesis Sleep Centers on March 1, from 6-7:30 p.m. Stephen Rasmus, M.D., a boardcertified neurologist and board-certified sleep specialist, will present the lecture at the Genesis Heart Institute, Adler Education Center, lower level, 1236 E. Rusholme St., Davenport.

Sleep Tips

At Night	During The Day
Establish a regular bedtime routine and a regular sleep-wake schedule. Do not eat or drink too close to bedtime Create a sleep promoting environment that is dark, cool and comfortable Avoid disturbing noises -- consider a bedside fan or white-noise machine to block out disturbing sounds.	Consume less or no caffeine, particularly late in the day. Avoid alcohol and nicotine, especially close to bedtime. Exercise, but not within three hours before bedtime. Avoid naps, particularly in the late afternoon or evening. Keep a sleep diary to identify your sleep habits and patterns that you can share with your doctor.