Catch your zzzzs without counting sheep

Shelly Fisher has had her fair share of nights with no shuteye.

“I’ve always had difficulty sleeping,” the American Fork resident says. “I’d wake up a lot and I never felt like I got a good night’s sleep.”

But last summer her problem turned into a nightmare.

“I was to a point where I didn’t even want to go to sleep. I was terrified,” Shelly says. “During the night I would wake up gasping for breath with my heart pounding. I felt like I was choking. It was a quality of life I did not like — there was no quality. It was terrible.”

So Shelly decided to put the issue to bed with a visit to the American Fork Hospital Sleep Lab. The diagnosis? Harmful obstructive sleep apnea — a disorder 6 percent of Utah County residents battle every night.

So if a good night’s sleep doesn’t come easy to you, don’t worry — you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in the majority. About 70 percent of Utahns report having some sort of sleep problem.

Shelly’s disorder, like most sleeping disorders, is treatable. But realizing the problem and seeking help is essential.

Skimping on slumber
“Most people in our society are shortchanging their sleep,” says Dr. Dixie Lee Harris, pulmonologist at the American Fork Hospital Sleep Lab. “On average, we get an hour and a half less sleep per night than a hundred years ago.”

Dr. Harris says sleep requirements change with a person’s age and can vary with each individual, but a good average for adults is 8 to 8.5 hours per night.

Getting less sleep than your body needs has consequences — and it’s more than just a sluggish feeling during the day.

There are cognitive, societal and medical problems tied to sleep deprivation and disorders. Memory lapses, being unable to focus, headaches, waking up with a sore throat, automobile and industrial accidents, and depression are just a few possible problems.

A nocturnal nature
Insomnia — trouble falling or staying asleep — is one of the most common sleep disorders. And in most cases, it’s a symptom or side effect of another problem.

“Insomnia used to be thought of as a psychiatric problem,” Dr. Harris says. “But now it’s considered its own medical illness. A lot of the basics of insomnia have to do with poor sleep habits, staying up late and general life stressors.”

Diseases and conditions like arthritis, asthma and heartburn often lead to insomnia. Substances such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and some medications, as well as major or long-lasting stress and emotional upset, can also result in sleeplessness.

To diagnose insomnia properly, visit your physician. From your medical history, sleep history and a physical exam, a doctor will have a good idea of the lifestyle changes necessary to restore your rest.

Dr. Harris’ first piece of advice is to maintain a consistent bedtime during the week and on weekends. Staying up late and sleeping in from Friday through Monday will make waking up to start a new week feel impossible.

She also recommends avoiding stimulating activities such as exercise before bed, and she suggests having a “winding down” time to prepare your body for sleep. Your bedroom should be a comfortable, sleep-friendly environment free of distractions.

For some types of insomnia, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the best target for soothing thoughts and actions that disrupt sleep. Relaxation training, replacing worries with positive thinking, and talking with a therapist or group about the problem might help relieve sleep anxieties.

Bad times at bed time
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where a person stops breathing repeatedly during sleep because the airway collapses and prevents air from getting to the lungs.

The nighttime symptoms Shelly experienced, like restless sleep, morning headaches and gasping during sleep, are typical of people with sleep apnea. Because sleep patterns are disrupted repeatedly during the night, excessive fatigue is the result during the day.

The most common treatment, which Shelly now uses, is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which provides a flow of air through a mask to splint the airway open during sleep.

“I felt like a victim before,” she says. “Now I feel empowered. I think there are a lot of people this is happening to, but sometimes we just accept it. We don’t have to accept it — I don’t think that’s ever what was intended for us.”

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