Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 4, 2018

Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine is now located in the Interlake Medical Building. Our larger office provides more opportunities to treat patients and add new providers. In addition, Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine has expanded its at-home sleep apnea testing. It’s now easier, less expensive and more comfortable to get tested in your own home. Talk to your primary care provider to get a referral, or call (208) 625-6877 to learn more. We’re Growing! Still feeling tired? Contact Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine at (208) 625-6877 or visit KH.org/sleep . Schedule consistent sleep Carving out a consistent sleep schedule is the best way to get the rest you need. Dr. Hagen recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends or days off, and not varying from these times by more than two hours. In addition to keeping to a sleep schedule, Dr. Hagen also recommends consistently getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night. “The larger the difference in your sleep schedule, the more off your circadian rhythm will be,” Dr. Hagen said. “Having that consistent sleep schedule will help you improve the quality of sleep you’re getting.” Watchwhat youconsume Studies show that caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and prescription sleep medication can all lead to poor sleep quality. To help ensure the best sleep possible, Dr. Hagen suggests not using tobacco products, limiting caffeine to morning hours only, limiting alcohol to two servings or less, and gradually reducing your intake of sleep medication. “More studies are showing that the use of prescription sleep medications actually does more harm than good,” Dr. Hagen said. “Before stopping medication use, I recommend developing good, realistic sleep habits first, then gradually tapering your dosage over time. The best way to improve sleep is to build those consistent sleep habits.” KH . ORG 15