Sleep Enhancement Class aims to educate Airmen Published May 14, 2009 By Capt. (Dr.) Chad Morrow 42nd Medical Group Clinic Psychologist MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Waking up tired? Feeling unrefreshed or unrested? Having difficulties falling or staying asleep at night? Want a better night of sleep? Nationally, one-third of the population experiences occasional sleep problems and 10 percent of those people will experience sleep difficulties on a chronic basis (greater than 30 days). During a recent Maxwell Community Assessment, 60 percent of the base experienced very restless or restless sleep. Sleep problems usually consist of any (or all) of the following: difficulty falling asleep or returning to sleep, waking up frequently, and/or waking up too early in the morning. Sleep problems create a plethora of problems for people such as feeling sleepy during the day, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability or depressed mood and an overall lower quality of life. On average, people will wait 10 years before they seek treatment for sleep problems. Many people have the false perception that sleep medication is the only way to manage sleep problems. However, sleep medication is only indicated for transient insomnia that lasts for less than 30 days. If taken longer, it may actually make sleep difficulties worse. Further, if the medication is taken for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to rebound insomnia, which increases sleep difficulties when a person stops taking the medication or may create a vicious cycle of changing and/or taking more sleep medication. The good news is there is help! Only 10 percent of sleep problems are caused from medical conditions (sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, REM disorders). The remainder of sleep problems are caused by things we can control such as not getting into bed when we aren't tired, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding naps during the day. Eighty percent of people who make simple lifestyle changes are able to improve the quality of their sleep with a 50 percent improvement in their total sleep. These interventions also have better long term success than sleep medications. If you are interested in learning ways to improve your sleep, there is a Sleep Enhancement Class to help you. The classes are held in the 42nd MDG third floor class room on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 1 p.m. The class lasts one hour. Call 953-5430 for any questions or to reserve a seat in the class.