Sleep affects a person’s waking hours more than a person realizes. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, restless limb syndrome, narcolepsy, delayed or advanced sleep phase syndrome and parasomnias. 

The Alert, Well and Keeping Energy (AWAKE) sleep support group is part of the Piedmont Newnan Sleep Center’s efforts to help patients get the rest they need to lead normal, productive lives.

“People don’t realize the affect and power a good night’s sleep has on people,” says Jennifer Morrow, the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Sleep Center and AWAKE support group coordinator.

Some common symptoms of not getting enough rest include excessive sleepiness during daytime hours, loud snoring, pauses during breathing while asleep, morning headaches, restless legs during sleep and exhaustion despite having enough sleep hours. Read the rest of this entry

The Edward Sleep Center A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well And Keeping Energetic) support group will host first vendor fair from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Edward Sleep Center, 27555 Diehl Road in Warrenville.

Sleep medicine vendors will be present to provide information about and offer demonstrations of what’s new in the field. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Sleep apnea patients, family members, physicians and allied health staff are invited to learn about new continuous positive airway pressure equipment, masks and other accessories. Free CPAP machine pressure checks will also be offered. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study by the Center for Disease Control reveals that 29 percent of Americans get less than the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep each night.

To raise awareness of the need for better sleep, Piedmont Newnan Hospital is teaming up with the American Sleep Association to establish a local Alert, Well, and Keeping Energetic (A.W.A.K.E.) support group.

The group’s first quarterly meeting is open to friends, family members and patients with sleep apnea and will be led by board-certified physician, Vijay Patel, M.D. “Understanding Sleep Apnea and its Treatment Options” will be held tonight at 6 at the Sleep Center located at 20 Francis Way, Suite 150 in Sharpsburg. Read the rest of this entry

Campbell County Memorial Hospital and the American Sleep Apnea Association have teamed up to form AWAKE, a sleep apnea awareness group.

AWAKE or Alert, Well, and Keeping Energetic is a quarterly health awareness group for people with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition in which people experience periods of time when they stop breathing while sleeping.

The group will meet from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Campbell County Public Library’s Wyoming Room.

The group is free and anyone with questions about snoring, daytime sleepiness, restless legs, insomnia, unexplained high blood pleasure or those using C-PAP or B-PAP machines for sleep apnea should attend.

Guest speaker Patty Wilson will tell her experiences with sleep apnea. The hospital’s sleep disorders clinic also will be present to answer any questions.

For more information, call Dessie Hoxie at the Sleep Disorders Clinic at 688-2350 or visit www.ccmh.net.

Clayton Sleep Institute (CSI) hired Loretta Colvin, RN, APN, as Clinical Consultant and Director of The Knowledge Center, CSI’s program for sleep education. In her clinical role, Colvin consults with patients regarding their sleep studies and plans of care. As Director of The Knowledge Center, Colvin leads efforts for patient and partner education and will develop a CSI program for certification in clinical sleep care.

Loretta’s broad experience in sleep medicine, coupled with her passion for patient-centered care, make her a perfect fit for patients and physician and business partners will benefit from her compassion and leadership. Read the rest of this entry

Active Healthcare, an award-winning industry leader in sleep apnea treatment, hosted a meeting of the Durham A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well and Keeping Energetic) support group Thursday, October 28 to share meaningful education and resources for managing this dangerous condition.

Participants learned how to deal with challenges in CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy, an effective method for treating obstructive sleep apnea. Presenters Julie Shannon and Angela Martinez, sleep specialists with Active Healthcare, were on hand to showcase the latest equipment and perform screenings for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in addition to testing attendee CPAP equipment on-site. Read the rest of this entry

If you or any of your family members suffering you are encouraged to attend the A.W.A.K.E. support group meeting on Monday, November 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Parrish Healthcare Center at Port St. John, 5005 Port St. John Parkway, (east of the I-95 Port St. John exit – see map). The meetings are held in the Conference Center by the south entrance (near the sleep lab). This is a free community service. Please call 321-268-6408 to register.

You will learn how to wear your CPAP all night and be comfortable with it. CPAP is an important treatment for sleep apnea, but it’s not without its frustrations. Learn how to avoid uncomfortable masks and other common CPAP problems. Read the rest of this entry

The “combination of confusing guidelines” on sleep apnea testing and treatment is a big puzzle in itself and is also a major cause of frustration among truckers and all other sleep apnea sufferes.

Dr. Rochelle Goldberg, president of the board of the American Sleep Apnea Association, the patient support organization with which the Truckers for a Cause chapter of A.W.A.K.E. is affiliated, wanted to set the record straight that currently there are only guidelines, not law, governing sleep apnea testing and treatment for truckers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is still collecting data and is likely to come up with new guidelines by the end of this year but no new measures are in place. Read the rest of this entry