Gwen, Excelsior, Minn.: I’m considering going to a sleep center to get to the bottom of my sleep problem but I am unsure of what to expect. What will I experience and what should I do to prepare myself?

Dr. Drake: Contrary to some people’s expectations, sleep centers are typically extremely comfortable and quiet places to sleep, not like a hospital.

Each participant or patient is given a private bedroom for the duration of their stay, which includes a normal double-sized bed (not a hospital bed), private bathroom, desk and television. It’s similar to a hotel room.

Breakdown of a Typical Stay:
Usually, you will be instructed to arrive in the evening around 8 p.m. You will be met by a sleep technician who will help prepare you for your overnight stay.

A variety of sleep assessments may be used during your stay. For example, sleep can be monitored using small sensors placed on your head, measuring oxygen levels, breathing assessments and, occasionally, daytime alertness measurements.

The sensors placed on your head will not damage your hair, but will disrupt your hairstyle for that night. Although it is often thought that the sensors will interfere with sleep this is not the case and individuals tend to sleep just fine at a sleep center. In order to maintain quality service, sleep centers are located away from noise and other hospital-like disturbances that could interrupt a patient’s sleep.

Also, all meals will be are provided at a sleep center during the duration of your stay and an intercom is used in every room so you may can call for assistance anytime during the night.

To Prepare:
There is very little to prepare, but the physician may ask you to fill out a sleep diary for a period of time (1-2 weeks) prior to staying overnight at the sleep center.

To make your stay more comfortable, I suggest:

• Bring your own pillow
• Remember any medications that you regularly use (ask your doctor)
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing (pajamas or some form of sleep wear)
• Avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages the day of your testing
• Bring personal toiletries and a change of clothing

Hello!

I’m Dr. Christopher Drake, a bioscientific investigator at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit, Mich. I’m thrilled to be partnering with AmericInn^® Hotels as resident sleep expert and a regular contributor to the Sleep Better America initiative.

It’s really true that the quality of your sleep is directly connected to the quality of your life. Without enough sleep, you are susceptible to a variety of problems including disease, depression and weight gain. I’m here to offer sound sleep advice and tools to ensure your quality of life is the best it can be.

This Web site will feature weekly postings that include tools and resources to help you address your own sleep issues and concerns. Here is a preview of some of the topics I will cover on Sleep Better America:

• • -Tips for achieving better nights of sleep
  • -How to quiet a sleep environment that’s noisy
  • -Ideas for accomplishing good sleep while on the road
  • -Job performance and sleep
  • -Stress and sleep
  • -Diet and sleep, including the effects of caffeine use
  • -Commentary on sleep issues in the news
  • -Reviews of current sleep products on the market

As a board-certified clinician, my mission is to educate and help Americans achieve better sleep so they can lead healthy and happy lives. I’m thrilled to use the Sleep Better America Web site as a platform for reaching more Americans on this very important topic.

Thank you for visiting SleepBetterAmerica.net. Feel free to browse our articles and ask me any sleep-related questions you may have. Come back and visit soon!

-Dr. Christopher Drake