The Sleep Center houses four adult outpatient beds. It brings innovative technologies and solutions to an age-old problem that affects millions. Research shows that some 7,700 adults in Chesapeake seek treatment for their sleep-related problems annually.

Also now open: The Sleep Center at Elizabeth City

Dr. Vandana Dhawan serves as the Sleep Center's medical director. Mary Jane Kendrick is the operations manager.

Here are some tips to getting a good night’s sleep:

• Go to bed at a fixed time and wake up at a fixed time.
• Don’t take naps.
• Don’t drink caffeinated beverages four to five hours before bedtime.
• Don’t engage in strenuous exercise an hour before bedtime. It will stimulate you.
• Do not watch television in bed.
• Do not eat in bed.
• Do not engage in long conversations in bed.

If you can’t fall asleep in 15 minutes, get up and go to another room and read a boring book. When you feel sleepy, return to bed. But if you still can’t sleep after 15 minutes, get up, go to another room and find something boring to do.

Your bed

“Beds should only be used for sleep and sex,” said Dr. Vandana Dhawan, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center's Sleep Center medical director. “Maintain a sleep diary. It will not be easy to break habits. Do it for one week or two and the sleep clock sets in, circadian rhythm sets in, and it will get better. But those habits need to be broken. A lot of patients are not even aware of them.”

Doctors still recommend getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night. But that’s elusive, especially as we get older. According to Dhawan: “The quality and quantity of sleep declines with aging.”

Women who are age 65 or older may suffer from advanced sleep phase syndrome, falling asleep at 6 or 7 p.m., and then getting up at 4 a.m., unable to fall back asleep. The solution: Delay bedtime slowly and expose yourself to natural daylight early in the morning. In addition, get light therapy in the early evening by taking a walk. Light therapy stimulates the sleeping clock and delays it.

Hormonal changes can also interrupt women’s sleep. “Post-menopause can affect sleep. If you’re having hot flashes and interrupted sleep, you need to be taking hormone pills to prevent that,” advised Dhawan.

To find a doctor specializing in sleep medicine go to Find a Physician or call 757-312-6565.

Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
736 Battlefield Blvd. North
Chesapeake, VA 23320