June 25, 2021
If you are having trouble sleeping, you are possibly one of the 50 to 70 million Americans who have sleep or wakefulness disorders according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) Sleep Centers can help determine sleep disorders.
“Sleep deficiency and untreated sleep disorders impacts your overall health,” said ARH Pulmonologist Shyam Ganti, MD. “From newborns to seniors, sleep is important as it helps the body repair and regenerate. Quality sleep can even help the body fight off infection.”
According to the National Sleep Foundation, there is a recommended number of hours that you should sleep each night to maintain good health. Therefore, it is important to ask yourself this question: how many hours of restful sleep do I get most nights? To help yourself stay alert during the day, the National Sleep Foundation recommends sleep ranges for five age groups, which includes:
Newborns: From 0-3 months, babies need between 14 and 17 hours of sleep. This includes daytime naps, since newborns rarely sleep through the night. Older infants (4-11 months) need about 12 to 15 hours of sleep each day.
Toddlers: Between the first and second year of life, toddlers need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep each night.
Children: Preschoolers (3-5 years) should get 10 to 13 hours, while school-age kids (6-13 years) should strive for nine to 11 hours each night.
Teenagers: As kids get older, their need for sleep decreases slightly. Teens (14-17 years) require about eight to 10 hours of nightly sleep.
Adults: Between the ages of 18 and 64, adults should aim for seven to nine hours of nightly sleep. If you are older than 65, you may need a little less: seven to eight hours is recommended.
Although we know sleep is important, a good night’s sleep can be elusive even when we have the time to devote to it. For one reason or another, many people cannot get the kind of deep, restorative rest they need.
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) has Sleep Centers in Middlesboro, Harlan, West Liberty, South Williamson and Whitesburg, Ky. as well as Beckley, W.Va. At ARH Sleep Centers, we diagnose and treat common sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy. In our state-of-the-art Sleep Centers, we have helped hundreds of people overcome a sleep disorder and achieve the consistent, restorative rest they need for good health.
When you come to an ARH Sleep Center, we will settle you into a specially equipped diagnostic suite from which our board-certified sleep technologists monitor you as you sleep. We provide comfortable beds and private bathrooms. You can wear your favorite sleep clothes, have your favorite book or magazine by your side and even watch television to help you fall asleep–almost as if you were in your own bedroom.
Take this quiz to help determine if it is time to talk to your healthcare provider about a sleep study.