Page 83 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2015
P. 83
SANTE SLEEP winter 2015 • southernoregonmagazine.com 81
CENTER
People once followed natural body
clocks, or circadian rhythms, of wak-
ing hours and sleep. Then Thomas
Edison invented the light bulb, and
we messed up those patterns. Poor diet, too
little exercise and 24/7 access to technol-
ogy adds to the problem. Too many people
regard sleep as an option, not a necessity,
often resulting in sleep disorders, according
to Mitch Klaich, sleep information liaison for
the Asante Sleep Center.
The center has eight beds and a staff of 15
technologists. Sleeping patients are monitored
by audio and visual devices as well as software
that tracks breathing, heart rhythms, oxy-
gen levels and brain activity. Day staff scores
recorded data, which is then interpreted by
sleep physicians.
A common disorder treated at the Center
is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a breath-
ing blockage. OSA, one cause of fragmented
sleep, affects some 22 million Americans.
Long-term sleep deprivation may result in
health problems including hypertension,
chronic heart failure, and diabetes. CPAP
(Continuous Positive Air Pressure), a pneu-
matic splint that keeps the upper airways
from collapsing, is a common treatment used
by the Center to treat OSA.
The Asante Sleep Center sees patients with
other sleep-related problems, including
insomnia. Michael Schwartz, the Center’s
insomnia educator, helps his patients through
behavioral sleep strategies and sleep sensors
worn on the wrist.
The Center handles close to 250 patients per
month. “The good news,” says Klaich, “is that
public awareness and medical community
awareness regarding the importance of sleep
are coming on strong. The bad news is that
things creating our sleep problems are also
coming on strong.”
Asante Sleep Center
555 Black Oak Dr. #230, Medford
541-774-5750
www.asante.org/service-search/
asante-sleep-center
CENTER
People once followed natural body
clocks, or circadian rhythms, of wak-
ing hours and sleep. Then Thomas
Edison invented the light bulb, and
we messed up those patterns. Poor diet, too
little exercise and 24/7 access to technol-
ogy adds to the problem. Too many people
regard sleep as an option, not a necessity,
often resulting in sleep disorders, according
to Mitch Klaich, sleep information liaison for
the Asante Sleep Center.
The center has eight beds and a staff of 15
technologists. Sleeping patients are monitored
by audio and visual devices as well as software
that tracks breathing, heart rhythms, oxy-
gen levels and brain activity. Day staff scores
recorded data, which is then interpreted by
sleep physicians.
A common disorder treated at the Center
is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a breath-
ing blockage. OSA, one cause of fragmented
sleep, affects some 22 million Americans.
Long-term sleep deprivation may result in
health problems including hypertension,
chronic heart failure, and diabetes. CPAP
(Continuous Positive Air Pressure), a pneu-
matic splint that keeps the upper airways
from collapsing, is a common treatment used
by the Center to treat OSA.
The Asante Sleep Center sees patients with
other sleep-related problems, including
insomnia. Michael Schwartz, the Center’s
insomnia educator, helps his patients through
behavioral sleep strategies and sleep sensors
worn on the wrist.
The Center handles close to 250 patients per
month. “The good news,” says Klaich, “is that
public awareness and medical community
awareness regarding the importance of sleep
are coming on strong. The bad news is that
things creating our sleep problems are also
coming on strong.”
Asante Sleep Center
555 Black Oak Dr. #230, Medford
541-774-5750
www.asante.org/service-search/
asante-sleep-center
