March 2, 2007 – The National Sleep Foundation (NSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving greater understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, is the organizer and sponsor of National Sleep Awareness Week® (NSAW). It is an annual public education, information and awareness campaign designed to make sleep consciousness a part of every person's lifestyle.
The St. Thomas Sleep Center, located in the new Paragon Medical Building, is an NSF Community Sleep Awareness Partner® that has joined the Foundation's efforts to promote healthy sleep in the Virgin Islands community. It opened in 2005 and provides expert evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of sleep problems in adult and pediatric patients. During NSAW, it is encouraging Virgin Islanders who may be suffering from sleep problems to learn more about how they could dramatically improve the quality of their sleep and ultimately their lives.
According to Dr. Adam Shapiro, program director of the Center, more than half of all U.S. adults are chronically sleep deprived. "In adults, sleep issues such as excessive snoring may be indicative of serious health problems including sleep apnea. In children, sleep problems can severely affect kids' attention span, behavior and performance in school," said Shapiro.
Learning more about sleep disorders like insomnia, snoring, restless legs and other problems is easy. Interested parties may call the St. Thomas Sleep Center at 777-SLEEP (777-7533) or visit their website at www.sleepvi.com.
Now in its 10th year, the National Sleep Awareness Week® campaign's timing coincides with the return to Daylight Saving Time on the mainland United States, when clocks "spring forward" at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March. The Center encourages everyone to use this week to focus on the health benefits that good sleep can bring to his or her lifestyle.
