Dr. Lano was featured in an interview for Christus LiveWell magazine discussing the importance of sleep, but also how your stress can affect your sleeping habits. Read part of the segment that also featured Dr. James Henderson at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program, as they both tackle how to break the cycle.
“Without seven to eight hours of sleep per night, your body enters into a stressful state,” says Charles Lano, M.D., ENT, an otolaryngologist who is board-certified in sleep medicine and president of Hill Country ENT. “This state is meant to keep you awake and causes your heart rate to go up, your blood pressure to rise and your appetite to increase. This can cause a circular pattern where the more sleep you lose, the more stress you’re under and the more difficult it is to fall asleep.”
Dr. Lano specializes in the treatment of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person’s breathing stops and starts. It is a potentially serious because sudden drops in the levels of oxygen in your blood can increase blood pressure and strain your cardiovascular system.
Dr. Lano says that stress is normal, but the more you think about it the more it keeps you up. He suggests trying to cope with it well before bed time and create yourself a relaxing routine to ease your mind.
