drhamiltonstubbs.com

sleep doctor insomnia specialist sleep disorders sleep apnea restless leg restlesslegs willis ekbom disease richmond VA RVA
  • about us
  • drhamiltonstubbs
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Sleep Blog
  • Substance Abuse Podcasts
  • YouTube
  • Peer- Reviewed Publications
  • Services/TeleMedicine
  • Store
  • Events
  • Contact
  • about us
  • drhamiltonstubbs
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Sleep Blog
  • Substance Abuse Podcasts
  • YouTube
  • Peer- Reviewed Publications
  • Services/TeleMedicine
  • Store
  • Events
  • Contact

Sleep Blog

@RVA. Sleep specialist thoughts on sleep

  • All
  • addiction
  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • arthritis
  • Attention deficit
  • autism
  • Baby
  • Cancer
  • Childhood Hunger
  • CPAP
  • Daytime sleeping
  • DIY
  • DIY sleep aids
  • drinking water
  • drugs and addiction
  • Edible weeds
  • Flu
  • Hunger
  • influenza
  • insomnia
  • mental health disorder
  • muscle
  • NAACP
  • natural sleep aids
  • newborns
  • Night Shift
  • obstructive sleep apnea
  • Opioid Epidemic
  • Parenting
  • parents
  • Pregnancy
  • sexual harassment
  • shift work
  • sleep
  • sleep aid
  • sleep apnea
  • sleep deprivation
  • sleep in childhood
  • sleep in pregnancy
  • sleep related movement di
  • snoring
  • Teen drug abuse
  • Turkey
  • Weight loss
  • Wellness
sleeping in space.png

Better Sleep or Counting Sheep: Is Your Sleep Tacker Keeping You awake?

P Hamilton-Stubbs December 22, 2017

Lately many patients come into my office wearing some type of sleep tracking device. The person is usually concerned about the quality of sleep recorded on the device. Most sleep trackers are good at monitoring total sleep time at best.  Details such as the percentage of deep sleep (slow wave sleep) or the onset of dream sleep (REM sleep) are less reliable.  Here are some examples of why I'm concerned about people putting so much faith into a sleep tracker.

A 78 yr old patient refused to believe her sleep tracker was not accurate, even after I explained to her that  it is highly unlikely for an adult, especially a person older than 50, to have 50% of the total sleep as deep sleep.  When I reviewed the polysomnogram  (PSG) results with another patient, the patient refused to believe  the results of the polysomnogram. Unbeknownst to me, he had worn a sleep tracker during the in-lab, full montage polysomnogram attended by a certified sleep technician and performed in an accredited sleep lab. The PSG results did not match information recorded on his sleep tracker.  I didn't mind that he wore a sleep tracker during the PSG.  But I must admit I was surprised at how confident he was about the information recorded by his device and not information recorded on the $15,000-20,000 medical equipment.

I'm not against using a sleep tracker but some people carry the idea to extremes.  When  you pay more attention to your sleep tracker than how you actually feel, you might be missing the purpose of wearing a sleep tracker.  Some people become anxious and worried about sleep tracker data and this becomes the impetus for insomnia.

You can check the accuracy of your sleep tracker by recording an old fashion sleep journal.  Mark when you go to bed and when you wake up.  You can look at the clock for these times.  Then turn the clock away.  In the morning estimate how long it took you to fall asleep, how many times did you wake up, how long were you awake.  At the end of you sleep period note how you feel upon awakening: tired, slightly tired, very tired, well rested.  Ideally, you should do this for two weeks. If you just can't leave the sleep tracker alone for two weeks,  record a manual sleep diary for at least one week. Do not review the diary. Put the diary away. Next step is to wear your sleep tracker.

Now wear your sleep tracker for two weeks and at the same time record another manual sleep diary.  At the end of two weeks, compare both sleep diaries and the data from you sleep tracker.  This exercise will give you some idea about the accuracy of your sleep tracker.  The most reliable way to check your sleep tracker is to wear it while having a PSG.

If your sleep is fragmented and of poor quality, review my posts for DIY sleep tips.  If your sleep does not improve after two weeks of home remedies, see a sleep doctor.

 

In DIY sleep aids, insomnia Tags sleep tracker, fitbit, insomnia, sleep deprivation, activity & sleep, activity tracker, faith
Comment

DIY Home Remedies For Insomnia

P Hamilton-Stubbs December 7, 2017

Each night millions of people struggle to fall asleep. But you don't have to be one of them.

Read More
In insomnia, DIY sleep aids Tags tryptophan, Threanine, B6, melatonin, sage, lemon balm, lavender, hops, Lippa, skull cap, valerian, chamomile, catnip, calcium
Comment
lavender.png

Smell Sweet Scent of Lavender Oil for Sleep

P Hamilton-Stubbs November 25, 2017

Lavender, English lavender, is a herbaceous perennial flowering shrub. The botanical name is Lavandula angustifolia. It’s good to know

Read More
In DIY sleep aids, natural sleep aids Tags aromatherapy, lavender, lavandula angustifolia, sweet scent lavender oil, lavender oil for sleep, baby won't sleep, mother-baby bonding, newborn sleep, newborn won't sleep
Comment
                           

                           

How to get a good night’s sleep during the summer

P Hamilton-Stubbs June 21, 2017

Summer is a time of bright sunny days, hot afternoons and depending upon where you live humid nights. You can still get a restful sleep. Here’s how:

Read More
In Wellness, DIY sleep aids Tags summer, bedroom air, air purifying plants, how to sleep well, sleepingwell, good sleep
Comment
Sign up for Free Health Magazine
Sign up For Free Nutrition Class
twitter instagram
  • Privacy

All books available on Amazon.com Copyright 2017 Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs  All right reserved

drhamiltonstubbs.com

sleep doctor insomnia specialist sleep disorders sleep apnea restless leg restlesslegs willis ekbom disease richmond VA RVA

Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs is a nurse MD.  After completing her nursing education with honors at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio,                 Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs pursued her dream of attending a HBCU.  She matriculated at Meharry Medical College where she graduated in the top 4th of her class.

Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs completed an internal medicine internship, pediatric residency, adult neurology residency and child neurology fellowship.  In 1994 she accepted a position as one of only two physicians in the Sleep Disorders Center at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia.  In 1997 she resigned to start a Christian based medical practice, SCCA.

In 2006 she began studying the medicinal benefits of foods. Later she returned to the class room.   She studied herbal medicine at Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine, Accre Ghana and is currently studying functional medicine.

In 2014 Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs expanded the services at SCCA and changed to name to reflect her goal for patient care: sleep and total wellness

Dr. Hamilton-Stubbs practices a blend of conventional medicine with the best of alternative medicine, integrative - functional sleep medicine.
 

drhamiltonstubbs.com | 5 East Clay Street, Richmond VA, USA

twitter instagram