Van Gogh's Room at Arles (1889) Sleep and its disturbances have been very well depicted in the arts and literature for many years. Shakespeare and Coleridge discussed both good and poor sleep, paintings by Picasso and Dali used dreams and sleep as subject matter, Brahms' Lullaby remains well known, and Tchaikovsky's ballet (The Sleeping Beauty) have all become part of our culture.
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Welcome to this website. I hope you find the enclosed material interesting and helpful. Behavioral Sleep Medicine emerged as a subspecialty of sleep medicine and has its roots in health psychology. This practice area focuses upon identifying behavioral and cognitive factors that can contribute to poor sleep, and sleep-wake disorders. People working in this area evaluate and treat a wide variety of patients including those with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, parasomnias and other sleep disorders. Because humans are very similar to one another (in some ways) and very different from one another (in other ways), it is important to keep in mind that the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders must be tailored to individual needs. What helps one person can be another's downfall. Importantly, many psychologists & behavioral sleep medicine specialists can subscribe to the idea of "scientifically oriented practice" which suggests that research findings are routinely integrated for the care of each patient. Another way of looking at this issue is that "evidence-based-practice" needs to be balanced with "practice-based-evidence". It cannot be overemphasized how important it is for you to understand the condition (or conditions) that you are experiencing. You can do many things to help yourself. Keep in mind that a substantial number of people get much better through taking an active role in their care. Remaining passive is often detrimental! The following pages are "text intensive" and not all encompassing. Please use the navigation bar above for information about Insomnia, Dreaming & Nightmares, Sleep & Psychiatric Disorders, and Professional Services.
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What Constitutes Normal Sleep and Alertness? Generally speaking, each one of us needs to get enough sleep, on a nightly basis, in order to feel refreshed upon awakening in the morning, and remain alert throughout the following day. An underlying assumption is that normal sleep is free from events (breathing problems, movement disturbances, frequent awakenings, etc.) which disturb sleep. It is also understood that sleep needs change with age. For example, adolescents often need around nine hours of sleep per night, while older people often need 7 to 7.5 hours of undisturbed nocturnal sleep. There are variations - some people always need more hours of sleep per 24-hour period and others function very well with less than seven hours of sleep per night. A more detailed description of normal sleep is well beyond the intention of this website. However, sleep research has come a long way over the last two-three decades and a voluminous amount of experimental work has focused upon typical sleep patterns, underlying neurobiology and numerous other important details. You can go to www.pubmed.gov for a great deal of additional information.
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Good Reasons to Pay Attention to Sleep and Alertness, and Sleep Disorders Snoring can be dangerous. People who snore can be at risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) which does pose a risk for heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and other significant medical problems.
Excessive daytime sleepiness can be much more than inconvienent. People who are sleepy can be at serious risk for numerous accidents and can have considerable difficulties at home and at work. Countless numbers of people have lost their jobs due to "laziness" due to an underlying sleep-wake disorder, and relationships can be severely impaired due to "disinterest" in the partner (e.g., nodding off during conversation).
Insomnia (trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, awakening too early in the morning) with daytime consequences can be a risk factor and precursor of mood disorders. Effective treatment of insomnia can represent a potential opportunity to prevent major depression.
Behavioral disturbances during sleep, such as sleepwalking, are not uncommon problems with children and adults. Adults can perform numerous functions while sleepwalking - there are cases where people have driven cars several miles, awakened and were understandably perplexed. In addition, there reported cases of murderous and suicidal behavior during sleep, and inappropriate sexual activity occurring during sleep. Very importantly, psychiatric factors do not often play a substantial role in these conditions.
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Biographical Information
Eric A. Bell, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist, Health Service Provider in Psychology and Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine. He has continuously worked in sleep medicine for twenty-five years. While earning his undergraduate degree in psychology, he assisted in neurobiology/physiological psychology laboratories, and was introduced to multi-channel physiologic recording. Thereafter, he began working as a technician in a small sleep laboratory. Dr. Bell worked his way through graduate school, was trained in Chicago and New York City, and ran a private practice in clinical psychology/sleep disorders medicine in the midwest for almost two decades prior to relocating to Texas. His primary professional interests include the evaluation of sleep disorders & mood/anxiety disorders, interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, couples counseling, psychopharmacology, personality assessment and general medical psychology.
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