How to Be Your Best Self with Every Patient

By Dr. Ilene Rosen

In medical school, you learn how all aspects of the body work together, when to know if something is wrong, and what to do about it. However, it is also important to treat your own body well, and that includes sleeping the seven or more hours on a regular basis recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

To help medical students be more aware of the impact of sleep, the AASM is offering a “Sleep Health and Wellness Resource,” a new, free online tool to equip medical students, residents, and fellows with information and tips about healthy sleep and its relationship to the domains of well-being. Featuring content to help you understand personal sleep health, the program provides a sleep score and feedback based on your overall sleep habits before sharing resources for additional education about sleep-related problems such as insomnia, technology, and burnout.

Learning to Juggle it All

Prioritizing your health can start with simple reminders about the importance of sleep for well-being. Focusing on the six domains of well-being sets the stage for increased productivity and a healthier sleep pattern.

Physical

Research shows that improved sleep quality and quantity can improve physical performance and stamina.

Emotional

Numerous studies have shown a correlation between sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression. Healthy sleep can help drive a positive outlook and a heightened level of professionalism.

Environmental

Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that an average of 328,000 car crashes in the U.S. involve a drowsy driver each year, including 6,400 fatal crashes. These accidents are preventable with healthy sleep, which can save lives.

Occupational

The National Safety Council reports that 13 percent of workplace injuries can be attributed to fatigue. Healthy sleep can improve your quality of work and help reduce fatigue-related errors, which is crucial in the medical field. Sleep also helps you reach peak work performance.

Social

A physician’s social skills play an important role in the provision of patient-centered care. Insufficient sleep can hinder your patient-provider communication. For example, sleep deprivation can impair the accurate recognition of emotions. Healthy sleep can enhance personal interactions and positively impact your conversations with patients.

Intellectual

Continued learning is critical for medical students, residents and fellows. It is important to recognize that insufficient sleep can impair your concentration and academic performance. In contrast, healthy sleep enhances cognitive abilities and promotes memory consolidation.

To learn more about the Sleep Health and Wellness Resource, or to find additional resources to help you balance life’s demands with a better night’s sleep, visit https://aasm.org.

Ilene Rosen, MD

Ilene Rosen, MD, serves on the board of directors for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and is a professor of clinical medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and program director of the Penn Sleep Fellowship. She is board-certified in sleep medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonary medicine.

Dr. Rosen treats all types of sleep illness, and her primary clinical interest is obstructive sleep apnea in patients with cardiovascular disease. Dr. Rosen completed her fellowship and residency and earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality, patient-centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals (https://aasm.org/).

(This was a paid Sponsored post on behalf of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.)