Sleep Awareness Events in November

November 2 through 9 is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

The end of Daylight Saving Time is always a good opportunity to remind drivers of the consequences of driving while sleep deprived. DrowsyDriving.org is a project of the National Sleep Foundation. They want you to be aware that just last week, legislation was introduced which would prevent the Department of Transportation from implementing important safety measures requiring high risk truck drivers to screen for obstructive sleep apnea. The National Sleep Foundation believes, if passed, this bill (S. 1537) will threaten the public safety of our roads.
Click here to take action to encourage your state senators to block this dangerous bill.

November 24 through 30 is GERD Awareness Week

From the AboutGERD.org website: "Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition where stomach contents flow back (reflux) into the esophagus (food tube) causing troublesome symptoms and/or possible damage to the esophagus. GERD is a chronic disease for which long-term medical therapy is usually effective." Occasional heartburn can be treated fairly easily with over the counter remedies. However, untreated chronic GERD can have a negative impact on sleep; sleep physician Steven Park MD has written extensively about connections between the two.