New Fairview Lakes Sleep Center now open in Chisago This week's opening of the new Fairview Lakes Sleep Center, 11725 Stinson Ave., Chisago City means area residents experiencing sleep problems can now pursue diagnosis and treatment close to where they live.

"A good night's sleep is essential to personal health, well-being and safety," says Sleep Center Manager Jane Strub, R.R.T. "Over one-third of an individual's life is spent sleeping. The quality of our sleep affects the quality of our lives. Sleep disorders can leave people tired during the day and interfere with regular daytime activities. Some, like sleep apnea, can even endanger a person's heath by preventing oxygen from getting to the brain and body. Untreated, this can lead to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack or stroke."

The Fairview Lakes Sleep Center has board-certified physicians and technical staff qualified to effectively diagnose and treat all types of sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome. The staff includes Strub, who is a registered respiratory therapist, Sleep Center Medical Director Michael Alter, M.D., of the University of Minnesota Division of Pulmonary Critical Care, Kent Svee, M.D., Fairview Lakes' internal medicine specialist, and six polysomnographers, who perform the overnight and/or daytime sleep studies.

Dr. Alter is also affiliated with the University of Minnesota, Fairview-owned Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Riverside Professional Building in Minneapolis. Dr. Svee sees patients in the Internal Medicine Clinic at Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming, and has additional training in sleep medicine. The physicians will provide clinical consultations for sleep center patients at Fairview Chisago Lakes Clinic two days each week.

Professional sleep studies in the facility's new sleep lab can be performed up to six nights a week.

Located in the Fairview Chisago Lakes Clinic building, the sleep lab has four private bedrooms equipped with sleep-number beds, flat screen televisions and the latest is sleep-monitoring technology.

After the sleep study, the patient is scheduled to meet for a follow-up appointment with the sleep center physician to discuss test results and treatment options.

The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research estimates 40 million Americans are chronically ill with sleep disorders and an additional 20-30 million experience intermittent sleep-related problems.

Ninety-five percent of people with sleep disorders remain undiagnosed.

You may be a candidate for a sleep study if you regularly experience any of the following:

• Difficulty sleeping

• Snoring, sleepwalking or talking in your sleep

• Tired during the day even though you slept for at least seven hours the night before

•Reduced or impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities

• Restless at night.

For more information or to make an appointment for a consultation with the Fairview Lakes Sleep Center, call (651) 982-7902.