PHILADELPHIA (January 10, 2002) – The holidays are over and some things in life are beginning to slow down. But now the bills are coming in, tax season is upon us, and the events of September 11 and the “War on Terrorism” are all realities, adding up to one thing: stress.

Although stress is a part of daily life, it can lead to headaches, abdominal upset, disrupted sleep, fatigue, lack of patience, and loss of sense of humor. For those already suffering from a sleep disorder, the effects of stress can magnify other problems associated with sleep.

Richard J. Ross, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday, February 13, 2002 Awake In Philly Community Education Group meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., and will be held in the Conference Room at the Northeast Regional Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, 2228 Cottman Ave.

This meeting is designed to help people recognize the stress they are under, and find appropriate ways to effectively deal with it.

In his 18 years of working as a psychiatrist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Dr. Ross says he’s treated “many patients with sleep disturbances, including those related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” Because of his experience, he has “developed a particular interest in the effects of stress on sleep and the development of more effective treatments.”

Dr. Ross will discuss the ways in which psychological stress can affect sleep, both in the immediate and long-term realms. He will also discuss the various treatment options available to treat the disturbances once they arise, as well as approaches to avoiding the development of chronic stress disorders.

During the past 15 years, Dr. Ross has been involved in research on sleep disturbances associated with PTSD. In his research, Dr. Ross has used clinical sleep studies to determine the nature of the sleep problems in PTSD, and his findings point to an abnormality of rapid eye movement, or REM sleep. It is during the REM stage that most dreaming occurs, and the vast majority of people with PTSD describe repetitive bad dreams.

Dr. Ross received his BA from Columbia University in 1968; his MD, PhD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1975; and completed his psychiatric residency at Yale University in 1979.

Sleep apnea can be a serious disorder with grave consequences. Apnea often goes undetected and undiagnosed for years. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to heart damage, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, and feelings of depression, among other problems. Apnea’s impact is far-reaching. In fact, family life, job performance, social life, driving ability, and visual acuity are among a few of the areas impacted by untreated or undiagnosed sleep apnea. Research shows that treating sleep apnea normalizes one’s risk for motor vehicle crashes.

There will be a drawing for those at the meeting! The book, “Desperately Seeking Snoozin’ (The Insomnia Cure from Awake to Zzzz),” by John Wiedman, will be given away. The book was donated by TalkAboutSleep.com. See the rules for all details.

Awake In Philly sponsors, in alphabetical order, include B.F. Ascher & Co., Inc.; DeVilbiss, Sunrise Medical; the Free Library of Phila. (NE Regional Library); Hans Rudolph, Inc.; Maril Products; Respironics, Inc.; ResMed, Inc.; and TalkAboutSleep.com.

The Northeast Regional Library is conveniently located on several SEPTA bus routes, as well as being conveniently located near a SEPTA train station. For public transportation to the Northeast Regional Library, please call SEPTA at 215-580-7800 or visit the SEPTA website at http://www.septa.org. The Northeast Regional Library is about one-half mile northwest of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, and may be contacted at 215-685-0500. Driving directions to the library may be accessed on the Awake In Philly site at http://www.AwakeInPhilly.org/Meetings/NERL.shtml.