[Hadassah On Call] Can't Sleep? Here's What's Keeping Us Awake

Sleep impacts our health on every level — physically, mentally and emotionally — and according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 3 people aren't getting enough it. That's why sleep disorders expert and pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Joel Reiter, head of the Hadassah Medical Organization's sleep clinic, is determined to help sleep-deprived patients through sleep studies, treatments and recommendations on sleep hygiene.

In Hadassah On Call's new podcast episode, "Can't Sleep? Here's What's Keeping Us Awake," Dr. Reiter talks about the ins and outs of sleeplessness from sleep apnea, a physical sleep disorder, to psychological issues, including a recent uptick of insomnia cases linked to the stress of living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You take something like insecurity — insecurity about your workplace, about your parents, about your health, and add to that the quarantines, staying home for entire days and nights, not getting out of bed, and you get an increase in sleep problems,” explains Dr. Reiter.

During the episode, Dr. Reiter's pride in his team's work at the Hadassah sleep clinic shines through. Not only does the clinic treat more than 80 sleep disorders, since the clinic opened its doors in 2016, it has significantly reduced the waiting time for a patient to be admitted for a sleep study in Jerusalem. For Dr. Reiter, offering patients personal, compassionate care at the clinic is of the utmost importance.  

"I ask to see the patients in the clinic before the sleep lab because I want to really understand what their problem is and why we're doing the sleep study," says Dr. Reiter, adding, "It’s building that relationship with the patient that I think is important."

Listen now to this "eye-opening" episode of Hadassah On Call, hosted by journalist Benyamin Cohen, and share with your family and friends!

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