Healthcare Directory

2022 Medical & Dental Directory | 37 John Bigger, corporate director of Clinical Services for Cape Fear Valley Health, said Fleishman and Shetty have been leaders in the field of sleep medicine. "They have led national organizations, implemented best practices and collaborated across a wide spectrum of care to ensure that our program maintains the excellence that it is known for," Bigger said. "Both have been instrumental in keeping the program at the highest levels of operation and their contributions are the reason the Sleep Center is where it is today – the best program in this part of the state, and I would argue one of the best in the country." Sleep medicine in general also has come a long way since the days when patients who had trouble sleeping were given medication and sent on their way. "We use medication, but first we try to work with patients' behavior and changing their lifestyle," Shetty said. "Screen device usage and caffeine are the two biggest problems we see." That can mean turning off your cellphone at bedtime and avoiding caffeine after lunchtime. Other factors that can make for a better night's rest are avoiding nicotine and alcohol. Exercise and a healthy diet are as important for sleep as they are for many other health conditions. Stress and a culture that often values an exaggerated work ethic can be factors as well. "We, as a culture, are a sleep-deprived society," Fleishman said. "Sleep has lots of functions. It affects memory, judgment, cognition and your immune system." Shetty said that it isn't just sleep that's important, but the "quality, quantity and Cape Fear Valley's Sleep Center treats a variety of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement disorder and restless legs syndrome. A sleep study sometimes can improve mood disorders, as well. Patients have access to temperature and noise controls, including sound machines. Meanwhile, a sleep technician monitors the patient's brain activity on a computer screen throughout the evening. timing" of sleep. "Sleeping at night is really important," she said. Fleishman agreed, "Human beings are wired to be awake when it's light. Generally speaking, anyone working at night is going against their circadian rhythms." Shetty has learned much about her specialty from those early days when she drove from Lumberton to glean information from Fleishman. And she's learned to follow the advice she gives others. "I used to do four hours of sleep a night when I first did primary care," she said. "But after I started learning about sleep, I'm the best convert there is. I disliked sleeping, once upon a time. I still don't like to sleep, but I do sleep because sleep touches every possible system. Improving sleep seems to improve a lot of other things, so it's kind of pulling the train." n

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