Sleep to Be Well
Better health starts with a better night's rest.
Better sleep, better health — for everyone
Doctors once thought sleep was just a temporary period of inactivity, almost like a brief coma. Spoiler alert: They were wrong!
We now know that sleep is a critical component of overall health and well-being. Research continues to show that getting the right amount of quality sleep at the right time of day results in a seemingly endless list of benefits, including:
- Cognitive benefits, such as improved memory and attention
- Improved productivity and reduced absenteeism
- A stronger immune system and shorter recovery times after surgery or injury (especially head injuries)
- Better mood, impulse control and relationships
When your body’s sleep needs aren’t met, you don’t just miss out on the benefits of good sleep. In fact, the negative impacts of poor sleep are as far reaching as the benefits of good sleep and include:
- Deterioration in work and school performance
- Increased risk for accidents/injury
- Hormonal changes that increase risk for obesity
- Higher risk for anxiety and depression, including suicide
- Higher mortality rates due to sleep’s impact on conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension
With these outcomes in mind, it's hard to believe that many people pay little or no attention to their sleep. Even worse, some actively limit their sleep in an effort to get more done. Geisinger’s Sleep to Be Well program was designed to raise awareness and promote a change in the culture around sleep health.
How's your sleep?
Complete our short sleep surveys to receive instant feedback on whether your sleep is on the right track or if there’s room for improvement.
What is Sleep to Be Well?
Dr. Anne Marie Morse introduces Sleep to Be Well and describes the circumstances that inspired her to create this innovative program and how it can help you live a healthier life.
Sleep to Be Well: Your guide to better sleep
Geisinger’s Sleep to Be Well (STBW) is a one-of-a-kind, freely available program that seeks to support people of all ages on their journey to better sleep — and ultimately better health. Online surveys give you instant feedback on the state of your sleep health. If problematic sleep is identified, you can complete a more detailed questionnaire at your own pace. You’ll then receive personalized guidance on how to sleep better — whether it’s making a few tweaks to your nighttime routine or having a visit with one of Geisinger’s board-certified sleep specialists. This assessment results in improved recognition of sleep disorders and can shorten the time between symptom onset and treatment. We also offer free educational resources and tools on the STBW website, including short videos that introduce a variety of sleep-related topics.
Everyone can benefit from improved sleep, and STBW wants to make it as easy as possible to participate. Sleep assessments are now offered in select Geisinger clinics and will be rolled out to more patients soon. Geisinger Health Plan members and employers may be invited to participate through direct outreach. STBW is also bringing healthcare into our communities through Wake Up and Learn™. But you don’t have to wait for STBW to come to you — access the sleep surveys on our website to start your journey to better sleep and better health!
Sleep medicine expertise
Anne Marie Morse, DO, is a board-certified adult neurologist, with special qualifications in child neurology, and a board-certified sleep medicine specialist. She is the director of the Child Neurology and Pediatric Sleep Medicine programs at Geisinger and Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital, and the founder of Wake Up and Learn and Sleep to Be Well.
Dr. Morse has extensive clinical experience and interest in pediatric and adult patients with sleep-wake disorders, particularly central disorders of hypersomnolence like narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Along with her work as a clinician, researcher, educator and administrator, she is a sleep health advocate who aims to increase awareness of the value of regular healthy sleep and the impact of sleep-wake disorders. Dr. Morse envisions a world where everyone acknowledges sleep as the vital sign of health, wellness and performance that it is.
