Sleep studies center to open at Sharon Hospital

SHARON — Dr. Irving Smith has sleep on his mind. Good sleep, bad sleep, sleep in the middle of the day. Daydreams, acting out dreams and restless legs. Breathing and medications.

Sleep, it turns out, is very complicated. And getting good sleep sometimes requires the help of a professional.

“There’s a growing recognition among the medical community and the public at large of how important good sleep is,� Smith said. “There are a number of disorders we can treat to improve quality of life.�

Smith has recently joined Sharon Hospital as a doctor of internal medicine with an office across the street in the Medical Arts Building (29 Hospital Hill Road). His specialty is sleep disorders and he will be working in the hospital’s new sleep center when it opens in October.

“The old maternity wing is being refurbished for the sleep center,� said Jill Musselman, director of marketing and public relations for Sharon Hospital. “We’ve had requests over time from the community and our physicians. Internal medicine is also an area where we needed to bring in another physician, and we were lucky enough to find Dr. Smith.�

Smith grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and took a very roundabout route to the practice of medicine. His first career was as a food and wine journalist.

“I did my undergrad at Florida State. That’s where people in my family go to college,� he said. “I was a liberal arts major, so I had to find something to make a living at.�

He lived for 13 years in Vermont before deciding to head back to school for a medical degree. He earned his doctor of osteopathy degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale in 2004. He then completed a fellowship under Sudhansu Chokroverty, a prominent sleep specialist, in New Jersey.

The Northwest Corner appealed to him, he said, because he loves New England.

“I met the folks in Sharon and I love the area, so here I am,� he said. Smith currently lives in Lakeville.

Smith said there are a number of reasons to see him for a sleep study.

“If you’re having problems with your sleep, whether it’s insomnia or if you snore very loudly or have trouble breathing in your sleep, those are a reason to come in,� he said.

There are a number of disorders, Smith said, that are very treatable. He mentioned sleep apnea, a disorder that causes the patient to stop breathing several times during sleep. There are a number of variations on sleep apnea that can be risk factors for other conditions, such as heart disease or stroke.

He also mentioned narcolepsy, a disorder that causes people to suddenly fall asleep.

“It’s a rare disorder, but it is underdiagnosed,� he said.

Another sleep disorder is cataplexy, when the body goes limp as the patient experiences extreme emotions such as anger.

Smith also said that conditions such as restless leg syndrome can affect the quality of sleep.

“It keeps people awake and can be a harbinger of a variety of diseases,� he said. “Older patients on chronic pain medications, including narcotics, can have problems. High doses of narcotics can cause sleep apnea.�

He also said that sometimes a patient’s employer will call for a sleep study.

“Commercial drivers are required by work to have one to make sure they’re not a danger on the highway,� Smith said.

The bottom line, Smith said, is if you think you have a problem, it’s a good idea to get checked out.

“If you think you might need a sleep study, it’s good to talk to your primary care doctor about it,� he said. “Rather than go on medication, it’s better to see me and we can come up with a plan of therapy that’s tailored to your needs.�

The sleep center at Sharon Hospital will open in October and will begin taking appointments in September. To contact Dr. Smith, call 860-364-7029.