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Mercy Medical Center internist Dr. Jonathan Rich

Mercy Internist Dr. Jonathan Rich Discusses Women's Sleep Problems On WBAL-TV11's "The Woman's Doctor"

A good night sleep is often a problem year-round for many people, especially women, according to doctors.

Sarah Fleischer, a 98 Rock personality, is one of Baltimore's best-known DJs, and she has sleep problems.

"Last night, I went to bed at about 10:30, and woke up at 4 in the morning thinking about all the people on my (Christmas) list — ‘I haven't done this or that,’" she said.

Mercy Medical Center internist Dr. Jonathan Rich said sleep problems are common for men and women but are more prevalent in women because of depression, pregnancy and menopause.

"It becomes an issue when it happened several nights a week for several weeks, and it can be different things — trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep and trouble waking up in the morning," Dr. Rich said.

According to Dr. Rich, a thorough examination of your "sleep hygiene" is a good way to fix it. Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening because they can disrupt sleep. Avoid big meals close to bedtime and go to bed and get up at the same time every day. And use your bed for sleep and not to watch TV or eat.

Fleischer said she occasionally uses over-the-counter sleep aids but also depends on yoga to relax her.

"The meditation part is good for sleep. We have to learn to just let it go," she said. To learn more, watch The Woman's Doctor online at WBAL-TV11 at http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/18283372/detail.html.