Actor Cheryl Hines is Tired of Counting Sheep to Sleep... And is Painting Them Instead
In insomnia news, actor and insomnia sufferer, Cheryl Hines, joins the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Foundation to pull the covers off chronic insomnia. “Why Count on Sheep to Sleep?”, an educational initiative, supported by Sanofi-Aventis, raises awareness of sleep problems, causes of insomnia, and provides people with sleep solutions. Sleep disorders can be a serious medical condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.
New York, NY, March 10, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Hines, The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and other celebrities join together to fight insomnia.
Today, actor and insomnia sufferer, Cheryl Hines, joins the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Foundation to pull the covers off insomnia. Together, Hines and the AANP have launched Why Count on Sheep to Sleep?, an educational initiative, supported by sanofi-aventis, that uses the concept of “counting sheep” to raise awareness of insomnia and provide people with solutions to manage this medical condition. More than 30 million Americans are affected by chronic insomnia each year.
Hines, an actor on the hit comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, has experienced insomnia for more than 20 years. Before consulting her healthcare professional, Hines tried everything to get to sleep, including counting sheep. Now, through this charitable effort, Hines is painting sheep instead. Hines and fellow celebrities have painted life-size sheep sculptures that depict their interpretations of their feelings associated with insomnia-related sleep loss. The sheep, which Hines unveiled today at a launch event at DUVET in New York City, are being auctioned on eBay at www.eBay.com/whycountsheep to raise funds for the AANP Foundation to support educational programs focused on insomnia and its impact on health and overall well-being. Joining Hines in this initiative are supermodel Angie Everhart, television actors David James Elliott (CBS’s Close to Home) Marlee Matlin (Showtime’s The L Word), Kathy Najimy (CBS’s Numb3rs) and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer.
“Unfortunately, managing my insomnia wasn’t as simple as counting sheep. At first, I wasn’t even aware that I was experiencing insomnia because my issue wasn’t just being unable to fall asleep when I went to bed at night. I was also dealing with waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to get back to sleep,” explains Hines. “The consequences of this had a significant impact on my day, especially when I had early morning calls. You need to be well-rested to handle such long days and to be at your best in front of the camera.”
Insomnia-related sleep loss can impact an individual’s waking hours as well. People, like Hines, who suffer from insomnia may experience a reduced ability to concentrate, excessive daytime sleepiness and irritability.
“Insomnia may also affect a person’s daily work performance or have a negative consequence on personal relationships,” explained Michael Thorpy, M.D., Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center.
After years of experiencing difficulties sleeping, Hines decided to talk to her healthcare professional, who recommended a number of ways to help manage her insomnia, including setting a regular sleep schedule each night, and not exercising close to bedtime. Her healthcare professional also recommended Ambien CR (zolpidem tartrate extended-release) tablets CIV, the only controlled-release prescription sleep aid approved by the FDA to help people both fall asleep and stay asleep.
“The prevalence of people suffering from insomnia and the impact it can have on overall health underscores the need to raise awareness about insomnia,” said Mona Counts, Ph.D., NP, FNAP, FAANP, President of AANP. “The AANP is committed to building a person’s ability to recognize the different symptoms of insomnia – such as waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep – and encourage people to seek help from their nurse practitioner or healthcare professional to manage their sleep problems.”
There are things people can do get a good night’s sleep. The AANP suggests you first talk to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional to determine the best way to manage your symptoms. Suggestions may include lifestyle changes like going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine before bedtime or sleeping in a dark room with a comfortable temperature. If insomnia persists, talk to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional to discuss other methods, including prescription medications, to help manage symptoms of insomnia.
About Insomnia
Insomnia can be a serious medical condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning and feeling tired upon waking. Insomnia-related sleep loss may even have serious health implications and has been linked to obesity, depression, cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal disorders.
There are many factors that can cause insomnia. Lifestyle factors, including smoking or drinking prior to going to bed, may create or worsen sleeping problems. Environmental factors, such as loud noise, too much light or extreme room temperature, may affect one’s ability to sleep soundly. Psychological factors, such as stress, may trigger sleep problems. Insomnia can also be caused by depression. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, Parkinson’s disease or conditions that cause pain or discomfort, including arthritis or menopause, may impede on one’s ability to get restful sleep.
For more information on insomnia, please visit http://www.shuteye.com.
Talk to a healthcare provider if one or more symptoms of insomnia continue for more than one week.
About Ambien CR
AMBIEN CR is indicated for treating insomnia.
It is a treatment option you and your healthcare professional can consider along with lifestyle changes and can be taken for as long as your healthcare professional recommends. Until you know how AMBIEN CR will affect you, you shouldn’t drive or operate machinery. Be sure you’re able to devote 7 to 8 hours to sleep before being active again. Side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness and headache. It’s non-narcotic; however, like most sleep medicines it has some risk of dependency. Don’t take it with alcohol.
For full prescribing information, please visit www.AMBIENCR.com and see accompanying prescribing information.
Everyone responds differently, so it’s very important that people who experience sleep problems work with their healthcare professionals to determine the best way to get a good night’s sleep.
About AANP and AANP Foundation
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation was created by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to help meet the ever-increasing need of and requests for NP-related funding for education and healthcare research and projects. The AANP Foundation is the first national foundation of its kind to benefit nurse practitioners of all specialties, including sleep disorders and insomnia.
The mission of the AANP Foundation is to advance the role of nurse practitioners through the support of education, research and practice for the improvement of the public's health.
The AANP Foundation is committed to supporting educational programs focused on insomnia and its impact on health and overall well-being.
To learn more about the AANP and the AANP Foundation, visit www.aanp.org and www.aanpfoundation.org.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT : SAN) and in New York (NYSE:SNY).
U.S. Contacts:
Melissa Feltmann, +1-980-981-6572, Melissa.Feltmann@sanofi-aventis.com
Emmy Tsui, +1 908-981-6573, Emmy.Tsui@sanofi-aventis.com
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Today, actor and insomnia sufferer, Cheryl Hines, joins the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Foundation to pull the covers off insomnia. Together, Hines and the AANP have launched Why Count on Sheep to Sleep?, an educational initiative, supported by sanofi-aventis, that uses the concept of “counting sheep” to raise awareness of insomnia and provide people with solutions to manage this medical condition. More than 30 million Americans are affected by chronic insomnia each year.
Hines, an actor on the hit comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, has experienced insomnia for more than 20 years. Before consulting her healthcare professional, Hines tried everything to get to sleep, including counting sheep. Now, through this charitable effort, Hines is painting sheep instead. Hines and fellow celebrities have painted life-size sheep sculptures that depict their interpretations of their feelings associated with insomnia-related sleep loss. The sheep, which Hines unveiled today at a launch event at DUVET in New York City, are being auctioned on eBay at www.eBay.com/whycountsheep to raise funds for the AANP Foundation to support educational programs focused on insomnia and its impact on health and overall well-being. Joining Hines in this initiative are supermodel Angie Everhart, television actors David James Elliott (CBS’s Close to Home) Marlee Matlin (Showtime’s The L Word), Kathy Najimy (CBS’s Numb3rs) and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer.
“Unfortunately, managing my insomnia wasn’t as simple as counting sheep. At first, I wasn’t even aware that I was experiencing insomnia because my issue wasn’t just being unable to fall asleep when I went to bed at night. I was also dealing with waking up in the middle of the night and then not being able to get back to sleep,” explains Hines. “The consequences of this had a significant impact on my day, especially when I had early morning calls. You need to be well-rested to handle such long days and to be at your best in front of the camera.”
Insomnia-related sleep loss can impact an individual’s waking hours as well. People, like Hines, who suffer from insomnia may experience a reduced ability to concentrate, excessive daytime sleepiness and irritability.
“Insomnia may also affect a person’s daily work performance or have a negative consequence on personal relationships,” explained Michael Thorpy, M.D., Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center.
After years of experiencing difficulties sleeping, Hines decided to talk to her healthcare professional, who recommended a number of ways to help manage her insomnia, including setting a regular sleep schedule each night, and not exercising close to bedtime. Her healthcare professional also recommended Ambien CR (zolpidem tartrate extended-release) tablets CIV, the only controlled-release prescription sleep aid approved by the FDA to help people both fall asleep and stay asleep.
“The prevalence of people suffering from insomnia and the impact it can have on overall health underscores the need to raise awareness about insomnia,” said Mona Counts, Ph.D., NP, FNAP, FAANP, President of AANP. “The AANP is committed to building a person’s ability to recognize the different symptoms of insomnia – such as waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep – and encourage people to seek help from their nurse practitioner or healthcare professional to manage their sleep problems.”
There are things people can do get a good night’s sleep. The AANP suggests you first talk to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional to determine the best way to manage your symptoms. Suggestions may include lifestyle changes like going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine before bedtime or sleeping in a dark room with a comfortable temperature. If insomnia persists, talk to a nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional to discuss other methods, including prescription medications, to help manage symptoms of insomnia.
About Insomnia
Insomnia can be a serious medical condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning and feeling tired upon waking. Insomnia-related sleep loss may even have serious health implications and has been linked to obesity, depression, cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal disorders.
There are many factors that can cause insomnia. Lifestyle factors, including smoking or drinking prior to going to bed, may create or worsen sleeping problems. Environmental factors, such as loud noise, too much light or extreme room temperature, may affect one’s ability to sleep soundly. Psychological factors, such as stress, may trigger sleep problems. Insomnia can also be caused by depression. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, Parkinson’s disease or conditions that cause pain or discomfort, including arthritis or menopause, may impede on one’s ability to get restful sleep.
For more information on insomnia, please visit http://www.shuteye.com.
Talk to a healthcare provider if one or more symptoms of insomnia continue for more than one week.
About Ambien CR
AMBIEN CR is indicated for treating insomnia.
It is a treatment option you and your healthcare professional can consider along with lifestyle changes and can be taken for as long as your healthcare professional recommends. Until you know how AMBIEN CR will affect you, you shouldn’t drive or operate machinery. Be sure you’re able to devote 7 to 8 hours to sleep before being active again. Side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness and headache. It’s non-narcotic; however, like most sleep medicines it has some risk of dependency. Don’t take it with alcohol.
For full prescribing information, please visit www.AMBIENCR.com and see accompanying prescribing information.
Everyone responds differently, so it’s very important that people who experience sleep problems work with their healthcare professionals to determine the best way to get a good night’s sleep.
About AANP and AANP Foundation
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Foundation was created by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to help meet the ever-increasing need of and requests for NP-related funding for education and healthcare research and projects. The AANP Foundation is the first national foundation of its kind to benefit nurse practitioners of all specialties, including sleep disorders and insomnia.
The mission of the AANP Foundation is to advance the role of nurse practitioners through the support of education, research and practice for the improvement of the public's health.
The AANP Foundation is committed to supporting educational programs focused on insomnia and its impact on health and overall well-being.
To learn more about the AANP and the AANP Foundation, visit www.aanp.org and www.aanpfoundation.org.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT : SAN) and in New York (NYSE:SNY).
U.S. Contacts:
Melissa Feltmann, +1-980-981-6572, Melissa.Feltmann@sanofi-aventis.com
Emmy Tsui, +1 908-981-6573, Emmy.Tsui@sanofi-aventis.com
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Contact
Sanofi-Aventis
Jenny Du
215-399-3288
www.shuteye.com
Melissa Feltmann, +1-980-981-6572, Melissa.Feltmann@sanofi-aventis.com
Emmy Tsui, +1 908-981-6573, Emmy.Tsui@sanofi-aventis.com
Jenny Du
215-399-3288
www.shuteye.com
Melissa Feltmann, +1-980-981-6572, Melissa.Feltmann@sanofi-aventis.com
Emmy Tsui, +1 908-981-6573, Emmy.Tsui@sanofi-aventis.com
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