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Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD

Dr. Kelvas earned her medical degree from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. She began residency training in Emergency Medicine at a level 1 trauma center, but switched to Family Medicine with a desire to return to what her father emphasized so intensely, the art and heart of medicine; "[he] taught me that having a relationship with your patient is the most important, that’s what life is about."

She strongly believes that healthcare needs to change to benefit the patient and has traveled, lived, and volunteered medically in over 40 countries, equipping her to offer culturally competent care to all ethnic backgrounds. She has led multiple medical volunteer trips internationally and embarked on the World Race before medical school and works part-time for an anti-sex trafficking agency. She has also participated in additional training in healthcare related to LGBTQI needs and gladly accepts patients from any walk of life. In the future, she wishes to offer counseling and therapy to her patients. In her free time, Dr. Kelvas practices yoga, mindfulness meditation, and travels. She owns a medical writing company and is currently writing a book on PTSD in healthcare providers.

Latest posts by Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD (see all)

• Homeland Security: new COVID prophylaxis treatment - December 16, 2020
• Chronic back pain: sick and tired - December 16, 2020
• Gut Health: You are what you eat - December 16, 2020

Did you know we should spend 1/3 of our lives asleep? Not only that, but sleep debt accumulates, and must be repaid. Here are some tips to get restful, consistent sleep.

1. Quit caffeine entirely. It’s the #1 consumed drug in the world and stays in your system for 10 hours. Reach for decaf options; you’ll struggle the first two weeks, but the results feel remarkable.Do not eat within 2 hours of going to bed
2. Do not eat within 2 hours of going to bed. Food is energy, consuming sugar late at night wakes you up, and inevitably gets converted into fat and stored.
3. Avoid screens 1-2 hours before bedtime. While satisfying to scroll through our phones mindlessly, our brains interpret the bright lights of screens as daytime, inhibiting the secretion of sleep inducing hormones such as melatonin.
4. Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only. Do not work, study, etc in bed. The subconscious mind works in mysterious ways – train it to understand that when you’re in bed, it’s time to sleep.
5. Have a winding down routine 1 hour before bed. If you’re a work-a-holic, close the laptop and rest the mind a bit. Laying down while your mind is still racing and processing the day prevents you from relaxing, and thus sleeping.
6. Create a quiet, dark, cool atmosphere, if possible. Use black out curtains, eye covers, and ear plugs as needed. Our bodies naturally sleep better in cooler temperatures. If you sleep with a loud partner who snores or with animals, the slight disturbances can jar you out of certain sleep cycles. You may not completely wake up, but this is detrimental to getting restful sleep.
7. Alcohol destroys your sleep. It’s necessary to progress slowly from sleep cycles into REM sleep, but alcohol jumps our minds straight into REM, which prevents us entirely from getting restful sleep. If you must drink, do so several hours before bed, and finish the evening with water (remember no caffeine).
8. MANY medications prevent restful sleep; consult your doctor to review your med list. Sleeping aids can be beneficial in the short term, but longterm, become addictive, such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan) and Z-drugs (Ambien). I’ve encountered patients who unfortunately have taken these drugs for 15+ years. Truly, try to avoid this. You’ll be addicted for life – weaning is a painful process. You may never be able to sleep organically again.

Watch video for the rest of the answers and a BIG NO-NO!!

Happy sleeping!

Danielle Kelvas, MD

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SLEEP HYGIENE?