Common Sleep Disorders | Symptoms of Sleep Disorders |
Diagnosing Sleep Disorders | Treatments | Testing for Narcolepsy

The Sleep Disorders Center can diagnose and treat a variety of sleep disorders. Untreated, sleep disorders may negatively affect an individual's quality of life and make it hard to carry out daily activities.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Loud snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes the snorer to actually stop breathing for minutes at a time, creating a potentially life-threatening situation. Untreated, the condition may contribute to daytime sleepiness and trigger high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. Studies also suggest sleep apnea is a direct cause of heart disease. Fortunately, sleep specialists today are able to diagnose breathing disorders, thus preventing possible negative consequences.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling asleep or frequent waking during the night are signs of insomnia. Persistent insomnia leaves an individual feeling tired, depleted and irritable. Insomnia may be triggered by stress, depression, medicine, an irregular sleep schedule or physical illness.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a neurological condition characterized by daytime sleep attacks, sleepiness and lack of energy. Individuals with this disorder also find that their muscles weaken when they are angry, excited, surprised or amused. Other symptoms may include disturbing dreams as a person is falling asleep and muscle paralysis when the person is falling asleep or awakening.

Night Movements

Involuntary leg twitching and jerking may disrupt sleep, leaving an individual feeling tired and sleepy during the day. Cramping and leg discomforts are other symptoms of this common sleep problem.

If you have been suffering through sleepless nights and can barely stay awake during the day, take heart. The problem may be a sleep disorder that needs to be corrected. Following are red flags that can alert you to a sleep disorder.insufficiency.

• Loud snoring .
• Feeling sleepy during the day.
Being overweight (men with shirt collar size 17 or larger)
• Waking up in the morning with headaches .
• High blood pressure .
• Feeling irritable or fatigued or finding it difficult to concentrate .
• Having trouble staying awake while driving, watching TV, reading a book or attending a meeting .
• Waking up choking or gasping for air or experiencing a skipping or racing heartbeat during the night .
• Observed holding your breath, snoring and making periodic involuntary movements that indicate fitful sleep.

If you have two or more of these symptoms, you probably have a sleep disorder.

The best way to diagnose a sleep disorder is to spend a night in our Sleep Center for a Sleep Study. A sleep study is a recording of a variety of measurements of body system such as brain waves, heart actiity, breathing and muscle movements, used to identify and classify sleep problems. There are many different stages of sleep including drowsiness, light sleep, deep sleep and dream sleep. A sleep study determines at which stages of sleep a disorder may occur. After the sleep study, the sleep doctor analyzes the results of the study and recommends an individualized treatment plan for you, based on your specific sleep disorder.

Types of treatments for sleep disorders may include:

• Restricting the use of certain substances, such as alcohol, caffeine and sleeping pills.
• Prescribing medicine.
• Using special equipment for improving sleep.
• Recommending a weight loss program.
• Suggesting surgical intervention (in rare cases).

Evaluation and treatment from the Sleep Disorders Center is an accepted medical procedure. It is covered by most insurance policies and Medicare. If you have questions about your coverage, call the Center.

Testing for Narcolepsy

Your doctor, or our medical director, may order testing for narcolepsy, which is a condition, marked by an uncontrollable desire to sleep during the daytime. This testing involves a series of short naps to determine how quickly you fall asleep and if you go into rapid eye movement (REM). For this test, you need to be at the Center for an evening and the following day. Before you go to sleep in the evening, you have a series of electrodes placed on your head and body. a staff member wakes you at 6 A.M. and serves you breakfast. At 8 A.M., 10 A.M. and 12 noon you are asked to take a short nap. After your nap at noon, you are served lunch and then at 2 P.M. you are asked to take another nap. Some patients are asked to take another nap at 4 P.M.

After all naps are completed, the electrodes are removed. You may take a shower and you are discharged from the Center. Our medical director does an interpretation of the finding and sends a report to your doctor.