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Sleep Lab

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If a good night’s sleep seems like an impossible dream, you might have a sleep disorder.

 

What is a Sleep Disorder?

Almost everyone can’t sleep once in a while. Too much coffee or a soda with caffeine could be the culprit. Or maybe you’re feeling tense and anxious. A change in your normal sleep time or place can also cause problems.

 

But if you have trouble falling and staying asleep day after day, or you’re still tired even after an average night’s rest, it’s time to ask for help. Sleep disorders are more serious than an occasional poor night’s sleep.

 

Do I Have a Sleep Disorder?

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, your doctor may refer you for a diagnostic sleep study.

 

  • Do you ever doze off talking with a friend or sitting in a car at a traffic light?

 

  • Are you so sleepy during the day that it’s hard to concentrate at work or school?

 

  • Do you gasp for breath, stop breathing or make loud snorting noises while sleeping?

 

  • Does your snoring keep your partner awake?

 

  • Do you toss and turn all night and wake up feeling tired?

 

  • Do your legs jerk as you fall asleep or do you have a funny crawling sensation in your legs that makes you want to move them?

 

 

I’m Tired All The Time

If you’re extremely sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder. Or your symptoms may be related to other medical or psychological conditions. Only a physical examination by your doctor and a specialized sleep study can determine.

 

My Wife Complains That I Snore

Just because you snore does not mean you have a sleep disorder. But it may signal a more serious condition called sleep apnea, where you stop breathing for short periods of time. Sleep apnea, untreated, can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and even death.

 

Is There More Than One Kind of Sleep Disorder?

There are several types of sleep disorders:

 

  1. Sleep apnea – Interrupted breathing for 10 to 60 seconds, caused when the muscles in the back of your throat relax and block your airway or when the diaphragm and chest muscles stop moving temporarily. You may gasp, snore or startle to start breathing again.

 

  1. Narcolepsy – A disorder in the part of the brain that controls sleeping and waking, causing daytime sleep "attacks" lasting from a few seconds to 30 minutes.

 

 

  1. Restless leg syndrome – Involuntary jerking of the legs as you fall asleep or an uncontrollable desire to move your legs because of a tingly, crawling sensation in the muscles.

 

  1. Parasomnias – Disorders that include sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep terrors and sleep paralysis; cataplexy and REM (rapid eye movement) disorder.

 

How Are Sleep Disorders Diagnosed?

Your doctor can refer you to the Bayfront Diagnostic Sleep Center for a specialized sleep study. You will stay overnight at the hospital to allow medical personnel to evaluate your sleep habits and identify any problems. Small sensors placed on your head, chest, face and legs will monitor and measure your brain waves, eye movement, heart rate, breathing and muscle movements. Once the study is complete, a comprehensive report is sent to your doctor.

 

How Are Sleep Disorders Treated?

Depending on the type of sleep disorder, it can be successfully controlled with medication or a medical device called continuous positive airway pressure that includes a small mask worn at night.

 

Why Should I Have a Sleep Study?

You need restful sleep to restore and recharge your body and keep it healthy. Going without enough sleep can have harmful side effects, both physical and emotional. We become less alert and our concentration and judgment suffers. Accidents can happen. We’re also more irritable and moody. Our sense of well being is reduced. Over a long period of time, lack of sleep can lead to medical problems like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

 

For more information on the Bayfront Sleep Diagnostic Center call 893-6044.