Sleep problems affect about 70 million people in the United States and contribute to lost productivity, medical expenses and property damage.
Sleep disorders can lead to an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and car accidents. The good news is treatments are readily available.
Sleep disorders are generally diagnosed by evaluating a variety of conditions during an overnight polysomnogram -- a sleep study. Our testing is supervised by a registered polysomnographic technologist and interpreted by a physician with special training in sleep medicine. Your physician receives a preliminary report within 48 hours.
Common Symptoms of Sleep Disorders
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Snoring
- Morning headaches
- Irritability
- Memory loss
- Reduced attention and concentration
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times
- Depression
- Unusual movements or behaviors that occur during sleep
If you have two or more of these conditions, you may want to discuss your sleep problems with your health-care professional.
- I feel sleepy during the day, even after a full night's sleep
- I wake up with sore or aching muscles
- I have been told I snore
- I wake up early and can't fall back to sleep
- I have fallen asleep while driving
- I sometimes wake up gasping for breath or with my heart pounding
- I experience leg pain or cramps at night
- My friends and family say they have noticed changes in my personality
- I feel like I hallucinate when I fall asleep
- I have trouble at work or school because of sleepiness
- I have been told that I kick in my sleep
- I frequently have heartburn at night
- I am overweight
- I lie awake for half an hour or more before I fall asleep
- I have been told that I stop breathing at night
- Insomnia -- Repeated difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Narcolepsy -- A neurological disorder with symptoms that include persistent, severe daytime sleepiness
- Periodic Limb Movement -- Restless Leg Syndrome -- Involuntary leg jerking or movements can occur during sleep, causing disrupted sleep and daytime fatigue
- Sleep Apnea -- Breathing stops repeatedly during sleep causing the person to wake up gasping for breath; they may also have morning headaches and daytime fatigue
- Snoring -- Can exist by itself but is often a symptom of sleep apnea
Sleep hygiene is a set of lifestyle behaviors and habits that promote sound sleep. They include:
- Maintain a consistent wake time, even on days off and weekends
- Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages four to six hours before bedtime
- Avoid nicotine close to bedtime or during the night
- Use your bedroom for sleep; do not read or watch television in bed
- Minimize light, noise and temperature extremes in the bedroom
- Work out, but avoid strenuous exercise four hours before bedtime
- A light snack before bedtime can help promote sleep, but avoid large meals
- Try going to bed only when you are drowsy
- If you are unable to fall or stay asleep -- repeat these steps as often as necessary throughout the night:
- Leave the bedroom and do a quiet activity elsewhere
- Do not permit yourself to fall asleep outside the bedroom
- Return to bed when -- and only when -- you are sleepy
- Avoid napping during the daytime; if daytime tiredness becomes overwhelming, limit naptime to:
- A single nap of less than one hour
- No later than 3 p.m.
