“For some people, sleep is anything but restful. Adults need at least 7-8 hours of sleep to function properly. Instead of struggling to understand why you are unable to sleep well, there are sleep experts who can explain how your sleeplessness may be affecting your health and determine how to improve your sleep.
We need sleep to restore, and when sleep is disrupted, it affects quality of life and can lead to serious diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity. In addition to negatively affecting mood and alertness, disrupted sleep can cause metabolic changes that interfere with the body’s ability to grow and can lead to obesity.
Sleep disorders are diagnosed through a sleep study, which is an overnight evaluation of a variety of physiological signals, including but not limited to; airflow, respiratory effort, heartbeat, muscle movement, and oxygen levels. Patients are generally studied in a sleep center, but in some cases may have a home sleep test.
When sleep study patients arrive at the center in the evening, they are led to a hotel-like room where a technician attaches non-invasive sensors to the head, chest, and legs. These sensors measure brain waves to determine the level of sleep referred to as sleep stages, breathing effort, cardiovascular activity, muscle movement, body position and general activity. The technician monitors the patient from another room via a computer that is collecting this data throughout the night to be analyzed and presented to a sleep physician. Once the sleep physician has reviewed the sleep study- a diagnosis is provided.
If the sleep study indicates sleep apnea, which is a combination of lapses in breathing and a drop in oxygen levels and often accompanied by snoring, the physician may recommend a second study be conducted to test therapy. Depending on the severity of the apnea and the best expected therapeutic outcome, the patient will be prescribed therapy which like the testing, is generally covered by medical insurance. Many patients with sleep apnea are successfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The CPAP machine delivers pressurized air into the airway to keep it open and eliminate the apnea. Patients are also successfully treated with a mandibular advancement device, a mouth piece device that adjusts the jaw to keep the airway open during sleep. Depending on the cause of the apnea, there are also surgical options for the treatment of sleep apnea. A comprehensive sleep disorder center will offer these options as well as treatment for other sleep disorders.
Regardless of which treatment pathway is determined, the most important factor is compliance with therapy. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the severity of other health conditions and even result in death. If you are tired of being tired and feel that you or a loved one may be suffering from a sleep disorder, there is help available. Contact your physician or a sleep center in your area for improved sleep health and quality of life.”
