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Obstructive Sleep
Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a
sleep related breathing disorder that
causes your body to stop breathing
during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue
in the back of the throat collapses and
blocks the airway. This keeps air from
getting in to the lungs. This is a very
common sleep disorder. It happens
because the muscles inside the throat
relax as you sleep. Gravity then causes
the tongue to fall back and block the
airway. Blockage of the airway can
happen a few times a night or several
hundred times per night. With
overnight monitoring in the
Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Institute,
the nature and severity of sleep apnea
can be ascertained and an effective
treatment plan devised.
Excessive Daytime
Sleepiness
Excessive daytime sleepiness is a
frequent complaint with potentially
sever consequences including impaired
job performance, automobile accidents,
and a reduced ability to enjoy the
pleasures of life. Although often
attributed to overwork or psychological
causes, daytime sleepiness can be a
symptom of an undiagnosed medical
disorder. Recent research has enabled us
to identify the cause of nearly all
cases of excessive daytime sleepiness
and implement treatment which can
dramatically improve the quality of
life.
Snoring
Loud and frequent snoring can be more
than just a nuisance to your partner.
This nighttime annoyance may indicate a
serious health condition, and it can
disrupt your household and strain your
relationships. Snoring may indicate
another health concern, such as
obstructive sleep apnea, nasal
obstruction or obesity. Staying
overnight at the Comprehensive Sleep
Disorders Institute will allow us to
undergo an in-depth analysis of your
sleep habits by a team of specialists.
Insomnia
Insomnia
is the inability to fall asleep or to
stay asleep. Poor sleep during the night
can be a serious problem in itself and
can result in decreased wakefulness,
concentration, and performance during
the day. There are many causes of
insomnia, most of which can be treated.
Unfortunately, many people do not
realize that medical help is available
for insomnia, and continue to suffer the
effects of poor or diminished sleep.
Nocturnal Epilepsy
Epilepsy
has a complex association with sleep.
Certain seizures are more common during
sleep, and may show prominent diurnal
variation. With use of advanced
techniques, such as long-term video-EEG
or video-polysomnography, the
specialists at the Comprehensive Sleep
Disorders Institute are able to make
accurate diagnosis and define optimal
methods of treatment for this disorder.
Jet-lag
Jet lag occurs when the
body's biological clock is out of sync with local time.
When traveling to a new time zone, our bodies are slow
to adjust and remain on their original biological
schedule for several days. The result is that we feel
excessively sleepy during the day or wide awake at
night. The condition may be worsening by other sleep
disorder. An overnight sleep
study, such as polysomnogram, might help to determine if
there are other sleep problems, and find an
effective treatment.
Abnormal
Nighttime Behaviors
They
include such problems as screaming out,
sleepwalking, abnormal body movements,
tongue biting, night sweats, headaches,
choking, shortness of breath, chest
pains, abnormal heart rhythms,
bedwetting, and sleep paralysis.
The performance of abnormal nighttime
behaviors in sleep are important
symptoms which are too often ignored.
Sleepwalking presents a danger of
accidental injury and, furthermore, can
be a sign of medical illness or
psychological stress. Although these
behaviors were formerly resistant to
treatment, highly effective therapies
have been developed and are now
available to the sleep specialist.
Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome
(RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by
unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable
urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these
feelings. RLS sensations are often described by people
as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling
inside the legs. Often called paresthesias (abnormal
sensations) or dysesthesias (unpleasant abnormal
sensations), the sensations range in severity from
uncomfortable to irritating to painful. Most people with
RLS have sleep disturbances, largely because of the limb
discomfort and jerking. The result is excessive daytime
sleepiness and fatigue. Sleep studies, such as
polysomnography, help identify the presence of RLS.
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