What is a sleep disorder?
Some 84 disorders of sleep and waking have been identified. These disorders include problems with snoring, stopping breathing during sleep, problems falling or staying asleep, problems staying awake or adhering to a consistent sleep/wake schedule, sleepwalking, bed wetting, nightmares or other problems that interfere with sleep. Some sleep disorders are potentially fatal.
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What type of symptoms might indicate a sleep disorder?
If you feel excessively tired during the daytime, fall asleep at inappropriate times, snore loudly enough to annoy those around you, stop breathing or gasp for breath, kick your legs, or have difficulties falling asleep or maintaining sleep, you could have a sleep disorder.
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How are sleep disorders diagnosed?
A combination of a visit to a sleep specialist, and an overnight study, will help confirm the diagnosis for a sleep disorder. Some disorders, such as insomnia, would not require an overnight stay. During the overnight stay, patients are continuously monitored during the night and the following measurements are taken: brain wave activity while awake and asleep, oxygen saturation levels, breathing patterns, EKG rate and rhythm, eye movements and muscle activity.
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Should I make an appointment?
If you experience any of the above symptoms – we recommend you schedule an appointment. We are happy to assist you with scheduling at (231) 935-9275 or 1-800-305-1883.
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What are common sleep disorders?
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a relatively common condition in which air flow is obstructed for ten seconds or more. It has been estimated that there are more people that have obstructive sleep apnea than the combined number of diabetics and asthmatics in the United States. Sleep apnea is more common in men but can occur in women and children. Symptoms include loud snoring, stopping breathing or gasping for breath, and sleepiness during the daytime. Sleep apnea results in lower oxygen levels, increased strain on the heart and lungs, elevated blood pressure and increased risk for driving or work-related accidents due to daytime sleepiness.
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Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy presents as excessive daytime sleepiness with a tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate times. These "sleep attacks" can occur without warning many times during the day. The most common symptoms of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks, cataplexy (loss of muscular control with expressions of emotions such as laughing, fear or anger), hallucinations at sleep onset or upon awakening, and sleep paralysis.
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Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep, or maintain sleep. It is an intermittent problem for most people, but when it becomes chronic, it should be evaluated. It can result from physiologic, physical, psychological, psychiatric or pharmacological reasons.
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Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Both disorders affect the limbs, and a person's ability to sleep at night and function normally during the daytime, but they are different disorders. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) occurs while a person is awake, as a constant need to stretch or move the legs to get rid of uncomfortable feelings in the legs. This also carries over into sleep time, resulting in disrupted patterns of sleep, and daytime sleepiness. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) occurs most often when a person is asleep, and involves disruptive movements of the legs and sometimes the arms. It, too, results in a disrupted pattern of sleep and consequently daytime sleepiness. Both disorders can be helped with medications.
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What Can Be Done About a Sleep Disorder?
Most of the sleep disorders mentioned can be effectively treated once they have been accurately diagnosed. Wide ranges of treatment exists for sleep disorders. Sleep patients may require long term treatment, easily administered by the family physician or the sleep specialist.
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