About our Practice
Sleep Medicine
What is sleep medicine?
Sleep medicine is a medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disturbances and disorders. Sleep Medicine Specialists focus on sleep problems and sleep disorders which can profoundly affect overall an individual's health and well-being.
Good health depends, not only upon getting an adequate amount of sleep, but also the quality of sleep. Sleep disorders can significantly increase the risk for accidents, headaches, poor concentration, work and school problems, depression and anxiety, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Knowing what disorders can be treated by a sleep medicine specialist will help you understand how sleep medicine can help you.
What are some common examples of sleep disorders?
There is a wide range of sleep disorders that can be treated by sleep medicine specialists. Some examples of common sleep disorders include difficulty falling asleep, interruptions in breathing during sleep, abnormal activity during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
The diagnosis of sleep disorders will involve a thorough review of your health history, with a major focus on your sleep history, and conducting a thorough examination. Typically, most sleep disorders will require a sleep study to diagnose. Depending on your clinical situation and suspected diagnosis, the sleep study could be performed at home or in an overnight sleep lab.
Short overview of Sleep Apnea
Asthma is a condition that can make it hard to breathe. Asthma does not always cause symptoms. But when symptoms occur, they can be scary. Asthma attacks happen when the airways in the lungs become narrow and inflamed. Asthma can run in families.
Typical symptoms of asthma include: wheezing, coughing, tight feeling in the chest, and shortness of breath. Asthma is treated with different types of medicines including inhalers, liquids, or pills. Your doctor will prescribe medicine based on the frequency and severity of symptoms.
Overview of Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or waking up frequently during the night or too early in the morning, for at least two weeks. Insomnia can have any of a number of causes, including anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalances (like menopause), alcohol use, caffeine or the use of certain medications.
Over time, Insomnia can have serious health consequences because when you sleep, your body repairs and restores itself. The results of inadequate sleep patterns include poor work performance, poor decision-making, decreased alertness, irritability, and tiredness during the day.
Overview of Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is primarily characterized by extreme sleepiness at unconventional times during the day. This overwhelming feeling of tiredness, called sleep attacks, brings on uncontrollable urges to sleep at inopportune times. Other common symptoms associated with narcolepsy include, hallucinations or vivid dreams, the feeling of being paralyzed while falling asleep or awakening from sleep, and cataplexy or the sudden loss of muscle tone.
Narcolepsy can be quite dangerous because sleep attacks can occur without warning, even while eating, driving, or operating dangerous equipment. Some common forms of treatment include recommending lifestyle changes to improve sleep patterns and medications to help promote daytime alertness.
Overview of Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is described as a sensation in the legs such as burning, crawling, throbbing, or itching, which are relieved by getting up and walking. RLS can make it very difficulty to initiate sleep, and even once sleep is achieved, it will typically be characterized as poor quality sleep due to frequent interruption. Because of this, people with RLS experience the same effects as those who are sleep deprived, with depression or anxiety being very common.