About Sleep Medicine
Sleep Medicine is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disturbances and disorders in adults and children.
The Sleep Medicine focusses on an approach for the diagnosis and treatment of adult and pediatric sleep disorders at three convenient locations
Physician Referral is Required
Common Conditions Treated
Individuals suffering from the following conditions may be referred by their physician:
- Sleep apnea (cessation of breathing during sleep)
- Infants with possible apnea
- Infants at risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Inability to initiate and maintain sleep (insomnia)
- Excessive snoring
- Oxygenation or chronic breathing problems
- Esophageal Reflux (pediatric, adult)
- Narcolepsy (sudden, uncontrollable sleep)
Treatment and Services
Sleep Medicine specialists can provide diagnosis and treatment for a variety of sleep disorders, including:
Sleep Apnea
People who suffer sleep apnea stop breathing while they sleep. This can occur several hundred times a night. Because of sleep apnea, major organs are deprived of oxygen and can be seriously damaged over time. Blood pressure can soar between each breath and the heart may beat irregularly or even stop. A single apneic episode may last up to 90 seconds and is manifested in the following three ways:
- Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by very loud snoring and is intensified by chronic nasal congestion, enlarged tonsils or obesity. In addition, infants can experience obstructive sleep apnea because of physical problems present at birth.
- Central sleep apnea occurs when air flow and chest wall movement stop because of lack of respiratory stimulus from the brain.
- Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of both. Some symptoms of sleep apnea are excessive snoring, high blood pressure, excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue or poor school or job performance.
Infant Apnea
Sleep apnea has been targeted as a potential cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). For this reason, infants considered at risk for SIDS are recommended for clinical evaluation. Babies may also experience respiratory problems, which include central and/or obstructive sleep apnea, and/or esophageal reflux. If the sleep study reveals the need for home monitoring, parents can receive information on rental arrangements as well as home monitoring instruction through the hospital.
An adult family member is allowed to stay with pediatric patients during evaluation.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a symptom that can be caused by many factors such as psychological (chronic depression or temporary stress), environmental (noise) or physiological (chronic breathing disorder or temporary pain) conditions. Another common cause of insomnia is misuse and overuse of sleeping pills.
Sleep-Wake Disorders
When the regular pattern of sleeping or waking is disrupted, some individuals find that it is difficult to resume a sleep-wake schedule that fits their needs. This may be caused by shift work or other changes in schedule. Some complaints of insomnia or daytime sleepiness may be due to undiscovered changes in the sleep-wake rhythm
Nocturnal Myoclonus
People who have nocturnal myoclonus (periodic leg movements or muscle spasms) during sleep may not get proper rest, causing insomnia or excessive sleepiness.
Narcolepsy
Individuals who are too sleepy during the day and feel muscular weakness when they are angry, surprised or amused may have narcolepsy. Sometimes narcoleptics experience dreams or hallucinations just as they fall asleep. Narcolepsy often emerges in adolescence and is a lifelong disorder.
- Multiple-Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)is a series of 20-minute naps given every two hours the day following the sleep study, if indicated, to confirm the diagnosis.
Oxygenation Problems
When people have chronic breathing problems or lung disease, their symptoms often worsen during sleep. Complete evaluation of such respiratory diseases sometimes requires measurement of blood oxygenation during sleep.
Esophageal Reflux
In conjunction with the routine overnight sleep study, patients (predominately children) may also have esophageal pH monitored for esophageal reflux determinations.
Related programs and services
pulmonologists focus on the respiratory system, including the lungs and the bronchial tubes. Many pulmonologists are also sleep medicine and critical care specialists.
Specialized care for a range of diseases and conditions affecting the brain and nervous system.