Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It is very common and affects one in three
American adults. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages, usually just for a night or two, but sometimes for weeks, months, or even years. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder defined by constant sleepiness and a tendency to sleep at inappropriate times.
Typically, a person with narcolepsy suffers sleep attacks as well as continual sleepiness and a feeling of tiredness that is not completely relieved by any amount of sleep. If not recognized and appropriately managed, narcolepsy can
drastically and negatively affect the quality of a person's life.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep disorder. It affects more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. When a person suffers from OSA, the muscles in their throat relax during sleep and this makes breathing difficult.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is a leg disorder that is similar to Restless Legs Syndrome but is exhibited during sleep rather than while awake. Periodic limb movements usually occur in the legs but may also affect the arms, and are involuntary (not consciously controlled). An observer might describe them as a "jerk" or "kick".
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), which often appears in otherwise healthy people, is not related to emotional or mental problems. As the name suggests, the symptoms mostly affect the legs, but the arms and (rarely) trunk may also be involved.
Treatment
A variety of treatments are used to help those suffering from sleep disorders.
Testing
At Home Sleep Study
A Home Sleep Study is a simplified version of an Overnight, Attended Sleep Study that focuses on nocturnal breathing. Home sleep studies are only used to diagnose or rule out obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because the emphasis is on breathing, it’s possible to use fewer sensors.
In Lab/Office Sleep Study
Overnight, attended sleep studies – known as nocturnal polysomnograms (PSG) – are conducted in a sleep lab where you’re monitored (or attended) all night by a trained sleep technologist. a sleep study to diagnose or rule out a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy or periodic limb movement disorder. You may also undergo a sleep study if you've already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder so that we can create or adjust your treatment plan.
Diagnostic Evaluation:
This study measures your sleep without any intervention. It’s typically used to diagnose or rule out a disorder
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Titration:
During a CPAP titration, the technologist adjusts the setting on the CPAP machine to determine how much air pressure is needed to normalize your breathing.
Split Night Study:
A split night study is a combination of a diagnostic and CPAP titration study. The first half is used to diagnose sleep apnea and then midway through the night CPAP is started. The sleep tech spends the rest of the night adjusting the pressure until breathing has been normalized.
What is CPAP?
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) uses a machine to help a person who has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) breathe more easily during sleep. A CPAP machine increases air pressure in your throat so that your airway does not collapse when you breathe in. When you use CPAP, your bed partner may sleep better, too.
You use CPAP at home every night while you sleep. The CPAP machine will have one of the following:
Recommended Related to Sleep Apnea Mouth Devices for Sleep Apnea
If you have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea -- a condition in which relaxation of the muscles around the tongue and throat causes the tissues to block airflow to the lungs while you sleep -- there are a number of treatment options to discuss with your doctor. Two of the most widely used and most effective are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and dental appliances, or mouth guards.
Other Treatments are:
ENT referral for Sleep Apnea Treatment such as:Tonsillectomy (ton-sih-LEK-tuh-me) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat — one tonsil on each side.
A tonsillectomy was once a common procedure to treat infection and inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis). Today, a tonsillectomy is usually performed for sleep-disordered breathing but may still be a treatment when tonsillitis occurs frequently or doesn't respond to other treatments.
A tonsillectomy may also be necessary to treat breathing and other problems related to enlarged tonsils and to treat rare diseases of the tonsils.
Recovery time for a tonsillectomy is usually at least 10 days to two weeks.
Adenoidectomy surgical removal of the adenoids for reasons which include impaired breathing through the nose, chronic infections, or recurrent earaches. The surgery is less commonly performed in adults in whom adenoids are considered vestigial and purposeless. It is most often done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. Post-operative pain is generally minimal and reduced by icy or cold foods. The procedure can be combined with tonsillectomy if indicated and recovery time can range from several hours to two or three days (though as age increases so does recovery time).
Oral Appliance:
Oral appliances (OA) are a front-line treatment for patients with mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) who prefer OAs to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or who do not respond to CPAP, are not appropriate candidates for CPAP, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP or treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep position change. This small plastic device fits in the mouth during sleep like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. Oral appliances help prevent the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat, keeping the airway open during sleep and promoting adequate air intake. Oral appliances may be used alone or in combination with other treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders, such as weight management, surgery or CPAP.
Standards of Care
Oral appliance therapy involves the selection, fitting and use of a specially designed oral appliance that maintains an open, unobstructed airway in the throat when worn during sleep. Custom-made oral appliances are proven to be more effective than over-the-counter devices, which are not recommended as a screening tool nor as a therapeutic option.
Side Effects from untreated Sleep Apnea:
If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in a growing number of health problems, including:
A landmark study has linked sleep apnea to a 46 percent higher risk of dying after 40, particularly among men. The more severe the apnea, the higher the risk.
Men aged 40-70 with severe sleep apnea were twice as likely to die in the study as those without it. Overall, those with sleep apnea were one and a half times as likely to die.
It didn't matter whether they were former smokers or had high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. The sleep apnea was an independent risk factor.
Insomnia is defined as trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It is very common and affects one in three
American adults. Insomnia can occur in people of all ages, usually just for a night or two, but sometimes for weeks, months, or even years. Insomnia is most common among women and older adults.
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder defined by constant sleepiness and a tendency to sleep at inappropriate times.
Typically, a person with narcolepsy suffers sleep attacks as well as continual sleepiness and a feeling of tiredness that is not completely relieved by any amount of sleep. If not recognized and appropriately managed, narcolepsy can
drastically and negatively affect the quality of a person's life.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep disorder. It affects more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. When a person suffers from OSA, the muscles in their throat relax during sleep and this makes breathing difficult.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) is a leg disorder that is similar to Restless Legs Syndrome but is exhibited during sleep rather than while awake. Periodic limb movements usually occur in the legs but may also affect the arms, and are involuntary (not consciously controlled). An observer might describe them as a "jerk" or "kick".
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), which often appears in otherwise healthy people, is not related to emotional or mental problems. As the name suggests, the symptoms mostly affect the legs, but the arms and (rarely) trunk may also be involved.
Treatment
A variety of treatments are used to help those suffering from sleep disorders.
Testing
At Home Sleep Study
A Home Sleep Study is a simplified version of an Overnight, Attended Sleep Study that focuses on nocturnal breathing. Home sleep studies are only used to diagnose or rule out obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because the emphasis is on breathing, it’s possible to use fewer sensors.
In Lab/Office Sleep Study
Overnight, attended sleep studies – known as nocturnal polysomnograms (PSG) – are conducted in a sleep lab where you’re monitored (or attended) all night by a trained sleep technologist. a sleep study to diagnose or rule out a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy or periodic limb movement disorder. You may also undergo a sleep study if you've already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder so that we can create or adjust your treatment plan.
Diagnostic Evaluation:
This study measures your sleep without any intervention. It’s typically used to diagnose or rule out a disorder
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Titration:
During a CPAP titration, the technologist adjusts the setting on the CPAP machine to determine how much air pressure is needed to normalize your breathing.
Split Night Study:
A split night study is a combination of a diagnostic and CPAP titration study. The first half is used to diagnose sleep apnea and then midway through the night CPAP is started. The sleep tech spends the rest of the night adjusting the pressure until breathing has been normalized.
What is CPAP?
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) uses a machine to help a person who has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) breathe more easily during sleep. A CPAP machine increases air pressure in your throat so that your airway does not collapse when you breathe in. When you use CPAP, your bed partner may sleep better, too.
You use CPAP at home every night while you sleep. The CPAP machine will have one of the following:
Recommended Related to Sleep Apnea Mouth Devices for Sleep Apnea
If you have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea -- a condition in which relaxation of the muscles around the tongue and throat causes the tissues to block airflow to the lungs while you sleep -- there are a number of treatment options to discuss with your doctor. Two of the most widely used and most effective are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and dental appliances, or mouth guards.
- A mask that covers your nose and mouth.
- A mask that covers your nose only-called nasal continuous positive airway pressure, or NCPAP (this type of mask is most common).
- Prongs that fit into your nose.
Other Treatments are:
ENT referral for Sleep Apnea Treatment such as:Tonsillectomy (ton-sih-LEK-tuh-me) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat — one tonsil on each side.
A tonsillectomy was once a common procedure to treat infection and inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis). Today, a tonsillectomy is usually performed for sleep-disordered breathing but may still be a treatment when tonsillitis occurs frequently or doesn't respond to other treatments.
A tonsillectomy may also be necessary to treat breathing and other problems related to enlarged tonsils and to treat rare diseases of the tonsils.
Recovery time for a tonsillectomy is usually at least 10 days to two weeks.
Adenoidectomy surgical removal of the adenoids for reasons which include impaired breathing through the nose, chronic infections, or recurrent earaches. The surgery is less commonly performed in adults in whom adenoids are considered vestigial and purposeless. It is most often done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. Post-operative pain is generally minimal and reduced by icy or cold foods. The procedure can be combined with tonsillectomy if indicated and recovery time can range from several hours to two or three days (though as age increases so does recovery time).
Oral Appliance:
Oral appliances (OA) are a front-line treatment for patients with mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) who prefer OAs to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), or who do not respond to CPAP, are not appropriate candidates for CPAP, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP or treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep position change. This small plastic device fits in the mouth during sleep like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. Oral appliances help prevent the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat, keeping the airway open during sleep and promoting adequate air intake. Oral appliances may be used alone or in combination with other treatments for sleep-related breathing disorders, such as weight management, surgery or CPAP.
Standards of Care
- Patients with primary snoring or mild OSA who do not respond to, or are not appropriate candidates for treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep-position change.
- Patients with moderate to severe OSA should have an initial trial of nasal CPAP, due to greater effectiveness with the use of oral appliances.
- Patients with moderate to severe OSA who are intolerant of or refuse treatment with nasal CPAP. Oral appliances are also indicated for patients who refuse treatment, or are not candidates for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, cranofacial operations, or tracheostomy.
Oral appliance therapy involves the selection, fitting and use of a specially designed oral appliance that maintains an open, unobstructed airway in the throat when worn during sleep. Custom-made oral appliances are proven to be more effective than over-the-counter devices, which are not recommended as a screening tool nor as a therapeutic option.
Side Effects from untreated Sleep Apnea:
If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in a growing number of health problems, including:
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart failure, irregular heart beats, and heart attacks
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Worsening of ADHD
A landmark study has linked sleep apnea to a 46 percent higher risk of dying after 40, particularly among men. The more severe the apnea, the higher the risk.
Men aged 40-70 with severe sleep apnea were twice as likely to die in the study as those without it. Overall, those with sleep apnea were one and a half times as likely to die.
It didn't matter whether they were former smokers or had high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. The sleep apnea was an independent risk factor.