REM Sleep Labs Blog
Date posted: january 26, 2012 03:00pm
Sleep Disorders Overlooked By Americans
A survey by the National Institutes of Health revealed that 50 to 70 million Americans have experienced chronic sleep disorders and periodic sleep problems. Sleep problems may result from not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, or lacking quality sleep. The Institute of Medicine reports that hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year in order to treat sleep disorders (including hospital visits, prescription and over the counter drugs). Sleep problems are also linked to drowsy driving, a culprit that is responsible for over 100,000 car accidents a year. Although such statistics are daunting, most sleep problems are frequently overlooked and under-diagnosed. Certified sleep experts at an Orange County sleep center offer comprehensive sleep studies that can help identify and treat your sleep disorder.
What Is A Sleep Study?
Sleep studies are designed to evaluate the subject’s sleeping pattern and determine the cause of the sleep problem. The most common sleep study is the polysomnogram (PSG), which measures the state of your body during sleep. A PSG records your brain wave activity, eye movement, breathing/heart rate and muscle movement. In most cases, the patient must stay in the testing facility for at least 6 hours in order to obtain an accurate evaluation. If the patient has sleep apnea (periods of breathlessness during sleep), a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) mask may be worn during a PSG to determine if breathing problems are alleviated. The CPAP mask delivers extra oxygen to increase air pressure in the throat and open up the airway when breathing.
The sleep specialist may also conduct a multiple sleep latency test to measure the time it takes for you to fall asleep and enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Maintenance of wakefulness test may be performed to determine your ability to stay awake during the daytime. Trained specialists at Orange County Sleep Centers can help diagnose your sleep disorder and determine the best treatment for your sleep problem.
Common Sleep Disorders
Sleep studies are essential to identifying common sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy.
Insomnia is characterized as trouble falling asleep at night. A report by the National Institute of Health revealed that over 60 million Americans suffer from prolonged insomnia.
As mentioned above, sleep apnea is caused by the continuous disruption of breathing during sleep. This condition occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses during sleep and blocks the airway, making it difficult to breathe.
Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a condition that causes a tingling sensation in the legs at night. The pain makes it difficult for you to fall asleep, creating sleep problems at night.
Narcolepsy is the inability to control falling asleep. Narcolepsy is accompanied by excessive daytime drowsiness and episodes of falling asleep throughout the day.
Undiagnosed sleep problems can lead to serious health risks such as high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes. If you or your sleep partner notice signs of sleep related problems such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping for breath, difficulty falling asleep, daytime drowsiness, muscle weakness or excessive need for stimulants during the day, you may be suffering from a chronic sleep disorder. Contact an Orange County sleep center and get your sleep problems squared away by a qualified sleep specialist.
