Your Sleep Problems, Decoded

Common sleep problems include:

• Sleep apnea: Breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
• Narcolepsy: Excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks.
• Hypersomnia: Excessive sleepiness, when you have trouble staying awake during the day.
• Periodic limb movement disorder: When your limbs make rhythmic movements during sleep. Usually happens in your legs, but can also happen in your arms and shoulders.
• Insomnia: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night.

Common symptoms of a sleep problem include: 

• Feeling sleepy during the day, or falling asleep at random or irregular times.
• Taking more than 30 minutes each night to fall asleep.
• Awakening more than a few times or for long periods of time every night.
• Taking frequent naps.

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may order one or more of the following tests:

• Polysomnography: Also called a "sleep study." It records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, your heart rate, your breathing effort, and leg movements during sleep. For the most accurate results these studies are typically performed in a sleep lab.
• CPAP/Bi-Level trials: In-lab sleep studies used to measure continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP). These use small machines that administer positive air pressure through a tube connected to a facial mask.
• Multiple sleep latency testing: A study for excessive daytime sleepiness by measuring how quickly you fall asleep in a quiet environment during the day.
• PAP-Nap: A study to help those individuals who may be reluctant to use a PAP machine; i.e.: claustrophobia, anxiety.

Depending on your test results treatment options include:

• PAP therapy, the most effective non-invasive cure for sleep apnea.
• Over-the-counter or prescription sleep aid medications.
• Mouthpieces.
• Relaxation exercises.
• Surgery.

Treatments for Children

We are able to diagnosis and treat children age two and up at many of our sleep centers. Talk to your pediatrician if your child demonstrates any of these signs:

• Snoring.
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
• Breathing pauses during sleep.
• Sleepwalking or persistent nightmares.
• Changes in mood/behavior.
• Changes in school/grades.