Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders we treat

Sleep can be divided into two types: (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep. NREM sleep has four stages of increasingly deep sleep. Stage 1 sleep is the lightest, while stage 4 is the deepest. During normal sleep, you cycle through these types and stages of sleep. But if your sleep is repeatedly interrupted and you cannot cycle normally through REM and NREM sleep, you may feel tired, fatigued, and have trouble concentrating and paying attention while awake. Sleepiness puts you at greater risk for driving and other accidents.

Our sleep disorder clinic provide treatments for the following conditions and sleep disorders:

• Circadian rhythm disorders: Circadian rhythm disorders include jet lag, adjustments to shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome (you fall asleep and wake up too late) and advanced sleep phase syndrome (you fall asleep and wake up too early). These disorders disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it difficult to maintain a regular sleep schedule.

• Idiopathic hypersomnia: Idiopathic hypersomnia is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness despite having a normal or extended amount of nighttime sleep. People with this condition may have difficulty waking up in the morning and may feel groggy and disoriented upon waking.
• Insomnia: People who have insomnia don’t feel as if they get enough sleep at night. They may have trouble falling asleep or may wake up frequently during the night or early in the morning. Insomnia is a problem if it affects your daytime activities. Insomnia has many possible causes, including stress, anxiety, depression, poor sleep habits, circadian rhythm disorders and taking certain medications.
• Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is a brain disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness. There is sometimes a genetic component, but most patients have no family history of the problem. Individuals with narcolepsy may experience sudden muscle weakness and sleep attacks, where they fall asleep suddenly and uncontrollably.
• Nightmares and night terrors: Night terrors are frightening dreams that arise during REM sleep. They can be caused by stress, anxiety, and some drugs. Nightmares are vivid, disturbing dreams that often wake a person from sleep, while night terrors typically involve intense fear, screaming, and thrashing during sleep without full awakening.
• Nocturnal seizures: Nocturnal seizures occur during sleep and can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness and other complications. These seizures are often associated with epilepsy and may require medical intervention for proper management.
• Parasomnias: Parasomnias are disruptive sleep disorders that can include abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams that occur while falling asleep, sleeping, or waking up. Common parasomnias include sleepwalking, sleep talking, and night terrors.
• Periodic limb movement disorder: Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is characterized by repetitive movements of the limbs, typically the legs, during sleep. These movements can disrupt sleep and lead to daytime fatigue and sleepiness.
• Pregnancy sleep issues: Women often experience sleepless nights and daytime fatigue in the first and third trimesters of their pregnancy. Hormonal changes, physical discomfort, and anxiety about the impending birth can all contribute to sleep problems during pregnancy.
• REM sleep behavior disorder: REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) involves abnormal behavior during the REM sleep phase, where individuals act out their dreams, sometimes violently. This condition can lead to injury and is often associated with neurodegenerative disorders.
• Restless leg syndrome: In people who have restless legs syndrome, discomfort in the legs and feet peaks during the evening and night. This can delay sleep onset and cause brief awakening during sleep. The sensation is often described as creeping, crawling, or tingling.
• Sleep apnea: One of the most serious sleep disorders is sleep apnea where you literally stop breathing during sleep. This may happen hundreds of times a night, causing you to awaken slightly to resume breathing. Sleep apnea may lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, weight problems or other health problems.
• Sleep-disordered breathing related to neuromuscular disorders: Sleep-disordered breathing related to neuromuscular disorders involves difficulty breathing during sleep due to weakened muscles that control breathing. This can lead to interrupted sleep and reduced oxygen levels, requiring specialized treatment and management.

Symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive snoring, waking up with a headache or not feeling refreshed, daytime sleepiness, sudden body movements during sleep, weight gain, and suddenly waking up gasping for breath. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be time to schedule a consultation with a sleep specialist.

Sleep apnea treatment

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common disorders we diagnose and treat at our sleep center. More complex forms of sleep disordered breathing, such as central sleep apnea (CSA), are also commonly seen and treated.

Sleep apnea is treated with lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices and surgery. The goal is to help you restore regular breathing during sleeping and relieve your snoring and/or daytime sleepiness. If you have mild sleep apnea, some changes in daily activities or habits might be all the treatment you need.

• Avoid alcohol and medicines that make you sleepy
• If you smoke, quit
• Keep your nasal passages open at night with nasal sprays or allergy medicines, if needed
• Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese
• Sleep on your side instead of your back to help keep your throat open

For more severe cases of sleep apnea, additional treatments may be necessary beyond lifestyle modifications. These include the use of mouthpieces or oral appliances designed to keep the throat open by bringing the jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. 

One common treatment uses breathing devices, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines. These machines deliver air pressure through a mask while you sleep to keep your airway open. 

In other instances, surgery may be considered, especially if there’s a physical blockage in the nose or throat contributing to sleep apnea. Surgical options can range from tissue removal or shrinkage, jaw repositioning, implants, nerve stimulation, to more complex procedures. 

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