Struggling to fall asleep? Waking up feeling groggy? You’re not alone! Millions of people grapple with sleep issues. As a division of Nirvana Healthcare Management Services, North Ward Behavioral Health Center specializes in a broad spectrum of healthcare services aimed at your wellbeing. One area where we truly excel is sleep health, offering expert diagnosis and treatment for sleep and insomnia issues including sleep apnea.
Our dedicated sleep health services are here to help you get the rest you need. We provide thorough evaluations and cutting-edge treatments in our state-of-the-art sleep center. Whether you’re dealing with trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness, our team is ready to support you on your journey toward better sleep. If you’re struggling with sleep issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and see how we can help improve your sleep and overall quality of life.
What is a Sleep Study?
A sleep study, also known as polysomnography, is a comprehensive test used to diagnose sleep disorders. This test records various body functions while you sleep, providing valuable insights into what’s happening during your sleep stages. The data gathered from a sleep study can reveal if you have underlying conditions or disorders that could be impacting your sleep.
Sleep studies typically take place in a sleep center or sleep lab, where patients spend the night connected to sensors that transmit data to a monitoring system. This setup allows for an extensive analysis of sleep stages and patterns. By monitoring these factors, healthcare professionals can accurately diagnose sleep disorders and administer the most effective treatment.
What Can a Sleep Study Diagnose?
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent pauses in breathing throughout the night. These pauses can occur when throat muscles relax and block the airway (obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type) or when the brain fails to send proper breathing signals (central sleep apnea).
This disrupts sleep, preventing individuals from reaching restful, deep sleep stages. As a result, people with sleep apnea often experience loud snoring, gasping or snorting during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness despite spending a full night in bed. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious health consequences such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and mood disorders.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder that plagues many at night. It’s characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, usually brought on by uncomfortable sensations like crawling, itching, throbbing, or aching. These sensations worsen when you’re at rest, especially at night, making falling asleep and staying asleep difficult.
The urge to move the legs provides temporary relief, but the sensations typically return once the movement stops. This cycle can wreak havoc on your sleep quality. While there’s no cure for restless legs syndrome, treatments can help manage symptoms and improve your sleep.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
REM sleep behavior disorder, also known as RBD, is a sleep disorder where you physically act out your dreams during REM sleep. REM sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by vivid dreaming and muscle paralysis. In RBD, this paralysis is incomplete or absent, allowing you to move and potentially injure yourself or your sleep partner.
Movements can be violent and correspond to the dream content, like punching, kicking, or jumping out of bed. You might also make vocalizations such as talking, yelling, or shouting. RBD can be disruptive and scary, but it’s important to see a doctor to get a diagnosis and discuss treatment options.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder
Periodic limb movement disorder, also known as PLMD, is a sleep disorder characterized by repetitive movements of the legs and sometimes the arms during sleep. These movements, which can be jerks, twitches, or cramps, typically happen every 20 to 40 seconds throughout the night.
While the movements themselves might be minor, they can disrupt sleep quality significantly, even if the person with PLMD isn’t aware of them waking up. This disrupted sleep often leads to daytime fatigue and sleepiness. PLMD frequently co-occurs with other sleep disorders, particularly restless legs syndrome, but the two are distinct conditions.
What to Expect During a Sleep Study
During the sleep study, you’ll stay overnight at our sleep center. Our sleep medicine specialists will attach sensors to your body to monitor brain waves, heart rate, breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and muscle activity. Though this might sound daunting, most people find they can still fall asleep quite naturally.
Our sleep center is designed to provide a home-like environment to help you relax. We understand that sleeping in a new place can be challenging, so we’ve created a comfortable and quiet setting to make the process easier for you.
Preparing for Your Sleep Study
When you come to our sleep lab for a sleep study, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Before your appointment, our team will provide detailed instructions on how to prepare. Generally, it’s a good idea to stick to your regular sleep routine and avoid caffeine or alcohol close to your study time. Bring comfortable pajamas and any personal items that might help you feel more at ease.
Treatment Options After a Sleep Study
Once your sleep study results are in, our sleep medicine team will review them with you. If you’re diagnosed with a condition like obstructive sleep apnea, treatments such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy might be recommended. CPAP uses a machine to deliver steady air pressure through a mask, keeping your airway open during sleep.
For those with insomnia, behavioral therapies and lifestyle changes might be advised. Medications can also be prescribed if necessary. Other conditions like restless legs syndrome or REM sleep behavior disorder have their own specific treatments, which our sleep specialist staff will discuss with you in detail.
Follow-Up Care
Follow-up care is just as important as the sleep study itself. Our goal is to ensure that the treatment plan we develop for you is effective and that you’re experiencing improvements in your sleep and overall health. Regular follow-up appointments allow us to make any necessary adjustments to your treatment and address any new concerns you might have.
Preventing Sleep Disorders With Better Sleep Hygiene
Improving your sleep hygiene can help prevent and manage sleep disorders. Sleep hygiene refers to the practices and habits that promote good sleep quality. Some tips for better sleep hygiene include maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleep environment, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, and establishing a relaxing bedtime routine. By making these changes, you can improve your sleep quality and reduce the risk of developing sleep disorders.
Dreaming of More Restful Nights? Schedule a Sleep Study Today!
We prioritize your health and wellbeing at Nirvana Healthcare Management Services. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you are having trouble sleeping, either getting to sleep or staying asleep or if you are excessively drowsy throughout the day. We want you to get the rest you deserve. Contact us right now to start living a healthy life and getting better sleep.
