To sleep or not to sleep, do you have a problem? Has anyone ever told you that you sound like a bear when you sleep? Have you ever kicked your partner out of bed on accident while sleeping? Do you ever feel like you didn’t get a good night’s rest? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might have a sleep disorder. At SouthCrest Hospital, we can help.

Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep helps alleviate stress, helps you cope with problems, and can help fight illness? It is said that many Americans average only six hours of sleep a night. “People do not realize how important sleep is,” says Dr. David Combs, a board-certified family physician at SouthCrest Hospital. “Sleep is just as important to a person’s health as diet and exercise,” says Dr. Combs.

Reasons for not getting a good night’s sleep can range from too much caffeine to stress to a sleep disorder. Although Sleep Apnea is the most common sleep disorder, there are actually 70 sleep disorders. Statistics show around 49% of Americans suffers from a significant sleep disorder. Also, most congestive heart failure patients suffer from sleep-related breathing disorders. Approximately 4% of all adults have Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, 80% of those are undiagnosed.

What are sleep apnea and sleep disorders?  

A sleep disorder is a medical disorder that can affect you mentally and physically. A common sleep disorder is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the muscles of the soft palate and throat relax during sleep, obstructing the airway and making breathing difficult and noisy (snoring). Eventually the airway walls collapse, blocking airflow entirely, which results in a pause in your breathing. Each time breathing stops, the oxygen level in the blood falls and your sleep is disturbed. This creates stress on the heart, which can increase your blood pressure and could result in heart problems, high blood pressure and even stroke if left untreated. Sleep Apnea (cessation of breathing) can be a life threatening condition. Central Sleep Apnea is when the diaphragm does not receive a signal to breathe normally. This also causes your oxygen to drop and your sleep to be disturbed. Mixed Sleep Apnea occurs as a combination of central and obstructive breathing at the same time.

Warning Signs

“It is important to know the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders so you can seek proper treatment,” says Dr. Combs. Signs and symptoms to look for are:

• Snoring
• Daytime sleepiness
• Morning headaches
• Waking up gasping for breath
• Recent weight gain or loss
• High blood pressure
• Acid reflux or heartburn
• Type II Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease

Taking the test

Diagnosing a sleep disorder requires an overnight sleep study performed in a professional sleep center. This is a simple test that will monitor the following areas during your sleep:

• Brain waves
• Eye movements
• Muscle movements
• Heart rate
• Leg movements
• Breathing patterns and noise
• Oxygen levels

Such studies can be performed at the SouthCrest Sleep Disorders Center which designed to conduct sleep studies in a secure, home-like atmosphere similar to your bedroom or a hotel room. SouthCrest Hospital’s highly-trained sleep specialists work with each patient and their physician to deliver high quality service and effective treatment options.