Sleep Conditions

Excessive Sleepiness 

Causes of excessive sleepiness include sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders and insufficient sleep. 

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes the throat's air passage to close repeatedly during sleep, stopping breathing and disrupting the normal stages of sleep. The results of Sleep Apnea can be serious illness or even death caused by lack of oxygen. Symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, gasping for air at night, irritability, personality changes, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia and morning headaches.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders

Circadian rhythm disorders (CRD) is most commonly caused by shift work or multi-time zone air travel, CRDs are disruptions of the body's internal clock, which may cause sleepiness and/or insomnia at inappropriate times.

Narcolepsy 

Narcolepsy is characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks during the day, extreme sleepiness, falling asleep during an activity, losing muscle tone due to feelings of anger, surprise, amusement, or stress. This condition can be especially dangerous if the event occurs while the person is driving or operating heavy machinery. One cause, however, is a brain disorder called narcolepsy. Narcolepsy, caused by an abnormality in the brain's control of the sleeping and waking states, may cause muscle weakness, awakening with a sensation of paralysis, or dreaming while awake. This disorder is treated with a variety of medications.

Difficulty Sleeping

Many individuals can have difficulty falling asleep due to stress; however, chronic insomnia may be caused by a variety of triggers, such as depression, anxiety, prolonged poor sleeping habits including unnatural sleeping schedules or restless leg syndrome. Insomnia can be treated with behavior therapy and/or medication.

 Sleep Apnea in Children

In pediatric sleep apnea, usually, the same symptoms that apply to adults apply to children. Usually, pediatric sleep apnea is a result of enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or fatty tissue. However, in children, the brain may fail to send the proper signals to the respiratory centers, causing them to shut down. Many children with sleep apnea are sleepy during the day and have concentration difficulties in school.

Sleep Disorders that Involve Abnormal Movements

Restless leg syndrome is characterized by involuntary leg movement or leg jerks occurring frequently during the night or the uncontrollable need to move or walk off the leg cramps can be caused by nocturnal myoclonus or restless leg syndrome. These conditions can prevent a person from achieving a good night's sleep and can cause complaints of insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Sleep Apnea 

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes the throat's air passage to close repeatedly during sleep, stopping breathing and disrupting the normal stages of sleep. The results of Sleep Apnea can be serious illness or even death caused by lack of oxygen. Symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, gasping for air at night, irritability, personality changes, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia and morning headaches.

The best way to test and diagnose sleep apnea is through an overnight polysomnography or sleep study in our sleep diagnostic laboratories. The studies provide valuable information about how you breathe and sleep. This information enables your doctor to determine the type and severity of sleep apnea you may have and how it should be treated.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

OSA causes people to struggle for breath because the passage in the back of the throat falls shut during sleep. This can cause loud snoring. Sleep apnea has been shown to contribute to:

• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Accidents caused by sleepiness