Sleep Disorders and Studies

Types of Sleep Disorders

• Sleep Apnea. People with sleep apnea may stop breathing many times during sleep. These episodes often last from 10 to 90 seconds and may occur hundreds of times a night.
• Narcolepsy. This ailment causes people to experience excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable episodes of sleep and hallucinations.
• Insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep. This may be caused by heartburn, poor sleep habits, alcohol, medications, stress or sleep apnea.
• Nocturnal Myoclonus. Frequent leg jerks or movements that disrupt sleep are the major symptoms of this sleep disorder.

Types of Sleep Studies

• Polysomnogram. This study requires an overnight stay at the Sleep Center, to evaluate the patient's physical state during sleep periods. Various sensors and electrodes are attached to the patient to measure brain waves, eye movements, muscle tension, respiration, heart rate and oxygen saturation.
• Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). Physicians may request this daytime "nap" study. This test consists of four to five short naps throughout the day at two-hour intervals. An MSLT measures the severity of daytime sleepiness.
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). If the initial polysomnogram shows a significant breathing disorder, such as sleep apnea, during sleep, a second study sometimes is requested to evaluate response to CPAP treatment. CPAP is a method of delivering the necessary pressure through a nasal mask to maintain an open airway during sleep. CPAP has a high success rate in treating obstructive sleep apnea, restoring normal sleep patterns and eliminating daytime fatigue and sleepiness.

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