What's bothering you from a good night sleep?

According to the United States National Sleep over 18 million undiagnosed Americans along with thousands of children suffer from a sleep disorder. It's a growing number with all the present-day stress/pressures placed upon us daily. Significant health problems may arise from sleep disorders such as attention deficit, neuromuscular disorders, gastroesophageal reflux, psychiatric ailments (depression/anxiety), as well as increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Millions of Americans are affected by Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a breathing disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of partial or complete upper airway obstruction (blockage).

In the April 2004 issue of The Journal of Laryngology and Otology: London, Melanie A. Souter states, "Obstructive Sleep Apnea affects 2-4% of middle-aged male adults and 1-2% of middle-aged female adults, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Increasing apnea severity in untreated patients is associated with a likelihood of death". Associated with obesity, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke, sleep apnea is a growing concern.

Due to increased interest and research in the science of Sleep Medicine, those who suffer from sleep disorders can now find help with the proper diagnostic testing. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition documents 81 official sleep disorders. If you or someone you know has one or more of the following symptoms, please take some time to research their related disorders and contact use for further assistance. By doing so, you can help yourself, or those you love, live a normal life, even perhaps preventing death.

• Frequent snoring
• High blood pressure
• Morning headaches
• Overweight
• Difficulty concentrating
• Waking in the morning feeling un-refreshed
• Feeling sleepy throughout the day
• Feeling sleep or doze off while watching TV, reading, driving, or engaged in daily activities
• Waking at night gasping for air or choking
• Kicking or twitching movements while asleep
• Pauses in breath while you sleep
• Fallen asleep while driving
• You are irritable, grouchy or lose your temper easily.
• You must use an alarm clock to wake up on time in the morning
• You are unmotivated and have trouble "getting going"

These are all symptoms of a sleep disorder. If you have any of these symptoms, call us to make an appointment with one of our physicians specializing in sleep medicine or one of our many affiliated physicians located in your area.

• 30% or more of patients with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
• 30% or more hypertension patients have OSA.
• Over 40% of the people with sleep disorders are depressed.
• Over 80% of people with night-time GERD (gastric reflux) have symptoms of sleep disorder.
• 95% people with Sleep Disorders remain undiagnosed and untreated.
• An estimated 70 million Americans are chronically sleep deprived.
• Over 20 million have at least partial blockage of their airways, causing snoring.
• Over 15 million Americans have some degree of sleep apnea.
• 57% of all adults report trouble sleeping.
• If you are only 10 Lbs over weight your chance of being a snorer is increased over 45%.
• Over 75% of snoring people are not aware of their snoring and in fact believe that they are great sleepers!
• The ratio of snoring men versus women in our study was 9:1.
• Only 6% of children snore at a young age and that could be related to an enlarged tonsil or adenoids.
• Only 1.5 million persons with sleep apnea - less than 10% of those with this problem - have received any kind of treatment