Are you one of the 35 million Americans who have a sleep disorder? Some of the most common signs of a sleep disorder are:
- Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Waking up unrefreshed in the morning
- Irregular breathing or snoring during sleep
- Feeling groggy throughout the day
- Having trouble concentrating during the day because you’re tired
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, sleep medicine may be right for you, especially if you suffer from acute or chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy (episodes of suddenly falling asleep).
If left untreated, your sleep disorder could lead to fatigue, mood swings, or even serious medical conditions such as an increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
Diagnosing Your Sleep Disorder
Now and then, we all have difficulty sleeping for a variety of reasons, including poor or irregular sleeping habits, stress, too much stimulation before bedtime, or eating too much late in the evening. For these causes, there are simple techniques you can try to help you get some shut-eye, such as creating a restful environment in your bedroom without a television, a computer screen, or your phone. You can also avoid or limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption, avoid large meals before bed, and sleep on your side or in a slightly elevated position.
However, if these or other conservative measures fail to allow you to enjoy a good night’s rest, you could benefit from the services of a qualified sleep medicine physician like those at MelioREM Sleep Services in Sparks, Nevada.
The first step is to meet with our doctor to evaluate the symptoms and determine the exact sleep disorder. This may be followed by sleep testing to confirm the diagnosis. The sleep study can be conducted most nights of the week at home or at one of our partner sleep labs – or both. It involves recording your vital signs while you are asleep, including eye movements, brain, muscle, and heart activity, blood oxygen levels, and breathing patterns. The results of the study are then analyzed for definitive signs of a sleep disorder. If necessary, additional diagnostic tools – such as a nap test, sleep diary, and blood or urine tests – may be used.
Treatments for Sleeping Disorders
Once you have been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, MelioREM Sleep Services offers a wide range of solutions that include:
- Behavior modification, is a type of psychotherapy aimed at changing unhealthy or problematic behaviors by teaching new, healthier habits.
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices provide a steady flow of air through a mask covering your nose and mouth while you sleep. This helps treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders by keeping your airways open and reducing disruptions in breathing during sleep.
- Oral appliances that you wear in your mouth, so your airways remain open while you sleep, thereby treating sleep disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance syndrome.
- Hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy involves the implantation of a small device under your skin that delivers mild stimulation to your airway muscles, keeping them open while you sleep.
- Bright light therapy helps reset your body’s natural sleep cycle.
- Medication and supplements, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sleeping pills, supplements, and more.
- Weight management in the form of lifestyle changes – such as exercise, a healthy diet, and avoidance of processed foods – has been found to improve sleep quality.
- Surgical procedures, such as tonsillectomy, tracheostomy, adenoidectomy, orthognathic surgery, and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), in which the soft palate at the back of the throat or other tissues are removed to treat snoring and sleep apnea. These measures are only considered when other treatment options have failed.
Sleep Medicine Services in Reno Sparks, Nevada
At MelioREM Sleep Services, we are committed to providing our patients with the highest quality care in the field of sleep medicine. We offer comprehensive services for a wide variety of sleep disorders, including:
- Insomnia
- Restless leg syndrome
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Periodic limb movement disorder PLMD)
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
- Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS)
To learn more about our services, call us at (775) 557-4900 to arrange a consultation with one of our highly qualified professionals. We also offer convenient telemedicine sleep services to all our Nevada patients. Contact us or request an appointment today.
