Sleep Medicine
Sleep is essential to health and well-being, yet many Americans have trouble getting a good night's rest. If the occasional sleepless night, groggy morning or head-bobbing day becomes an ongoing problem, the culprit may be a sleep disorder.
Lack of restful sleep can make even the simplest tasks more difficult, causing:
- Memory loss
- Inability to concentrate
- Irritability
- Depression
- Poor job performance
- Relationship issues
Sleep disorders can also be life-threatening because they create a greater risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Sleep Studies Detect Common Disorders
Most sleep disorders can be managed if properly diagnosed and treated. The experienced sleep center staff - physician, sleep technologists and respiratory therapists - at Lutheran Hospital can help determine the cause of a sleep disorder, its effects on daily living and how to treat it.
Sleep studies take place in private, comfortable, suite-style rooms within Lutheran Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center. Patients bring comfortable pajamas and slippers and typically stay overnight, although both day and evening sleep studies are available. Home sleep testing is also an option for certain evaluations. Learn more.
The most common sleep disorders identified through sleep studies are:
- Chronic insomnia: The inability to fall asleep or remain asleep. This may be caused by depression, stress, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, periodic limb movements or the misuse of sleeping aids.
- Sleep apnea: Causes a person to stop breathing frequently throughout the night. Loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness are symptoms of sleep apnea.
- Narcolepsy: Causes a person to feel excessively sleepy or to fall asleep suddenly during the day, often at inappropriate times.
- Restless legs syndrome: Creates a "crawling" sensation in the legs when the patient lies down to sleep, but disappears once the legs move.
- Periodic limb movements: Causes the arms and legs to jerk repeatedly during sleep, resulting in a tired feeling in the morning. Most people are not aware of their repeated limb movements.
- Sleepwalking: May cause a person to get out of bed and walk without full consciousness.
To schedule a sleep study for an infant, child or adult, call Lutheran Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center at (260) 435-7403. For more about what to expect, visit the FAQs page.
Lutheran Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, reflecting dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care. The center is also accredited for home sleep apnea testing.
Links of Interest
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
American Board of Sleep Medicine
American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
American Sleep Apnea Association
Narcolepsy Network, Inc.
The National Sleep Foundation
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation