An estimated one-third of adults in the United States get less than the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. Sleep loss has been linked to chronic diseases and health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. To schedule an appointment to discuss sleep testing, give us a call at (972) 588-4833.
request an appointmentThe main types of sleep apnea are:
- Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when the throat muscles relax
- Central sleep apnea, occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome(CompSAS), also known as treatment-emergent sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea
The signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas overlap, sometimes making it difficult to determine which type you have. The most common signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas include:
- Loud snoring
- Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Morning headache
- Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
- Difficulty paying attention while awake
- Irritability
Complications of sleep apnea –
- Daytime fatigue
- High blood pressure and heart disease
- Diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Liver problems
- Complications with medications and surgeries
We use an innovative Home Sleep Apnea Device (HSAT) that utilizes the peripheral arterial signal for Sleep Apnea diagnosis. It measures up to 7 channels (PAT®️ signal, heart rate, oximetry, actigraphy, body position, snoring, and chest motion) via three points of contact. Within one minute post-study, the raw data is downloaded and auto-scored identifying all types of sleep apnea events. The study is read by professional sleep physician and recommendations are given.
Treatment
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, you might benefit from using a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask while you sleep. With CPAP (SEE-pap), the air pressure is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air and is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.
If using a CPAP machine continues to be a problem for you, you might be able to use a different type of airway pressure device that automatically adjusts the pressure while you’re sleeping (auto-CPAP). Units that supply bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) also are available.
Another option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. CPAP is more reliably effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances might be easier to use. Some are designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.
Using supplemental oxygen while you sleep might help if you have central sleep apnea. Various forms of oxygen are available with devices to deliver oxygen to your lungs.
To schedule an appointment to discuss sleep testing, give us a call at (972) 588-4833.