Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center gets a lot of questions from people who want better, restful, sleep. Here are some examples:
From Todd - Can I get a call or email with information on what first steps would be. Does insurance cover costs of sleep study especially if sleep apnea is a large part of the problem? Please advise on my next steps.
From Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center-
Thank you for your interest in our Sleep Disorders Center. The first step would be to contact us at 404/851-8135 to schedule an appointment to be seen by one of our Board Certified Sleep Specialists. Sleep Apnea is a very common sleep disorder and usually gets worse over time. It can be serious depending on how severe the Sleep Apnea.
The cost is covered by insurance. Testing is done on an outpatient basis. The amount depends on deductibles and the type of plan you have with your insurance company. Some plans such as HMO and POS require a referral from the primary care physician's office. We recommend checking with the benefits department of your insurance company for more detailed information on your plan and any requirements.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
What is an adequate amount of sleep each night? Is 8 hours really necessary?
Most people don't get enough sleep. Current surveys show that most people get 5-6 hours of sleep during the week, when 7.5-8 hours are needed. And you CAN'T make up for it by sleeping in on the weekend. However, some people function perfectly well with 4-5 hours of sleep every night [like Albert Einstein], while others don't feel rested unless they can get 9 hours a night. Only you know how much sleep you individually require to feel rested and refreshed.
People, who encounter problems with getting to sleep and staying asleep, usually experience poor quality sleep as a result of habits that interfere with their sleep (caffeine, nicotine, late meals or late exercise) or a maladaptive sleep environment or routine such as too much light or noise, discomfort, poor schedule planning or stress. Developing proper sleep habits and a good sleep schedule, routine and environment all affect your sleep hygiene, which can usually be assessed and modified quickly with a motivated person and proper information.
Daytime sleepiness is one of the most common complaints of sleep, medical or psychiatric disorders. It can occur secondary to another problem or medications used to treat various disorders. If left untreated, it also can contribute to other health problems, lead to a poor quality of life or level of function at school or work, and increase the risk of serious accidents. If you're unsure where to start, see your doctor to sort through the various treatment possibilities. If it isn't a medical or psychiatric problem or secondary to medication, seeing a sleep specialist is recommended.
My wife says my snoring is getting worse and she wants me to see a doctor to check if I have a medical problem. Is this necessary or is my snoring just a normal part of sleeping?
Snoring is very common and is mostly a superficial irritant (simple snoring). Most people will snore if they are exhausted, have a cold, imbibe large amounts of alcohol or have a congested airway (i.e. from enlarged tonsils).
Most types of simple snoring can be managed with some basic tips:
• Stay off your back while sleeping. Sewing a tennis ball between the shoulders in the back of a t-shirt works great.
• Try Breathe-rite strips or spray (available over the counter) to open nasal passages and lubricate the airway.
• Use saline nose drops for nasal congestion (also available over the counter and avoids rebound congestion you get with many decongestants).
• Treat allergies as warranted to avoid stuffiness.
• Avoid late nicotine and alcohol, which worsen snoring.
• Lose weight if you need to. Increased weight, especially with a neck size >17 inches in men or >16 inches in women GREATLY increases snoring.
• Avoid excessive use of sedative medications.
If loud enough, snoring can disrupt your sleep and the sleep of a bed partner. At its most severe, it may be a sign of an underlying larger problem, Sleep Apnea, which has far greater health implications - an increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, as well as increasing your chance for having heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke. If a person seems to choke, gasp, struggle for air while sleeping, awaken with heartburn, have long pauses between breaths, have night sweats or have progressively unrefreshing sleep with daytime sleepiness, a more in-depth evaluation is needed for possible Sleep Apnea.
If you suffer from snoring and home remedies don’t help, or if more severe symptoms present, consult your doctor, a sleep specialist or call the Northside Sleep Disorders Center for more information.
For more information about sleep disorders, readers can contact the Northside Hospital Sleep Disorders Center at 404-851-8135 or visit
www.northside.com
.