In fact, untreated sleep deficits have been linked to serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke. Sleep deficits have also been linked with poor work performance, driving accidents, and mood problems like anger and depression. But the good news is that with successful treatment of a sleep disorder, you should expect to see reductions in these risks.
At the Unity & UMMC Sleep Disorders Centers, we have the knowledge and experience to successfully treat patients with all kinds of sleep issues:
No matter what type of sleep disorder you are suffering from, rest assured that we can help you.
While some consider this a minor annoyance, heavy snoring may actually be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder that poses health risks: sleep apnea. With this condition, you stop breathing while you’re sleeping—most apneas last at least 10 seconds and may recur several hundred times a night. And if you have chronic breathing problems or lung disease, your symptoms may worsen during sleep.
When you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, we consider that insomnia. There are a number of underlying causes, including:
When your regular pattern is disrupted—for example, by shift work or other changes in your schedule—you may have difficulty finding the right sleep schedule. Some insomnia or daytime sleepiness may be due to undiscovered changes in your sleep/wake rhythm.
If you’re too sleepy during the day and feel muscular weakness when you’re angry, surprised, or amused, you may have narcolepsy. Many people also experience terrifying dreams or hallucinations just as they fall asleep. Narcolepsy often emerges in young adulthood and is a life-long medical disorder.
People with periodic leg movement or restless leg syndrome (RLS) may not get enough proper rest, and should look into finding the proper treatment.
These can occur at any age and may be signs of an unrecognized and often treatable underlying disease. Bedwetting or sleepwalking in children is typically caused by certain conditions—but when these issues appear in adults, they may indicate that you’re having sleep-related seizures.
And in some cases, nightmares, night terrors, and sleep disturbances are associated with chronic pain.
