Sleep Disorders

An estimated 70 million Americans experience daytime sleepiness, concentration problems, and other side effects of sleep disorders. At StatCare, the experienced sleep specialists provide sleep studies to diagnose what type of sleep disorder. They offer customized treatment plans for narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders to improve the quality of your sleep and your life. Call the office in Oak Ridge, Athens, or Knoxville, Tennessee, or book an appointment online today.

What are sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders interfere with your ability to sleep well or stay asleep throughout the night. To function optimally on a physical, mental, and emotional level, you should get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.

StatCare offers diagnostic evaluations and treatment services for a variety of sleep disorders. While there are over 80 types of sleep disorders, the most common include:

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea causes pauses in your breathing while you sleep. You may snore loudly or wake up gasping for breath, disrupting your sleep quality.

Insomnia

When you have insomnia, you may find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night for several days or weeks at a time.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS)

Restless legs syndrome or RLS is a condition that causes an intense urge to move your legs to relieve uncomfortable sensations. The constant leg movements can interfere with your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that affects your body’s ability to control sleep and wakefulness. The condition can cause you to fall asleep unexpectedly during the day without any control over the situation.

Pickwickian syndrome (obesity-hypoventilation syndrome)

Pickwickian syndrome is an obesity-related condition similar to sleep apnea. Excess weight can cause shallow breathing and limit the amount of oxygen that flows through your blood. The condition causes loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, labored breathing, and swelling in the legs and feet.

Other sleep disorders or symptoms StatCare providers can address include:

• Snoring
• Parasomnias
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue
• Bruxism (teeth grinding)
• Circadian rhythm disorders (shift work and jet lag)

If you have a sleep disorder, you may be at an increased risk for cognitive difficulties and chronic health issues like heart disease and hypertension (high blood pressure). Sleep deprivation can also put you at risk for injuries at home or work and auto accidents.

What are the warning signs of sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders can cause a wide range of symptoms that affect your day-to-day life. You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at StatCare if you have symptoms like snoring, daytime sleepiness, concentration difficulties, or memory problems.

You should also schedule an evaluation if you’re falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as at work or while driving.

StatCare offers sleep studies to evaluate your quality of sleep. The providers use advanced diagnostic technologies to identify the type of sleep disorder you have, such as:

• Nocturnal and daytime sleep studies
• CPAP and BPAP studies
• Multiple sleep latency tests
• Maintenance of wakefulness tests
• Fitness-for-Duty evaluations

Based on your testing results, your provider customizes a treatment plan to improve your quality of sleep.

How are sleep disorders treated?

StatCare offers treatments that support good quality sleep and minimize long-term health complications that sleep disorders can cause.

Depending on the condition you have, your treatment may include:

• Lifestyle changes
• Medication
• Behavioral therapies
• Sleep hygiene counseling
• Dentist referral for a sleep appliance
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine
• Bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) machine

If you have Pickwickian syndrome, your StatCare provider can refer you to a bariatric surgeon to discuss weight loss surgery.

Schedule an evaluation for symptoms of sleep disorders online or call the StatCare office near you today.