There are many factors that can affect your sleep and if we receive poor sleep during the night, our overall health suffers. Sleep disorders can be detrimental to your day-to-day life and it is important to maintain healthy sleep hygiene.
If you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or find yourself waking up fatigued every morning, you may benefit from diagnostic testing to determine why you aren’t sleeping to your best potential. You shouldn’t have to fight to stay awake during the day or to go to sleep at night. Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep.
Signs of Poor Sleep
- Daytime sleepiness, finding it difficult to concentrate with impaired brain activity
- Weakened Immune system
- Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
- Snoring and alternative breathing issues
- Morning headaches
- Decreased libido
- Changes in mood, including anxiety, irritability, depression, suicidal ideation
- General fatigue and lethargy
A lack of sleep will greatly affect your body, as well as your mind. Aside from cardiovascular issues, which can raise your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, your immune system suffers from a lack of sleep. Mentally, your memory, mood and cognitive abilities are greatly affected. Your body spends its time fighting to stay awake and isn’t fully functioning at its fullest capacity. It can feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel but there is hope.
Diagnostic Practices and Testing
Gingras Sleep Medicine can help diagnose what is affecting your sleep and Dr. Jeannine Gingras will work with you to find a solution to any pre-existing issues you have. An overnight sleep study (polysomnogram) is a safe, painless evaluation of how your body functions during sleep. A polysomnogram provides a detailed evaluation of physiologic parameters during your sleep to determine if you have a sleep disorder.
There are several different sleep studies that can provide specific information. There are a significant amount of tests that can be run and implemented to help determine what is the best solution for you.
Diagnostic testing for sleep disorders may include:
- Baseline Polysomnogram (PSG): The baseline PSG is an overnight sleep study during which time brain waves, breathing, heart rhythm, oxygen content, and body/leg movement data are recorded while you are sleeping.
- CPAP Titration Polysomnogram: Sleep apnea is best treated with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). The CPAP titration is an overnight PSG performed to determine the optimum pressure needed to treat your sleep apnea. In addition to the sensors for a PSG, you will be fitted with a mask. During your sleep, the sleep technologist will increase the CPAP pressure until all your apnea is resolved. CPAP essentially functions as a pneumatic stint, like blowing up a balloon. The pressure delivered to your airway keeps your airway open as the air delivered into a balloon keeps the balloon inflated. The optimal pressure varies from patient to patient and can be only determined by a CPAP titration.
- Airway Pressure (PAP) Nap Study: This is a daytime session with a sleep technologist to desensitize patients to PAP therapy. Patients come in during the day and the technologist spends one-on-one time with them discussing sleep apnea, performing a proper mask fitting, and helping the patient become acclimated to therapy. This is done prior to CPAP titration for patients who have previously failed PAP therapy. It is also ideal for young children.
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT): This is a daytime study of four to five scheduled naps to evaluate for a neurologic etiology of daytime sleepiness. It is typically performed after an overnight PSG.
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT): This is a daytime study that tests your ability to stay alert during the day. Typically, it is useful in people with narcolepsy and other disorders of sleepiness to determine whether treatment is effective.
After the data is recorded, Dr. Gingras reviews every 30-second epoch for the entire duration of your sleep study. She will then be able to make a diagnosis that will be discussed with you at a follow-up appointment. Dr. Gingras is thorough with her diagnosis and treatment that will help you get a better night’s sleep. Dr. Gingras will share with you examples of the PSG features of your sleep disorder and then your specific style of treatment will be determined and initiated at the post PSG follow-up visit.
Sleep Disorders
There are many different types of sleep disorders that affect our everyday lives. These sleep disorders can be detrimental to your overall health and shouldn’t be left untreated. The sleep that you receive at night affects your daytime wellness as well and should be treated appropriately and thoroughly. Sometimes we have an idea of why we aren’t getting the adequate sleep we need, and sometimes we can’t figure out what is wrong on our own.
Some of the more common adult sleep disorders that Dr. Gingras evaluates, diagnoses, and treats include:
Sleep Problems in Older Adults
By reading through these common sleep disorders, you can determine what to discuss with Dr. Gingras at your next visit. All of these sleep disorders can be detrimental to your overall health and need to be rectified as soon as possible. The body suffers when it runs on inadequate sleep and we must do our best to get the rest we need. Dr. Gingras is available to treat whatever is obstructing your ability to get a full night’s rest.
At Home Treatments
In the meantime, if you are struggling with sleep issues, it is recommended to take OTC melatonin as a night-time supplement that will help aid in better sleep. Its production increases with evening darkness, promoting healthy sleep and helping to orient our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is the biological process that tells our bodies when it is time to wake up and when it is time to go to sleep.
Another positive behavioral change is to make sure you shut off all electronics as you prepare for bed. If your body is tired, it is trying to tell you it has a need for more sleep. Do not fight your natural urge to sleep by staying up late! And try not to go to bed too hungry! If your body is in starvation mode, it will make the natural production of melatonin more difficult and make it harder for you to fall and stay asleep. Utilizing a sound machine can help create a peaceful setting for sleep and help ease you into REM.
Professional Treatment Options
After your evaluation, Dr. Gingras will discuss sleep treatment options thoroughly. There are many types of sleep treatments, and the type of treatment that you receive depends on many factors such as age, type of sleep disorder, and overall general health. Dr. Gingras knows what the best solutions would be in regards to your specific sleep needs. Some of the sleep treatment options recommended by Dr. Gingras for adult sleep disorders include:
- Dental Devices
- Dietary changes
- Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy
- CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines
- Medication
- Sleep position devices
- Surgery
If you are having difficulty receiving a full night’s rest, Dr. Gingras will have the best solution for your wellness. Because of her many credentials regarding sleep studies and diagnosis, Dr. Gingras can help alleviate some of your sleep stressors with the appropriate remedies for your sleep concerns. After your assessment, you will be comforted to know that there are many options to help you achieve the sleep you desire.
If you are suffering from a poor night’s sleep and looking for solutions? Schedule an appointment today by visiting our website at http://gingrassleepmedicine.com/ or calling us at (704) 944-0562 for a sleep consultation with our sleep specialist in Concord and Charlotte, North Carolina.