Sleep Therapy

Hunt Regional Healthcare’s sleep disorder clinic uses various treatments to deal with sleep problems. Unlike a typical sleep lab, we offer easy and convenient at-home testing. The results of your sleep study will be read by a pulmonologist, a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disorders.

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Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Disorders

It’s actually very important that you find out whether you have a condition affecting the quality of your sleep. Insufficient sleep is linked to a number of diseases, including diabetes, obesity, depression and cardiovascular disease.

From restless leg syndrome and night terrors to insomnia and Sleep Apnea, whatever is keeping you from getting the restorative sleep you truly need can be detected, diagnosed and treated. Ask your doctor if a home sleep test would work for you., or call us at 903.408.1840 for more information.

Common Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is an inability to fall or stay asleep that prevents normal daytime functioning. It can interfere with the ability to concentrate, make decisions, and solve problems.

A response to temporary stress, excitement, or an unfamiliar environment (an extra-hard bed in a hotel room, for example). It lasts for one night to several nights. Sleep returns to normal after the triggering event or situation is resolved.

 

Occurs during longer periods of stress at home or at work and can last for several weeks.

Is a pattern of poor sleep every night (or most nights). It interferes with day-time activities because sufferers are often too tired to perform well on the job or relate well to other people.

OSA is the most serious sleep disorder. The upper airway becomes obstructed during sleep, causing the sleeper to stop breathing for as long as 90 seconds. Periods of apnea may occur several hundred times per night. OSA is the most common medical cause of sleepiness during the day, especially in men, who are affected by the disorder more often than women.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea sufferers may be identified by loud, habitual snoring, gasping during sleep, waking up frequently during the night, daytime fatigue, obesity, high blood pressure, morning headaches, and daytime sleepiness. Depending on the severity of a person’s OSA, sleep apnea surgery may be recommended.

 

Patients with Restless Legs Syndrome or Periodic Limb Movements report rhythmic jerking of the legs or feet, pain, or an uncomfortable sensation that makes them want to move their legs. This restlessness interferes with normal sleep.

A fairly rare sleep disorder, narcolepsy results in muscular weakness when angry or laughing, sleep paralysis, and daytime sleepiness. Symptoms can appear suddenly or develop slowly over a long period of time.

Sleep Apnea Causes

Sleep apnea can be caused by a person’s physical structure or medical conditions. These include obesity, large tonsils, endocrine disorders, neuromuscular disorders, heart or kidney failure, certain genetic syndromes, and premature birth.

 

Obesity is a common cause of sleep apnea in adults. People with this condition have increased fat deposits in their necks that can block the upper airway.
Large tonsils may contribute to sleep apnea, because they narrow the upper airway.


The endocrine system produces hormone that can affect sleep-related breathing. The following are examples of endocrine disorders associated with sleep apnea:
People with this condition have low levels of thyroid hormones. This affects the part of the brain that controls breathing, as well as the nerves and muscles used to breathe. People with hypothyroidism can also be diagnosed with obesity, which can cause sleep apnea.

People with this condition have high levels of growth hormone. This condition is associated with changes in the facial bones, swelling of the throat, and an increased size of the tongue. These changes can obstruct the upper airway and lead to sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is also seen in women with PCOS, an endocrine condition that causes large ovaries and prevents proper ovulation. PCOS is also associated with overweight and obesity, which can cause sleep apnea.

Conditions interfering with brain signals to airway and chest muscles can cause sleep apnea. Some of these conditions are stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Chiari malformations, myotonic dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, dermatomyositis, myasthenia gravis, and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.
Sleep apnea is commonly found in people who have advanced heart or kidney failure. These patients may have fluid build-up in their neck, which can obstruct the upper airway and cause sleep apnea.
Genetic syndromes that affect the structure of the face or skull, particularly syndromes that cause smaller facial bones or cause the tongue to sit farther back in the mouth, may cause sleep apnea. These genetic syndromes include cleft lip and cleft palate, Down syndrome and congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.
Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy have a higher risk for breathing problems during sleep. In most cases, the risk decreases as the brain matures.

Symptoms of a Sleep Disorder

  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Morning headaches
  • Awakening in the night
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Loud snoring
  • Depressed mood
  • Episodes of stopped breathing
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep walking
  • Apathy
  • Lower leg movements during sleep
  • Hypertension

Helpful Sleep Habits

  • Go to bed at the same time and get up at the same times every day – even on weekends and holidays
  • Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, comfortable, and cool
  • Use your bed only for sleeping, not for watching TV, working, or listening to music
  • Move computers, televisions, and other electronics out of your bedroom
  • Avoid large or heavy meals close to bedtime

Related Locations

  • Hunt Regional Center Greenville
    Hunt Regional Medical Center Greenville

    4215 Joe Ramsey Blvd, Greenville, TX 75401 | 903.408.5000