Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Sleep isn't just "time out" from daily life. It is an active state important for renewing our mental and physical health each day. More than 100 million Americans of all ages regularly fail to get a good night sleep.

There are more than 84 sleep and wake disorders, which lower our quality of life and negatively affect our personal health. The disorders can lead to difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep, staying on a regular sleep/wake schedule, staying awake during wake hours, bed-wetting, sleepwalking, nightmares, and other difficulties effecting sleep. Some of these disorders can be life threatening.

Sleep disorders can be treated and diagnosed by several different health care professionals. General Practitioners, Internal Medicine Doctors, and specialists in Pulmonary Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Gynecology, Psychology and others, are all able to schedule a sleep study. A sleep study is the first step on the road to restful recovery.

If a healthcare professional orders a study, a visit to a sleep disorders facility is likely to be a new experience. A sleep study, or polysonnogram, is a recording that includes measurement used to identify different sleep stages and classify various sleep problems.

Sleep is not a simple process. During sleep testing, the activities that go on in your body during sleep are monitored. None of the devices applied during the study are painful. In fact, they are all designed to be as comfortable as possible. A sleep specialist then interprets the 800 plus pages of information gathered. Because this is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, sleep studies are not evaluated immediately. Therefore, it may take some time for your physician to receive the results of your study.

When should you see a healthcare professional about your sleep problems?

From time to time, sleep disturbances can happen to anyone, and generally they do not require medical intervention. Serious and ongoing sleep problems; however, can effect your healthy relationships and daily functioning. When a sleep problem disrupts one or more of these areas, it may be time to consult with a healthcare professional.

Your healthcare professional will be able to schedule a comprehensive evaluation (or sleep study) at TGMC's Center for Sleep Studies. At the Sleep Center, an accurate diagnosis will allow your healthcare professional to develop the right treatment plan for you.

TGMC's Center for Sleep Studies offers help understanding you and your families sleep disorder, study, and sleep-related issues. For information and to request a brochure on your specific questions, please call or email the Sleep Center.

TGMC's Center for Sleep Studies - (985)-873-3678
Email address - marketing@tgmc.com

Women and Sleep

A woman's quality of life depends on how well she sleeps. Women have unique sleep problems, which, until recently, have not been fully researched. Lately, a lot more attention has been directed at women's sleep pattern.

Women, for instance, are twice as likely as men to have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. Also, research has shown that sleep changes at different stages of a woman's life. Additionally, the stress, depression, fear, and other strong emotions women feel may disturb restful sleep.

Getting enough sleep and the right kind of sleep is extremely important to everyone's life. The daily responsibilities, which often accompany being a woman (home, work, and family), can be an energy consuming lifestyle. Sleep disorders impact concentration, job performance, social interaction, and the overall health of anyone with many tasks. The most important thing is to recognize your sleep and seek help from a healthcare professional.

Children and Sleep

Your child's sleep is a precious thing. Children that are not rested may suffer developmental and behavioral problems, and consequently, all members of the household may also suffer undue stress.

Signs of a child's sleep problem:

• Too much time is spent "helping" the child fall asleep.
• A child wakes up repeatedly throughout the night.
• A child's behavior and mood are affected by poor sleep.
• Parents lose sleep as a result of the child's nightmare pattern.
• Poor sleep causes the parent-child relationship to suffer.

But don't worry, there is help! A child's most common sleep problem can be corrected quickly once they are identified and treated.

Three Common Sleep Disorders of Early Childhood:

1. Sleep - Onset Association Disorder

"I'm exhausted. I have to rock my child to sleep every night and for every nap. If she wakes up during the night, she won't fall asleep again until I rock her again."

This may be associating, or closely connecting, the action of falling asleep with something else. When the action is missing, the child is unable to fall asleep.

2. Nighttime Eating/Drinking Disorder

"My child is hungry during the night. I feel like he eats/drinks all night long. I'm exhausted."

Excessive nighttime feeding usually exists in infants and young children. Disabling their ability to fall asleep without being fed.

3. Limit-Setting Problems

Usually after age two, limit-setting problems can occur at bedtime, naptime, or when they awake. During the night when a child refuses to go to bed, stalls, or makes it difficult for a parent to leave his/her side, the child's behavior signals a limit-setting problem. In older children, the problem may involve his/her getting out of bed repeatedly.