Common Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. If you have insomnia, you may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. As a result, you may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. You may not feel refreshed when you wake up.

This disorder can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event. Acute insomnia lasts for days or weeks.

Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes periods of extreme daytime sleepiness. The disorder also may cause you to experience muscle weakness. If you have narcolepsy, you most likely have trouble sleeping at night. However, some people who have the disorder fall asleep suddenly, even if they’re in the middle of talking, eating, or doing another activity.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep. OSA occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This keeps air from getting to your lungs.

This is a very common sleep disorder. Blockage of your airway can happen a few times a night or several hundred times per night.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move your legs. This urge to move often occurs with strange and unpleasant feelings in your legs. Moving your legs relieves the urge and the unpleasant feelings. People who have RLS describe unpleasant feelings such as creeping, crawling, pulling, itching, tingling, burning, aching, or electric shocks. Sometimes, these feelings also occur in the arms.

The urge to move and unpleasant feelings happen when you are resting and inactive. Thus, they tend to be worse in the evening and at night.

Periodic limb movement disorder is described as repetitive limb movements that occur during sleep and cause sleep disruption. The limb movements usually involve your lower extremities, consisting of extension of the big toe and flexion of the ankle, the knee, and the hip. In some patients, limb movements can occur in the upper extremities as well.

Visit your primary care doctor to discuss your sleep patterns and daytime alertness. He or she can arrange a referral by calling 931-459-7249. This will ensure that the proper testing will be done and all your questions will be answered before the sleep study. Our fax number is 931-484-6235.

You may call us at 931-459-7249 with questions, although we can’t answer specific questions about the amount of insurance coverage for your sleep testing. Contact your insurance company for questions about specific coverage amounts. Our fax number is 931-484-6235.

Patients are scheduled to arrive at 7 p.m. and leave around 6 a.m. the following day. Please give us a call if you expect to be late.

Your sleep testing slot has been specifically reserved for you. For the courtesy of all patients, if you must cancel, please call 48 hours before your appointment so we can offer your slot to another patient.

Yes, unless your doctor tells you differently. Please bring any nighttime medicine you currently take. We can’t supply medicine.

• Please avoid caffeine after noon on the day of your study. 
• Adults should not nap on the day of the study. 
• Because we will be placing several sensors on your body, please ensure your hair is freshly washed and free of hair care products. 
• If you wear makeup, you will be asked to remove it.

Please arrange to eat dinner before arriving at the sleep lab. We don’t provide dinner. Breakfast and lunch are provided for day study patients. You may bring food and non-alcoholic beverages with you to the center.

Please bring the following with you: 

• Something comfortable to wear for sleeping, such as a shirt and shorts, pajamas, or a nightgown 
• A list of medicines you take
• Bring anything you would need for an overnight stay:
  • Toothbrush
  • Cell phone
  • Medicines
  • Changes of clothes

The purpose of a sleep study is to gather measurements during sleep (of things like brain activity, EKG, and breathing). To take these measurements, we use:

• Electrodes attached to your scalp (at the forehead, behind the ears, around the eyes, and below the chin). The wires are used to record sleep activity in the brain, eye movement, and muscle tone.  The wires are attached using an adhesive paste and cotton.
• Electrodes attached to your chest and abdomen to record heart rate
• Electrodes attached to your legs just below the knees to record leg and body movement
• Elastic bands around your chest and belly to monitor your respiration
• Nasal tubing, similar to oxygen tubing, to monitor nasal breathing
• A soft finger wrap to continually measure your oxygen level

The room is monitored for sound if you need assistance during the night. All you have to do is speak, and the technologist can hear you.