Sleep Better. Live Better.
Sleep is foundational to brain health, emotional balance, energy, motivation, memory, and long-term physical well-being. When sleep breaks down, everything else follows.
Better Sleep. Better Health. Better Life.
Why Sleep Matters (Semantic Core)
Sleep restores the brain and body. Poor sleep is directly linked to:
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Anxiety and depression
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Fatigue and low motivation
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Memory loss and cognitive decline
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Cardiovascular disease
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Stroke, diabetes, and hypertension
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Reduced productivity and quality of life
More than 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders—many undiagnosed and untreated.
What Are Sleep Disorders?
Sleep disorders are medical conditions that disrupt the quality, timing, or duration of sleep, leading to daytime distress and impaired
functioning.
There are 80–100+ recognized sleep disorders, ranging from mild to life-threatening.
Most Common Sleep Disorders
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Insomnia – difficulty falling or staying asleep
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – repeated airway collapse during sleep
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Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – the brain fails to signal the breathing muscles
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Narcolepsy – uncontrollable daytime sleep attacks
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Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) – urge to move legs at night.
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Circadian Rhythm Disorders – misaligned internal clock
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Parasomnias – sleepwalking, night terrors, REM behavior disorder
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Sleep Apnea: A Serious but Treatable Condition
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, reducing oxygen levels and fragmenting sleep.
Common Symptoms
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Loud snoring
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Gasping or choking at night
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Morning headaches
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Excessive daytime sleepiness
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Poor concentration and memory
Health Risks if Untreated
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High blood pressure
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Heart disease
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Stroke
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Depression and anxiety
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Increased accident risk
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CPAP Therapy: The Gold Standard Treatment
A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine keeps the airway open by delivering pressurized air through a mask while you sleep.
Benefits of CPAP Treatment
Attention → Interest → Desire → Action (Conversion Layer)
Attention:
Do you snore, wake up tired, or feel exhausted during the day?
Interest:
Our sleep specialists diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders using personalized, evidence-based care.
Desire:
Imagine waking up refreshed, focused, and energized—while reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and depression.
Action:
Schedule a sleep evaluation today. Your best sleep starts now.
Daytime Sleepiness: A Red Flag
Excessive daytime sleepiness is almost always caused by an identifiable sleep disorder, including:
It increases the risk of workplace errors, car accidents, and mental health decline.
What Causes Sleep Disorders?
Sleep disorders may result from:
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Medical conditions (pain, neurological disease, hormonal imbalance)
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Mental health conditions (anxiety, depression)
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Lifestyle habits (caffeine, alcohol, irregular schedules)
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Environmental factors (light, noise, temperature)
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Medications or substance use
Often, multiple factors overlap.
In the diagram below, the red arrow indicates stopping to
breathe-Stopping
breathing during sleep is a condition called sleep
apnea, where breathing pauses for seconds or minutes, often with loud snoring, leading to poor sleep and health risks like heart problems, stroke, and daytime
fatigue; it's diagnosed by a doctor via sleep study and treated with lifestyle changes, CPAP machines, or surgery
The green arrow indicates Paradoxical breathing a
dangerous sign of respiratory distress where the chest wall moves inward during inhalation and outward during exhalation, the opposite of normal breathing, often caused by severe chest trauma (flail chest), spinal cord injury,
neuromuscular issues, or severe airway obstruction, and requires immediate medical attention to treat the underlying cause, which can range from muscle weakness to conditions like sleep
apnea
Common Symptoms of Sleep Disorders
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Difficulty falling or staying asleep
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Frequent nighttime awakenings
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Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
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Irritability, anxiety, depression
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Poor concentration and memory
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Loud snoring or breathing pauses
How Sleep Disorders Are Diagnosed
Diagnosis may include:
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Detailed sleep and medical history
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Physical examination
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Sleep diaries
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Polysomnography (sleep study)
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Home sleep apnea testing (when appropriate)
Accurate diagnosis leads to effective treatment.
Treatment Options for Sleep Disorders
Treatment depends on the condition and severity and may include:
Behavioral & Lifestyle
Clinical Therapies
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I helps patients:
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Change negative sleep beliefs.
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Improve sleep efficiency
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Reduce anxiety around sleep.
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Build sustainable sleep habits.
It is one of the most effective long-term treatments for insomnia.
Special Populations & Sleep
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Children: Sleepwalking, night terrors, confusional arousal
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Women: Higher insomnia prevalence after age 50
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Older adults: Changes in sleep architecture
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Psychiatric conditions: Strong sleep–mood interaction
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Neurodegenerative disease: Sleep disruption linked to cognitive decline
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Quality matters as much as quantity.
When to See a Sleep Specialist
You should seek professional care if you experience:
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Persistent insomnia
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Loud snoring or breathing pauses
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Excessive daytime sleepiness
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Unrefreshing sleep despite adequate time in bed
Early treatment improves outcomes.
Our Mission
Restful. Energized. Healthy.
We believe better sleep is the foundation of a healthier life. Our sleep clinic is dedicated to restoring restorative sleep through expert diagnosis, advanced technology, and
compassionate care—for children and adults alike.
"Sleep better for a better life."
FAQ: Sleep Disorders & Sleep Health
What is a sleep disorder?
A sleep disorder is a medical condition that affects the quality, timing, or duration of sleep, leading to daytime fatigue, impaired functioning, or health complications.
What are the most common sleep disorders?
The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, despite adequate opportunity for sleep.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, reducing oxygen levels and disrupting rest.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?
Common symptoms include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, and poor concentration.
Is sleep apnea dangerous?
Yes. Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and accidents.
What is a CPAP machine?
A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine treats sleep apnea by delivering pressurized air through a mask to keep the airway open during sleep.
Can sleep disorders be treated?
Most sleep disorders can be effectively treated or managed with lifestyle changes, therapy, medical devices, medication, or a combination of treatments.
What causes sleep disorders?
Sleep disorders may be caused by medical conditions, mental health disorders, lifestyle habits, medications, environmental factors, or genetics.
How are sleep disorders diagnosed?
Diagnosis may include a medical history, physical exam, sleep questionnaires, sleep diaries, and sleep studies such as polysomnography.
What is excessive daytime sleepiness?
Excessive daytime sleepiness is persistent fatigue during the day and is often caused by an underlying sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy.
How much sleep do adults need?
Most adults need 7–9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health, though individual needs may vary.
When should I see a sleep specialist?
You should see a sleep specialist if you experience persistent insomnia, loud snoring, breathing pauses, or daytime sleepiness despite adequate sleep time.
KB-001: Sleep Health Overview
Sleep is essential for brain function, emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and physical restoration. Poor sleep is associated with increased risk of mental illness,
cardiovascular disease, and reduced quality of life.
KB-002: Definition of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are conditions that disrupt normal sleep patterns, affecting sleep quality, timing, or duration and causing daytime impairment.
KB-003: Prevalence of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders affect up to 70 million Americans. Insomnia is the most common, followed by obstructive sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome.
KB-004: Insomnia
Insomnia involves persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep and may be acute or chronic. Chronic insomnia occurs at least three times per week for three months or longer.
KB-005: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
OSA is caused by repeated airway collapse during sleep, leading to breathing interruptions, oxygen desaturation, and fragmented sleep.
KB-006: Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
CSA occurs when the brain fails to send appropriate signals to the breathing muscles during sleep, resulting in pauses in breathing.
KB-007: Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Symptoms include loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep, unrefreshing sleep, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
KB-008: Health Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, metabolic disorders, depression, and accidents.
KB-009: CPAP Therapy
CPAP therapy delivers continuous air pressure to maintain airway patency during sleep and is the first-line treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea.
KB-010:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I is a structured, evidence-based therapy that improves insomnia by addressing sleep behaviors and thought patterns.
KB-011: Daytime Sleepiness
Excessive daytime sleepiness is a hallmark symptom of many sleep disorders and significantly increases safety risks and cognitive impairment.
KB-012: Diagnosis of Sleep Disorders
Sleep disorders are diagnosed using clinical evaluation, sleep history, sleep diaries, and objective testing such as sleep studies.
KB-013: Lifestyle Factors Affecting Sleep
Caffeine, alcohol, irregular sleep schedules, stress, noise, light exposure, and screen use can negatively impact sleep quality.
KB-014: Sleep Disorders in Children
Common pediatric sleep disorders include night terrors, sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and pediatric sleep apnea.
KB-015: Sleep and Mental Health
Sleep disturbances are closely linked with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, often worsening psychiatric symptoms.
KB-016: Circadian Rhythm Disorders
Circadian rhythm disorders occur when the body’s internal clock is misaligned with environmental cues, leading to sleep timing problems.
KB-017: REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
REM sleep behavior disorder involves physically acting out dreams due to the loss of normal muscle paralysis during REM sleep.
KB-018: Restless Legs Syndrome
RLS is a neurological condition characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs, typically worsening at night.
KB-019: Treatment Approaches
Treatment may include behavioral therapy, medications, medical devices, or surgery, depending on the disorder and severity.
KB-020: When to Seek Medical Care
Persistent sleep problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, or breathing abnormalities during sleep warrant evaluation by a healthcare professional.
References
Another disorder is circadian rhythm disorders, which refer to disruptions in an individual's internal body clock that regulate their sleep-wake cycle. Again, this can be caused by shift work.
Insomnia is the recurring difficulty falling or remaining asleep despite motivation and means. People with insomnia also experience excessive daytime Sleepiness and other cognitive impairments
while awake. Insomnia is a chronic condition in which patients exhibit symptoms at least three times per week for at least three months. Recent statistics show that up to one-third of adults live
with insomnia.
External Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353813/
"Allergies and Sleep" .sleepfoundation.org. They were retrieved on 2017-06-08.
External Link: https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/sleep-related-problems/allergic-rhinitis-and-sleep
Having trouble sleeping is commonly reported throughout the world. According to the American Sleep Association (AMA), sleep disorders currently affect 50 to 70 million U.S. adults, and insomnia is
the most commonly reported.
External Link: https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep/sleep-statistics/
"Obstructive sleep apnea – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic" .www.mayoclinic.org. They were retrieved on 2017-11-27.
External Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352090
"REM Sleep Behavior Disorder."Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
External Link: http://www.mayoclinic.org/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder/
Central Sleep Apnea occurs when the brain stops sending signals to the muscles that control breathing, leading to choking episodes at night. As with OSA, obesity is a common risk factor for CSA.
The condition may also affect people who have experienced a stroke, brain infection, and other medical problems with the brain stem, as well as those who take narcotic painkillers and other
sleep-inducing medications. CPAP therapy is often prescribed for CSA, though some patients find bi-level positive air pressure (BiPAP) treatment more effective.
External Link: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003997.htm
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that makes people feel excessively tired during the day despite getting adequate rest the previous night. This can lead to the irrepressible urge to sleep,
culminating in "sleep attacks" that typically last a few minutes. Over time, narcolepsy can also cause sleep-onset and sleep maintenance problems. The condition known as Narcolepsy Type 1 often
includes cataplexy or a sudden loss of muscle tone that causes people to fall or slump over as they nod off. Sleep attacks also occur with Narcolepsy Type 2, but cataplexy is absent. Narcolepsy
affects roughly 1 in 2,000 people in the U.S. and Europe.
External Link: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/narcolepsy/
What to Do if You Can't Sleep (For Kids)(Nemours Foundation)
External Link: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/cant-sleep.html
Common Sleep Problems (For Teens)(Nemours Foundation)
External Link: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/sleep.html
Mahowald, M. W. (March 2000). "What is causing excessive daytime sleepiness? Evaluation to distinguish sleep deprivation from sleep disorders".Postgraduate Medicine.107(3): 108–10, 115–8,
123.doi:10.3810/pgm.2000.03.932.PMID10728139.S2CID42939232.
External Link: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:42939232
Coussement, C.; Heeren, A. (2022). "Sleep problems as a transdiagnostic hub bridging impaired attention control, generalized anxiety, and depression."Journal of Affective Disorders.296:
305–308.doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.092.PMID34606807.S2CID238357084.
External Link: https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:238357084
Sleep Education: Sleep Studies and Tests, Treatment, and Support(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
External Link: https://sleepeducation.org/patients/
Sleep and Women(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
External Link: https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-women-health/
Learn about Sleep Disorders(American Academy of Sleep Medicine)
External Link: https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-disorders/
Blood Pressure. Studies show that patients with hypertension experienced decreased blood pressure while using a CPAP.
External Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657563/
"Educational, supportive and behavioral interventions to improve the usage of continuous positive airway pressure machines in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea."
External Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7137251
Central Sleep Apnea - Mayo Clinic(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
External Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/central-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352109
Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
External Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pediatric-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376196
"AASM releases position statement on home sleep apnea testing – American Academy of Sleep Medicine – Association for Sleep Clinicians and Researchers".aasm.org. 2017-10-13. Retrieved 18 October
2017.
External Link: https://aasm.org/aasm-releases-position-statement-home-sleep-apnea-testing/
ClinicalTrials.gov: Sleep Apnea Syndromes (National Institutes of Health)
External Link: https://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Sleep+Apnea+Syndromes%22
Sleep Lab for Children and Adults
We pride ourselves on offering the best possible health care at Sleep Lab for Children and Adults. You can count on receiving our
services in a friendly and open environment.
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