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Our Services / Sleep Disorders

Sleep Disorders

Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders involve consistent disturbances in your sleep that impact your daily function or well-being. At Arizona Chest & Sleep Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona, board-certified pulmonologist Muhammad Raza, MD, and his team conduct sleep studies to diagnose sleep disorders and can treat you with individualized care. To schedule an appointment, call Arizona Chest & Sleep Medicine or book online today.

Sleep Disorders Q & A

What are sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders are conditions that cause frequent disturbances with your sleep. While tiredness and daytime fatigue are normally expected from sleep disorders, they can also put you at risk for various complications like heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke when you don’t treat them. 

The team at Arizona Chest & Sleep Medicine specializes in diagnosing and treating these common sleep disorders:

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder that inhibits your breathing at night. It creates a lack of oxygen in your brain and body, causing fatigue, headaches, irritability, and other symptoms. 

Snoring

Many people associate snoring with sleep apnea, but it can be its own problem, too. If it’s been a long-time issue for you, there may be ways of managing it with lifestyle changes. 

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes overwhelming fatigue and tiredness, even to the point of suddenly falling asleep throughout the day. 

Restless leg syndrome

Restless leg syndrome causes impulsive leg movements and twitching, especially at nighttime as you sleep. These symptoms can also happen during the day but usually are at their most intense if you’ve been at rest sitting or laying down for a while. 

Sleep walking

Sleep walking involves getting out of your bed without waking up and wandering around. Isolated incidents are common and not a cause for concern, but if you do it regularly, you should seek treatment. 

How are sleep disorders diagnosed?

Diagnosing a sleep disorder involves a sleep study, which happens at a specialized center. You stay there overnight and sleep as technicians monitor readings from electrodes. These electrodes are hooked up to machines that monitor variables like your heart rate and blood pressure. 

During a sleep study, the team can track your sleep cycle and can see which stage of the sleep cycle you’re in at a given time. They also monitor your brain activity throughout the evening. 

Around two weeks after your sleep study, the team reviews the results with you. Using the results and any diagnoses, the team develops a personalized treatment plan for your condition. 

How are sleep disorders treated?

Treating sleep disorders requires different approaches according to the diagnosis you get and its impact on your life. Usually, noninvasive treatments, lifestyle changes, and medications are enough to manage sleep disorders with no need for surgery. 

Depending on your diagnosis, your treatment may involve:

  • Sleeping medications
  • Melatonin supplements
  • Breathing devices (e.g. continuous positive airway pressure machines)
  • Oral appliances
  • Stress reduction
  • Caffeine elimination
  • Dietary changes

You’ll experience the best possible result from your treatment plan by following the team’s instructions closely. They may invite you in for follow-up visits to track your progress and measure results. 

To find out whether or not you should get a sleep study for a possible sleep disorder, call Arizona Chest & Sleep Medicine or book an appointment online today.