Sleep Apnea

Often mistaken for common snoring, sleep apnea can stop your breathing during sleep for up to 60 seconds and as many as 50 times per hour (average). Sleep apnea is often, but not always, caused by an obstruction in the upper airway. Symptoms include loud snoring, pauses in breathing, fatigue, poor work performance, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep apnea has been linked to irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Diabetes mellitus, memory difficulty, headaches, heart attack, injury and death resulting from accidents and even sudden death during sleep.

Memory Loss/Alzheimers

Although the current projection is that Alzheimer’s can triple by 2050, 90% of what we know about Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered in only the last 15 years and is a rapidly evolving science. We now have the first program to reverse Early Alzheimers disease.

Alzheimers disease arises from a downsizing program within your brain’s extensive synaptic network. Dr. Thomas works with the Bredesen Protocol which is designed to change your biochemistry to provide optimal conditions for your brain to thrive and address the main drivers that could negatively impact your brain.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)

A common symptom of sleep disorders, EDS, can have severe consequences, including injury and death at work or on the road. Up to 80% of sleep apnea patients report excessive daytime sleepiness.

Snoring

What causes snoring? During sleep, the throat relaxes and the tongue falls into the airway in the back of the throat. Because this narrows the airway, a vibration in the soft tissues in the back of the nose and throat occurs.

Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)

UARS is an often overlooked condition in sleep medicine since far more emphasis is placed on its more attention-getting sibling, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, all of the symptoms attributable to obstructive sleep apnea can also be attributed to UARS. Left untreated, UARS can evolve into obstructive sleep apnea. UARS commonly masquerades as ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’, fibromyalgia, migraines, depression, or anxiety.

Seizures

Seizures occur because of uncontrolled electrical discharge in the brain. They can be associated with untreated sleep disorders. Epilepsy and seizures are chronic problems for many people. The majority of these people can gain control over their condition with medication and removing seizure triggers. Others, however, must work closely with a health care team to manage the condition effectively. Untreated sleep disorders very commonly trigger seizures.Sleep disorders commonly coexist with epilepsy. Treatments for either condition influence the other. Treatment of a sleep disorder can improve seizure control. Certain epilepsy treatments can work to improve sleep disorder symptoms. If you think you suffer from seizures in your sleep, come see Dr. Thomas for a consultation. It is important to realize that other sleep-related disorders can resemble seizures. Periodic limb movement, bruxism and rhythmic movement disorder can occur during sleep. Certain psychiatric disorders can occur during sleep as well that resemble seizures, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety attacks.

Parasomnias

These are abnormal physical behaviors that occur while you are sleeping. Some examples are sleepwalking, night-terrors, and REM behavior disorders which can cause violent movements while dreaming. Others are bed-wetting, teeth-grinding, and rhythmic movement disorders, which can cause you to bang your head or rock your body while sleeping. Parasomnias can also disrupt your bed partner’s sleep and even lead to injury to you or your bed partner. Parasomnias are frequently neurological in nature.

Narcolepsy

If you suffer from narcolepsy, you’ll find yourself so tired during the day that you’ll tend to fall asleep. This can even occur after you’ve had a full night’s sleep. Other symptoms include sleep paralysis, frightening hallucinations and cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle function). Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder unrelated to sleep-breathing patterns.

Insomnia

If you have trouble getting to sleep, find it nearly impossible to remain asleep during the night or wake up too early in the morning, you may suffer from insomnia, which is the most common sleep complaint in the industrialized world. Difficulty maintaining your sleep can commonly be from sleep apnea. For more information about insomnia, click here.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

A neurological problem characterized by irrepressible “creepy-crawly” sensations in your legs and/or arms while sitting or lying still. Like other sleep disorders, restful sleep is disrupted when the brain experiences an “arousal”, though you never actually wake up.

Periodic Leg Movement Disorder (PLMD)

If your legs or arms twitch or move involuntarily and periodically during sleep, you may have PLMD. It is not the same as muscle spasms that occur as you fall asleep. PLMD is usually attributed to reactions in the brain or originating in the spinal cord.

Pediatric Patients With Sleep Disorders

Poor sleep in children is a serious issue! It can have far reaching effects on the child, and influences the family every day. Poor sleep quality or quantity in children is associated with a variety of academic, behavioral, developmental and social issues. They also can affect family dynamics. If your child has trouble falling or staying asleep, has sleep apnea or sleepwalks, consider seeing Dr. Thomas for a consultation.