About Us
Sacred Heart Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center has provided compassionate and comprehensive quality care since 2001. Our staff of professional sleep technologists work with a team of physicians – who are board certified in sleep, pulmonary, critical care, and internal medicine – to care for more than 84 different sleep disorders, including common conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder and narcolepsy.
We follow the clinical guidelines of the following organizations, promoting the highest standards of excellence:
We treat more than 80 sleep disorders, including common conditions such as:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
More common in men than women, sleep apnea affects between two and 10 percent of the population, lowering the oxygen content of the blood and putting patients at risk for heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure. Sleep apnea occurs when an individual stops breathing momentarily, awakens and gasps for air during the sleep cycle. For some patients, this process happens more than 100 times an hour. Common symptoms include loud snoring, morning headaches, trouble concentrating or extreme tiredness during the day.
Insomnia
Affecting more than 60 million Americans, chronic sleeplessness – the inability to fall or stay asleep – is a common condition that contributes to severe daytime sleepiness. Insomnia increases a patients’ risk for accidents and limits the ability to concentrate.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
Often associated with periodic limb movement disorder, restless legs syndrome is thought to affect up to 10 percent of the population. Occurring after periods of physical rest, like sitting or lying down, RLS causes patients to experience an uncontrollable creepy, crawly feeling in the legs, particularly in the evening hours. The sensation usually becomes less intense, when an individual moves his or her legs.
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
Related to restless legs syndrome, the symptoms of this disorder, rhythmic movement of the legs and arms, take place during sleep. Examples include the extension of the big toe and the slight flexion of the knees and hips, often causing patients to awaken.
Narcolepsy
Patients with this condition have the uncontrollable urge to fall asleep, sometimes sleeping more than an hour at a time. Other symptoms may include hallucinations, seeing objects or images that are not present; sleep paralysis, the inability to speak or move when going to sleep or waking up; and cataplexy, muscular weakness or slackening.