A good night’s sleep makes all the difference
If you have a sleep disorder, you’re in good company—sleep disorders affect one in three adults in the United States. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue you have to take lying down—our board-certified sleep medicine specialists located throughout the Philadelphia region are here to help. Our team will diagnose and treat your sleep disorder so that you can get back to sleeping soundly and waking up refreshed.
Do I have a sleep disorder?
Sleep disorders can be subtle—after all, it’s hard to pay attention to your symptoms when you’re asleep. People with sleep disorders may notice the following:
- Falling asleep or dozing off when you didn’t mean to, like during a meeting or a movie
- Snoring loudly, sometimes to the point of waking yourself or someone else up
- Waking up gasping for breath
- Breathing through the mouth while sleeping, which leads to dry mouth when you wake up
- Appearing to stop breathing during sleep
- Waking up with a headache
- Taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep
- Sleeping for fewer than six hours per night
- Waking up more than four times per night
- Walking, talking or screaming during sleep
- Moving your legs involuntarily while you sleep
Kids can have sleep disorders, too. While they can have many of the same symptoms as adults, as a parent, you may also notice that your child:
- Sleeps restlessly or with their head in strange positions
- Sweats heavily during sleep
- Is difficult to wake up in the mornings
- Has behavior challenges at school or falls asleep in class
- Speaks with a nasal voice or breathes through the mouth
The good news is that sleep disorders are treatable, so kids and adults alike can see one of our specialists, get a diagnosis, get treatment and get back to sleeping soundly.
How are sleep disorders diagnosed?
When it comes to diagnosing sleep disorders, the first step is to meet with one of our sleep specialists during the daytime for a consultation. Then you’ll come back for a sleep study appointment during your normal sleep time.
We have several sleep centers in the Philadelphia suburbs, which means you can pick the location that’s best for you when scheduling a sleep study. If you think your child may have a sleep disorder, our Paoli location offers specialized pediatric sleep studies and sleep medicine services in kid-friendly environments.
During the sleep study, specialists will be measuring your heart, lungs, muscles and brain to see what condition might be affecting your sleep. A sleep study can diagnose conditions like:
- Insomnia
- Sleep apnea
- Narcolepsy
- Parasomnia
- Circadian rhythm disorder
- Restless legs syndrome
- Periodic limb movement disorder
After the sleep study, our team will schedule another daytime appointment to talk about your results and treatment options.
What you can expect from treatment
Depending on what sleep disorder you have, treatments vary. The sleep medicine team will talk to you about your options, which can include medicines, relaxation techniques, lifestyle changes and/or different therapies. We’ll work with you to find a method—or combination of methods—that will get you sleeping soundly.
If you have a sleep disorder, you don’t have to resign yourself to a life of mental and physical exhaustion. Make sure you’re getting the best rest possible with the sleep medicine team at Main Line Health.
