sleep care

Anderson Regional Sleep Disorders Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. AASM Accreditation of Sleep Disorders Centers is a voluntary process for the assessment of sleep programs. AASM Accreditation of Sleep Disorders Centers acts as an indicator to patients and referring physicians that a facility is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care.

All members of the Anderson Regional Sleep Disorders Center team are registered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists or the National Board of Respiratory Care.

Take the Sleep Quiz
__ I’ve been told I snore loudly.
__ I’ve been told that I stop breathing or gasp for breath while I sleep.
__ I feel sleepy during the day, even after a full night’s sleep.
__ I wake up during the night and I can’t go back to sleep.
__ I lie awake for half an hour or more before I fall asleep.
__ I wake up early in the morning and cannot return to sleep.
__ I wake up repeatedly during the night.
__ I have trouble at work or school because of sleepiness.
__ I have dozed while driving, even after a full night’s sleep.
__ Sometimes I can’t keep my legs still at night.

Results: If you answered yes to ANY of the statements above, you may have a sleep disorder.

Sleep Apnea
One of the most common types of sleep disorders, sleep apnea can be potentially life threatening. Symptoms include loud snoring, choking or gasping during sleep and daytime sleepiness. The sleep apnea sufferer temporarily stops breathing while sleeping, usually due to an obstruction or a narrowing of air passages.

Insomnia
The symptoms of insomnia may include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia may be caused by physical problems, illness, stress, poor sleep habits, a sleep schedule that is out of phase with your body’s own rhythm or a variety of other factors.

Periodic Leg Movements
Also known as nocturnal myoclonus, this involves frequent leg movements and jerks that disturb the individual hundreds of times during sleep. A related disorder, called Restless Legs, has symptoms such as tingling or a “creepy crawly” feeling in the legs that makes it difficult to go to sleep.

Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy causes daytime sleepiness in about four out of every 10,000 people. Sufferers frequently have “irresistible sleep attacks” that force them to sleep during the day. They may also feel paralyzed just as they go to sleep or wake up. An inherited disease, it is marked by extreme daytime sleepiness.

Gastroesophageal Reflux
Sufferers awaken with chest pain, coughing, wheezing or a burning sensation in their chests or throats.

Other Sleep-Related Disorders
Some disorders do not affect daytime activities and occur only during sleep. They include night terrors (episodes of screaming, sweating, etc.), bed wetting (episodes that occur in about 10 percent of children above age seven) and sleepwalking.

Positional Therapy is an intervention that will treat sleep apnea that is present in only one or two body positions. Position modification devices are available to reduce the incidence of sleeping in these positions.

PAP Therapy is positive airway pressure that splints the airway to allow for patients to breathe easier while sleeping. There are several PAP modes and new masks options. Masks are smaller in size and PAP machines are quiet to allow for ease in sleeping.

Inspire Therapy is a breakthrough implantable treatment option for people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea who are unable to use or get consistent benefit from Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). Based on your breathing patterns, the system delivers mild stimulation to the hypoglossal nerve which controls the movement of your tongue and other key airway muscles. By stimulating these muscles, the airway remains open during sleep.

Dental Appliances are used to reposition the jaw in order to open the airway. These are molded to the patient’s mouth and then adjusted by a physician or dentist to open the airway to the correct position. There are multiple types of dental appliances.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a surgery that removes excessive tissue in the throat that allows the airway to be wider. This in turn reduces sleep apnea. This typically can be done on an outpatient basis.

Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery opens the airway by surgically moving both the mandibular and maxillary bones forward. This in turn reduces sleep apnea.

Airlift Therapy is an intuitive approach to hyoid suspension designed to provide immediate and lasting relief by opening and stabilizing the airway. AIRLIFT is comfortable and covered by most insurance. The AIRLIFT procedure begins to work immediately and can be performed in as little as 30 minutes by a physician in an outpatient setting.