Sleep Disorder Center

Is snoring keeping you or someone else awake at night?

Do you feel that you just don’t sleep well or get enough rest at night?

Sleep plays an important role in keeping the human body running smoothly. A “biological clock” located in the brain regulates circadian (daily) sleeping and waking patterns. When we don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, we establish a “sleep debt” and are unable to perform at our best throughout the day. This applies to children as well as adults.

Baxter Regional Medical Center’s Sleep Disorder Center offers services for many of the causes of sleep disturbances and disorders. Some of the most commonly treated sleep disorders are described below:

• Sleep apnea is one of the most common and dangerous types of sleep disorders, characterized by repeated episodes of ceasing to breathe during sleep. Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure and cardiac disease. Snoring often accompanies sleep apnea. Airflow is blocked by relaxation of the throat muscles and/or tongue or by extra tissue in the upper airway.
• Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder marked by unpleasant sensation in the lower legs. The individual’s sleep is disrupted by the compelling need to move the legs.
• Narcolepsy is characterized by uncontrolled episodes of falling asleep at any place or time. These sleep attacks may last minutes or hours and may vary in frequency from an occasional episode to several in a single day.
• Insomnia is difficulty falling or staying asleep. There are many causes for insomnia, the most common being stress, noise, extreme temperatures, change in the environment, changes in sleep/wake schedules such as those caused by jet travel and shift work, and side effects of medication. Other diseases can also cause insomnia, such as arthritis, heart failure, Parkinson’s disease and depression.

Common forms of treatment include identifying and reducing behavior that aggravates the condition, sleep aids and relaxation therapy.

For more information about these services, please contact Baxter Regional Medical Center’s Sleep Disorder Center at 870-508-1599, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.