Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Archives - Illawarra Medical Centre https://illawarramedical.com.au/category/obstructive-sleep-apnoea/ Providing superior health care to families and local businesses in the Ballajura area for more than 25 years Wed, 28 Oct 2020 04:05:10 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Are common sleep disorders keeping you awake at night? https://illawarramedical.com.au/are-common-sleep-disorders-keeping-you-awake-at-night/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-common-sleep-disorders-keeping-you-awake-at-night Mon, 03 Aug 2020 05:59:39 +0000 http://43.250.249.65/~illawar7/?p=3303 Sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but many of us suffer from common sleep disorders that make getting a good night’s sleep that little bit harder. As part of Sleep Awareness Week (3-9 August), we thought we’d take a closer look at some of the more common sleep disorders and how sleep studies […]

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Sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but many of us suffer from common sleep disorders that make getting a good night’s sleep that little bit harder.

As part of Sleep Awareness Week (3-9 August), we thought we’d take a closer look at some of the more common sleep disorders and how sleep studies can help identify any underlying sleep disorders that may be impacting on you getting a good night’s sleep.

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Sleep and Health
While we spend around one third of our lives sleeping, getting a good night’s sleep is actually quite a complicated process. This video from the Sleep Health Foundation helps to explain the two processes that control when and why we sleep. WATCH VIDEO HERE>>

If you’re not getting a decent night’s sleep, this can greatly impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Chronic inadequate sleep is a major health issue and can cause heart disease, obesity and depression, as well as a range of other serious health conditions.

In fact, research by Deloitte Access Economics in 2017 found that more than 7 million Australians don’t get enough sleep each night. This is at a cost to the economy of $66 billion in financial costs and loss of wellbeing.

If you regularly experience one or more of the below symptoms, it is possible you may have a sleep disorder:

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness, despite a good night’s sleep.
  • Loud snoring.
  • Irritability or mood changes.
  • Depression.
  • Restless sleep.
  • Morning headaches.
  • Poor concentration or memory.
  • Passing urine frequently during the night.
  • Impotence or loss of libido.

Common Sleep Disorders
Common sleep disorders that can cause ongoing problems for people include:

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) – caused by partial or complete obstruction of the throat. It is characterised by repetitive episodes of shallow or paused breathing during sleep, despite the effort to breathe. It is usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. This can occur many times across the night and most people are unaware that it is occurring.

Insomnia – occurs when people have difficulty falling asleep or going back to sleep when they wake during the night or wake up too early, or a combination of all three. Most people are able to go to sleep, or back to sleep after waking, within 15 minutes.

Narcolepsy – is a long-term neurological disorder that decreases a person’s ability to regulate their sleep cycles. It can involve periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes.

Sleep Paralysis – affects around 15% of the population and occurs when the person is not fully awake but are aware of the inability to move any part of their body, except perhaps their eyes. It can be extremely frightening, but is not dangerous, and each occurrence generally only lasts for a short period of time.

Restless Leg Syndrome – also called Willis-Ekbom Disease, this sleep disorder is characterised by uncomfortable sensations in the legs (such as a feeling of pulling or tugging). This results in the irresistible urge to move the affected limb. It is more common in women and up to 40% of women will experience Restless Leg Syndrome symptoms during pregnancy.

Sleep Terrors – are more common in children than adults and are characterised by very strong feelings of terror and panic during sleep. They generally occur soon after going to sleep. Often the person experiencing sleep terrors won’t remember much, if anything, about the episode.

Sleep Walking – also more common in children, sleep walking involves the person getting out of bed and moving about in their deep sleep. Sleep walking usually occurs for just a few minutes at a time and most people remember very little of the experience when they awaken.

Treatment
Undertaking a sleep study is a good first step towards finding an effective treatment for any sleep issues you may be experiencing.

A sleep study is a medical test that monitors your sleep to assist with the diagnosis of sleep disorders, including OSA. Sleep studies can be done at home or by staying overnight in a specialised sleep clinic.

Home-Based Sleep Study Available at IMC
Illawarra Medical Centre offers a Home-Based Sleep Study Service for those who suffer from a poor night’s sleep.

Our Home-Based Sleep Study can be done while sleeping at home in your own bed. It is a convenient and cost-effective way to test for any underlying sleep disorders that may be impacting on you getting a good night’s sleep.

Our Sleep Study Service is supported by Genesis Sleep and Respiratory Care.

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If any sleep disorders are detected during your Home-Based Sleep Study, your GP may refer you to one of Genesis’s sleep study specialists for more specialist care.

Find out more about our Home-Based Sleep Study Service here>>

To make an appointment with one of our GPs to discuss any sleep concerns you may have, book online or contact us on (08) 9208 6400.

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