When Should You Seek Help for Sleep Problems?

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When Should You Seek Help for Sleep Problems?
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Sleep Disorder

• It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans
  suffer from sleep disorders.
• The severity of these disorders can range from
  mild snoring to severe sleep apnea, which can
  impair functioning and increase the risk of
  various chronic conditions.
• Many people do not recognize the symptoms of a
  sleep disorder, or do not know if they are severe
  enough to seek the help from a Sleep Specialist.

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Information To Help You Identify Sleep Troubles

• Below given are some important information to
  help you identify sleep troubles and what do
  next.
• Identifying Potential Sleep Troubles
• When Should You See A Sleep Expert? 
• Tracking Your Sleep
• Seeking The Help Of A Professional
• See A Sleep Specialist For Hard-To-Solve
  Problems

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Identifying Potential Sleep Troubles

• There are many different kinds of sleep disorders
  with various symptoms.
• However, one common symptom is fatigue. If you
  find you are excessively tired throughout the day
  despite sleeping all night, this may be a sign
  that your sleep is being impaired.
• Other symptoms include snoring sleep apnea,
  difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep,
  impaired concentration, irritability, and low
  mood.

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When Should You See A Sleep Expert? 

• If a person have a particular sleep problem that
  goes on for a period of time - even when the
  bedroom is quiet, dark, and safethat's the time
  to see a doctor.
• Sleep medicine doctors are trained to evaluate
  individuals for sleep disorders.
• It is vital that you get appropriate treatment
  from expert sleep specialists, if you are having
  consistent, unexplained difficulty falling or
  staying asleep, are snoring heavily, or are just
  not waking up feeling rested.

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Tracking Your Sleep

• If you have decided to seek the help of a sleep
  specialist, record your sleep-wake pattern before
  your first appointment.
• Keep a sleep diary for tracking your sleep
  pattern which includes information like
• How long you took to fall asleep? What time are
  you going to bed?
• How many times did you wake up at night?
• What time did you wake up?
• Did you have to nap during the day? If so, how
  long?
• Writing down your sleep habits in a journal may
  help your doctor learn more about your sleep
  patterns and uncover ways to best improve your
  sleep.

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Seeking The Help Of A Professional

• If you have determined that you have a sleep
  disorder, the next thing you should do is to make
  an appointment with your family physician, or you
  can go to a sleep clinic for further testing.
• However, not all sleep clinics are created
  equal. Search in your area for an accredited
  sleep med center.
• These clinics are required to meet the standards
  set by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and
  can offer high quality care.

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See A Sleep Specialist For Hard-To-Solve Problems

• Complaints of sleepless nights are no stranger to
  primary physicians, who prescribe most of
  the sleep medication. But for long-term sleep
  problems, your family physician may not be able
  to offer you the best treatments.
• Or if your problem is harder to recognize, your
  doctor may be completely in the dark. A sleep
  medicine doctor is a sleep specialist who has
  additional special training in sleep medicine -
  specifically, in the area of diagnosing and
  managing sleep disorders.
• Therefore, a primary care physician may refer you
  for a sleep study at a Sleep Medicine Center or
  to one of the Sleep Specialists in your town.

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Sleep Specialists

• Sleep deprivation and sleep disorder can have
  serious effects on your health, happiness, and
  productivity.
• The bottom line is that no matter how tired you
  might feel help is available.
• There are expert sleep specialists in Illinois
  who can help you with all your sleep problems.
• So, "You're not alone- help is around the
  corner!

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