When you can’t sleep, there can be serious consequences.
Chronic sleep deprivation affects your health, performance, safety and even
your income. Sometimes sleep problems pop up because of stress or medical
issues, and even mental health issues; sometimes it is because we choose to
stay out late with friends, rather than get a good night’s sleep. This sort of
sleep deprivation is usually made up for in time; it is when patients can’t
sleep over more than a few days or weeks, and sleep problems become a chronic
issue that neurologists may need to step in and figure out the cause.
Most people can’t sleep because they have an undiagnosed
sleep disorder. Most people in the Huntersville and Denver NC area who have an
undiagnosed sleep disorder will wake up after sleeping for hours but still be
tired. They may be sleepy during the day, and chalk it up to the kids keeping
them awake, or other stressors, when in reality, they are experiencing sleep
problems related to sleep disorders. NorthEast Neurology is where patients go
when they are tired of being tired, and want to know why they can’t sleep.
Side effects of sleep
problems are serious
When you can’t sleep, your body and brain do not function as
well as it should. Did you know that a reduction in nighttime sleep by only one
and half hours could affect your daytime alertness by up to 32%? This decreased
alertness can affect your memory and problem solving abilities, as well as
affect your ability to pay attention for long periods of time. Going the
movies, watching television with a spouse, even participating in activities
with your children may all be affected because you are too sleepy to actively
take part. Sleep problems can severely impact relationships, particularly among
spouses who are kept awake because of sleep disruptions, or a partner’s
moodiness when they just can’t sleep.
Concord area residents should also know that sleep problems
increase the risk for workplace injury twofold; and according to The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), conservative estimates indicate
that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile
crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities. These statistics are scary and
anyone who routinely can’t sleep or is suffering from chronic sleep problems
should heed the warning and see the professionals at NorthEast Neurology for an
evaluation.
Sleep centers could
help discover why you can’t sleep in Huntersville NC
When you can’t sleep and neurologists are involved in
diagnosing your sleep problem, they may ask you to spend the night in a sleep
center. The sleep lab is designed like your bedroom at home, only patients are
monitored throughout the night for signs of snoring or other symptoms that
point to sleep disorders. Sleep centers are commonplace now, and within the
controlled environment of sleep labs, patients are monitored using
polysomnography, equipment that includes surface electrodes that will attach to
your face and scalp to send recorded electrical signals to the measuring
equipment. These signals, which are generated by your brain and muscle
activity, are then recorded digitally. Measurements of your breathing are done
using belts placed around your chest and abdomen. Finally, an oximeter probe,
very much like a small bandage, is placed on your finger to measure the amount
of oxygen in your blood. Though this equipment may seem uncomfortable, most
patients fall asleep quite easily.
When you can’t sleep, it may be
because you are experiencing sleep problems or snoring issues related to sleep
disorders. These sleep problems are evaluated by neurologists and monitored at
a sleep lab to help get to the bottom of why you can’t sleep. If you live in
Concord, Huntersville and the Denver, NC, area and you can’t sleep, call the
neurologists at NorthEast Neurology inConcord, Huntersville and the Denver, NC today to see if you may need to spend the
night in a sleep lab to uncover the mystery to your sleep problems.
