The Palos Community Hospital Sleep Disorders Center

Do you have trouble getting a good night's sleep? Approximately 70 million people in the United States do, and a sleep disorder may be to blame.

Signs of a sleep disorder

Common signs of a sleep disorder may include some or all of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep,
• Waking up tired after sleeping all night,
• Awaking with a headache,
• Frequent urination,
• Problems with sexual ability and desire,
• Heavy snoring,
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times, and
• Overweight or the inability to lose weight.

Consequences of an untreated sleep disorder can include: heart disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and weight gain. Talk to your doctor about your sleep habits and request a sleep study. Our medical director and staff are trained to diagnose and treat sleep disorders.

What are Some Common Sleep Disorders?

There are several different types of sleep disorders. Common sleep disorders include the following:

• Sleep apnea (usually accompanied by loud snoring and consists of brief periods throughout the night in which breathing stops),
• Narcolepsy,
• Periodic limb movement,
• Parasomnia (sleep terrors),
• Hypersomnia (persistent sleepiness despite having accurate rest),
• Sleep walking, and
• Bruxism (grinding or clenching of the teeth).

The Next Step

The Palos Community Hospital Sleep Disorders Center conducts sleep studies to diagnose a variety of sleep disorders. Studies are performed overnight using advanced, computerized equipment to monitor the brain as it transitions through the stages of sleep, as well as to measure the function of the lungs, heart and other parts of the body. Our sleep center offers a relaxing, home-like setting in a private room. During your sleep study, you will be monitored overnight by our experienced technicians using state-of the-art technology. Patients arrive after 8 p.m. and are assigned to a private room with a queen-sized bed. Monitors are placed on the patient to observe the sleep cycle, oxygen levels, interruptions and other measures. In the morning, patients leave the center and resume their daytime routines, while the results of the study are reviewed by physicians with special training in sleep medicine. Afterward, they will discuss their recommendations with the primary care physician, who will follow up with any necessary treatment. Patients are encouraged to bring those items typically used at home during sleep and whatever is needed the following day. A private bath and shower are available.

To schedule a sleep study or a sleep consultation, please call (888) SLEEP-77 / (888) 753-3777.

The Palos Community Hospital Sleep Disorders Center is located at the southwest corner of Southwest Highway and Route 83 at 11900 Southwest Highway, Palos Park.

Further information about sleep disorders can be found online at Americas Sleep Network.