Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Do you wake up frequently or suffer from waking up unrefreshed?
In fact, 20 percent of American adults (42 million people) report that pain or physical discomfort disrupts their sleep a few nights a week or more, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Yet many people don't recognize how large the problem is.
Nor do they consider the possible consequences, which may include difficulty maintaining alertness, lack of energy, impaired mood, and trouble handling stress. Lack of sleep, so often due to pain or discomfort, can also put you at risk for injury, poor health, and accidents.
Sleep like a baby, or an "Angel", with the help of the Sleep Center at Northridge Hospital.
Recommended by Cherly Ladd.
The Sleep Evaluation Center offers specialized diagnostic services for patients with sleep-related disorders. Clinical disorders evaluated include daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea, loud snoring, narcolepsy, common neurological disorders, insomnia, and other unusual sleep phenomena. The Center is fully-accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
At the request of the referring physician or health care practitioner, the initial patient evaluation may be either a special clinical interview or nocturnal polysomnographic testing. An initial clinical interview can assess the need for further specialized testing, and evaluate insomnia or other sleep-related disorders for further care.
A polysomnograph is an instrument that measures the many physiological variables involved in sleep. The Sleep Evaluation Center offers three choices of polysomnographic testing:
- Comprehensive polysomnography
- Simplified sleep apnea study (for selected patients)
- Multiple sleep latency test (to evaluate degree of daytime sleepiness)
The polysomnographic studies are performed by specially trained technicians. Our expert staff includes physicians specializing in pulmonary medicine, neurology, otolaryngology, maxillofacial surgery, and also research professionals who are world renowned in sleep neurophysiology.
Patients may be referred by physicians or other health care practitioners by calling the Sleep Evaluation Center's 24-hour referral line at (818) 885-5344. Each patient receives a packet of information, including an introduction to the Center, a description of the test or evaluation to be performed, and questionnaires to complete prior to their visit.
A preliminary report is issued within three working days of the test. A comprehensive report is then generated from a Physician Sleep Committee detailing the diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.
The Sleep Apnea (CPAP) Support Group meets the first Wednesday of every other month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call (818) 885-8500, ext. 2782 for more information.
You can take our simple "Sleep Quiz" to test your sleep disorder knowledge. Visit our online Health & Wellness Library to read related articles.
