When Should You Seek Help for Sleep Problems?

1. When Should You Seek Help for Sleep Problems?

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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 safe—that'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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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!