“One hundred years ago, people averaged eight hours of sleep a night,” said Brian Bohner, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist and director of Sinai Hospital’s Sleep Center. “Today we average about six and a half hours of sleep, and there has been no evidence to show our requirements have dropped. Sleep deprivation has become almost epidemic.”

What does it mean to get a good night’s rest?

David Mishkin, M.D., director of the Northwest Hospital Sleep Center, outlines the stages of a normal adult sleep pattern.

“Light sleep consists of Stage 1 and 2, followed by REM (rapid eye movement),” Mishkin said. “We spend about half our sleeping time in Stage 2.

“During REM sleep, dreaming occurs,” Mishkin said. “Thankfully, all but the muscles associated with breathing and those attached to the eyelids are paralyzed. That way you won’t act out your dreams.”

Stages 3 and 4 are the deep, restorative sleep that you need to awake refreshed and rested, Mishkin added. During these stages, the sleeper is very relaxed, with regular heart rate and breathing. It is hard to awaken someone from these stages and easy for them to fall asleep again. Sleepers cycle through these four stages of sleep all night long.

Bohner said many patients complain of insomnia—or the lack of sleep. This condition can usually be treated with improved “sleep hygiene” (see below) or by medications prescribed by your primary care physician.

Excessive wake-time sleepiness, however, and sleep apnea—when a person stops breathing for brief moments throughout the night—are best treated by a sleep medicine specialist. Sleep apnea, in fact, has been shown to be life threatening, leading to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and premature death.

Apnea sufferers close off, or occlude, their airway during sleep and actually stop breathing. After 10 seconds and up to two minutes, the brain realizes that it is not getting sufficient oxygen and causes the sleeper to wake slightly and gasp for air. This is accompanied by bothersome snoring. This snorting and gasping pattern is repeated hundreds of times a night. While awake, the apnea sufferer may experience morning headaches, inability to concentrate and excessive sleepiness, even while performing vital tasks.

Along with sleep apnea, there are over 85 other recognized sleep disorders, many of which may be diagnosed and treated through a sleep study. Some of the more common ones include:

Parasomnia: Nightmares, night terrors, sleep walking and bed-wetting may be symptoms and contribute to complaints of insomnia.
“Restless Legs” Syndrome or Nocturnal Myoclonus: Involuntary, periodic nocturnal leg movements disrupting sleep.
Gastroesophageal “Acid” Reflux: Gastric acid may back up into the esophagus, disturbing sleep.
Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness with uncontrollable sleep attacks lasting minutes to hours.
REM (rapid eye movement) Behavior Disorder: Muscles fail to paralyze during REM sleep when dreams occur; sleeper may act out dreams.

If your doctor suspects you may have a sleep disorder, he or she may refer you to a sleep medicine specialist. The study begins with a survey of your sleep habits. You may be asked to keep a “sleep diary” for a few weeks to determine the quantity and quality of sleep you are receiving.

If further information is needed, a sleep study may be recommended. Using state-of-the-art technology and computer software, the sleep centers at Sinai and Northwest Hospital are open seven days a week to evaluate patients. A “hypnogram” of your personal sleep pattern will be created, along with an audio and video record of your overnight study. Studies are painless and covered by most insurance plans.

For more information about either the Sinai or Northwest Hospital sleep centers, call 410-601-WELL (9355) or click on the links below.

Related Links

Sinai Sleep Center

Northwest Hospital Sleep Center