What should I do if I think I might have a sleep problem?

You will need to contact a Board Certified Sleep specialist for a sleep evaluation.

How do I schedule a sleep evaluation?

Call the Neurology and Sleep Disorders Center of Citrus Valley at 626-339-3405 and our staff will be glad to schedule you.

Will my insurance cover a sleep evaluation and study?

Most insurances do cover sleep studies but if you are not sure our staff will be happy to check for you.

How do find I you?

Please see our map and directions located on this website or call
626-339-3405 for further direction.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by periods of not breathing while you're asleep. Most people experience some sort of apnea events on any given time. When these events are consistently over five an hour, and last longer than ten seconds, you may need treatment for sleep apnea.

There are three different variations of sleep apnea. The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea. The other, much rarer forms of sleep apnea are central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea.

What's the difference between the types of sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by a physical blockage in your airway. The obstruction is usually caused by a collapse of the upper airway. Since this frequently limits the amount of oxygen that enters the body, the body responds by waking to resume breathing. The body will continually make an effort to breathe.

Central sleep apnea has the same effects, but the cause is completely different. Central sleep apnea is a neurological condition. In this instance, your body doesn't make a continual effort to breathe, in fact the section of the brain that controls breathing ceases to function. Once again, this causes a drop in blood oxygen levels, and your body wakes you up to force you to breathe.

Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the other two forms of sleep apnea. The apnea event is initially caused by the central sleep apnea, and the obstruction occurs shortly after. The body responds in the same way, waking you up for air. Treatment of the obstructive sleep apnea often corrects or minimizes the central sleep apnea.

What causes sleep apnea?

When the body is asleep, all the muscles become relaxed. In some people, the muscles that maintain the upper airway open become too relaxed. As a result, the relaxed upper airway collapses due to the suction caused by breathing in air on the overly relaxed muscles. If the person sleeps on their back, the tongue might also fall back, blocking the airway further. Although your body tries to breathe, and your chest will continue to heave, the airway is blocked and oxygen can't get through. The body will then wake, causing all the muscles to tighten and your tongue to come forward thus opening the airway, usually with a loud snore. Then the person falls back asleep, and the cycle repeats.

Are there any symptoms?

The person most likely to tell you that you may have a sleeping disorder is anyone who sleeps in the same bed or room with you. The most common things your bed partner will notice is snoring or cessation of breathing. Sleep apnea will usually be found to be present when the person exhibits some or all of the following symptoms:

• Loud, frequent snoring followed by periods of silence
• Loud snorting, gasping, moaning or mumbling
• The body doesn't feel refreshed in the morning
• Excessive daytime fatigue
• Loss of concentration and memory
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times
• Dry mouth
• Mood swings

Keep in mind that although snoring is the most common symptom of sleep apnea, snoring doesn't necessarily mean that you have the condition, while not snoring doesn't necessarily mean that you don't.

How dangerous is sleep apnea?

Obviously, breathing is imperative to the body and all it's functions to work properly. Frequent and consistent pausing in normal breathing cycles can strain both the respiratory and circulatory systems. Therefore, sleep apnea can lead to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and severe drowsiness while awake. If sleep apnea isn't treated, the condition and all it's symptoms will get progressively worse. Severe cases of sleep apnea are life threatening. The gradual onset of health conditions associated with sleep apnea may take a few years to develop, however, work or car accidents caused by severe drowsiness can happen at any moment.

How is sleep apnea treated?

Sleep apnea has a variety of different treatment modalities. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:

• Weight loss
• A change in your normal sleeping position
• Nasal pressure mask therapy
• Use of dental appliances
• Medications
• Surgical Intervention

Treatment will vary from person to person. Talk to your doctor about which treatment methods are best for your case and why.