Are you up late in the night, not able to sleep? What about being awakened too early by your own snoring? Or maybe you are just restless throughout the night. Whatever the reason for your poor sleep, now may be a good time to visit the Hancock Sleep Disorder Center. With hotel-like rooms, a cozy environment, and diagnostic tools you can use in your own home, Hancock’s expert physicians can help to fix whatever is keeping you from getting a good night’s rest.

A good night’s rest is just around the corner

“We work with a lot of different sleep problems — people who can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, people who kick their legs at night, and people who are experiencing uncontrolled high blood pressure or maybe having the start of heart problems,” said Randy Campbell, director of Hancock’s Sleep Disorder Center. “All of those people really need a sleep study.”

Want to know more about sleep studies, sleep issues and how to get help? Campbell answered a few of our biggest questions.

How do you know if you have a sleep issue?

Having trouble maintaining sleep is a good sign there’s a problem. It’s normal for people to get up once, maybe even twice, at night. But if you experience any of the following, you may want to consider speaking to a physician:

• Excessive thirst
• Night sweats
• Snoring or gasping
• Jerking or kicking
• Difficulty falling and staying asleep
• Disrupted sleep
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Aches and pains, especially in the back
• Unusual behaviors such as sleepwalking or sleep talking

Between 25 and 40 percent of the population has sleep issues

Are a lot of people walking around with sleep issues who may not know it?

“Yes, and even when we diagnose them, they sometimes don’t follow through with treatment,” says Campbell. Following through with treatment is important because sleep issues can cause a whole host of other health problems, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, and even stroke. Milder side effects would be daytime drowsiness, which can still affect your work, life and relationships.

What’s the process for getting a sleep study done?

Hancock Sleep Disorder Center’s accommodations are quiet and nice, making it easy to participate in a sleep study. Four hotel-like rooms with sleep number beds means both privacy and comfort so you won’t miss home as much during your one-night stay. Patients usually show up about 8 p.m. and will plan to go to sleep at around 10 p.m. Beforehand, however, patients will be hooked up to some extensive equipment that can monitor brainwaves, sleep and more. Once data is collected, patients are awoken around 5:30 a.m. to shower and be discharged.

What are the concerns people express to you before getting a sleep study done?

“Most patients are anxious about it and aren’t aware that they’ll be sleeping in a comfortable bed in a private room. Once they see that, they are a lot less anxious,” says Campbell regarding the sleep study process. Some patients can even stay in their own homes, depending on what their physician thinks will be the best way to monitor them with diagnostic tools. The Hancock Sleep Disorder Center can diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including:

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Narcolepsy
• Periodic limb movement disorder
• Seizures and more.

Are you suffering from sleep problems and ready to commit to a sleep study in order to get a good night’s rest? Check out the Hancock Sleep Disorder Center website and/or contact the office at 317-468-4610 for more information. Sweet dreams!