Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine: Sleep Disorders
Sleeping well is the first step to living well. Eliminating or reducing sleep problems
is important to maintain health and well being. There are many factors that can
cause sleep problems, including medical illness, stress and other psychological
problems. The quality of your sleep may even be affected by something in your surroundings
like noise or comfort of bedding. An erratic work schedule or frequent travel can
also have an impact on your normal sleep pattern.
There are treatments for most sleep problems, but the first step is recognizing
that a problem exists. The second step is determining what causes the problem and
the final step is treating the cause.
The mission of the UF Health Sleep Center in Jacksonville
is to offer the highest quality of diagnostic and medical treatment procedures for
all sleep disorders in a quiet, comfortable environment. The center
features a multidisciplinary team led by board-certified University of Florida faculty
physicians who specialize in sleep medicine. In addition, our facilities serve as
a source for advanced studies and research in sleep disorder treatment.
Accreditation
Accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is the gold standard
by which the medical community and the public can evaluate sleep medicine services.
The UF Health Sleep Center – Jacksonville has demonstrated the highest quality
of care by achieving AASM accreditation. The standards for accreditation ensure
that sleep medicine providers display and maintain proficiency in areas such as
testing procedures and policies, patient safety and follow-up, physician and staff
training.
Services
The UF Health Jacksonville Sleep Center offers a comprehensive eight-bed
sleep disorders center serving both pediatric and adult patients.
The Sleep Disorders Center evaluates and treats all sleep disturbances, including:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness/narcolepsy
- Insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)
- Snoring and sleep apnea
- Parasomnias, including sleepwalking, night terrors, severe nightmares and bed-wetting
- Circadian rhythm disorders, including unusual sleep patterns and waking earlier
than desired
- Bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Restless legs/nocturnal myoclonus
- Nocturnal seizures
- REM sleep behavior disorders
In addition, the center offers:
- Night studies and CPAP titrations
- Daytime sleep studies
- Home sleep apnea testing
- Autotitration studies
- Multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT)
- Maintenance of wakeful testing (MWT)
- PAP Naps
- Compliance clinics
- Pediatric studies (ages 2 and up)
After a complete evaluation, each patient is diagnosed and an appropriate therapy
is determined. Depending on the nature of the sleep disorder, a sleep study may
be performed in order to record sleep patterns as well as certain behaviors and
functions that occur throughout the sleep period.
Sleep Studies
Sleep studies take place in our state-of-the-art sleep center, where you will have
the comforts of home in a quiet setting. The same sleep you experience at home will
take place in the center; however, it will be observed and measured. During your
sleep study, you will follow a sleep regimen, which includes preparing and applying
sensors.
Patients requiring a sleep study are given specific information on how to prepare
for the study and are notified of what to bring for his or her night's sleep.
Pediatric Sleep Disorders
Children can have sleep disorders that negatively affect their behavior. Hyperactivity,
inability to stay focused or pay attention, difficulty staying awake during the
day or even bedwetting can all be signs that your child may have a sleep disorder.
Common Sleep Problems Among Children
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Sleep-onset association disorder - occurs when a child associates
or closely connects falling asleep with another activity, such as being rocked to
sleep, sleeping with a parent, nursing a child to sleep
- Sleepwalking
- Night terrors
- Inadequate sleep hygiene - activities or habits that interfere
with the ability to fall asleep or stay asleep, such as irregular bedtime schedule
and napping during the day
Enlarged tonsils can prevent proper breathing during the night, causing sleep apnea.
Research has also linked enlarged tonsils to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Sleep Studies Designed Especially for Children
Your child will be assessed by a team of University of Florida physicians prior
to his or her sleep study. You and your child are invited to tour the center and
meet with our sleep technicians to learn more about what will happen during the
study.
Parents may stay overnight in a room attached to their child’s room, if they wish.
This often helps relieve anxiety and creates a more positive experience. We are
the only facility in Jacksonville that provides such accommodations.
follow-up appointment will be scheduled within two weeks after the study. During
that time, our pediatric sleep medicine physician will meet with you to review your
child’s results and discuss treatment options based on his or her individual needs
to achieve the best possible outcome.
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