WHAT IS A SLEEP DISORDER?
Sleep disorders are issues that lead to poor sleep quality or insufficient deep sleep. They increase the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive impairment. Categories of sleep disorders include:
Insomnia – Insomnia includes difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and sleep fragmentation (short, repetitive interruptions to sleep).
Sleep apnea – Intermittent sleep disruption, typically caused by throat muscles relaxing and blocking the airway. The prevalence of sleep apnea increases with age, and snoring may be a predictor of future sleep apnea.
Low sleep efficiency – Sleep efficiency equals total sleep time divided by time spent in bed. Low sleep efficiency is associated with tossing and turning and is often caused by poor sleep hygiene (habits that are not conducive to sleeping well). It can be self-perpetuating, as the bed is no longer recognized by the body as a place to sleep.
THE RESEARCH
Research shows that sleep is critical for cognitive health and performance. It is essential for creating and maintaining brain pathways that allow an individual to learn and create long-term memories. Deep, or slow-wave, sleep also clears toxic proteins from the brain.
Yet, insomnia is a growing problem, with fewer than 65% of Americans getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. Moreover, sleep is often fragmented, resulting in decreased deep sleep and increased fatigue. Experts report that nearly 20% of all Americans have a sleep disorder.
KAIZEN SLEEP MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL
Two-Part Diagnosis:
1. KAIZEN’S ADVANCED IN-HOME SLEEP STUDY
Typically, if a patient is experiencing sleep problems, a physician will recommend a sleep study, or polysomnography, to identify a sleep disorder. Usually, the study takes place overnight at a sleep center or lab, where a patient is monitored and observed during sleep.
To eliminate the inconvenience of an overnight lab stay, Kaizen offers patients an Advanced In-Home Sleep Study that uses a state-of-the-art Sleep Profiler with an easy-to-wear headband and chest and abdominal belt to accurately record the length and quality of both rapid-eye-movement (REM) and slow-wave sleep over two nights at home.
Sleep Profiler Benefits
– Perform the study in the privacy and comfort of your own bed
– No long waits to schedule with a sleep center or lab
– No need to sleep with cumbersome electrodes
– Monitors blood oxygen saturation, sleep length, and quality
– Rapid reporting
Data from the Sleep Profiler report helps our Kaizen sleep specialists determine if you are progressing properly through the various sleep stages.
2. IN-OFFICE ASSESSMENT
In addition to completing a Sleep Profiler Study, you will be evaluated by a Kaizen sleep specialist. The assessment will consider:
– Sleep patterns
– Use of caffeine, alcohol, or other substances
– Adverse reactions to medications
– Effective/ineffective sleep/wake habits
– Unusual sensations in the body
– Unusual activity during sleep (movements, talking, uneven breathing)
– Blood work and general health
– Mood (anxiety, depression, inner restlessness)
– Behavioral patterns affecting sleep
TREATMENT
Depending on the diagnosis, the results of the Sleep Profiler Study and the in-office evaluation may be used to develop a treatment plan. Treatment may include:
– Sleep hygiene education
– Nutrition
– Lifestyle management
– Medication
– Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
– Management of depression and anxiety
– Management of medical conditions affecting sleep (headaches, restless leg syndrome, muscle jerks)
– Ensuring proper sleep environment
– Exercise
Wonderful place with cutting-edge equipment, state of the art technology, and supportive, caring staff. After suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury as an athlete, I went to Kaizen Brain Center for TMS treatments. The TMS therapy was so successful that I am now free of all medications and symptom-free.