Sleep Care in Calhoun

You’re ready to stop tossing and turning and enjoy restful sleep again. We’re ready to help. Whether you find you can’t fall or stay asleep or just feel excessively tired throughout the day, a sleep study is the first step toward finding the care you need. In some cases, your Sleep Care team may recommend home sleep testing (HST) first. This allows you to fall asleep in the comfort of your own bed, while a portable device monitors your breathing, respiratory effort, and heart rate. But often, we’ll invite you to join us for an overnight sleep study at our modern and comfortable sleep center.

Your team of sleep care specialists will answer all of your questions and make sure you’re relaxed and comfortable in your private room. As you rest, a specially trained sleep technician will use diagnostic tools like polysomnograms and multiple sleep latency tests (MSLTs). This helps us gather a complete picture of your sleep patterns. With a clear sleep disorder diagnosis to light the way, know that we’re here to support you with compassionate solutions and expert care.

When your sleep is disturbed night after night, restful slumber can feel like a distant dream. But many sleep disorders can be cared for easily by practicing good sleep hygiene like avoiding electronic devices or heavy meals before bed. Your Sleep Care team at AdventHealth Gordon, formerly Gordon Hospital, will empower you with the knowledge and resources you need to take control of your sleep health, supporting you in making lifestyle changes like limiting your caffeine intake and exercising to lose weight.

In other cases, treatment of your sleep disorder might include medication or a breathing device. If you receive a sleep apnea diagnosis, treatment will likely include a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device, which can make it easier to breathe, helping you sleep better and feel rejuvenated when you wake up. This device might feel a little strange at first, but trust us to help you feel confident and comfortable using it.

Your sleep health supports so many of your body’s important functions and mental processes. That’s why we’ll help you find a multidisciplinary support system to help you when a sleep disorder disrupts your rest. As part of AdventHealth, your care is backed by a vast network of specialists across many wellness fields. Depending on your individual needs, your care team can connect you to experts in nutrition, fitness, neuroscience, mental health, and surgery. Working together, we’ll treat your sleep disorder and guide you to rediscover restorative sleep, find peace of mind, and let your spirit shine.

If you spend the night in the Sleep Center, you will have a private room. A technician will attach many sensors to your body, then go into another room. As you sleep, your heart rate, breathing, oxygen level, and other functions will be tracked. A microphone and video camera will record your breathing sounds and body movements. The technician will keep watch nearby. If you need an air pressure device to help you breathe, one will be available.

Getting the Results
The results of your sleep study need to be scored and interpreted. Once this is done, your doctor will discuss the findings with you. The sleep study results will show whether you have sleep apnea or another disorder. It can also tell how severe the apnea is. The findings help your doctor know which treatment or treatments may be the right ones for you.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is widely used in the field of sleep medicine as a subjective measure of a patient's sleepiness. Answer the following questions based on how you have behaved or would behave in that situation using the scale listed below.

0= Would never doze off
1= Slight chance of dozing
2= Some chance of dozing
3= High chance of dozing

____ Sitting and reading
____ Watching television
____ Sitting inactive in a public place (i.e. a theater)
____ Riding in a car as a passenger greater than 1 hour
____ Lying down to rest in the afternoon
____ Sitting and talking to someone
____ Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol
____ In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic (or at a traffic light)

Total Score ______

If your score is greater than 10, contact your physician for an appointment.

Changing a few habits may be all you need to stop snoring and prevent mild sleep apnea. Even if you need further treatment, these changes are a good place to start.

• Sleep on your side. When you sleep on your back, gravity pulls relaxed throat tissues down, blocking the airway.
• Lose weight. Excess weight makes the structures in your throat more bulky and floppy. That makes breathing harder, snoring, and apnea worse.
• Avoid alcohol and certain medications. Alcohol and medications such as sedatives, sleeping pills and some antihistamines relax your throat muscles more than usual. That may cause or worsen blockage, snoring, and apnea.
• Unblock your nose; a blocked-up nose makes snoring and apnea worse. If you have allergies or sinus problems, ask your doctor for help. If you have nasal problems, nasal strips may make breathing easier.
• Smoking worsens a stuffy nose, so if you smoke, make that choice today to quit!