Sleep Study in Montclair, New Jersey
Approximately 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep disorder, but many have no idea their snoring and other sleep issues can be life-threatening. The Center for Sleep Medicine at Mountainside Medical Center offers a comprehensive program accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our team focuses on all aspects of diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. Our goal is to help you manage your condition so you can stay healthy and get a great night’s sleep.
Should You See a Sleep Doctor?
The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night to maintain peak performance. Although everyone’s sleep needs are different, studies show that regularly sleeping fewer than 7 hours per night can lead to serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and weight gain.
The Center for Sleep Medicine at Mountainside Medical Center treats children (ages 2 and up) and adults with sleep disorders. To determine whether you might need to see a sleep specialist, consider the following questions:
- Do you fall asleep or feel sleepy during dinner, while entertaining friends, at work, or driving?
- Do you snore?
- Do you gasp for air in the middle of the night?
- Do you have morning headaches?
- Do you have trouble concentrating?
- Do you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep?
- Do you feel tingling or burning sensations in your legs at night?
- Do you wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn?
- Do you feel anxious or depressed at times?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, speak to your physician about seeing a sleep doctor, or contact us by calling (973) 259-3666.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially serious sleep disorder caused by blockage in the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. OSA affects between 18-30 million adults in the U.S. with approximately 90% of them undiagnosed. Sleep apnea has been linked to hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Daytime sleepiness
- Depression
- Hypertension
- Morning headaches
- Snoring
- Weight gain
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is directly related to sleep apnea, and it is estimated that nearly 50% of patients with atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm) have sleep apnea. Recent studies prove that people who allow moderate to severe sleep apnea to continue untreated are seven times more likely to die of cardiovascular complications such as a heart attack.
Sleep apnea can be an after effect of stroke, but can also be the cause of a first time or recurrent stroke. Sleep apnea causes low oxygen levels and high blood pressure, both of which can increase the risk of a future stroke.
People with untreated sleep apnea run a 2-3 times greater risk of suffering from certain types of strokes than those who are treated. In addition, stroke victims have a tendency to develop sleep apnea as a direct result of the event. This becomes a vicious cycle, with subsequent stroke risk increasing by 2-3 times because of the development of apnea. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and seek treatment if you are diagnosed.
Preparing for an Overnight Sleep Study
Sleep studies at our Center for Sleep Medicine are performed using painless, noninvasive monitors. Our sleep center offers the latest generation sleep technology, providing a comfortable environment where patients undergo the highest quality and most accurate sleep studies available. We use polysomnography (PSG) to record your breathing, heart rate, brain waves, oxygen levels, eye and leg movements. Home sleep studies are also available.
To ensure that your sleep study yields accurate results and your overnight stay in the sleep center is comfortable, please prepare for your study in the following ways:
- Pack a small bag with all of the items you will need for an overnight stay away from home, such as bed clothes and toiletries.
- Pack your prescription medication. The sleep lab does not stock or dispense any prescription or nonprescription medication.
- If you are in the habit of reading before sleep, bring a book or other reading material.
- Unless otherwise instructed by a physician, do not alter your sleep schedule during the week prior to your study. This helps to ensure that your study is representative of a typical night of sleep..
- Please arrive at the center on time.
- Avoid caffeinated food or beverages after noon on the day of the study.
- Do not drink alcohol on the day of the study.
- It is advisable that your skin and hair are clean. This improves the ability to apply and remove electrodes. Use shampoo but no oils or conditioners on your hair, scalp and skin.
- If you develop a cold or respiratory infection, this may affect the reliability of your study results. Please contact us immediately so your study can be rescheduled.
- The test will conclude at your normal wake-up time. Because electrode paste will have been applied to your skin and scalp, you will have the opportunity to shower in the morning before leaving the sleep center.
You may be asked to fill out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale Assessment prior to your appointment.
After your sleep study is completed, a report will be sent to your physician for review and a personalized treatment plan will be developed to improve your sleep. We will work with your physician to make sure that your sleep condition is monitored on a continual basis. In addition, education and support services are readily available for patients.