Understanding Sleep Disorders and Their Treatment Impact on Mental Health

Is defined as difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep, resulting in daytime fatigue and increased stress. Treatment for chronic insomnia often involves a combination of sleep medications and behavioral techniques.

Is characterized by breathing stops or pauses during sleep, resulting in disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue. In cases of moderate to severe sleep apnea, treatment often involves continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for keeping the airways open with airflow.

A disorder involving uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them disturbed sleep, which can have a really significant impact on sleep quality.

A chronic sleep disorder involving overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden episodes of sleep, which can disrupt the normal sleep-wake cycle.

Highly comorbid with sleep disorders, with insomnia symptoms especially sleep disturbances. This is especially valid for veterans, where the combat experience conditions patients to sleep disturbances.

Identifying the type of sleep disorder is paramount. Our team is capable of giving a thorough assessment of bipolar disorder, which may include a sleep study, in order to arrive at a diagnosis of the specific type of sleep disorder.

This is a very effective type of treatment for insomnia. CBT-I helps patients modify maladaptive thoughts and behaviors leading to sleep disruption and acquire habits conducive to good sleep. Part of this process could be a sleep diary in order to map the sleep time and isolate aspects of common sleep disorders that need to be improved.

Medications are used as an adjunct treatment in combination with behavioral interventions to manage underlying conditions that may be compromising sleep, such health conditions such as anxiety or Restless Legs Syndrome. In some circumstances, sleep medication, as prescribed by a sleep physician, may be necessary in order to manage an inability to sleep and to stay asleep.

Our treatment plan focuses on counseling on sleep hygiene. This includes setting a regular sleep time, developing a bedtime ritual that signals the brain that it’s time to turn off, and making environmental changes that are conducive to sleep. It is the fundament of behavioral sleep medicine and our approach to good sleep habits, resulting in restful sleep.

Techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing exercises, and guided imagery can help immensely in improving the quality of sleep by relieving anxiety and stress.

Part of the holistic approach to the treatment of sleep disorders deals with the issues of how to keep people asleep and rolling over in bed.