NE Missouri News

This week marks Sleep Awareness Week, focusing on the importance of healthy sleep for overall well-being. Quality sleep is linked to numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, a stronger immune system, better stress management, and improved heart health and metabolism. Adults are advised to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

Cade Mullins, the sleep diagnostic lab manager at Northeast Regional Medical Center (NRMC), highlights the significance of quality sleep: “Quality sleep is so important to overall health.”

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 17% of adults experienced difficulty sleeping in 2020. To address this issue, NRMC's accredited sleep diagnostic lab offers studies that can help identify potential sleep disorders affecting rest. Mullins notes common signs of a sleep disorder include gasping or not breathing during sleep, snoring, sleepwalking, jerking leg movements during sleep, waking with headaches, trouble concentrating during the day, difficulty falling asleep or frequent awakenings at night, and daytime drowsiness.

Sleep studies are non-invasive procedures where patients are monitored using adhesive sensors while technicians observe their sleep patterns. The observations are reviewed by specialists who share results with primary care providers. Mullins mentions that “most patients can complete sleep studies in one night.”

The most frequently diagnosed disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy. Various treatment options are available if a disorder is detected, ranging from lifestyle adjustments to medication.

Individuals experiencing difficulties with falling or staying asleep should consult their healthcare provider about symptoms and consider whether a sleep study might be beneficial.