But he still has to get up at an appointed time after rolling around awake for hours. A perfect example of phased delay syndrome, he will probably be sleep-deprived until or if, he can reset his internal clock. Another instance of a bad habit leading to impaired sleep is the person who goes to bed and is unable to fall asleep. After only a couple or three times, the idea of being unable to sleep actually becomes an inability to sleep because of worry and concern about it. Another instance of impaired sleep is the alcohol drinker.
Alcohol can make the drinker sleepy.
But because of a number of effects, the usual result of drinking alcohol is an interrupted and a worsened quality of sleep. Dr. McNally, a specialist in medicine related to breathing, first started working with patients who had sleep apnea more than 15 years ago. There are a variety of therapies today to help patients overcome sleep apnea, ranging from medication to use of a positive pressure mask, he said. One advance in sleep medicine is the more prevalent use of behavior modification to help a patient find a good night's sleep. Dr. McNally said medication still has a place in treatment, but behavior modification, though a longer therapy, has advantages.