Vaughn McCall, M.D., a sleep disorders specialist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, says a simple test can help determine whether to seek help for a sleep problem. People who fall asleep readily in that situation should consult their doctors. Diagnosis and treatment of a sleep disorder may call for an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory. The Medical Center's sleep center, accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, does more than 1,300 evaluations a year. A diagnosis can usually be made after one visit.
New treatments mean that most people with sleep disorders can be significantly helped.
The Medical Center, for example, is one of few centers in the state offering a new orthodontic treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. The condition is caused when airway abnormalities temporarily block the flow of air in and out of the nose and mouth. Frequent interruptions in sleep as the sufferer struggles to breathe are linked to irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. With the new treatment, patients wear a mouth guard, similar to the kind athletes wear, to pull the jaw forward and open the upper airway. The Medical Center also offers the newest treatment for snoring, an outpatient procedure available at only a handful of centers in North Carolina.