More than ever, sleep disorders are being diagnosed as a cause of many health problems, said Lou Lock, a cardiopulmonary specialist heading up the lab. Numerous physical and lifestyle problems can contribute to poor sleeping patterns. Symptoms are heavy snoring accompanied by lapses in breathing that cut off oxygen to the brain and trigger the body to wake repeatedly. The effect interrupts REM sleep, the deep dreaming stage required for a restful night. Severe cases can cause heart damage, heart attacks, depression and accidents.
More serious cases require surgery to correct.
The consequences, if the disorder is left untreated, may be excessive tiredness at work, lack of concentration, increased stress, or drowsiness while driving. But now sufferers can obtain the latest treatment at Southwest Memorial in Cortez. Patients who check into the sleep lab Saturday nights are monitored throughout the night in one of several comfortable rooms on the second floor fitted with cameras and equipment. A technician keeps track of heart rate, breathing, blood-oxygen levels, body movement and brain waves, and then compiles a diagnosis. A device that helps open up airwaves during sleep has proven to be an effective cure for sleep apnea.