Northwest Texas Hospital Sleep Disorders Center

At least 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and another 20 million struggle with occasional sleep difficulties. While some sleeplessness may be caused by stress and the demands of everyday life, many people experience sleep deprivation because of a chronic, often undiagnosed sleep disorder.

If you have trouble getting restful sleep and think you may have a sleep disorder, the Northwest Texas Hospital Sleep Disorders Center may help. Sleep specialists at the center use advanced sleep study technology to help diagnose disorders and recommend treatment plans.

What is a sleep disorders center?
At the Northwest Texas Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, physicians and technicians who are trained in sleep medicine work with patients to identify sleep disorders and recommend treatment options. The Sleep Disorders Center provides patients with a comfortable, homelike environment, and is equipped with advanced sleep monitoring technology to help physicians diagnose sleep disorders and develop treatment plans.

The sleep evaluation process
If you come to the Sleep Disorders Center at Northwest Texas Hospital for a sleep study, you'll complete several steps of the evaluation process. Those steps are:

Referral
Your primary care physician may refer you to the Sleep Center for evaluation, or you may begin the process yourself by contacting a physician who specializes in sleep disorders.
Comprehensive Sleep History
Your sleep disorder physician will compile an extensive medical history to help determine the extent and possible type of sleep disorder to study. Depending on your medical history, your physician may be able to recommend treatment options before you complete a sleep study.
Polysomnographic Study
If your doctor recommends a polysomnographic study, you'll spend one or more nights in a comfortable sleeping room at the Sleep Center. When you arrive, a sleep technician will attach electrodes to a number of places on your body, then connect those electrodes to bedside monitoring technology. While you sleep, the monitoring equipment will continuously collect data throughout the night. Your physician will use that information to identify your sleep disorder and develop a treatment plan.

Evaluation/Follow-up
After your sleep study, you'll meet with your physician to discuss the results and recommendations. Results and recommendations will be forwarded to your primary physician.

Do you have a possible sleep disorder?

Here's a short test that will help you determine if you are a risk for a sleep disorder:

Do you snore?
Have you been told you stop breathing while asleep?
Are you sleepy during the day?
Do you wake up with a dry throat?
Headache? Heartburn?
Do you become sleepy while driving or watching TV?
Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?
Are you irritable?
Do you have trouble concentrating?
Do you have high blood pressure or heart problems?

If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you may have a sleep disorder.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans are affected by chronic sleep disorders and intermittent sleep problems, which can significantly diminish your health, alertness and safety. It's important that you discuss these symptoms with your family physician, who can refer you to Northwest Texas Hospital Sleep Disorders Center.

Contact Us

If you have a problem sleeping, or if you think a sleep-disorder may be causing other problems, contact the Northwest Texas Hospital Sleep Disorders Center at 806-354-1954, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

SleepAware Risk Assessment

Types of Sleep Disorders

Doctors have identified more than 70 sleep disorders. The most common are:

Insomnia
Narcolepsy
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Learn more about the different types of sleep disorders.

Learn More About Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been shown to be related to a number of health risks, including heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and sexual dysfunction. In addition, people with obstructive sleep apnea may also have a markedly increased risk of motor vehicle crashes and other accidents.

Learn more about obstructive sleep apnea.

More Information

Related Sleep Disorders Information

Overview of Sleep Problems

Insomnia

Sleep Apnea

Narcolepsy

Restless Legs Syndrome

Note: The information on this Web site is provided as general health guidelines and may not be applicable to your particular health condition. Your individual health status and any required medical treatments can only be properly addressed by a professional healthcare provider of your choice. Remember: There is no adequate substitution for a personal consultation with your physician. Neither Northwest Texas Healthcare System, or any of their affiliates, nor any contributors shall have any liability for the content or any errors or omissions in the information provided by this Web site.

The information, content and artwork provided by this Web site is intended for non-commercial use by the reader. The reader is permitted to make one copy of the information displayed for his/her own non-commercial use. The making of additional copies is prohibited.