The Kettering Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center was established to help people who experience difficulty falling asleep at night, maintaining sleep, or who have difficulty staying awake during the day.

It has been estimated that 50 million people in the United States suffer from some sleep-related disorder. Some sleep disorders are life threatening.

What kind of problems does the Sleep Disorders Center diagnose and treat?

The Center evaluates all sleep-related complaints. The most common sleep disorders are:

Insomnias (Disorders of Initiating and Maintaining Sleep)
Insomnia may be related to unusual sleep habits, drugs or medications, psychological stress or physiological factors. Everyone has an occasional problem falling asleep or staying asleep. However, chronic difficulty may be a reason to speak with your physician.

Sleepiness (Disorders of Excessive Somnolence)
Individuals, who snore loudly, have apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep usually accompanied by loud snoring) frequent leg twitches or narcolepsy (uncontrollable sleepiness) may report an increase in sleep need or daytime sleepiness as a major complaint. As many as 30% of middle aged males suffer from some degree of sleep-associated respiratory impairment and serious problems can be life­ threatening.

Parasomnias
(Sleep Walking, Nightime Seizures, Night Terrors, Bed Wetting)
These are disorders that occur during specific sleep states. They can include nighttime seizures, sleepwalking night terrors and bed-wetting.

Wake Schedule (Disorders of the sleep)
Lifestyles that require an irregular sleep/wake pattern, such as alternating shift work or frequent cross-country flights (jetlag) may result in chronic difficulty in falling asleep at conventional times.

Is snoring a serious sign?

Loud snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which the snorer stops breathing momentarily (apnea). These episodes may last from a few seconds to two minutes or longer. They end with a loud snore or snort, which is actually a gasp for air. Sufferers of sleep apnea are frequently tired during the daytime because normal sleep patterns are disrupted.

The following questionnaire may help you decide if you need an evaluation for sleep apnea.

View questionnaire.

If your questionnaire score is consistent with a suspected sleep disturbance, you should contact your physician for evaluation and possible referral to the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center.

View Frequently Asked Questions.

How do I schedule an appointment?

If you believe you may have a sleep disorder, please talk with your doctor. He or she can give you more information and refer you to the Sleep Disorders Center for an evaluation. For more information or to schedule an appointment call the Sleep Disorders Center at 937-395-8805.