Trouble Sleeping? Mercy Suburban May be Able to Help

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, Norristown-area residents with sleep problems are lucky to be near one of the few sleep disorder centers in the suburban-Philadelphia area.

The Sleep Disorder Center at opened a few months  ago on the 3^rd floor of the Medical Arts Pavilion under the direction of Dr. Ajay Pillai. According to a release issued by the hospital, the center features bedroom-style amenities more like a hotel than a hospital. They also collaborate with the new bariatric program at Mercy Suburban, making one of the rooms bariatric friendly.

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa. has Pediatric Sleep Center.

According to Mercy Suburban, sleep disorders can be associated with significant health risks, including increased risk for death, stroke and heart attack. Excessive daytime sleepiness is also a common cause of motor vehicle accidents and accidents in the workplace.

Some common sleep problems or symptoms that a sleep study can help diagnose include: 

• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Insomnia.
• Restless Leg Syndrome (Frequent irresistible desire to move limbs, usually starting in lower extremities, described variously as cramps, discomfort and/or restlessness.)
• Narcolepsy (Associated with daytime sleepiness, sometimes associated with hallucinations while falling asleep or on waking, and cataplexy, sometimes coexisting with sleep apnea in the adult patient, suspected in patients with persistent/unexplained sleepiness.)
• Sleep Apnea (Symptoms include snoring, witnessed apneas, nocturnal choking episodes, frequent nocturia, morning headaches, non-refreshing sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, often associated with hypertension. There is a very high association of sleep apnea in patients with congestive heart failure, hypertension, and arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation.) 
• Shift Work Sleep Disorder (Very common and needs education with regards to sleep hygiene.)
• Sleep Phase Disorder (Common in teenagers and the elderly. Causes excessive sleepiness at inappropriate times of the day and requires education with regards to sleep hygiene as well as judicious use of light therapy.)

For more information on sleep disorders call the Mercy Suburban Hospital Sleep Disorders Center at 610-278-2828.