Restful sleep is integral to lifetime health. The Sleep Center at Valley is dedicated to the treatment of sleep disorders and sleep-related problems in adults and children.
Sleep studies are tests that monitor what happens to your body during sleep. Sleep disorder specialists conduct sleep studies to find out what is causing your sleep problems.
Sleep studies can also determine whether you have a problem with your stages of sleep. The two stages of sleep are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). Normally, NREM and REM alternate four to five times during a night's sleep. A change in this cycle may make it hard for you to sleep soundly.
Find a sleep disorder specialist for adults
Find a pediatric sleep disorder specialist
The Sleep Center at Valley Medical Center is a special medical facility designed to evaluate and treat both adults and children with sleep disorders and sleep-related problems. Yet the interior appointments and private, cozy décor of each room feels like a home away from home: patchwork quilts, a private bathroom and shower, and an LCD TV and DVD player. And, of course, a Playstation® 3 for our youngest guests.
The Sleep Center is fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which means it meets the most rigorous of standards to rank as a center of excellence in the comprehensive management of sleep disorders. Members of our staff are specially trained to study and evaluate people's sleep patterns. The results of our diagnostic studies are used to diagnose and treat sleep problems.
In the past, many sleep disorders were considered untreatable or consequences of normal aging. Today, many disorders can be diagnosed efficiently and treated successfully. There is heightened clinical interest and research in sleep medicine. Much of this excitement stems from our increasing abilities to quickly and successfully help people with their sleep difficulties. Getting a good night's sleep can make a huge difference in a person's life, and The Sleep Center at Valley Medical Center can help achieve this.
Watch a video about the evaluation process at the Sleep Center.
Upon arrival through the main hospital entrance, please have a seat in the waiting area directly across from the patient information desk. Please bring your insurance cards with you. You should be ready to leave in the morning between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM.
Please call 425.656.4071 for pre-registration
If you will be staying for the MSLT testing, you will be discharged from the lab that day around 4:00 PM. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for the MSLT testing patients only.
The Cardiopulmonary Department is located on the first floor of Valley Medical Center. Please Proceed through the main entrance of the hospital
Please check in at Main Admitting on your left, 15 minutes prior to your appointment. After checking in, proceed to the main lobby area of the hospital. You will see the elevators off to your right on a green wall, take the elevator to the first floor. Cardiopulmonary is directly across the hall as you exit the elevator.
Home Study unit, will need to be returned the following day by 11:00 AM.
If you need to reschedule your Home Sleep Study Appointment, please contact 425.690.3484 ext 6907309 or 6907310.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends these guidelines, which can be used for all types of sleep disorders:
Do you consistently awaken too early or have difficulty awakening? Does your snoring awaken you or your partner? Do you or your partner notice you wake up choking or gasping for breath?
These and many other symptoms indicate that you may have a sleep-related problem or a sleep disorder. Studies show 60 percent of American adults experience a sleep problem a few nights a week or more. You may not even be aware of how tired you are, thinking that there is nothing wrong. The great news is most sleep-related problems and sleep disorders can be successfully treated.
There are about 85 recognized sleep disorders, most of which are treatable. A sleep disorder disrupts and disturbs your overall quality of life. More than 70 million people in this country have a sleep disorder.
Many people who have sleep disorders may be completely unaware of it. Perhaps you think you just are sleeping too much or too little, or are tired due to jet lag. Some sleep behavior may be only noticeable by your bed partner, such as moving your arms or legs, talking, or sleepwalking. Or maybe you wake up with a sore jaw and don't know why.
Some of the most common disorders are snoring, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia.
Snoring is an indication your airway is not fully open while sleeping. The distinctive sound of snoring comes from efforts to force air through the narrowed passageway.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 10 to 30 percent of adults snore. In the majority of cases, snoring has no serious medical consequences. However, persistent loud snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
Individuals suffering from sleep apnea stop breathing due to airway blockage by the tongue or excessive throat issue. This may cause a decrease in blood oxygen levels and frequent, brief disruptions of sleep, which cause sleepiness during the day.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is when you have a strong urge to move your legs. Most who experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) describe "crawling" sensations in the legs while sitting or lying still, especially at bedtime. Lying or sitting still can be very hard. For some, RLS causes discomfort or pain, which most often occurs in the calves and unlike other limb movement disorders, may be temporarily relieved by stretching and moving the legs. The constant need to stretch or move the legs to get rid of discomfort or pain often prevents a person from falling asleep. Extreme sleepiness during the day is usually the result.
Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, remain asleep, or sleep restfully through the night; it may include consistently awakening too early. It can last a few days or a couple of weeks and is considered a chronic problem if it lasts more than 3 weeks. Insomnia is often the symptom of another medical problem or stress. Insomnia is especially common among the elderly and women.
Untreated, obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, irregular heartbeats, heart failure and stroke. Treatment can help improve breathing and reduce the severity of symptoms such as loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, thereby improving sleep-related quality of life and performance at work or in school.
Problems with sleep are not confined to adults. Sleep disorders in children are common, from babies to toddlers to teens. Yet good quality sleep is vital during these years of growth and development. When children have problems with their sleep, it affects the whole family. Everything suffers: relationships, school work and health.
Sleep problems have increased significantly in children in recent decades. The 2004 Sleep in America poll reported that more two-thirds of children have trouble sleeping at least a few nights a week, and about 40 percent of teens have significant sleep complaints. The good news is that pediatric sleep disorders are treatable, and they can be prevented.
Why is a good night’s sleep so important?
You may not notice when your children are well rested—but you’ll certainly know when they’re not! When children aren’t getting good sleep—either enough sleep or good quality sleep—they become moody and irritable and have a difficult time concentrating or paying attention. They also lose control of their emotions. We’ve all witnessed the child in the grocery cart who obviously missed his or her morning nap and is unable to calm down. In fact, in children, sleepiness may look like the opposite: it can create overactivity and hyperstimulation. Over time, consistently poor sleep will take its toll on a child’s immune system and developmental growth as well.
How do I ensure my children get good quality sleep?
There are many things parents can do to help their children sleep well. The first is to establish a bedtime routine—and stick to it! While newborns have irregular wake and sleep times, infants start developing sleep patterns around two months of age. It’s then time to create a regular bedtime schedule and routine. Babies will continue to take one to four naps a day, with morning naps ceasing naturally around age 18 months and naps ending altogether around age five.
For toddlers and children, follow this healthy bedtime routine:
Children of all ages can suffer from sleep problems. Our pediatric sleep service specializes in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in children and adolescents. These disorders may manifest as excessive daytime sleepiness, learning problems caused by difficulty concentrating or hyperactivity, disturbed or fragmented sleep, sleep walking, confusional arousals, and snoring or heavy breathing.
Pediatric Dream Team
Our fully accredited Sleep Center is staffed by Board Certified physicians and registered sleep technologists with extensive pediatric experience.The Pediatric Sleep Center offers overnight polysomnography for children of all ages. All families have a private room complete with Sony Playstation 3 and TV/DVD, as well as in-room sleeping accommodations for the parent accompanying the child.
Sleep Apnea in Children
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common, and treatable, sleep disorders in children. If your child has any of the following, he or she may need to be evaluated:
There are many things that go bump in the night during childhood. Here are some other sleep disorders that are treated in our Sleep Center:
“The Gold Standard”
A sleep study, also known as overnight polysomnography, is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as the Gold Standard for diagnosing Pediatric Sleep Disorders. The AAP and the AASM strongly recommend a sleep study for any child with suspected sleep apnea. Let us help your child sleep better and feel better.
The Pediatric Sleep Center is fully-accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
To help ensure success, be consistent with your routine. Children need to learn to fall asleep on their own and to fall back asleep after normal awakenings during the night. Encourage your child to fall asleep independently unless your child is sick or otherwise truly needs your help. Your child’s pleading for “Just this once” for a later bedtime, or crawling into bed with you, has a way of becoming a habit. Avoid stimulating activities; do not allow children to watch TV or play video games before bed. Keep the room quiet and at a comfortable, consistent temperature.
How do I recognize a sleep disorder in my child?
We all have nights where we don’t sleep well and pay for it the following day with fatigue and crankiness. However, there are signs to watch for that may indicate your child should be evaluated for a sleep disorder:
Nighttime symptoms:
Daytime symptoms:
Additional symptoms in younger children:
What kinds of sleep issues or disorders affect children?
Sleep disorders in children can vary from simple to serious, and include:
And in older children and teens:
If you suspect your child has a sleep disorder, based on the symptoms above, talk to your family doctor. He or she will review your child’s medical, family, and psychosocial histories, assess behavior and perform a physical exam. If warranted, your child’s doctor may recommend a sleep evaluation by an accredited Sleep Center.
What is involved in a pediatric sleep evaluation?
A sleep doctor is a board-certified clinician specializing in sleep medicine. He or she will ask you to keep a sleep diary for a few weeks, and possibly videotape your child’s sleep. You may then be scheduled for an overnight sleep study, called a polysomnogram. During the exam, we have your child relax and sleep in a homelike-setting. We provide TV, a DVD player and a Playstation® 3 to help make our young guests feel at home while they are being prepared for the study. You can even bring your child’s own pillow and special blanket. A favorite stuffed animal is also welcome, and your child will sleep in his own pajamas. We will attach electrodes and sensors to the skin to monitor and record activity of the brain, muscles and heart; eye movements, breathing patterns and oxygen levels will also be monitored. It is entirely painless!
If the sleep doctor determines that your child has sleep apnea, there are several treatment options to consider:
What is CPAP therapy?
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) uses a bedside machine to gently push air through a tube and into a mask worn around your child’s nose and/or mouth, to help your child breath normally during sleep. CPAP helps your child get quality, restful sleep at night. While the mask may feel foreign at first, most CPAP users—children included—find they sleep better and after a time, don’t want to go to bed without it.
For more information about children and sleep, call The Sleep Center at 425.690.3543.
The Sleep Center is fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and meets the most rigorous standards to rank as a center of excellence in the management of sleep disorders.
Source: National Sleep Foundation
A Note About Teens
The teen years present special challenges when it comes to sleep. Natural patterns shift to a later bedtime so teens have trouble falling asleep at a reasonable hour—but the alarm still rings early for the school day. Have you ever watched a teen enjoy an unlimited sleep-in on a weekend? Many would sleep until noon or early afternoon if they could! Take an already erratic sleep schedule and factor in today’s electronics (many teens play video games and/or sleep with their cell phones, talking and texting in the wee hours) and the stage is set for serious sleep deprivation.
Insufficient sleep in teens has been associated with poor decision-making, increased risk-taking and drowsy driving—behaviors that can have extreme consequences. It has been shown that chronic sleep deprivation is as dangerous as staying up for 24 hours straight, and that those who sleep six to seven hours each night may be twice as likely to have a fatigue-related accident as those who get eight or more hours of sleep a night.
Adolescence is already a roller-coaster ride of emotions, and lack of sleep exacerbates teen moodiness. The 2006 Sleep in America poll found that 73 percent of the teens who reported feeling unhappy, sad or depressed also reported they did not get enough sleep at night and were sleepy during the day.
Sleep disorders come in many forms. The problem may be obvious; you may fall asleep constantly at meetings or your bed partner may wake you because of irregular breathing patterns. Symptoms may be more subtle or even unnoticeable; you may experience long-term fatigue or general irritability.
Some people realize they have a sleep disorder because of specific symptoms, such as remembering waking up frequently. Others may have a sleep disturbance without realizing it at all, with sleep disruption occurring too briefly to be remembered. A primary symptom is daytime sleepiness, which may be perceived as normal, despite the concerns of friends, family and coworkers.
Watch a video about the evaluation process at the sleep center.
Anyone persistently exhibiting the following symptoms or conditions should consider getting evaluated by a physician specially trained in sleep medicine:
Do you suspect you or your partner have a sleep problem?Take our sleep quizSleep Apnea
Insomnia
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If you answered 'yes' to three or more questions under the Sleep Apnea section, or to one or more questions under the insomnia section, you may have a sleep disorder.
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Getting help
If you have symptoms suggestive of a sleep disorder, we recommend consult a sleep medicine specialist to determine if your health and well-being may be affected.
Find a sleep medicine specialist for adults
Find a pediatric sleep medicine specialist
What do you really know about sleep? Test your knowledge
The evaluation begins when you fill out a sleep questionnaire. A physician trained in sleep medicine will then review the information you give. That doctor will interview you and perform a physical examination. Your referring physician will also send medical records related to your problem to The Sleep Center at Valley Medical Center. Depending on the nature of your sleep-related problem, treatment may begin at this point or you may be asked to undergo testing to further understand what happens to you when you sleep. Such testing often consists of a polysomnogram, an all-night sleep test). In some special cases other diagnostic testing, such as a daytime nap study, may be required. Other tests, such as laboratory testing or pulmonary function testing may also be ordered. After completion of this testing, your physician will discuss the results with you and recommend the appropriate treatment.
A polysomnogram is a comprehensive, all-night testing procedure. Electrodes and sensors are attached to the head, chest, abdomen and legs to continuously monitor and record brain activity, various types of muscle activity, eye movements, breathing patterns, heart beat and oxygen level. There is no pain associated with the test. None of the electrodes or sensors go into or through the skin. All are attached to the surface of the skin or scalp. No hair is cut, no skin is broken and no electricity enters the body. With the exception of feeling the attached sensors (much the same as you notice the clothing you wear), you should experience no unpleasant symptoms.
Everything possible is done to ensure your stay is pleasant. We try to reproduce your usual sleep routine in our center. In most cases it is not necessary to exactly duplicate your sleep at home. In fact, your normal routine might be disruptive to the testing procedure.
Staff will monitor you throughout the testing procedure and are immediately available to assist with your needs.
Your sleep doctor will review the results of your evaluation with you at a follow-up appointment. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your physician may prescribe "CPAP" therapy. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine gently pushes air through a tube and into a mask worn around your nose and/or mouth, to help you breath normally while you sleep. CPAP helps you rest, so that you awake alert and refreshed.
Many patients are referred by their primary care physician or healthcare provider. However, we do accept patients who come to us directly with their sleep-related problems.
You will be billed for all technical aspects of the polysomnogram or other tests ordered through The Sleep Center. Professional charges-physicians interviewing patients, interpreting sleep tests, and other studies done in the laboratory-may be billed separately.
Valley Medical Center offers classes in a variety of areas affecting your health and well-being that may also affect your sleep health, such as weight management, fitness, and cardiac health.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
National Sleep Foundation
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
American Sleep Apnea Association
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
Narcolepsy Network
Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (ADSM)
American Association of Sleep Technologists
Journal SLEEP
This video shows a patient undergoing a sleep study at the Sleep Center.
Valley Medical Center's Pulmonary Services specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of problems related to the lungs and airway like asthma, emphysema, sleep disorders, interstitial lung diseases and pneumonia. In addition, we provide comprehensive care for lung cancer patients and individuals with pulmonary vascular disease.
Check out our interactive guides for patients, families and caregivers:
Learn how to live well with asthma (Español) or chronic lung disease (COPD) (Español).
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A pulmonologist is specially trained in diseases and conditions of the chest, such as pneumonia, asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema or complicated chest infections.
Not everyone who suffers from an acute respiratory condition or chronic respiratory disease needs a pulmonologist. Many of these conditions can be managed by a general internist. Their skills are usually needed for patients with complex pulmonary problems, such as emphysema, tuberculosis, asthma, complicated infections of the chest, the pulmonary complications of AIDS, injury and complications of respiratory diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Major surgical procedures are performed by a thoracic surgeon. Yet pulmonologists often perform specialized procedures to obtain samples of the lining of the chest wall or of the lung itself. For example, they use flexible fiberoptics to see inside the air passages and extract sample pieces for study.
Valley's Pulmonary Rehabilitation program specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of problems related to the lungs and airway like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis. In addition, comprehensive care is available for patients with lung cancer and in association with lung cancer surgery.
Helping you breath easier.
Providers at Pulmonary Rehab treat patients with lung problems such as:
Pulmonary Rehabilitation includes exercise classes and education about your lung disease or condition. PR may help you participate in activities with less shortness of breath, as well as teach you how to live better by managing your lung condition.
Pulmonary rehabilitation helps you improve the quality of your life. Although PR can't cure your lung disease, it can make breathing easier and allow you to experience fewer problems.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation is one of the most cost-effective treatment interventions available for patients with chronic respiratory disease. |
Monitored & Supervised Exercise
A primary focus of pulmonary rehab is to improve your cardiorespiratory function through exercise. This is achieved by strategic implementation of cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, and breathing training protocols. This physician-led program allows patients to exercise in a safe environment under the watchful eyes of respiratory and exercise therapists. Your program will be individualized to meet you at any level.
Valley's education classes focus on COPD, as well as other chronic lung diseases, providing information on:
People who have chronic lung diseases are more prone to depression, anxiety and other emotional problems. By participating in Valley Medical Center's Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, you will have the support and resources to help you along your healthy lifestyle journey.
A big part of learning how to best improve your symptoms is learning about your bodies specific nutritional needs. Consult with one of our registered dieticians to identify a healthy nutrition plan.
If you have been dealing with chronic aches and pains, meet with a physical therapist to help identify what will be the best approach to reaching your fitness goals.
Click here to download a pdf of the information to take to your physician.
Call 425.690.3517 to schedule a consult and start your 12-week program.