Living with a sleep disorder can feel like you are fighting a losing battle. You may begin to think you will never sleep well again. Before you give up dreams of a good night’s rest, learn more about treatment options to help.
Research continues to shed new light on the process of sleep. This helps providers know how sleep disorders affect the human body. Once the source of the problem is found, it can be treated.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one of these treatments might solve your sleep problem:
Bright light therapy helps treat circadian rhythm disorders that occur when your body’s internal clock, which tells you when it’s time to sleep or wake, is out of sync with the timing for usual activities such as work or school. Bright light therapy helps to “reset” your body’s clock by exposing your eyes to bright light for a specific amount of time. Some disorders treated with bright light therapy include jet lag, shift work disorder and delayed/advanced sleep-wake phase.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches methods to change the actions or thoughts that hurt your ability to sleep well. It’s often used to treat insomnia. CBT will help you establish healthy sleep habits with one or more of these methods:
- Stimulus control
- Sleep restriction
- Relaxation training
- Psychotherapy
- Sleep hygiene
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most common and effective way to treat obstructive sleep apnea, when breathing periodically stops and starts while sleeping. With CPAP therapy, a steady stream of air blows through a mask and into the back of the throat to keep the upper airway open. This prevents the upper airway from collapsing, which is a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea.
Medications recommended by your provider may be an option. A number of medications help treat some sleep disorders, such as insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Unfortunately, no medication exists for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Always discuss with your doctor before using any medications.
Melatonin is a hormone your body makes to help regulate the sleep/wake cycle. Melatonin supplements are most effective in the treatment of certain circadian rhythm sleep disorders. These include jet lag, shift work disorder and delayed/advanced sleep-wake phase.
Oral appliances can help treat snoring and sleep apnea. Similar to sports mouth guards, these devices protect your teeth and stabilize the base of the tongue to prevent collapse and keep open the upper airway as you sleep.
Surgery may be an option if you suffer from a severe case of obstructive sleep apnea. There are several surgical options —some minimally invasive and some more complex. Examples include hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy (Inspire), hyoid suspension, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and maxillomandibular advancement (MMA)
If you think you may have a sleep disorder, visit with your primary care provider about having a sleep study done. At MercyOne, our sleep experts provide consultation, evaluation, treatment and thorough follow-up care to help you get back to living your best life.
Learn more about sleep from an interview with two of MercyOne Des Moines' sleep medicine doctors.
