Are you sleep-deprived?

Are you sleep-deprived? Most of us would answer that question with a casual “yes,” but 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders each year, according to the American Sleep Association.

Sleep problems can lead to severe health problems, says Dr. Adam Posner, medical director of the Advocate Condell Medical Center sleep centers.

“Sleep disorders are a serious health issue and have been proven to increase a patient’s risk of heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes and related conditions,” Posner says. “The most common problems include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.”

Sleep disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving and social activities. They also account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, according to the Sleep Association. The indirect costs from lost productivity and other factors are even greater.

“We can diagnose a variety of sleep disorders,” says Christine McBride, supervisor of the sleep, EEG and EMG department at Condell, which operates two high-tech sleep centers. She notes that the sleep centers are staffed with expert technicians and board-certified sleep medicine physicians.

Condell’s sleep labs offer polysomnograms, which are sleep tests that measure your sleep cycles and stages by recording:

Air flow in and out of the lungs during breathing

• Blood oxygen levels
• Body position
• Brain waves (EEG)
• Breathing effort and rate
• Electrical activity of muscles
• Eye movement
• Heart rate

How can you find out if you have sleep disorder? Start by taking our sleep quiz, then consult your doctor. You may want to consider having a sleep test.