Patients scheduled for a sleep study find AAMC’s new, expanded Sleep Center gives five-star hotels a run for their money. There are 10 private, comfortable rooms decorated to encourage sleep, television included.

State-of-the-art monitoring equipment from Sleep Services of America is used to record brain movements during the patient's time at the center. AAMC sleep specialists Ira Weinstein, M.D., and Steve Resnick, M.D., interpret the adult data and recommend appropriate measures to correct whatever disorder is detected.

A pediatric group from Johns Hopkins Hospital interprets the pediatric data and makes treatment recommendations. Altogether, there are 84 identified sleep disorders that can damage personal health and reduce the quality of life for adults and children and their parents.

According to statistics from the National Sleep Foundation, 38,000 cardiovascular deaths per year are a consequence of sleep apnea, a relatively common sleep disorder associated with high blood pressure and heart and lung disease. People with sleep apnea have a seven times greater risk of serious motor vehicle accidents as a result of sleep deprivation.The Most Common Sleep Problems and Disorders

• Insomnia Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early. Insomnia may be due to stress or poor sleep hygiene (bedtime habits). It is also frequently a symptom of a sleep disorder or other medical problem
• Sleep Apnea A breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea A breathing disorder that occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth, although efforts to breathe continue. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea episodes. Sleep apnea can also be accompanied by choking sensations. Sleep apnea is most common in men and overweight individuals. Untreated, it is linked to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) This neurological disorder causes unusual, creeping, burning or itching sensations in the legs (and sometimes the arms) that produce an irresistible urge to move. Because RLS symptoms tend to worsen during the evening, the sensations and the need to move the affected limb can disturb sleep. Individuals may also experience periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD), or an involuntary jerking of the legs during sleep.
• Narcolepsy This is a chronic neurological disorder involving the central nervous system. For people with narcolepsy, the messages sent by the brain to other parts of the body about when to sleep and when to be awake arrive in the wrong place at the wrong time. People with narcolepsy experience "sleep attacks" that can occur at any time. When falling asleep or waking up, people with narcolepsy may experience brief paralysis and/or vivid images and sounds.

To schedule an appointment at AAMC's Sleep Disorders Center, please call (800) 755-7510 x139 and 145. For more information on sleep and sleep disorders, visit the Web site of the National Sleep Foundation at www.sleepfoundation.org.