Oklahoma Heart Institute Sleep Care
Oklahoma Heart Institute Sleep Care on the campus of Hillcrest Medical Center is a premier comprehensive sleep medicine program that follows the standards for practice and accreditation set forth by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our physicians are board certified in sleep medicine and our testing facilities have state-of-the-art sleep diagnostic testing equipment for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders in both children and adults. We are committed to improving your health and life through the highest quality of sleep services available.
Sleep Disorders
According to the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (NHLBI), approximately one in six, or 40 million Americans, suffer from a sleep disorder. Symptoms of certain sleep disorders include persistent loud snoring, trouble falling asleep, daytime sleepiness, hypertension, restless sleep and gasping for breath during sleep. Untreated sleep disorders can have serious consequences including death, heart attack/stroke, diabetes, depression, reduced quality of life and sexual dysfunction.
CIRCADIAN RHYTHM DISORDERS
Circadian rhythm disorders include jet lag, adjustments to shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome (fall asleep and wake up too late) and advanced sleep phase syndrome (fall asleep and wake up too early).
DISORDERS IN CHILDREN (AGES 4-17)
Care for children with sleep disorders demands special expertise. Insomnia, sleepwalking, nightmares, snoring and other sleep-related symptoms are not only a problem for the young patient but for the entire family. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures that the physiological and psychological needs particular to childhood are given thorough and expert attention. For infants, children and adolescents we provide effective diagnostic, treatment and counseling services to aid in the management of sleep problems.
INSOMNIA
At least 15 percent of the population suffers from insomnia – difficulty falling or staying asleep – every year. Insomnia can be caused by a number of medical or behavioral factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, restless legs/periodic limb movements during sleep, alcohol, caffeine, drugs or poor sleep habits.
NARCOLEPSY
A brain disorder that causes uncontrollable bouts of excessive sleepiness. Patients with narcolepsy may lose muscular strength suddenly when emotionally upset or when laughing. In addition, they may experience vivid hallucinations as they fall asleep.
Today Show segment – OHI narcolepsy patient
NIGHTMARES
Nightmares are frightening dreams that arise during REM sleep. They can be caused by stress, anxiety and some drugs.
RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME/PERIODIC LIMB MOVEMENT DISORDER
Uncomfortable sensations in the legs near sleep time, leading to an irresistible need to move the legs and interference with falling asleep. Legs and arms may move or jerk involuntarily during sleep. Patients may complain of excessive sleepiness or insomnia, or both.
SLEEP APNEA
Often associated with loud snoring, snorting and gasping for breath, these are periods of uninterrupted breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea can result in daytime sleepiness which can lead to difficulties at work, cause automobile accidents, memory and other intellectual difficulties and depression. Sleep apnea can lead to worsening high blood pressure and is associated with a higher incidence of heart attacks and strokes.
The two types of sleep apnea include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). OSA occurs when soft tissues in the airway collapse during sleep and block the flow of oxygen to the brain. The brain senses a lack of oxygen and wakes the body up just long enough to take a breath, then the body falls back to sleep. This cycle repeats throughout the night and causes poor, disruptive sleep. CSA is a serious type of sleep-disordered breathing that occurs when the brain does not send the correct signals to the breathing muscles (the diaphragm). The result is an inconsistent breathing rhythm and pattern, leading to repeated arousals from sleep, drops in oxygen levels in the blood and increased cardiac stress response.
Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, even children. Risk factors include:
- Being male
- Being overweight
- Being over age 40
- Having a large neck size (17 inches or greater in men and 16 inches or greater in women)
- Having large tonsils, a large tongue or a small jaw bone
- Having a family history of sleep apnea
- Gastroesophageal reflux or GERD
- Nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies or sinus problems
Do you suffer from sleep apnea?
- Most people who have sleep apnea do not know they have it because it only occurs during sleep and it often goes undiagnosed.
- Sleep apnea is a condition where the airway collapses during sleep, causing pauses in breathing or shallow breaths.
- Sleep apnea cannot be detected in a routine office visit and there are no blood tests for the condition. This is why your physician may order a sleep study.
- More than half of the people who have this condition are overweight. There are serious health conditions related to sleep apnea.
- Treatment for sleep disorders usually improves your overall health and happiness as well as your quality of sleep.
In-Lab Sleep Study
When you arrive at one of our sleep clinic locations, you are welcomed by our highly qualified technicians and shown to your comfortable bedroom. The sleep study process will be explained and you will have an opportunity to ask questions. Before the study starts, you will be guided through every step so you are
Hillcrest Medical Center sleep lab bedroom
comfortable with the process and your surroundings. As you enter sleep, we will monitor you with our state of the art equipment. A sleep specialist will observe your sleep patterns, brain waves, eye movements, breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate, muscle activity and more with leads attached to your body. While sleeping with multiple sensors might seem difficult, most patients find they fall asleep very easily. If a sleep disorder is discovered, we will work with your referring physician to provide on-going treatment and support.
AT-HOME SLEEP STUDY
An in-lab sleep study is the most comprehensive sleep evaluation. A secondary choice for those who are more than likely suffering from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and have no other significant medical conditions is an at- home sleep study. During this study, you will be allowed to sleep at home while wearing testing equipment that you set up yourself. This equipment will collect information about your breathing habits while you sleep.
CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE THERAPY (CPAP)
A CPAP machine is the most effective and widely used nonsurgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It increases air pressure in your throat so that your airway doesn’t collapse when you breathe in.
Inspire Therapy
Inspire works inside the body with a patient's natural breathing process to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Inspire delivers mild stimulation to key airway muscles, allowing the airway to open during sleep. The patient uses a small
handheld remote to turn inspire on before bed and off when they wake up. No mask, no hose, just sleep. Inspire therapy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure.
ORAL APPLIANCES
If you have mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and can’t tolerate or haven’t been helped by CPAP, oral appliances may be an effective treatment option. These devices must be fitted by a dentist or orthodontist and worn in the mouth at night.
REMEDE SYSTEM
Oklahoma Heart Institute at Hillcrest Medical Center performed the first remedē System procedure in Oklahoma. The FDA-approved remedē System is an implantable therapy that monitors and stabilizes the breathing pattern to restore sleep throughout the night. This breakthrough treatment has been shown to improve sleep, breathing and quality of life in adult patients with moderate to severe central sleep apnea (CSA). People with moderate to severe CSA often suffer from chronic fatigue, daytime sleepiness and memory or concentration problems.
Contact Us
Patients should schedule an initial appointment with their primary healthcare provider. If needed, the primary healthcare provider will order the necessary testing through our sleep care staff.
For more information, please call 918-747-5337 (option 1).
Referral Information
Sleep Care Providers
Click on a Provider to View More Information
