Understanding the Sleep Cycle

Sleep is complex and dynamic.
It is only in the last 50 years that science and medicine have been able to understand the nature of sleep. No longer viewed as passive, we now know the brain is very active during sleep and that physical and mental well-being is directly correlated to the quality and amount of sleep a person regularly gets.

A complete sleep cycle usually lasts 90 minutes and is comprised of five stages. Starting with light sleep and decreased brain activity, in stage two, eye movement and muscle activity stops, stages three and four is when deep sleep takes place, stage five is when Rapid Eye Movement and dreaming begins. At the end of the cycle, the sleeper returns to stage one to repeat the process throughout the night. Typically, normal restorative sleep requires five cycles per night.

One fundamental characteristic of most sleep disorders is the natural sleep cycle never gets completed. Regardless the specific cause, persistent fragmented sleep sets in motion a cascade of events that often lead to serious medical problems.

The Sleep Lab
A diagnosis most often requires a night's stay in the sleep lab. It's not a place of stainless steel and glass but a comfortable bedroom that would typically be found in any home.

Pleasantly furnished with a high-quality bed and bedding, reading lamp, radio and TV, the environment is conducive to sleep, and makes the patient feel as much at home as possible.

Prior to the sleep session, the patient is connected to the monitoring equipment with contacts very similar to an electrocardiogram. The equipment measures heart rate, oxygen levels, muscle activity and brain waves. There is also an infrared camera to visually document the sleep session. The data is collected and recorded [called a polysomnograph] for analysis by your doctor. Using established criteria and protocols, a diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is prescribed.

A thorough report is sent to your primary care or referring physician to be considered in the treatment of any other medical issues a patient might face. Clear and direct communication with other doctors involved with the patient is essential for a positive outcome.

The staff and medical team at the Sleep Improvement Center have decades of combined experience in several key disciplines: cardiology, pulmonary and internal medicine, pediatrics and ENT [ear-nose and throat - otolaryngology]. Comprehensive medical knowledge and experience is brought to bear on every case.

Treatment and Therapy
The Sleep Wellness Center Of NY provides a full-range of therapeutic treatment. Depending upon diagnosis, your doctor may prescribe an appliance to help nighttime breathing, life-style changes, surgery or medication. But only until after a diagnosis is made can effective treatment take place.