Sleep Medicine

If you often find yourself wide awake in the wee hours, you're not alone. Nearly two-thirds of American adults experience regular sleep disruptions. Get a better night's rest with help from the sleep medicine team at Virginia Hospital Center.

Signs You May Have a Sleep Problem

Talk to your doctor if you experience:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Discomfort in your legs when lying down
• Headaches
• Interrupted sleep
• Snoring
• Unusual tiredness or difficulty staying awake during the day
• Urge to move your legs while lying down

Common Sleep Disorders

Find diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of sleep disorders, including:

• Insomnia – Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS) – Pins-and-needles sensation and an irresistible urge to move your legs while lying down
• Sleep apnea – Interrupted breathing during sleep

Why is Sleep Important?

Sleep needs vary, but the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Good sleep is important for your overall health and well-being. When you don't get enough sleep, you increase your risk for:

• Anxiety and depression
• Diabetes
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Kidney failure
• Low libido
• Memory problems and other cognitive difficulties
• Premature aging of the skin
• Shortened lifespan
• Stroke

Diagnosing Sleep Disorders

Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may recommend a sleep study, or polysomnogram, at Virginia Hospital Center's Sleep Lab. During a sleep study, your care team monitors you while you sleep. They may record your:

• Airflow
• Blood oxygen levels
• Brainwaves
• Muscle activity
• Nerve impulses to the eye
• Heart rhythms
• Snoring patterns

Get a Better Night's Sleep

Work with your care team to create a plan for better sleep. Depending on your diagnosis, needs and preferences, your plan may include:

• Avoiding substances such as alcohol or tobacco
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy – Uses a mask connected to a machine to help you breathe more easily while you sleep
• Iron or magnesium supplements – Help improve sleep quality
• Medications – Help you fall asleep or stay asleep
• Muscle rubs – Ease leg pain or discomfort
• Sensory modulation – Uses aromatherapy, chamomile tea and self-calming strategies, such as deep breathing, to help you fall asleep naturally
• Weight loss – May improve or resolve symptoms of certain types of sleep apnea

Late Cancellation No Show

At VHC Health, we recognize the importance of our patients’ time and are committed to providing efficient and timely care. By giving us advance notice, you help us accommodate as many patients as possible and minimize disruptions to the schedule.

Sleep Medicine is now requiring advance notice for appointment changes or late cancellations. This notice helps us accommodate as many patients as possible and minimizes disruptions to our patient schedule. Failure to notify us less than 48 business hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time, or failure to show for your scheduled appointment, may result in a late cancellation or no-show fee of $250.