Sleep

A night without sleep can affect the quality of your entire day. Our sleep specialists can help you diagnose the cause of your challenges and start sleeping more soundly.

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Start Sleeping Soundly Again

Sleep disorders are estimated to impact more than 50 million people in the U.S. They’re very common—and can have a debilitating impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health. Whether you’re struggling with snoring or sleep apnea, the sleep specialists at The Barranco Clinic can help you improve the quality and duration of your sleep.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of sleep disorders include:

Trouble falling or staying asleep
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Frequent headaches
Dry throat
Snoring, gasping, and choking during sleep

In addition, the daytime sleepiness you experience following a poor night’s rest can make it difficult for you to perform well at work or school or to safely drive.

Diagnosing Your Sleep Disorder

Before we can improve your sleep, we first need to figure out exactly what’s keeping you awake. We accomplish this in two ways:

Evaluation of Your Symptoms

First, we’ll schedule an initial consultation with one of our sleep specialists so we can understand your symptoms. During this appointment, we’ll want you to tell us:

How long it takes you to fall asleep
When you wake up (and how many times you wake up during the night)
If you snore, gasp, or make choking sounds during sleep

Sleep Study

After your initial exam, we may administer a sleep study. While you sleep, a special device will attach to your face and head via electrodes. The machine will record your brain waves, oxygen, heart rate, and breathing during sleep.

On receipt of the test results, we can identify if your sleep disturbances are due to sleep apnea or another underlying condition.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a very common cause of sleep challenges. It causes interrupted breathing during the night, resulting in loud snoring and sudden gasps for breath. Not only does sleep apnea stop you from sleeping well, but if it’s left untreated, it puts you at an increased risk of congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and more.

CPAP

A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is the gold-standard, non-surgical treatment approach for sleep apnea. It’s essentially a device that fits over your nose and mouth and is connected to tubes that deliver continuous pressurized oxygen.

This flow of oxygen prevents your tongue, soft palate, and other tissues from descending into your airway. This improves your breathing and sleep quality.

Sleep Apnea Surgery

If conservative treatments aren’t effective for your sleep apnea, we may recommend UPPP. It’s a common surgery that involves removing tissue at the back of your throat to widen the airway and prevent sleep apnea symptoms.

UPPP is an outpatient procedure, which means a hospital stay is not required. The surgery generally takes about two hours to complete, and you can return home on the same day to begin the recovery process.

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

The precise cause of sleep apnea can vary from person to person. The most common risk factors for developing sleep apnea include:

Being over the age of 40
Being overweight or obese
Using alcohol, sedatives, or medications that relax the airway muscles
Having a nasal obstruction due to sinus, allergy, or structural problems

Why Choose the Barranco Clinic for Your Sleep Care?

Our sleep specialists have been helping Central Florida patients for decades. We deliver trusted, individualized care that takes into account your unique condition, preferences, and lifestyle. We compose a treatment plan combined with ongoing support that you can adhere to—one that treats your sleep disorder, fits into your lifestyle, and restores your ability to sleep soundly.

FAQ

What’s the difference between CPAP and an oral appliance?

Although CPAP is the gold-standard treatment approach for sleep apnea, it can be difficult for many people to tolerate. If you can’t consistently wear your CPAP machine, we may recommend an oral appliance. It’s a smaller, more comfortable device that can treat sleep apnea.

Are there any lifestyle changes that can help with sleep apnea?

Absolutely. Losing weight, elevating your bed, and sleeping on your side are all simple methods that may improve your sleep apnea.