Sleep Medicine

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Get a Better Night's Sleep

Get the rest you need to feel your best at work and at home. Sleep loss can cause serious problems in your life and affect your mood, memory, performance and health. See the sleep experts at Sanford Sleep Medicine for help managing sleep disorders and deprivation.

You’ll undergo a sleep study where specialists monitor you during a regular night’s sleep. We’ll then offer a diagnosis and treatment plan for your condition. After an accurate diagnosis, specialists can effectively treat most sleep disorders.

See our specialists if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in over two weeks or if you haven’t felt well-rested in that long. Many sleep disorders go undiagnosed because their symptoms seem harmless. However, chronic sleep issues can lead to obesity, heart problems, diabetes, depression and more.

 

How Much Sleep Do You Need

Healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. It differs from person to person. Get more sleep if you feel tired or irritable during the day.

If you have trouble falling asleep or waking up, you may have a sleep disorder. Meet with a sleep medicine specialist to get help managing your sleep issue.

Sleep doctors help patients with a variety of sleep disorders. These conditions include:

 

Learn About Sleep Studies

Your physician will likely schedule you for a sleep study to address sleep-related issues. These studies take place overnight at a Sleep Disorder Center. During the tests, you’ll sleep in a comfortable room resembling a hotel room. Technicians will record your sleep patterns using electrodes attached to your head, chest and limbs. The test takes about seven hours.

Sleep studies check how much sleep you’re getting and the quality of that sleep. Sleep medicine specialists monitor different sleep indicators, including:

  • Brain activity

  • Breathing rate

  • Eye movement

  • Heart rhythm

  • How long it takes to fall asleep

  • How long you stay asleep

  • Limb movement

Learn more about sleep studies.

 

Find a Sleep Medicine Center

Meet Sanford Sleep Medicine’s expert team of sleep doctors and find relief from chronic sleep disorders. We have Sleep Disorder Centers across the Upper Midwest.

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Additional Information

Get the Facts About Sleep Problems

Many sleep disorders go unnoticed because the symptoms are common and seemingly harmless. The sleep disorders most frequently recognized and treated in sleep centers include:

  • Snoring and sleep apnea
  • Hypersomnolence
  • Narcolepsy
  • Restlessness
  • Sleep/wake problems

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What is a Sleep Study?

A sleep study is a test that is performed while you are asleep. These tests help your physician understand what is happening to your body while you sleep. They are done to help determine what is causing you not to receive a good night's rest.

Sleep disorders that could be discovered during testing include sleep apnea, narcolepsy, night terrors, sleep walking and limb movement disorder.

All patients need to be referred by a physician for a sleep study. Talk with your primary care physician if you are having sleep related medical problems.

Know What to Expect at Your Sleep Test Appointment

The sleep study takes about seven hours. For most people, sleep studies will not interfere with daytime activities such as work, school or family responsibilities.

While you sleep in a quiet, comfortable room resembling a hotel room, technicians at an adjacent monitoring station observe and record your sleep patterns, heart and respiratory activity and body movements.

There will be some wires attached with paste to your head, chin, chest and legs. (This paste will wash off with soap and water.) The test will finish at about 6 a.m. the next day.

Your Sleep Test Packing List

Here are some items you will need to bring to your sleep study appointment:

  • Sleeping clothes, as you may feel more comfortable in your own clothes. We have patient gowns available.

  • Medications that you take routinely including over-the-counter medicines like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, TUMS, etc. If you feel you'll have difficulty sleeping in a new location, contact your physician for a sleep aid.

  • A special pillow and/or blanket if you think this will help you sleep better. We provide pillows and blankets.