St. Luke's Sleep Center offers treatment for sleep disorders

St. Luke's The Woodlands Sleep Center offers treatment and diagnosis for a variety of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy.

More than 100 million Americans are estimated to be suffering from some form of sleep deprivation. Research shows a strong correlation between sleep apnea and other serious ailments.

"When the upper airway repeatedly collapses, it causes the body's oxygen level to drop dramatically and, as a consequence, the body awakens repeatedly, which can lead to diabetes as well as high blood pressure, stroke and other forms of heart disease," said Dr. Ather J. Siddiqi, the center's medical director. "It may also contribute to acid reflux disease and adult attention deficit hyperactive disorder."

The most frequent symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring and sleepiness, but sufferers may also experience restless sleep, fatigue, concentration problems, difficulty falling asleep, heartburn or acid reflux, morning headaches, waking up regularly with a dry mouth or sore throat and hard-to-manage high blood pressure.

Daytime sleepiness caused by sleep disorders can increase the likelihood of car wrecks, accidents at work, lowered productivity and depression.

Chronic insomnia can result in more serious issues, including mental illness, impaired cognition and lower quality of life.

St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital Sleep Center is at 17250 St. Luke's Way, Suite 460.

For more information, call 936-266-3170 or visit www.stlukeswoodlands.com/OurServices/SleepServices.