GRAPEVINE, Texas, July 12 (UPI) -- Nearly seven out of 10 U.S. adults have problems getting a good night's sleep, but a sleep disorder, if left untreated, could become a serious health issue.
"Shortchanging our bodies of the sleep we need not only leads to extreme fatigue, but could also contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, heart problems and even depression," says Dr. Henry Raroque Jr., a board-certified neurologist and sleep specialist at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas.
Often, only a few lifestyle changes are required to improve the quality of sleep, but for others, a medical sleep study might be the answer.
At the Baylor Grapevine Sleep Lab, patients stay overnight in a suite with all the comforts of home, including a full-size bed, a TV with a DVD player and VCR.
During a seven- to eight-hour period, brain activity, sleep states, heart rate, breathing and oxygen levels, and leg and eye movements are electronically recorded, monitored and studied by a specially trained sleep technician. Qualified sleep specialists interpret the results, and if a problem is diagnosed one of several treatment options will be recommended.
