Sleep Disorders

It is estimated that as many as 35-40% of Americans experience poor quality of sleep secondary to a variety of sleep disorders. We continued our series with Northside Hospital this week as I sat down with Sleep Medicine specialist, Dr. Robert Albin. We talked about the statistics around sleep disorders and Dr. Albin discussed the serious accidents that have occurred that are thought to be related to sleep deprivation. Some of those include: Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chernobyl, a recent ferry accident in NYC, and more.

Dr. Albin shared how poor quality and low quantities of sleep can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, poor mental function, depression, and others. We talked about the process sleep specialists go through to determine the source of a person’s sleep disorder. In many cases, the issue is borne out of mental or emotional stress rather than a physical/neurological issue. In those cases the sleep specialist will collaborate with a psychology/psychiatry specialist to help work through those causative issues.

For patients who have a sleep disorder related to brain chemistry/function or an obstructive process such as obstructive sleep apnea, the specialists have specialized tests they can conduct to determine the quality of sleep and determine the cause of the problem. The sleep specialty team at Northside offers a variety of diagnostic studies/treatments and it was the first sleep center of its kind in the city. For our listeners who are themselves or their loved ones are experiencing difficulty sleeping please take a listen to this week’s show and share it! You might help someone you care about.

Special Guest:

Dr. Robert Albin, MD, of North Atlanta Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists