It was supposed to be a routine visit. The patient who scheduled an appointment with Innovative Sleep Centers (ISC) was getting ready to go on vacation but first wanted to be checked out for sleep apnea. Instead, the staff discovered a cardiac condition.
“She ended up in the hospital having a procedure,” says Krystle Ramos, provider liaison for ISC. “Later she let us know that we’d saved her life.”
While most sleep disorders are not life-threatening, ISC staff know the signs of underlying disorders. “There are other conditions that may cause poor sleep,” Ramos explains. “Our providers are highly trained to look for those morbidities.”
Sleep apnea is the number one issue for patients at ISC, followed by hypersomnia – daytime sleepiness – and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). “Sleep apnea is so common, but it often goes undiagnosed,” says Ramos. People with sleep apnea may experience pauses in breathing five to 30 times per hour – or more – during sleep, causing them to wake up as they gasp for air. The condition prevents restful sleep and has been connected to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure.
Cases of hypersomnia can be dangerous, causing patients to fall asleep at work or while driving despite getting a full night’s sleep. Those with RLS experience itchy, pins and needles or crawling sensations in their legs that create an irresistible urge to move, interfering with sleep. ISC also treats patients with insomnia, but fewer people seek treatment for that issues, says Ramos.
Patients span a range of ages, from three years old to senior citizens. Lately, there’s been a higher prevalence of pediatric cases. “We have more kids showing signs of daytime sleepiness and hyperactivity,” Ramos notes. “Often, hyperactivity comes down to a lack of sleep. That range is highest among five to ten-year-olds, although we do see a lot of high schoolers.”
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy remains the most standard remedy for sleep apnea, but it doesn’t work for all patients. “We start with CPAP and if someone can’t tolerate it, we’ll bring them back and try a different therapy,” says Ramos. “We want to make sure they’re getting the optimal treatment.”
For those with insomnia, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) can make a difference. Providers work with patients to determine factors that are contributing to sleepless nights. “They’ll talk about things like turning off all electronics at night and try to get to the bottom of the problem,” says Ramos.
Medications are a last resort, according to Dana Ochsner, territory manager for the Tumwater office who has been a LPN for 30 years. “Occasionally we’ll use them, but we really like to use other modalities first. Sometimes, people need mild medications.”
Getting better sleep can have dramatic results, including reduced blood pressure, weight loss and drops in blood sugar among patients who are diabetic. Ramos’ husband suffered from sleep apnea, and within six months of starting treatment, he lost 50 pounds and was able to get off the medication he’d been taking for RLS. “A lot of obese patients suffer from sleep apnea,” says Ramos. “When they’re able to get more oxygen, they have more energy.”
ISC was founded in 2010 by Dr. Mehrdad Razavi, a trained neurologist and psychiatrist, with the mission of providing non-pharmacologic, comprehensive, inter-disciplinary sleep care to patients with a variety of sleep disorders. He’s been practicing medicine for 30 years but was drawn to the field after seeing the impact of good quality sleep on health and wellness. “Dr. Razavi saw that good sleep not only makes you healthier but helps you live a better life,” says Ramos. “He has great compassion for people and wants them to have a good quality of life.”
Both Ramos and Ochsner agree that the work they do is rewarding. “What inspires me is seeing people get their lives back and feeling like we’re making a difference,” says Ochsner. For Ramos, part of the satisfaction comes from seeing how far sleep medicine has come. “It’s been really exciting to realize how intertwined sleep is with our overall health,” she says. “It makes me want to learn more about how it affects our wellbeing.”
To learn more about Innovative Sleep Centers, visit www.innovativesleepcenters.com or call the Tumwater office at 360-754-3825.
