Sleep Disorders Center

About Watson Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center:

Nearly 70 million Americans suffer from some level of debilitating sleep deprivation, unable to achieve the suggested seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Something as common as chronic snoring is actually one of the major symptoms of a sleep disorder, which contributes to a host of health concerns and potentially hazardous shifts in concentration, mental capacity, mood and blood pressure. The sufferer is often not aware that their failure to achieve restful sleep constitutes a medical condition. Fortunately, many of these disorders that cause sleep deprivation are easily treatable and oftentimes completely curable.

Watson Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center was one of the first sleep labs established in the state and is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The sleep disorders center features the services of three board-certified pulmonologists Dr. Eric Lipson, Dr. Nidal Sakka and Dr. Naem Shahrour, along with a team of specially trained technicians. Together, they treat a range of disorders, including:

One of the most common sleep-related disorders is a condition called sleep apnea, which occurs when an airway obstruction interrupts rest. The major symptoms of the disorder are loud snoring and daytime sleepiness, but it can lead to more severe conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

Following a routine examination of the mouth and throat, your physician may recommend further testing to properly diagnose the condition, which may involve an overnight stay in a sleep lab. Watson Clinic’s sleep disorders lab is elaborately equipped to monitor all the necessary functions during a patient’s sleep, including breathing, oxygen levels and heart rate.

Once diagnosed with sleep apnea or another sleep disorder, a physician may prescribe simple lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, or decreased alcohol or tobacco intake. In some circumstances, the patient may be given a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which keeps the throat airway open during sleep with a steady stream of continuous air pressure.