Services & Specialty Centers

Sleep Center

If you have trouble falling (or staying) asleep – or sleep like a log and still wake up feeling tired – you may be one of the estimated 50 million Americans who suffer from a sleep disorder.

But don’t despair: help is available at The Center for Sleep Medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospital. Located at 1420 Broadway, Hewlett, NY, the Center offers the latest in technology – together with a panel of board-certified sleep experts – to not only help diagnose your sleep disorder, but also to help treat it.

So whether you suffer from insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea or another disorder, rest easy: our patient-centered approach can provide you with the help you need – when it’s convenient for you – in a warm, comfortable center that’s close to home.

To find out more, call us at (516) 374-8830.

Do you have a sleep disorder? Take this quiz and find out.

Fast Facts: General Sleep Information

Sleep disorders account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year. The cost to US businesses due to the lack of productivity brought on by poor sleep is estimated at over $18 billion.

The Department of Transportation attributes over 100,000 traffic accidents, over 70,000 injuries and over 1,500 fatalities to drowsy driving each year. Related costs are estimated at over $12 billion.

The International Classification of Sleep Disorders presents well over 80 classified forms of sleep disorder.

Approximately 90 million Americans snore, 37 million of which snore chronically.

Approximately 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia.

Up to 15% of pregnant women develop restless legs syndrome during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.

80% of patients that suffer from restless legs syndrome are thought to also have periodic limb movement disorder.

The National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 Sleep in America poll found that 77% of respondents reported that their bed partner had a sleep disorder.

Those that were affected by their partner’s disorder claimed losing an average of 49 minutes of sleep per night or over 300 hours of sleep per year as reported by the poll.

The NHLBI estimates that 18 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. This includes 1 in 25 middle aged men and 1 in 50 middle aged women. Snoring is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea is linked with:

• Serious increased risk of stroke
• Increased occurrence of hypoxemia which is linked to insulin resistance
• Hypertension
• Preeclampsia during pregnancy
• Impotence
• Vehicular accidents due to the symptoms of daytime sleepiness

Sleep Hygiene

In general try to build into your schedule time for eight hours of sleep and follow this routine as regularly as possible. Even on the weekends. Here are a few tips many people have found to be useful:

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. Caffeine and nicotine can delay your sleep, and alcohol may interrupt your sleep later in the night.
• Exercise regularly, but do so at least three hours before bedtime. A workout after that time may actually keep you awake because your body has not had a chance to cool down.
• Don’t use your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. Your bed should be associated with sleep.
• If you have trouble sleeping when you go to bed, don’t nap during the day, since it affects your ability to sleep at night.
• Consider your sleep environment. Make it as pleasant, comfortable, dark and quiet as you can.
• Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine that will allow you to unwind and send a "signal" to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Avoiding exposure to bright light before bedtime and taking a hot bath may help.
• If you can’t go to sleep after 30 minutes, don’t stay in bed tossing and turning. Get up and involve yourself in a relaxing activity, such as listening to soothing music or reading, until you feel sleepy. Remember: Try to clear your mind; don’t use this time to solve daily problems.