Sleep disorders clinic helps patients rest easy

CTV Atlantic: Our Housecall focuses on sleep We visit a one of a kind sleep disorders clinic to learn how it helps people live healthier lives.

A one of a kind sleep disorders clinic at the QEII Health Science Centre in Halifax is helping people live healthier lives.

A poor night's sleep will leave you feeling tired and yawning for most of the day, but for some the problem lies much deeper.

For years, it was normal for Dan Gould to wake up tired.

“I was having some issues with my sleeping, getting up several times throughout the night to go to the washroom, I was tired all the time, my blood pressure was elevated,” says Gould.

Gould would spend much of his day in a foggy state of mind, exhausted and unable to collect his thoughts.

“I worked harder at night than I did throughout the day,” recalls Gould.

So he went to his family doctor, who referred him to the sleep disorders clinic at the QEII Health Science Centre.

“When people start falling asleep involuntarily, in situations where they should be awake - so for example when driving, or operating machinery or operating a camera, or perhaps talking to other people or in meetings – well then they might run into problems,” says Dr. Margaret Rajda, a sleep specialist.

The QEII’s sleep disorders clinic was established in 1991. It treats patients with a variety of conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.

“There are different types of sleep studies that we might perform, some would involve people coming to the lab during the night and sleeping here, sometimes we will do a type of study which can be done in the patient's home - that very much depends on the patient's presentation, what types of problems they are presenting with,” says Rajda.

Patients can often be diagnosed and treated on the spot.

“We record brain-wave patterns, so we can tell exactly when they’re sleeping, what stage of sleep they’re in, and you know, if they’re following normal sleep architecture,” says Sharon Cooper, a polysomnographic technologist.

Gould took part in a sleep study at the lab back in September. He was diagnosed with sleep apnea and now uses a CPAP machine, which helps him sleep easier through the night.

“I no longer need to get up in the night and go to the washroom, my blood pressure is down significantly, I have very little stress, and, according to other people, I'm easier to get along with,” says Gould.

Dr. Rajda suggests that anyone who is concerned they may have a sleep disorder should visit their family physician first to get a referral.