CaRi-heart technology
Revolutionary new technology to assess the risk of a serious heart condition or heart attack – many years before anything happens.
Sleep disorders
PROBLEMS RELATING TO SLEEP
HCA UK's experts can help to diagnose and treat a range of sleep disorders.
About sleep disorders
At HCA UK, our team of experts specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of sleep disorders. These include insomnia, sleep apnoea, restless legs syndrome (RLS) and narcolepsy.
Need to know
It is recommended that adults should get at least eight hours of good quality sleep a night. If you have a sleep disorder, you may suffer from fatigue, irritability and poor mental function.
Sleep disorders can have an adverse affect on your overall health, mental well being, safety and quality of life, and affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.
You may also be at risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
The most common symptoms of sleep disorders are:
- Having trouble falling or staying asleep
- Regularly feeling tired (fatigued) during the day
- Having a strong urge to take naps
- Poor concentration
Your GP or consultant will discuss your symptoms with you. Tests they may recommend include:
- Filling out an Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire
- Attending a specialist sleep clinic to assess the problems that you are having
- Respiratory sleep study also known as overnight oximetry (to monitor your breathing, blood oxygen levels and heart rate)
- Polysomnography (a sleep study that records your brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing and eye and leg movements)
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor brainwaves
Treatment options for your sleep disorder depend on the nature of your condition.
Treatment options that your GP or consultant may recommend include:
- Counselling such as cognitive-behaviour-therapy (CBT) to help you better manage unhelpful thoughts and habits relating to sleep
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, where a machine and mask are used to deliver lightly pressurised air that helps to keep your airways open
- Medicines to help you sleep (sleeping pills)
Types of sleep disorders
Sleep apnoea
Sleep apnoea causes abnormal breathing patterns during the night which can affect the quality of your sleep.
Insomnia
Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep during the night.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
RLS (or Willis-Ekbom disease) causes an uncomfortable sensation that forces you to move your legs as you try to fall asleep.
More about restless legs syndrome
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy causes excessive tiredness and can even cause you to fall asleep suddenly during the day.
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David’s gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist, former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.