Is snoring sending you or your spouse to the couch? Do you wake up in the morning feeling as though you have been up all night? You are not alone -- 40 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder, according to the National Sleep Foundation. To learn why you are having trouble sleeping, your physician may suggest a sleep study, or polysomnogram, at The George Washington University Hospital Sleep Center.

A sleep study monitors your physical state as you sleep for one night in one of the Center's newly renovated patient rooms. The study provides data on sleep stages, body position, blood oxygen levels, respiration, muscle tone, heart rate and snoring. During the test, you will be connected with electrodes to recording equipment, which a technician will monitor from a control room.

"The GW Sleep Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which demonstrates an adherence to strict quality standards and the availability of an academic component to train physicians and nurses in sleep medicine," says Samuel J. Potolicchio, MD, Medical Director for the Center and Professor of Neurology.

Once the data is collected, it is interpreted by a team of doctors, including an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat physician), a neurologist, pulmonologist and other physicians who specialize in sleep disorders.

Samuel J. Potolicchio, MD, Medical Director for the Center and Professor of Neurology Vivek Jain, MD, Co-Director, GW Sleep Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine

"One of the key benefits of GW Hospital's Sleep Center is our ability to consult with a wide range of physicians, all of whom have a different perspective on sleep disorders," says Vivek Jain, MD, Co-Director, GW Sleep Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine.

After the cause of sleeplessness is determined, physicians can suggest treatment options such as behavioral modification, sedative medications or surgery to correct throat abnormalities and relieve severe snoring.

Jerry Chiles, 70, suffered from excessive daytime sleepiness and heavy snoring when he turned to GW's Sleep Center. "I often fell asleep during telephone conversations," Mr. Chiles says. "I could not stay awake during any performance when the lights dimmed." Since using a nasal CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device, which helps keep his airway open while sleeping, his daytime sleepiness has improved "remarkably" and he has more energy.

The Sleep Stealers
These are the most common conditions diagnosed at the Sleep Center:

• Sleep apnea: Occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep, causing the individual to awaken many times during the night and feel sleepy during the day.
• Narcolepsy: Excessive daytime sleepiness, even after sleeping enough at night.
• Restless leg syndrome: Causes creeping, crawling, or painful sensations in the legs, making it difficult to fall asleep.
• Snoring: Can be caused by abnormalities in the nose or throat.

Need to Get More Zzzz?
For more information about the Sleep Center or to get a referral to a sleep specialist, please call 1-888-4GW-DOCS.

900 23rd St., NW, Washington, DC 20037 (202) 715-4000