Help for snorers who suffer from sleep apnea

Tired all day? Toss and turn all night? Snore?
Help is waiting at the Queens Hospital Center Sleep Disorder Center.
Located on 164th Street in Jamaica, the hospital opened its Sleep Disorder Center about a year ago to assist men, women and children who may have sleep apnea, a problem that is becoming more and more prevalent.
Snoring can actually be an indication of medical problems that can lead to cardiovascular and neurodevelopment issues.
It is estimated that nearly 30 percent of middle-aged men and nine percent of middle-aged woman suffer from what doctors call obstructive sleep apnea. Studies show that ten percent of children snore on a regular basis, with 20 percent of them having obstructive sleep apnea.
Some of the signs of sleep apnea are “breathing through the mouth, labored breathing during sleep, pauses in breathing, restless sleep, poor sleep quality, bed-wetting in children, excessive daytime sleepiness and behavioral or learning difficulties in children.”
“Each time you have an apnea period, you stop breathing and the body tries to wake you up,” said Sharon Merdian, supervisor of the center. “These patients have a tendency to not have enough rapid eye movement cycles, which is necessary for a good night’s sleep,” Merdian said. “They wake up tired and get groggy at work.”
Because obstructive sleep apnea can affect everyone’s quality of life, Merdian said it is important to get help for those who suffer from it.
For more information on sleep apnea and the Sleep Disorder Center at Queens Hospital Center, call (718) 883-4510.