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Sleep Disorders Health Center

Freaky Dreams
What do they mean?
Bedtime Snacks
Can they help you sleep?
Restless Legs?
How you can get some sleep.
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Sleep Disorders Overview

Need to learn more about sleep disorders? Sleep problems, including snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, and restless legs syndrome, are common among millions of Americans. It’s important to understand why sleep is necessary for optimal health, how the natural hormone melatonin affects sleep and wakefulness, and how the different states and stages of sleep impact sleep quality, quantity, and sleep dreams.

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Latest Headlines
Sleep Apnea May Spur Night Heart Attacks
Obstructive sleep apnea may make nighttime heart attacks more likely than daytime heart attacks, new cardiology research shows.

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Understanding Sleep Problems - Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Disorders?

Insomnia

Insomnia is itself often a symptom of other problems. Typical patterns of insomnia include the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, waking up earlier than usual, and daytime fatigue. Most people with insomnia don't fall asleep in inappropriate situations, like driving. If this does occur, it may signal that a medical disorder (such as sleep apnea) is the cause of insomnia.

Medications

More On Sleep Disorders
  • Clinical Trials: Find cutting-edge studies exploring new treatments.
  • Academic Research: These are the current technical articles your doctor is reading.
  • Clinical Guidelines: Expert panels set these standards for diagnosis and treatment.
webMD Video

click to expand/contract  Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

Snoring may annoy your family, but it can also signal a serious health risk. A high-tech tool helps doctors spot sleep apnea more easily.

Watch Video

click to expand/contract  Women Who Snore

click to expand/contract  Dreams and Your Health

click to expand/contract  Blood Pressure & Your Body Clock

click to expand/contract  Sleep Cycle Struggles

TOPAMAX is approved for migraine prevention in adults only.
TOPAMAX is not used to stop a migraine after it starts.

Serious risks associated with TOPAMAX include lowered bicarbonate levels in the blood resulting in an increase in the acidity of the blood (metabolic acidosis). Symptoms could include hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing), tiredness, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat or changes in the level of alertness. Call your doctor immediately if you get these symptoms. Your doctor may want to do simple blood tests. Chronic, untreated metabolic acidosis may increase the risk for kidney stones or bone disease.

Other serious risks include decreased sweating, increased body temperature, kidney stones, sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and increased eye pressure (glaucoma). Call your doctor immediately if you have any decrease in vision or eye pain. These problems can lead to blindness if not treated right away.

More common side effects are tingling in arms and legs, loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, taste change and weight loss.

Tell your doctor about other medications you take. Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information.

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