It’s time to wake up to the facts about sleep disorders.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that sleep deprivation is a public health epidemic.
- Over 70 million people in the U.S. have a sleep problem, and for 40 million adults, it’s a chronic condition.
- More than 75 percent of adults say their partner has a sleep-related problem, with snoring being the most common complaint.
- People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, obesity, and cancer.
- According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, there are over 250,000 sleep-related traffic accidents each year, many resulting in disability and death.
- Sleep disorders in children may lead to irritability, lack of focus in class, sleepiness in school, hyperactive behavior, and learning problems.
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
The Center for Sleep Disorders is the premier sleep center and the only sleep center with a pediatric sleep specialist in our region. We are a clinic and testing facility designed to diagnose and treat people who suffer from problems with sleep. With state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services, rest assure that we have the expertise that can help patients sleep better. To contact the sleep lab, call (903) 877-5911. To make an appointment, call (903) 877-7916.
Conditions We Commonly Treat
- Sleep apnea
- Jet lag disorder
- Sleep talking
- Sleep walking
- Restless leg syndrome
- Rapid eye movement (REM) behavior disorder
- Other abnormal sleep behaviors
Specialties:Sleep Medicine /Pediatric Pulmonology (Lung Disease in Children) /Cystic Fibrosis /Infectious Lung Diseases /
Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology
Dr. Amaro specializes in pediatric pulmonology, the study and treatment of children’s lung diseases. He has two decades of experience treating children with cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, whooping cough, and other respiratory diseases. In addition, he is one of only a couple of board-certified specialists in pediatric sleep disorders in Northeast Texas.(903) 877-5911
Specialties:Sleep Medicine /Pulmonology (Lung Disease) /
Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, Sleep Disorders
The first board-certified sleep specialist in Northeast Texas, Dr. Stocks has over 30 years of treating sleep disorders. He was here in 1985 when UT Health started the Center for Sleep Disorders, the region’s first sleep lab. Dr. Stocks is also a nationally known expert in Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic condition that causes serious liver and/or lung disease.
UT Health has two specialized sleep physicians on our staff. Our team in the Center for Sleep Disorders treats patients of all ages. Our board certified pediatric pulmonologist performs sleep studies on children as young as 6 months old.
There are many different reasons for not getting a restful night’s sleep. Snoring, which is never normal, could be one or it could be due to sleep apnea, an often genetic condition that causes interruptions of breathing while asleep. These interruptions of breathing can be life threatening and can be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
At-home Testing for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can be treated. This is a condition that our team of experts treats most often. At-home sleep tests are a new technology that we are using to help diagnose our patients. It’s an easy process to test at home.
It involves three sensors; one on the finger to monitor oxygen levels, one around the chest, and one under the nose to monitor breathing. The recording device is about the size of a large cell phone and uses the Verizon network to transmit the data. Patients sleep with it all night, then transmit the data by plugging it into an electrical outlet the next morning. From there, our experts read the data and determine a treatment plan.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) are the technology-driven devices used to treat sleep apnea. Any patient who is new to or having trouble using their CPAP/BiPAP can attend a free instructional session. Our experts spend 30 to 60 minutes educating patients how to use CPAP/BiPAP and get the most out of treatment.
To evaluate sleep, patients must be studied while sleeping. This usually means being tested at night. Sleep tests are entirely safe and painless. The procedure involves monitoring the brain waves (EEG), heart and lung function, and blood oxygen levels during sleep. After the monitoring devices are attached, you’ll sleep in a special room. The patient is allowed to go home after waking up in the morning.
Many patients undergo two separate nights of testing to determine a diagnosis and the effectiveness of treatment. Sometimes it is necessary to measure exactly how sleepy a patient is during the daytime. Daytime testing may also be necessary to make a definite diagnosis of diseases such as narcolepsy.
More Information about UT Health
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