Sleep Disorders Center

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A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A DREAM imFrom snoring to sleep apnea to insomnia and sleep deprivation, sleep disorders range in severity from the disruptive to life-threatening. If you or a loved one suffers from a sleep disorder, you understand how it can affect your health and quality of life. There are more than 80 classified sleep disorders, and a variety of other medical disorders can stem from this poor sleep. That’s why you need the right medical team to get the right diagnosis and treatment. Right team should include a Sleep Medicine Fellowship trained/Sleep Medicine Board Certified Sleep Specialist, Nurse Practitioners and an American Academy Accredited Sleep Center.  Proper treatment of your sleep disorders had demonstrated in reducing the incident of  heart attacks, heart failures, atrial fibrillations, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cognitive impairment, learning impairment, motor vehicle accidents and many more…

Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders Medicine, PA offers the most advanced diagnostic sleep testing available. Our Center features a multidisciplinary team of Physician specialists, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, and medical professionals with expertise in Sleep Medicine and Pulmonology.

Our AASM Accredited Sleep Disorders Center  provides Insomnia Clinic services in treating those individuals suffering from Chronic Insomnia.

Rammohan S. Rao, MD, FCCP, FAASM; Medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center, is the ONLY Fellowship Trained Sleep Disorders Medicine Specialist, trained at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, practicing in the greater Pensacola-area for over 20 years. His specialized training provides him a keen insight and knowledge in diagnosing and treating many common and rare sleep disorders in adults and children.

STATE-OF-THE-ART DIAGNOSTICS AND FACILITIES Our Sleep Disorders Center (accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine ) is equipped with the most advanced diagnostic sleep testing technology available. Polysomnograms (sleep studies) take place in comfortable private patients bedrooms. Patients are closely monitored by sleep technologists who are specially trained in detailed data collection and analysis. All of our technologists are nationally credentialed by the Board of Registered Polysomnography Technologists (BRPT).

WHAT IS A SLEEP STUDY A polysomnogram is an overnight sleep study. It records detailed information that shows how your body acts while you sleep. A technologist will attach sensors to your body for the study. The sensors will record the body actions: Brain waves, heart rate/rhythm, breathing quality, oxygen level, leg movement, and snoring. The study also may involve other sensors. The sensors send signals to a computer. The Sleep Disorders Center will record/gather this data and prepare a detailed report about your sleep. A Sleep Disorders Center’s  Sleep Physician or Nurse Practitioner will then review the results with you and design a course of treatment that best fits your sleep needs.

PCCSDM is now the only American Academy of Sleep Disorders Medicine(AASM) accredited Home Apnea Sleep Testing facility in NorthWest Florida. For certain(but not all) sleep disorders, at home apnea sleep testing is a simple but accurate mode of screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Insomnia Clinic

Our Insomnia Clinic deals exclusively with your Chronic Insomnia needs; in diagnosing and managing with multimodality therapies under the guidance of our Sleep Disorders Center’s Medical Director Rammohan S. Rao, MD, FCCP, FAASM. the only Sleep Medicine Fellowship Trained (Mayo Clinic) and American Board of Sleep Medicine certified specialist in the Pensacola area.

If you have persistent nighttime complaint of:

  • Difficulty in falling asleep – (initiating)
  • Difficulty staying asleep – (maintaining)

Waking earlier than desired and associated with
impaired daytime function, please ask your primary care physician for the referral to the Insomnia Clinic or call our Sleep Disorders Center for an appointment.

Testing and Treatment available:

PSG(polysomnography) is a sleep study for monitoring 28 channels of digital information, including EEG(brainwaves), EMG(chin tone and leg movements), EOG(eye movements), ECG(heart rate an rhythm), Airflow in/out of the mouth and nose, Snoring, Pulse Oximetry(oxygen level), Body Position, and Sound.

PAP Titration is a PSG, with the addition of Positive Airway Pressure, used to treat obstructed airway in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and/or to control respirations in several disorders, such as Central Sleep Apnea and Alveolar Hypoventilation Syndrome. Our capabilities include Continuous Positive Airway Pressure(CPAP), Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure(BiPAP), Adaptive Servo Ventilation(ASV), BiPAP AVAPS(non-invasive ventilation)

Home Sleep Apnea Test (HSAT):  is an unattended home test to screen for Disordered Breathing Events associated with decrease in oxygen levels during sleep. It uses an oximetry to measure decreases in oxygen level and breathing by using respiratory inductance plethysmography. Alternatively, peripheral artery tonometry (PAT) device is also used to diagnose sleep apnea in the home setting.

Multiple Sleep Latency Testing(MSLT) is a nap study. It is used to measure the time elapsed from the start of a daytime nap period to the first signs of sleep, called sleep latency. It is an integral test in the diagnosis of Narcolepsy or other hypersomnia disorders.

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test(MWT) is a daytime test to measure alertness in a person during a low-light sleep permissive situation. Many persons with Department of Transportation(DOT) license are required to perform MWT, such as truck drivers, airline pilots, and boat captains.

Insomnia Clinic:  the therapy including non-pharmacological (CBTi) and pharmacological treatments tailored towards the individual Chronic Insomnia needs,  is provided by our Sleep Disorders Center’s Medical Director and Nurse Practitioners.

Cognitive Behavorial Therapy(insomnia), or CBTi is therapy provide by our physicians and nurse practitioners and is an approved method for treating insomnia without the use of sleeping pills

Cognitive Behavorial Therapy for CPAP Compliance is therapy provide by our physicians and nurse practitioners to improve use of PAP therapies and to mitigate negative behaviors during the acclimation to PAP period.

Durable Medical Equipment:

For your CPAP Supply needs please ask our Sleep Disorders Center staff for more information regarding the in-house DME supplies.

Disclaimer: This website is only to provide information and NOT to be considered as a medical
advice of any kind and NOT to be construed to establish a physician – patient relationship in any form