Sleep Medicine

Sleep problems can creep into your life without warning. Maybe you yawn during the day or feel sleepy on your ride home. These could be early signs of sleep apnea or other conditions that can impact your health and quality of life.

If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep in North Idaho, turn to the team at Northwest Sleep Center. Our board-certified sleep medicine specialists are on a mission to help you feel more rested. We provide comprehensive sleep studies and treatments for a range of sleep disorders, including restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Call us today at 208-262-2379 to schedule an appointment.

State-of-the-art sleep center in Post Falls

An estimated 50 million to 70 million adults nationwide have a sleep disorder, including people throughout the Inland Northwest. If you think you might have a sleep disorder, ask your doctor for a referral to Northwest Sleep Center, the premier sleep center in North Idaho.

Why choose Northwest Sleep Center?

Luxurious accommodations. Our center includes private, quiet bedrooms with comfortable queen-sized mattresses, creating an ideal and restful sleeping environment.

Gold-standard care. Northwest Sleep Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the only professional society dedicated exclusively to the medical subspecialty of sleep medicine. Our accreditation signifies our unwavering dedication to providing patients with the highest quality care.

Will insurance cover my sleep study?

Many insurance plans will cover sleep studies with a referral from a primary care provider or specialist. We recommend checking with your health plan to verify coverage before scheduling your sleep study at Northwest Sleep Center.

What happens during a sleep study?

At Northwest Sleep Center, we want to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You’ll sleep in a quiet, private bedroom with a queen-size mattress. You can even wear your own PJs! During your study, our sleep technologists will monitor your sleep patterns to detect signs of potential sleep disorders using leading-edge polysomnographic equipment.

Sleep disorders we treat in North Idaho

Many sleep disorders can affect your health and happiness. Our team at Northwest Sleep Center will help you understand the potential cause of your sleep disorder so you can rest easier. Among the common conditions we diagnose are:

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when people have repeated, brief interruptions of breathing (usually 10 seconds or more) during sleep. People with sleep apnea will partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but they will not remember their sleep disturbances when they wake up. Most people have a combination of two types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), caused by the relaxation of soft tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the airway
• Central sleep apnea (CSA), caused by irregularities in the brain’s normal breathing signals.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most common symptom of sleep apnea. Other potential symptoms include restless sleep, loud snoring (with periods of silence, followed by gasps), falling asleep during the day, morning headaches, trouble concentrating, irritability, forgetfulness, mood or behavior changes, anxiety, and depression. Men are more likely than women to have sleep apnea, and people who are obese or overweight are at high risk. Treatments like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy can treat sleep apnea successfully.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)

EDS is characterized by persistent sleepiness and a general lack of energy, even after adequate or prolonged sleep. EDS can exist on its own or as a symptom of another sleep disorder like narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or a circadian (sleep-wake) rhythm disorder.

Symptoms may include napping repeatedly during the day and fighting off strong urges to sleep while driving, working, eating, or in the middle of a conversation. In severe cases, people with EDS struggle to function and may act as if they’re intoxicated. EDS can affect your daily life, making it essential to receive a prompt diagnosis.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

A neurological disorder, RLS causes throbbing, pulling, creeping, or other unpleasant sensations in the legs. People with RLS often report an uncontrollable and sometimes overwhelming urge to move their legs. Symptoms most often occur when a person is relaxing and can increase during the night.

RLS affects as much as 10% of Americans, including adults and school-age children. Women are twice as likely as men to have RLS. Most people with RLS also experience periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD).

Other sleep disorders

A sleep study at Northwest Sleep Center can also help diagnose and treat:

• Snoring, often caused by a partial airway obstruction that occurs while sleeping.
• Narcolepsy, a chronic disorder that disrupts sleep-wake cycles, creating daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep episodes.
• Nighttime behavioral problems such as sleepwalking, night terrors, or teeth grinding.
• Shift work sleep disorders, which occur when irregular work hours lead to insomnia and excessive sleepiness.

Types of sleep studies in North Idaho

To accommodate your schedule and preferences, Northwest Sleep Center offers three convenient sleep study options for people in North Idaho:

Night studies
During a night study, you will stay at our sleep clinic overnight while our professionals monitor your sleep. Our comfortable rooms feature amenities such as large-screen TVs, queen-sized mattresses, and a quiet setting designed to mimic your home environment as much as possible.

Day studies

Shift workers and other people with atypical schedules can book a daytime sleep study at Northwest Sleep Center. Our rooms are designed to stay quiet during daylight hours, ensuring you’ll have almost no disruptions as you drift off to sleep.

Home sleep studies

Sometimes there’s no place like home, and that’s OK. Northwest Sleep Center offers home sleep studies. We will provide you with all of the equipment and instructions you need. Once you return the equipment to us, we will carefully analyze the information, and one of our board-certified sleep medicine physicians will provide you with your results.