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As a Neurologist Dr. Simmons treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, but he spends most of his practice evaluating and treating patients with sleep disorders. He evaluates pediatric patients as well as adults, and is amongst the few sleep specialists in the United States who can competently diagnose children who have Hyper Activity Attention Deficit Disorder caused by subtle sleep disturbances.
Approximately 20% of Americans report that they get less than 6 hours of sleep on average, and the number of people who get 8 hours of more has decreased significantly over the past few years.
In general, you need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to feel refreshed and function at your best. There are of course variations to this rule, and some people naturally need more sleep than others; but for most people getting less than six hours sleep begins to cause a "sleep debt". For instance, studies have shown that missing out on the recommended eight hours of nightly sleep over a two-week period adds up to two full nights of lost sleep; if you're averaging only four hours per night, your brain reacts as though you haven't had any sleep at all for three days.
We are increasingly part of a "24/7" society, and recent studies show that these sleep deficits can be associated with with poor work performance, driving accidents, mood problems like anger and depression, and even more serious health risks such as heart disease and diabetes.
Many situations can cause disturbances in your sleep patterns, and often simple lifestyle changes can dramatically help to improve your sleep quality. But while most people experience occasional periods of sleep disturbance, many others suffer from disorders such as chronic Insomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Sleep Apnea. In these cases your doctor may recommend that you see a specialist in order to diagnose and treat your disorder.
Part of the purpose of this website is to help educate our patients and the general public on the issues regarding healthy sleep. Please explore our Patient Information links above for more information on how you can improve your sleep and your health.
