Winchester, Mass. – Approximately 18 million Americans aren’t getting a good night’s sleep due to sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing is interrupted through excessive snoring, pauses in breathing and episodes of choking or gasping. In addition to causing excessive daytime sleepiness and other symptoms, sleep apnea has been linked to medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease.

According to Dr. Najmuddin Patwa, medical director of Winchester Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center which is located in Woburn, sleep apnea affects people of all ages, but is twice as common in men than in women. Gauging the severity of the problem is difficult until it is appropriately evaluated.

Dr. Patwa will be available to answer questions regarding sleep from members of the community at an  A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well And Keeping Energetic) session on Monday, March 23 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event will be held down the hall from the entrance to the Sleep Disorders Center, in the first floor Keating Conference Room of Baldwin Park I, 12 Alfred St. in Woburn.

A home health care provider from Winchester Hospital will join Dr. Patwa in presenting the workshop, which is designed to increase awareness of sleep disorders and related health concerns. Sleep apnea patients are encouraged to bring CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machines, nasal masks and other sleep disorder aides for testing and evaluation. Tours of the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center will be given from 6 to 9 p.m., and refreshments will be provided.

“It’s important for people with sleep apnea and all other sleep disorders to discuss these problems with their health care providers,” said Dr. Patwa, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine. “Because our sleep time occupies one-third of our lives, its impact is significant.”

Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center diagnoses and treats all sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnia, chronic insomnia, circadian rhythm abnormalities, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

To learn more or make an appointment at the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Woburn, call (781) 756-2325. All insurance plans are accepted.

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