If you feel tired even after getting 7 hours of sleep, your partner complains about your snoring, or you stop breathing at night, you might benefit from talking with a doctor about sleep disorders.
Insufficient sleep is so common the Centers for Disease Control has called it a public health problem. Sleep deprivation is linked to motor-vehicle crashes, obesity, depression, hypertension, and diabetes.
Sleep studies and sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is the most common disorder. It is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. It's also easy to diagnose and treat, which is important because people with untreated sleep apnea are at risk of falling asleep while driving, and have increased risk of a future heart attack, high
blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, or stroke.
Your doctor might recommend a sleep study, which in many cases can be done in your home using portable equipment. If your study results show sleep apnea, your doctor might recommend a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
CPAP coverage
Premera provides coverage for CPAP machines and supplies when medically appropriate, but you will be required to try a rental machine for a year before you purchase. Renting first allows you to make sure you get the right machine for you and that you are willing and able to use it. It can take months of working with your doctor to find just the right fit.
We require customers to use the CPAP device at least 70% of the nights in a 30 consecutive night period for a minimum of 4 hours on those nights. This is to make sure the machine works for you, and you're feeling better.
If you are not using your CPAP as directed, your sleep specialist will contact you to help identify or correct problems with using the machine. If you don't use your machine as required, Premera will stop paying for the rental and will no longer cover any supplies for the machine.
CPAP is the most effective treatment for sleep apnea, but you may choose to use an oral positioning device if you don't tolerate CPAP.
Other sleep issues
If you have concerns about teeth grinding, jaw clenching, sleepwalking, sleep terrors, bed wetting, limb movement, or other sleep disorders, please talk to your primary care provider about treatment.
Frequently asked questions