Addressing Sleep Disorders: One Patient’s Success Story

Sleep is a cornerstone of good health, yet for millions of people, a good night’s rest remains elusive. Sleep disorders, ranging from insomnia and sleep apnea to restless legs syndrome, can profoundly impact mental and physical well-being, disrupting daily life and increasing the risk of chronic illnesses. Despite their prevalence, many individuals struggle to identify or address the root causes of their sleep issues.

Here, we hear from Bill Yohnka—a patient of the Riverside Sleep Center—who underwent the diagnostic and treatment process for his sleep issues.

Taking the First Steps

Yohnka previously believed he just had some minor issues with snoring, and being a single person he didn’t realize it was much worse than until he went on vacation with friends. They urged him to look into it, as they were concerned for his health. Yohnka went to his physician to get a referral for a sleep study.

“He said, ‘Let's think about what you need to do for this next chapter of your life to be healthy.’ That was really a great conversation and led to a path of things to do over the course of a few months to get there,” he shares.

The first step was to undergo an at-home sleep study, followed by a sleep study performed at the sleep center. While Yohnka was anxious about the latter, he was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

“I was just amazed by how comfortable everything was. I thought it was going to be a terrible night's sleep being hooked up to all those wires and things. It was actually a really good night's sleep because I was getting air in my lungs,” he notes. “And the crew here, wow, it wouldn't have been so easy if they hadn't had the way about them where it was calming and just very comfortable. I really appreciated everyone.”

No One Should Have to Suffer with Poor Sleep

Yohnka’s advice to anyone who might be living with a sleep disorder is to talk to your doctor in order to get the process started—even if you’re intimidated by the thought of undergoing a sleep study. Poor sleep can be addressed, and no one should have to suffer.

“All I wanted was to just make it better all on its own. That's not how that works. Making the call and then the appointment and then having that day on the calendar so I knew I was doing something helped. My mind started to be eased as soon as I had that appointment on the calendar.”

Struggling, especially with things like poor sleep, can become routine and go unnoticed until someone points it out. They recall feeling nostalgic for younger days when a good night's sleep left them energized and ready to conquer the world.

“I felt like I could do that again. I'm excited moving forward. This isn't just something that happens as you're aging. You can make these days in front of you the best of them,” Yohnka assures. “I really encourage people to do what they can to get their sleep figured out and then make it happen.”

For more information about sleep medicine at Riverside click here.