The following symptoms may indicate sleep apnea or other sleep problems:
- Loud snoring
- Daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Waking up gasping for air
- Urinating more than 2 times/night
- Needing more than 2 medications to control blood pressure
- Unrefreshing sleep
Children with sleep apnea may also have daytime irritability, poor concentration, and bedwetting.
New Mexico Sleep Labs addresses sleep disorders such as:
- Pediatric Sleep Apnea
- Adult Sleep Apnea
- Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)
- Circadian Rhythm Disorders
- Shift Work Disorder
- Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS)
- Narcolepsy
- Insomnia
- Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)
What is a Sleep Study?
A diagnostic sleep study is a way to evaluate your sleep and identify sleep problems. Sleep studies primarily take place in the evening. Individuals typically spend one or two nights in one of our sleep labs. From a separate room, a technologist carefully monitors your sleep patterns. A sleep specialist will interpret your sleep study to identify sleep problems and work with you to determine the most appropriate treatment.
Sleep Study Preparation – What to Expect:
- EEG sensors are placed on the head to monitor brain wave activity.
- A small nasal cannula will measure airflow through your nasal airway.
- Eye movement sensors help to determine rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
- Sensors monitor muscle movements of the legs while you sleep.
- A one-lead electrocardiogram sensor helps to monitor your heart rate rhythm.
- A lightweight finger clamp is placed to determine oxygen levels.
Our Facilities:
We make every effort to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible. Our facilities provide home-style rooms, and we have ADA-approved, wheelchair-accessible rooms for those who need them.
Doctors Bios
GONZALO DIAZ, MD, FCCP, DBSM
Dr. Gonzalo Diaz opened the first sleep disorders center in the El Paso area in 1985. He received his training in Sleep Medicine at the prestigious Montefiore Hospital at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York. He is trained in Pulmonary Medicine and has a subspecialty certification in Sleep Medicine.
He is an American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certified Sleep Specialist and Associate Professor of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. He has a private practice focused on Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Diaz has taught fellows, medical students, resident physicians, and respiratory/sleep technicians since 1985. He has published articles in Sleep Medicine. He is currently involved in clinical research in sleep disorders. His areas of special interest are obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia in adults, and sleep disorders in children
FRANK RALLS, MD, MEd
Dr. Frank Ralls earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary School Education at Northern Arizona University and a Master’s degree in Bilingual Special Education for Elementary School Children at the University of Arizona. He went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Appleton. He then served as a family doctor in a rural Wisconsin for over 10 years. Dr. Ralls moved to New Mexico in 2007 and completed fellowships in Geriatric Medicine and Pediatric and Adult Sleep Medicine. He formerly was an Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico and directed the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program. He has also served as the Chair of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Fellowship Steering Committee and as President and Chair of the New Mexico Academy of Family Medicine (NMAFP). He is the author of numerous publications in Sleep Medicine. Dr. Ralls is board certified in Family Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine, Sleep Medicine, and is board eligible in Geriatric Medicine.
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