March 9-15 is Breathe Better - Sleep Better Week; Sleep studies available locally

by Connor Meyer
Respiratory Therapist
Veterans Memorial Hospital

Anyone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep, may have an underlying reason.  Common causes include stress, irregular sleep schedule, anxiety and depression, physical ailments, neurological problems, and sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is caused by brief, repeated episodes of interrupted or shallow breathing during sleep. These episodes can last from a few seconds to several minutes.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea include snoring (most common), headaches, daytime sleepiness, frequent wake-ups at night, night sweats, waking up out of breath, and restlessness.

Sleep apnea may be caused by being overweight (excess fat in the neck and head can narrow the airway), aging (throat muscles relax more during sleep as people get older), medications such as sedatives and opiates, illnesses such as hypothyroidism, tonsils and adenoids (large tonsils or adenoids can block airway especially in children), nasal congestion (facial shape), elevation (increased elevation can cause increase in developing apnea) and smoking (can increase risk due to inflammation near the airway.)

Complications of sleep apnea include heart damage and heart failure, arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, daytime drowsiness, and worsening of other underlying illnesses like Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure.

Treatment of sleep apnea includes lifestyle changes, weight loss, CPAP/BIPAP therapy and surgery.

There are two types of sleep studies that can diagnose sleep apnea. In-lab sleep studies are offered locally at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) and diagnose a wider range of sleep disorders. In-lab sleep studies are supervised by a sleep specialist who can provide a prescription to help the sleep disorder.

In-lab sleep studies also provide more accurate results than the alternative, at-home sleep studies. These are recommended for those who have a straightforward case of suspected sleep apnea or who may want a less expensive testing route.

Whitney Diagnostics oversees the sleep studies that are performed In-Lab at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Multiple sleep rooms are available to complete sleep studies. In addition, a sleep technician comes from Whitney Diagnostics to Veterans Memorial Hospital each Wednesday to meet with patients following a sleep study, to be fitted for a sleep machine and answer any questions.

Patients who elect the in-lab sleep study at Veterans Memorial Hospital come to the main entrance and are escorted up to the third floor of the hospital. The sleep tech assists you in getting comfortable in your room as well as getting you hooked up to the sensors. These sensors will be located on your scalp, temples, chest, and legs. The sensors monitor brain waves, eye movements, breathing, heart rate and muscle activity.

The Sleep Technician is available in the next room while you sleep and is there for any questions throughout the night. They capture the different sleep stages, breathing patterns, and disruptions in your sleep, then your provider reviews the sleep study and diagnoses you with potential sleep disorders.

If you are struggling to get a good, restful night of rest, you can schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or a sleep specialist, discuss your sleep symptoms and concerns, and if they believe a sleep study is necessary, they will prescribe it for you.

For more information, contact Connor Meyer, Respiratory Therapist at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.