SLEEP LAB

Are you Sick and Tired? Being tired may actually be what is making you sick.

The JCMH Sleep Lab has moved to its luxurious location. Sleep studies are performed in a renovated home located behind the hospital that is outfitted with beautiful furnishings and a comfortable, sleep-enhancing atmosphere.

If you have any of the symptoms of sleep apnea; excessive daytime fatigue, snoring or falling asleep easily or inappropriately, then contact your doctor to schedule a sleep study at the JCMH Sleep Lab.

The JCMH Sleep Lab is located at 1200 E. Maple, a beautifully remodeled house right behind the main hospital building. The JCMH Sleep Lab employs three technicians and has the ability to conduct two sleep studies per night.

The lab will operate seven nights a week and eventually have the capacity to offer daytime sleep studies as well.

Are you finding that a “good night’s sleep” is hard to come by?
The symptoms of sleep apnea – the general term for sleep disorders – are brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. Nearly 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea according to the National Institute of Health. Other symptoms are excessive daytime fatigue, snoring, falling asleep easily and sometimes at inappropriate places or times.

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, headaches, depression, car accidents and job impairment.

Risk Factors:

• Male
  Overweight
  Over 40
  Race
  Smoking
  Alcohol Abuse

These are just a few factors, but sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age, including children.

What to expect
A sleep study is an overnight procedure – a polysomnogram – inside the JCMH Sleep Lab. Electrodes are connected to the patient’s head and chest to measure brain waves, eye and chin movement, stages of sleep and heart rate and rhythm. A chest band measures breathing movement and additional monitors measure oxygen levels as well as leg movements. The monitors are not painful and no needles are involved in the sleep study. JCMH Sleep Lab staff accommodates a parent staying overnight with a child who is having a sleep study performed. This data is analyzed and reviewed by a physician, who then makes appropriate recommendations to manage the condition.

Patients are “tucked in” for a night of rest and observation at 8:30 p.m. The setup process takes forty minutes. The observation then begins. Monitoring equipment is placed on the patient that allows observation of sleeping patterns. The sleep study takes 6 to 7 hours. Most insurance covers the test.

Patients will attend a follow-up appointment with their personal physician to learn the results of the study.

Treatment
Most common treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP or BiPAP therapy (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), although there are three types of sleep apnea; Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Central Sleep Apnea and Mixed Sleep Apnea.

Most patients experience a dramatic resolution of their symptoms following a sleep study with treatment.

Signs & Symptoms:

• Do you snore?
• Do you feel very sleepy or feel like nodding off during the day?
• Does your partner tell you that you stop breathing during sleep?
• Do you feel tired when you wake up?
• Do you often wake up with headaches?
• Is it hard to stay awake while driving?

If you or your partner answer yes to any of these questions, you could have sleep apnea and should talk to your physician.