Sleep Studies
by Cynthia “Kippy” Johnson, CRT, RPSGT
Published in The Joplin Globe Body & Mind supplement
November/December 2009
According to the National Institutes of Health, chronic sleep disorders and intermittent sleep problems that significantly diminish health, alertness, and safety affect 50 to 70 million Americans. Left untreated, sleep disorders can result in hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes, and other serious chronic diseases. Sleep problems and lack of sleep can affect personal and work productivity and negatively impact behaviors and relationships. In fact, drowsy driving claims more than 1,500 lives and causes at least 100,000 motor vehicle crashes each year. An overwhelming majority of people with sleep disorders go undiagnosed and untreated.
To determine if you might benefit from a sleep evaluation, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you regularly have difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep?
Do people tell you that you snore? Has anyone ever told you that you have pauses in breathing or gasp for breath when you sleep?
Are your legs “active” at night? Do you experience tingling, creeping, itching, pulling, aching, or other strange feelings in your legs while sitting or lying down that cause a strong urge to move, walk, or kick your legs for relief?
Are you so tired when you wake up in the morning that you cannot function normally during the day?
Does sleepiness and fatigue persist for more than two to three weeks?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider and discuss with your physician a complete sleep evaluation. Before your visit, keep track of your sleep patterns and medications for at least two weeks.
After an initial consultation with your sleep specialist, you may be referred for a sleep study. The medical term for this study is polysomnogram, a noninvasive, pain-free procedure that usually requires spending a night or two in a sleep facility. During a polysomnogram a sleep technologist records multiple biological functions during sleep, such as brain wave activity, eye movement, muscle tone, heart rhythm, and breathing via electrodes and monitors placed on the head, chest, and legs. After a full night’s sleep is recorded, a technologist scores the data and gives it to the physician for interpretation. Patients may receive therapy during the course of the study, which could include oxygen or a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy machine. CPAP, an air pressure system, helps hold the air passages in the nose and throat open during sleep and eliminates snoring and pauses in breathing. Considered the golden standard of treatment, it is used to treat sleep apnea, which is when breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep.
According to recent polls conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, nearly seven out of 10 Americans say they experience frequent sleep problems. However, when proper diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders occur, the symptoms of sleepiness decline, memory improves, and safety risks decrease dramatically. In fact, sleep disorder specialists help an estimated 85 to 90 percent of their patients get better sleep. With the treatment options now available, a good night’s sleep is within reach.
Freeman Sleep Center, 931 East 32nd Street, Joplin, offers a newly-expanded, six-bed facility with state-of-the-art equipment. Comprising registered polysomnographic technologists and respiratory therapists, this team provides top-notch care in a comfortable hotel-like setting. Call 417.347.3699 today and rest easy tomorrow.
About Cynthia “Kippy” Johnson, CRT, RPSGT, Freeman Health System Lead Sleep Technologist
Johnson is a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT). To earn the RPSGT distinction, the highest standard in the field of sleep technology, Johnson met rigorous training requirements from the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists.