Sleep disorders

Sleep study center in Ware County

Sleep is essential to your health and well-being. That is why if you have a sleep disorder, it's crucial to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment for your condition. At Memorial Satilla Health, our sleep lab is equipped to diagnose a wide range of disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy. For your convenience, we also offer in-home sleep studies.

Sleep disorders we treat

If you have trouble falling asleep, sleeping through the night or episodes of prolonged loud snoring, you may have a sleep disorder.

If left untreated, sleep disorders can lead to chronic fatigue and can affect how well you think, work and get along with others. Some sleep problems can lead to life-threatening health issues, such as heart attack or stroke.

Sleep disorders we treat include:

• Insomnia—This disorder can make it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep or both. It can cause you to wake up feeling tired and take a toll on your ability to function throughout the day.
• Narcolepsy—This disorder occurs when you have extreme daytime drowsiness or attacks of sleep that occur suddenly. People who experience narcolepsy often have trouble staying awake for long amounts of time.
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS)—This condition causes your legs to feel extremely uncomfortable when you are sitting or laying down, particularly in the evenings. It can start at any age and typically gets worse as time progresses.
• Sleep apnea—This sleep disorder can cause your breathing to stop and start during sleep and can result in loud snoring. If left untreated, it can have serious affects on your overall health. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive (caused by muscle relaxation) and central (caused by improper brain signals).

Sleep apnea treatment

For mild cases of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. If these approaches do not improve your symptoms or your sleep apnea becomes more severe, your doctor may recommend a sleep device or surgery.

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is a useful tool for treating sleep apnea. It is a small device that keeps the airway open by continuously pushing air through a mask while you sleep. Most patients feel better and are less tired after their first night with the CPAP machine.

Features of our sleep medicine program

At Memorial Satilla Health, we can help you find the cause of your sleep disorder and provide personalized treatment plans to help you get the sleep you need.

Our 6-bed sleep lab is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The team includes a board-certified sleep medicine physician and polysomnographic sleep technologists who are highly skilled in:

• Polysomnographic sleep studies
• Titration of positive pressure therapy
• Multiple sleep latency tests
• Maintenance of wakefulness tests
• Home sleep apnea tests

Sleep study

A sleep study is a non-invasive procedure, meaning there are no needles involved, and it is painless. Your overnight stay will take place in a private, comfortable room at our sleep clinic.

In order to monitor your sleep, a technician will attach sensors (also called electrodes) to your head, chin, throat, chest, abdomen and legs. Your sleep technician will monitor your sleep from another room throughout your stay.

Our state-of-the-art monitors record your reaction to sleep, including:

• Blood oxygen levels
• Breathing patterns
• Eye movements
• Heart rate
• Lung and brain activity
• Muscle activity

Requesting your sleep study

You may contact the sleep clinic for a sleep disorder questionnaire to complete and take to your doctor. If your doctor determines you may benefit from a sleep study, their office staff will schedule an appointment for you.

How to prepare for your sleep study

On the day of your sleep study, you should not consume any caffeinated products, such as chocolate, soda, tea or coffee after 10:00am. If you are sleepy during the day, please stay active. Do not take any naps.

You may shower before you arrive at the sleep lab, but do not apply body lotion or hair spray after you shower. Please bring shorts and a loose fitting shirt to sleep in, as well as clothing needed for the following day.

Getting to our sleep lab

Our sleep lab is located on the second floor of the hospital. If you are coming in for a sleep study, please park in the emergency room parking area and walk through the emergency entrance.

Home sleep study

If you would like to complete a sleep study in the comfort of your own home, we also offer take-home sleep studies. If you choose this option, we will give you a short tutorial on how to use the machine when you come to the sleep lab to pick it up. After your at-home sleep study, you will bring the machine back to the sleep lab the next day.