Sleep studies at Palo Alto County Health System are used to diagnose patients with sleep-related disorders.
Sleep disorders come in many forms. Someone suffering from sleep apnea and snoring is unable to breathe properly during sleep. A person with insomnia is unable to sleep during the night while another with narcolepsy falls asleep at inappropriate times. Restless leg syndrome can keep a person awake with excruciating restlessness or a crawling feeling in the legs when trying to sleep. These are just a few of many sleep-related disorders.
Sleep is an important part of a healthy life. Our experts will help you sleep better and stay asleep longer.
Sleep Disorder Symptoms
If you experience two or more of the following, you may have a sleep disorder:
- Snoring
- Trouble staying awake while watching TV, reading, or attending meetings
- Fighting sleep while driving
- Stopped breathing, snorting, or gasping for air while sleeping
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating or remembering
- Creeping, crawling sensations in legs
- Frequent kicking while sleeping
- Difficulty falling and staying asleep
- Talking loudly, screaming or walking in your sleep
If left untreated, sleep disorders can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.
The first step is to have a Sleep Study done to see if you have a sleep disorder. Let PACHS help you by scheduling a Sleep Study through our Certified Sleep Programs in conjunction with Mercy Sleep Lab in Mason City. Sleep studies can be conducted in the privacy of your own home or done at PACHS with an overnight stay in a private patient room.
Home Sleep Tests are a cost-effective test to establish if a Sleep Disorder exists. The information collected by sleeping in your own environment will be the best reflection of how your body responds during sleep. When you schedule an appointment for a Home Sleep Test, you will learn how to set up the equipment and feel confident when you go home to use it. Simply return the equipment after your successful test and the data will be sent to a Certified Sleep Physician for interpretation.
In-House Sleep Studies are done in a patient room on the Hospital wing. A Sleep Technician will administer the test. Additional information concerning brain wave, muscle activity, and sleep patterns is collected. If you have a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea, this test is also done to provide CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). The Sleep Technician will help determine the best appliance to wear for CPAP therapy and the test will determine the optimal pressures required for your individualized therapy.
Insurance coverage for sleep studies varies from company to company. Please check with your carrier to be assured your plan will cover the type of test that is ordered.
