Sleep center specialists can help pinpoint the problem
If it's suspected that you're suffering from a sleep disorder, your doctor might refer you to a sleep center, which can help detect and treat the more than 80 types of sleep disorders.
A sleep center may be hospital-based, university-based or privately owned, says the
- Sleep disorders centers, which provide testing and treatment for all sleep disorders.
- Laboratories for sleep-related breathing disorders, which focus on problems such as sleep apnea.
To receive accreditation from the academy, a sleep disorders center must have a medical director who is a state-licensed physician with proven expertise in sleep disorders medicine. The staff must include a sleep specialist certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine. The sleep specialist, who certifies the results of all sleep studies and trains the technical staff, must have one year of full-time training in clinical sleep disorders or equivalent and the person's experience must include evaluation of at least 400 patients.
Sleep Disorders Center Sleep Study
A sleep disorders center must always have a sleep specialist on staff, but a sleep laboratory can have a lung specialist (called a pulmonologist) with expertise in sleep medicine.
Academy accreditation also requires that all staff members at a sleep disorders center take classes on an annual basis intended to advance their knowledge of current technology and procedures.
An all-night sleep study (called polysomnography) is a common method of evaluating people with sleep-related problems that include breathing disorders, movement disorders and neurologic disorders, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
For a sleep study, which assesses someone's quality of sleep, electrodes are applied to various points on the head -- on the scalp, the sides of the head and under the chin -- as well as on the chest and leg. The electrodes measure brain waves, eye movement and heart rate.
The person's airflow is measured by a sensor placed in the nose and mouth. Belts placed around the rib cage and abdomen measure breathing movements. A finger clip measures blood oxygen levels. In addition, the person is videotaped while sleeping. No needles are used in a sleep study, making it entirely painless.
A technologist in a central control room monitors the person's sleep and general condition throughout the night during a sleep study. The person can call the technologist if problems or concerns come up.
The reason for all this: The results from all the monitors should help pinpoint what's causing a person's sleep problems.
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