How do I get treatment for Sleep Apnea?

First you must schedule an appointment with your family doctor. Poor sleep, like any medical issue, should be discussed with your primary physician as the first step in the treatment process. Discuss with him/her the symptoms you are having. If your Doctor feels you may be suffering from Sleep Apnea he/she will schedule an appointment with a Sleep Clinic for a sleep study. Sparrow Sleep Lab is Sparrow Health Systems sleep study unit.

How is a Sleep Disorder diagnosed?

At the Sparrow Sleep Center sleep testing is scheduled during regular sleep hours, either night or day depending on an individual’s schedule. The sleep testing is performed in a comfortable, home-like environment by specially trained technologists. The rooms are private, equipped with full sized beds, cable TV and VCRs, a private bathroom and shower facilities. A sleep technologist places small sensors on various parts of the body for documentation of brain waves and muscle activity during sleep. The sensors allow the technologist to monitor the patient’s sleep from another room. The patient will be required to be at the sleep center for a minimum of seven hours.

The Sparrow Sleep Center has been an accredited sleep disorder center since 1995. The American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is a professional association whose goal is to set high standards and ensure quality patient care in the field of sleep disorders medicine. By attaining accreditation, the Sparrow Sleep Center has demonstrated that it meets the quality standards developed by the AASM.

Sleep Center physicians evaluate, diagnose and initiate treatment for people with various sleep-related complaints. The Sparrow Sleep Center acts as a resource for patients who have sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. It seeks to increase each patient’s knowledge and understanding of their sleep disorder. By helping to diagnose sleep disorders and making recommendations for treatment, the Sparrow Sleep Center strives to assist patients with improving their overall health, self-regard and productivity.

A physician order is required to schedule and perform sleep testing. Consultation with a sleep specialist physician is available upon request. All physicians interpreting sleep data are board certified in sleep medicine.

How is Sleep Apnea treated?

Your treatment will depend on the severity of your disorder. ³

If you are diagnosed with a MILD case of Sleep Apnea, behavioral changes are all that may be required to improve your sleep. These changes may include:

• Weight Loss
• Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
• Change sleep positions to promote regular breathing
• Stop smoking. Smoking can increase the swelling in the upper airway which may worsen both snoring and apnea.
• Avoid sleeping on your back

In the event that your are diagnosed with a MODERATE to SEVERE case of Sleep Apnea, the lab technicians may recommend the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine when you sleep. With the CPAP Machine you will wear a carefully fitted mask over your nose or over your mouth and nose. The CPAP, which is a small air compressor, is connected via tubing to the mask. As the compressor pumps air, at a prescribed pressure, through the tube and mask into your airway, the pressure pushes against the walls of your airway and keeps it open. The amount of pressure coming out of the compressor will depend on how much is needed to keep your airway open, as determined by your study.

If the diagnosis is a SEVERE case, your physician may recommend a Bi-level machine. The Bi-level machine is similar to a CPAP machine except that the air pressure varies. The pressure is greater when you inhale and as you exhale the pressure decreases. The experts from the sleep lab and your physician will decide which pressure settings are right for your condition.