New At-Home Sleep Study Helps Diagnose Sleep Apnea

Did you know that more than 40 million Americans suffer from some type of sleep disorder? If you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, wake feeling stressed and irritable, or often feel tired during the day, you could be one of those people. Many men and women who experience these symptoms don’t realize there may be an underlying issue that could be affecting their lives in ways they haven’t even realized.

Insomnia and narcolepsy are among the more than 70 different kinds of sleep disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. Symptoms of this condition include loud snoring, abnormal breathing and excessive daytime sleepiness.

If you’re suffering from these symptoms, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville now offer an at-home sleep test. This test helps physicians determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea.

“This at-home study is for those who have mild to moderate probability of sleep apnea. It is a screening tool for those who come in with complaints that they don’t sleep well and are tired in the mornings,” said Baptist Golden Triangle Director of Respiratory Care Leslie Albright.

Those with a high probability of the condition would be recommended for a more extensive sleep study in one of the hospitals’ sleep disorders centers.

“Home sleep testing is another diagnostic option and is indicated in the evaluation of healthier patients who have a higher probability of obstructive sleep apnea,” said Dr. Robert Schriner, a pulmonologist with Memphis Lung Physicians and medical director of Baptist Collierville’s Sleep Disorders Center.

This physician-ordered study includes a nasal pressure cannula, a slip-on finger pulse/oxygen sensor, and a recording device on an adjustable belt worn around the torso. Sleeping position isn’t restricted, making it easy to get the minimum four hours of sleep necessary for the test to be performed. After the test is completed, the patient returns the equipment to the hospital, where registered sleep technicians score the study, and a certified sleep physician interprets the data.

This new tool is especially convenient, allowing the patient to be screened for sleep apnea in the comfort of their own home. If necessary, further testing can be performed in a Baptist Sleep Disorders Center.

 

Visit our website to find out more about our sleep disorder centers. For more information about the at-home sleep test, call 662-244-2968 for Baptist Golden Triangle’s Sleep Disorders Center. For Baptist Collierville’s Sleep Disorders Center, please call Memphis Lung Physicians’ Collierville office at (901) 850-1170 or the Baptist Sleep Disorders Center-Collierville at (901) 861-9001.