Sleep Studies

During waking hours, do you find yourself tired, irritable and distracted?  Do you nod off while sitting still or have trouble remembering things?  Does your spouse complain about your snoring?  If so, you may have a sleep disorder, and you're not alone.  According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, approximately 70 million Americans suffer from sleep problems.

There are more than 80 types of recognized sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy (daytime "sleep attacks"), insomnia and "Restless Legs Syndrome".  Strides in diagnosing and treating these disorders have been made since the 1950s, when Sleep Medicine began to see significant expansion in research.  Today, there are hundreds of "sleep labs" in the United States, including the Sleep Labs at EMH.

The University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center Sleep Labs offer diagnosis and treatment of sleep disturbances and sleep disordered breathing. UH Elyria Medical Center Sleep Labs are full-service diagnostic facilities, staffed by qualified technologists and board-certified sleep physicians. 

Common symptoms of sleep disorders include:

• Snoring
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Diabetes
• Sinus problems
• Morning headaches
• Insomnia
• Weight gain

These labs monitor physiological signs to help diagnose sleep disorders including:

• Brain wave activity
• Pulse oximetry
• Heart rate
• Airflow monitoring

A common treatment option that is highly successful is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which introduces pressure into the airway, promoting uninterrupted sleep.

The following tests are offered at aUH Elyria Medical Center Sleep Lab:

• Polysomnogram (PSG) Study*
• Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) TITRATION*
• Split Night Study
• Mulitple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)*
• Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)

Sleep apnea if left untreated is associated with a variety of health conditions, including:

• high blood pressure
• coronary heart disease
• heart attack
• pulmonary hypertension
• congestive heart failure
• stroke
• mental impairment and

• motor vehicle/work related accidents due to sleepiness

Referrals/Insurance

Most insurance companies require a physician referral before covering a sleep lab study.  Physicians can fax a sleep lab set-up sheet to UH Elyria Medical Center Central Scheduling at 440-329-7775.  Scheduling personnel will verify coverage with the insurance company and call the patient directly to schedule the appointment.  To get copies of the sleep lab set-up sheet, call 440-326-5464.

For additional information on how a UH Elyria Medical Center Sleep Lab can help you, call 440-326-5464 in Elyria and 440-326-5464 in Avon.

*The PSG, CPAP TITRATION and the Split Night studies can also be run durig the day for anyone who works a night shift position.