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Rather than spend the night at a sleep lab, Diane Moyer was able to have a sleep study in the comfort of her own bed. The Sleep Disorders Center recently made portable unattended sleep studies an option for many patients. |
Diane Moyer, a normally active, healthy, 54-year-old woman, made her first appointment at The Ohio State University Medical Center's Sleep Disorders Center because she wasn't feeling like herself. Moyer recalls, "I was always tired and having trouble functioning at work. I couldn't even do my quilting. With a family history of sleep apnea, I thought it was time to have a sleep study."
After a thorough checkup, Aneesa Das, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, suspected that Moyer was likely suffering from sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder characterized by breathing pauses during sleep. Diagnosing sleep apnea traditionally begins with an overnight stay in a sleep lab, but Dr. Das instead sent Moyer home with a portable sleep study unit.
The Sleep Disorders Center at University Hospital East recently initiated the portable unattended sleep study program, which allows patients to complete the diagnostic process in the comfort of their own bed. Meena Khan, MD, assistant program director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program, says, "For patients with sleep-disordered breathing associated with sleep apnea, this is a very reliable study. And if a patient has difficulty coming into the sleep lab or feels they can't sleep in any bed other than their own, performing diagnostic testing at home is a huge benefit."
For most patients with sleep apnea, treatment involves a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. "If the home study identifies a problem, the patient will then typically spend one night in our sleep lab, so we can get them set up with a CPAP device," says Dr. Das.
Moyer did indeed have sleep apnea, and she's been using the CPAP machine since July.
"I feel like I am back to normal. I feel like my concentration, thoughts, creativity and organization skills are back on track. I have energy and feel safe driving again. There is nothing like a good night's sleep," she shares.
Due to the positive feedback from patients, the OSU Sleep Disorders Center is investigating other ways to expand the portable program to efficiently diagnose other at-risk populations for obstructive sleep apnea and improve overall health.
40 wink checklist
Do you suffer from:
- difficulty falling asleep?
- waking up and not being able to fall back asleep?
- excessive daytime sleepiness or falling asleep at inappropriate times and places?
- snoring that interrupts breathing or wakes you up?
- waking up feeling non-refreshed?
- unpleasant sensations in the legs creating difficulty in getting to sleep?
Then you may have a sleep disorder. Take our online sleep quiz.