Sleep Laboratory

You don’t have to leave Cambridge to get a good night’s sleep

People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Sleep apnea affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children.

If you’re concerned about your sleep habits, the answers you need are available at the Tri Valley Health System Sleep Laboratory.

The investigation of sleeping habits begins with an Apnea Link, a home test in which potential sleep subjects are given a finger probe and nasal flow sensor. If the home test offers a positive indication of sleep interruptions, subjects are invited to the Sleep Lab for a full study.

The Sleep Lab is a homelike room at Heritage Plaza. The overnight studies begin at 9 p.m. Patients are connected with sensors which give a continual reading on sleeping patterns. Following the study, an appropriate course of treatment is recommended.

Sleep Lab staff includes Michael Greene, RT and Julie Sayer, who has CRT and RPSGT certifications, and handles responsibilities with the assistance of the Respiratory Department.