Sleeplessness Finds Rest in Winsted

WINSTED — According to research studies on sleep disorders, approximately 40 million Americans have a sleep disorder and 95 percent of them remain undiagnosed and untreated. That’s why sleep labs like the Winsted Health Center’s Hungerford Regional Sleep Laboratory have sprouted up across the country, offering full-service sleep programs to monitor and diagnose sleep disorders.

The sleep lab in Winsted is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and offers patients private, hotel-like bedrooms monitored by physician sleep specialists, respiratory therapists and registered polysomnographic technologists.

“We work six nights a week, and it’s a two-bed facility, so we do two every night,� said Patty Sullivan, team leader of sleep lab. “It usually takes a little over a month to get in, because of the high need to get in. We’re it in the northwest community. We’re in an opportune market to grow here.�

The first step in evaluating a sleeping problem is for the patient to visit his or her physician. If the problem is not caused by a medical condition that can be treated directly by a doctor, the patient may be referred to a pulmonologist or otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist), who may refer them to the sleep laboratory.

“First patients go to their physician and describe their symptoms, like snoring at night or insomnia. After they talk with their doctor and the doctor feels that they may need sleep study, it is ordered to the lab by the physicians,� said Sullivan. “We use state-of-the-art computer technology that measures the body’s sleeping patterns.�

Brain wave activity is monitored by elecrodes placed on the head and patients wear a respiratory belt to measure respiratory flow and rate. Electrodes also measure heart rhythm, eye movement, chest motion and limb movements. An oxygen monitor is placed on the patient’s finger.

A sleep study can help diagnose numerous sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, in which breathing stops or slows down for periods of 10 second or more; insomnia; periodic limb movements; and restless leg syndrome.

“We also treat narcolepsy, which is a relatively rare disorder, with symptoms like uncontrollable daytime sleepiness,� Sullivan said. “A lot of sleep disorders can cause secondary disorders, such as depression and significant cardiac problems.�

Sullivan said patients spend the entire night at the laboratory and it takes some time to do the setup, connecting all the electrodes. A technician monitors the patient throughout the night in a control room.

Patients with sleep apnea can use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, a noninvasive, pressured machine that pushes air through a mask. “It helps keep airways open during the evening,� said Sullivan.

The lab also sponsors a support group called ALERT. Patients are invited to the free program, which is held on the first Tuesday of every other month.

“We talk about latest equipment and tips on being complient with your equipment at home. The support group is to help people get through a difficult time,� said Sullivan. “We have a really great staff.�

Contact your primary care physician for a polysomnogram or sleep study if you think you have a sleep disorder. For further information, contact the Hungerford Regional Sleep Laboratory at 860-738-6620.