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Holy Name Medical Center Opens New Center For Sleep Medicine
August 3, 2011
Brand new accommodations and non-clinical atmosphere make getting a sleep study pleasant and convenient
Teaneck, NJ - For those who are tired of being tired, Holy Name Medical Center's all-new Center for Sleep Medicine might be just the ticket to a peaceful and productive slumber.
"Holy Name's Center for Sleep Medicine combines the latest generation in sleep technology with the comfort and hospitality of a hotel," says Adam Glassman, MD, Medical Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine. "It provides a safe environment where patients can undergo the highest quality and most accurate sleep studies available."
Located at 721 Teaneck Road across from Holy Name Medical Center, the new Center for Sleep Medicine features six well-appointed hotel-style patient rooms designed to promote physical relaxation and emotional comfort through the use of calming colors and residential-quality finishes. One room is child-friendly for pediatrics patients, containing an extra bed for the parent. All rooms have a flat-screen TV and WiFi Internet connection, and a spacious private bathroom with shower. Patients may adjust their room temperature to their liking, request extra blankets, pillows and snacks, and a concierge service ensures a caring, personal touch. Meals are provided as needed, and in accordance with the study schedule.
Inadequate Sleep - A Pervasive Problem in America
Recent events on the ground and in the air, in which fatigue might have played a role in tragic vehicular accidents and potential air traffic calamities are, once again, calling our attention to the need for an adequate amount of sleep that is deep and uninterrupted. Individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation are unable to perform optimally at their jobs, to drive and operate machinery safely, and to accomplish routine tasks while staying alert and engaged.
For people with undiagnosed sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, insomnia, periodic limb movement disorder and restless leg syndrome, a sound snooze is an elusive goal. An estimated 20 million Americans have OSA alone, and Sleep in America polls conducted on behalf of the National Sleep Foundation and as reported on WebMD, find that about 20% of Americans get less than six hours sleep-considered inadequate for maintaining good health.
In addition to impacting quality of life, sleep disorders-particularly sleep apnea-can predispose an individual to serious health problems and aggravate existing conditions, including cardiovascular disease and stroke (through hypertension, or high blood pressure) and diabetes (due to a decrease in oxygen pressure in the arteries, causing insulin resistance).
About Sleep Studies
Holy Name's new Center for Sleep Medicine offers both overnight and daytime sleep testing. Each test is designed to evaluate specific conditions. The overnight sleep study, or polysomnogram, is used to detect a wide variety of sleep disorders. It is most often used to diagnose a sleep-related breathing disorder, such as sleep apnea. The maintenance wakefulness test is used to measure how alert an individual is during the day, and whether s/he is able to stay awake for a designated period of time. The multiple sleep latency test, given to persons suspected of having narcolepsy, consists of a series of naps to determine how quickly an individual falls asleep during quiet, daytime situations.
All sleep studies are completely painless, and gather information about heart activity, brain wave activity, breathing, eye and leg movements, muscle tone and blood oxygen levels through belts and electrodes that are connected to various parts of the body. A certified sleep technician monitors the patient from a computer station in a separate room.
After the sleep study is completed, a report is sent to the patient's physician for review and one of the Center's physicians develops a personalized treatment plan to improve the quality of the patient's sleep. The Center's physicians work with patients' primary care doctors to monitor the sleep condition for improvement and, if needed, to modify the treatment plan. In addition, education and support services are available to patients, as well as their sleep partners.
Common Symptoms of Sleep Disorders
According to Holy Name's Dr. Glassman, a pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist, people with sleep disorders may have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Falling asleep or feeling sleepy during dinner, while entertaining friends, at work or while driving.
- Snoring
- Gasping for air during sleep or pauses in breathing
- Waking in the middle of the night with heartburn
- Morning headaches
- Trouble concentrating during the day
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Creepy-crawly, tingly or burning feelings in the legs at night
- Feeling anxious or depressed
