Sleep Center

The Blessing Sleep Center provides diagnostic services to adults who may suffer from a sleep disorder. Early recognition and treatment of sleep disorders is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. The Sleep Center can help diagnose the following types of sleep disorders: 

• Sleep Apnea: A person with apnea stops breathing for short periods throughout the night, leading to poor and fragmented rest.
• Narcolepsy: A neurological disorder that causes sudden shifts from wakefulness into sleep.
• Restless Legs Syndrome: Fragmented and poor quality rest due to constant leg motion leads to daytime fatigue.
• Insomnia: While difficulty falling asleep is one type of insomnia, frequent nighttime awakenings, poor quality rest and early awakening are also characteristics of the condition.
• Hypersomnia:  This condition can include excessive daytime sleepiness, long sleep periods and excessive amounts of deep sleep.
• Hypoventilation:  A condition in which the lungs do not draw in sufficient air, hypoventilation can lead to fragmented rest due to decreased oxygen levels.

Testing Available
The purpose of diagnostic testing is to provide objective measurement of sleep quality, quantity, type of sleep stages and their order and duration, as well as measurmement of breathing, oxygen saturation level, cardiac rythm, muscle activity, eye movements, and brain wave patterns, in order to determine any patterns associated with sleep disorders and to make an objective diagnosis. Physicians should allow two weeks for patient follow-up appointments after the sleep test is completed. The Sleep Center provides the following tests:

• Polysomnogram (sleep study): Overnight, fully attended diagnostic test to diagnose and assess certain sleep disorders such as sleep apnea-hypopnea, obstructive and/or central, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and others.
• CPAP: Overnight, fully attended Continuous Positive Airway Titration testing for patients diagnosed with sleep apnea to determine CPAP pressure and equipment type.
• Split Night: Overnight, fully attended sleep study testing the first half of the night, followed by CPAP titration the second half of the night, for patients with severe sleep apnea.
• Multiple Sleep Latency Testing (MSLT): All day nap study to assess excessive sleepiness and/or narcolepsy.
• Multiple Wakefulness Testing (MWT): Study used to assess alertness through daytime challenge tests.
• Overnight Pulse Oximetry: Patient takes home oximeter with instructions to assess oxygen levels overnight.

Features of the Sleep Center
Blessing Hospital has been performing sleep studies since 1985.  The Blessing Sleep Center is committed to providing thorough testing with a strong emphasis on patient education and follow-up support with treatment recommendations.

The staff of the Sleep Center work closely with neurologists Walid Hafez, MD and Linda Johnson, MD, and pulmonologists Manoocher Nassery, MD; Venu Reddy, MD; and Nanjappa Somanna, MD. 

The Blessing Sleep Center, located in the lower level of the Bank of Quincy Building at 12th & Broadway, is pleased to offer:

• State of the art equipment for acquiring and scoring sleep studies with video capabilities.
• Decreased waiting time to schedule patients for studies.
• Comfortable private bedrooms are wheelchair accessible and feature full-size beds and access to a bathroom with a shower. A waiting area with magazines and a refrigerator is also available. 
• Capability to perform more daytime studies.
• Durable medical equipment providers offered on-site at patient's request.
• Quicker follow-up with CPAP/BiLEVEL titration.
• Staff helps coordinate resources for patient including communication with durable medical equipment providers.

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