Frequently Asked Questions

Most insurance plans cover a sleep study. Our professional staff will verify all insurance benefits and relay any out of pocket costs to you.

Yes, we require a physician’s referral. However, we have sleep specialists on our staff that can see you in consultation and recommend any sleep studies that may be required.

We are open 7 nights a week. Our Customer Service staff will ensure that you have your sleep study on the night most convenient for you.

Yes, you will have your own private room.

Our patient rooms are furnished with soft lighting, carpet, and decorating touches that create a relaxed and comfortable environment. Each room has cable TV equipped with a DVD/VHS player.

You may bring the following:
• 2-piece button-down pajamas or shorts and a T-shirt and slippers.
• A favorite blanket or pillow (optional).
• A change of clothes for the next day.
• A toothbrush, hairbrush, and all necessary toiletries.
• Snacks (required if you are a diabetic or scheduled for daytime testing)

If it is necessary to bring someone due to your medical condition or for any other purpose, please contact our office so that we can determine how to best accommodate your needs.

No. The sleep lab does not provide any medications. Please make sure you have discussed all of your medication needs with your physician prior to your sleep study.

You should take all of your usual medications on the day and night of your sleep study unless your physician has advised you otherwise.

It is recommended that the following instructions are followed:
• Avoid caffeinated beverages/foods 8-12 hours prior to your study

(ie. Coffee, tea, soda and chocolate).

• Avoid alcoholic beverages 24 hours prior to testing.
• Avoid body oils, gels and lotions.
• Please eat a good meal prior to your arrival to the sleep lab.
• Try not to nap the day of your study.

Upon arrival, a technician will lead you to your room. Surface electrodes will be applied painlessly to your scalp, chin, legs, chest, and near your eyes with conductive paste. This will enable us to evaluate your stages of sleep and pertinent information regarding your sleep pattern and behavior. A sensor will be placed under your nose and belts will be placed around your chest to monitor your breathing. The setup process will take about 45 minutes. A technician will monitor your sleep from a room in close proximity to you where your sleep data is collected and stored on our sleep diagnostic computerized system. If apnea is detected you will be contacted to be scheduled for a CPAP titration trial or the technician will initiate CPAP trial only if ordered by your physician on the night of your study.

There is a large amount of data that is collected during your overnight sleep study. Our sleep specialist physician will interpret the data and a formal report with recommendations will be sent to your doctor.

Typical arrival time is between 8:30 - 9:00 PM.

Typical departure time is between 5:30-6:00 AM.

Within 7-10 business days.

It is possible that you will be having more testing the morning after your overnight sleep study, depending on what your physician has requested or ordered. Our Customer Service Representatives will notify you if this test has been requested. This daytime testing normally ends no later than 5 p.m.

Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA is the result of skeletal muscle tissue losing its tone and collapsing into the airway during sleep. When a person falls asleep, the central nervous system is more relaxed causing the electrical activity to the skeletal muscle to decrease. When the muscle loses its tone, gravity pulls it into the airway causing the person to stop breathing for ten seconds or more. The brain senses a decrease in oxygen and causes an arousal and the person wakes up and takes a breath. When the person falls asleep again, this process can repeat itself up to hundreds of times during the night. The diagnostic instruments at REM Sleep Labs can pick up OSA so that a doctor can diagnose it and treat it, helping to improve the quality of life.

People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or even those who are not properly treated are at great risks of developing a domino effect of health problems. Abnormal breathing during sleep and frequent reductions in the oxygen level in the blood can lead to permanent problems with your heart or blood vessels. Unusual heartbeats and swollen ankles may also occur. Hypertension and depression are among the most common complications of untreated or not properly treated sleep apnea. When you don’t breathe for even a short period of time, it causes your body to produce a burst of adrenaline, which in turn causes sudden spikes in blood pressure. This can damage the heart and other organs, triggering strokes and heart attacks and greatly worsening congestive heart failure whether you are obese or not.

The signs and symptoms that are suggestive of OSA include obesity, loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, erectile dysfunction (impotence), morning headaches, personality changes (depression), high blood pressure and frequent nocturnal urination. A large neck girth in both males and females who snore is also a good predictor of OSA. In general, men with a neck circumference of 17 inches or greater and women with a neck circumference of 16 inches or greater are at a higher risk for sleep apnea. Patients with OSA often say that their bed partner complains about their snoring. A large number of people who snore are believed to have OSA. Many times, a sleep partner will witness gasping or choking episodes during sleep.

OSA, left untreated, will have a negative affect on you over time. OSA causes disruptive sleep and the chances that you may doze off while driving increases considerably. The chances of falling asleep and possibly getting into an accident have increased exponentially, when sleep apnea goes untreated. Driving requires attention to the road. OSA deprives your body of rest, making you feel tired, less alert, and can thus become a hazard.

Steps:
1.	If you routinely wake up feeling non-refreshed, if you fall asleep during the day, feel a decline in mental sharpness or have feelings of depression, consider talking to your doctor about having a sleep study. Waking up several times during the night and maybe more frequently towards the end of your sleep cycle is when sleep apnea is at its worst. If you sometimes do not remember covering the last few miles while driving, or even doze off when you are the passenger in a car traveling any distance, you also should consider seeing a Sleep Specialist. These are all signs of non-restorative sleep, and OSA is a major cause of non-restorative sleep.
2.	Asking your bed partner if they have ever heard you snoring or have even witnessed you not breathing at any point during the night can be useful information for your physician. Loud snoring can be a predictive indicator that you may have underlying Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which can be easily treated.
3.	If your doctor feels that you might have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, he will recommend that you undergo an overnight sleep study. At your sleep study visit, electrodes will be used to monitor your brain waves, your breathing, and blood oxygen levels during the night.
4.	If your overnight sleep study reveals OSA, your doctor will discuss the treatment options with you. The most common treatment, CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) a machine that blows room filtered air into your airway to keep your airway from collapsing at night. Other treatments include surgical procedures and behavioral treatment modalities that can also be discussed with your physician.