Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders can come in many forms and vary in how severely they impact you. If you answer "yes" to two or more of the questions below, ask your doctor about getting a referral to one of our sleep centers.

• Do you feel excessively sleepy during the day?
• Do you have difficulty falling asleep?
• Do you awaken frequently during the night?
• Do others say you snore loudly?
• Do others say you stop breathing in your sleep?
• Do you suddenly awaken, gasping for breath?
• Do you get morning headaches?
• Do you feel your body going limp when you are angry or surprised?
• Do you experience vivid dreamlike scenes upon falling asleep or awakening?
• Do you experience leg pain during the night?
• Do others say you kick and thrash while asleep?
• Do you wake up with heartburn, coughing or wheezing?
• Do you have recurrent episodes of sleepwalking, nightmares or abnormal behavior while sleeping, such as violent actions, head banging or other related behaviors?

Generally, you would not remember if you stopped breathing or had other involuntary actions during sleep. Instead, you may feel like you did not sleep well and are not well rested. This is why a comprehensive sleep study performed by trained and experienced specialists is important to diagnosing a sleep problem.

Sleep studies and sleep disorder treatment begin with your environment. At our sleep clinics, we not only offer both medical and surgical treatments from a multidisciplinary team of expert sleep doctors, but we offer hotel-style accommodations with private restrooms equipped with showers. We know how important sleep is, and we want you to be as comfortable as possible while undergoing study or treatment.

Types of sleep studies

Sleep studies are painless and are conducted so sleep medicine specialists can identify what is causing your sleep problem. Once a referral is made, our sleep center will contact your health insurance company to get authorization for coverage before the study.

Following a sleep study, we will review the findings and make recommendations to your referring physician, which could include the use of machines or medications. Some of the studies we offer are:

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration — This study focuses on treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy, where a hose is connected to a facemask that delivers steady air flow to help your breathing as you sleep. Other treatment modalities that may be used in CPAP titration include bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) devices, adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) and average volume-assured pressure support (AVAPS).
• Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) — MSLTs are used to determine a diagnosis of narcolepsy. This two-part test consists of an overnight baseline study and a series of four to five nap tests the following day.
• Polysomnogram (PSG) — A PSG is a diagnostic sleep study that measures brain wave activity, respiratory effort, pulse, eye movement and leg movement. This standard study allows us to identify a host of different sleep disorders.
• Split night — A split night study is a combination of a PSG and CPAP titration study. The first part of the study records a diagnostic baseline. If sleep-disorder breathing events are present during the first half of the night, CPAP is initiated for the remainder of the study.

In-lab sleep testing

In-lab sleep studies involve you coming to one of our sleep centers. There, our specialists monitor electronic sensors attached to your body while you sleep, which analyze up to 25 continuous measurements, including heart activity, breathing, oxygen level and brain activity. This data tells them what is causing your sleeping issue and allows them to create the right treatment plan so you can get back to sleeping normally.

Home sleep testing

Sleep testing at home is available if you meet certain criteria and have a high suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. If you qualify, home sleep testing can be very convenient and cost-effective, involving small, portable monitors that record your respiratory effort, pulse, oxygen saturation, nasal flow and snoring. Home sleep testing is not appropriate if you have certain pre-existing conditions. In these instances, in-lab sleep testing will be advised.

Sleep apnea is a respiratory condition that causes breathing to stop and start during sleep. This is dangerous because it means your body does not get adequate oxygen. It can also leave you feeling tired and unable to stay awake and alert throughout the day.

Untreated sleep apnea can increase your risk of:

• Accidents, especially car accidents
• Coronary artery disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Kidney disease
• Lung disease
• Stroke (cardiovascular accident)
• Type 2 diabetes

In addition to CPAP devices, HealthONE hospitals offer two special treatments for sleep apnea:

Upper airway stimulation

Upper airway stimulation devices can work as an alternative to the use of a CPAP machine. Upper airway stimulation is a tiny implantable device that works with your natural breathing process. The system includes a small generator, a sensing lead and a stimulation lead.

The device is turned on by a handheld remote and delivers mild stimulation to the muscles of the tongue to keep the airway open. You are responsible for turning it on and off each night.

Rose Sleep Disorders Center
4567 East Ninth Avenue, Denver, CO 80220
(303) 320-7471
Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm, overnight studies available seven days a week

Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center/Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children Advanced Center for Sleep Medicine
2055 N High St, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80205
(720) 754-2059
Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-5:00pm, overnight studies available seven days a week

Sky Ridge Medical Center – Sleep Center
10101 RidgeGate Parkway, Lone Tree, CO 80124
(720) 225-3100
Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-5:00pm, overnight studies beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday , Friday and Saturday