Innovative sleep lab helps diagnose and treat sleep disorders Justin Weber, registered polysomnographic technologist By Shannon Carroll Few of us make it through each year without at least a handful of sleepless nights. Worrying about finances, loved ones and work stressors are enough to keep anyone awake from time to time. Research shows that activities that calm the mind (such as prayer, meditation and breathing techniques) and habits that preserve a healthier state of mind (such as restricting caffeine, alcohol and screen time) can alleviate or even resolve insomnia—but how do you know when you need more help? Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine Director Walter Fairfax, M.D., suggests that “when a person is impaired due to insomnia or unable to get rested from a full night of sleep, it’s important for them to talk to their provider. If usual interventions don’t help, your provider can connect you to Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine.” When usual interventions aren’t effective, this may be a sign that breathing disorders or movement disorders are the source of a sleep problem. What is a sleep study? The specialists at Kootenai Clinic Sleep Medicine can diagnose up to 84 different sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and “movement disorders of sleep.” To help diagnose your particular sleep disorder, you may be given a test to determine the cause of your sleeping problem. This test is called a sleep study. A simple version may be done in the comfort of your own home to assess breathing and oxygen. Or a more sensitive and detailed study in the Kootenai Health sleep lab can be done to measure your brain waves, sleep stages, heart rhythm, breathing effort, airflow, oxygen and muscle activity during sleep. During a sleep study, sensors are placed on your body that provide sleep specialists with the detailed information needed to find the cause of your poor Quality of Sleep 18
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