Hospital’s Sleep Center diagnoses and treats sleep disorders to improve health
Sleep is necessary for good health. It’s estimated that 50 million to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy or restless legs syndrome. Sleep disorders can affect a person’s performance at work or school and are closely associated with medical conditions like high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Despite their high prevalence, most sleep disorders go untreated.
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital’s accredited Sleep Center offers treatment for sleep disorders in adults and children who are over age 3. The hospital, part of Dartmouth Health, serves communities in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire.
After a patient is referred by their primary care provider, the Sleep Center team conducts an evaluation and, if needed, a sleep study or tests to diagnose a possible sleep disorder and recommend effective treatments. Tests may include polysomnography, a sleep study that monitors a person’s heart rate, breathing rate and rhythm, eye movement, muscle activity, brain activity, blood oxygen level, and airflow.