Archbold Sleep Center

Helping You Achieve More Restful Sleep

A good night’s sleep is an extremely important part of your wellbeing. Since most people spend roughly one third of their lives asleep, it’s no secret that quality of sleep directly affects the quality of your life. However, 50-70 million Americans live with sleep disorders, sometimes unknowingly. That’s why the Archbold Sleep Center is here to help you rest easy once again.

To learn more about our sleep center in Thomasville and how we can benefit you or a loved one struggling with a sleep disorder, don’t hesitate to reach out. Call us at 229.228.2729.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Disorders

Before deciding whether to seek assistance from a medical professional in the field of sleep studies and treatment, it may be helpful to understand some of the common symptoms of sleep disorders. These may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness

• Heavy, loud snoring during sleep

• Falling asleep while driving

• Difficulty falling asleep at night

• Frequent breathing lapses during sleep

• Waking up several times during sleep

• Restless, twitchy, or jumpy legs at night

• Excessive sweating at night

• Morning headaches upon waking

• Memory and concentration problems

Before diagnosing you or a loved one with a sleep disorder based on the symptoms above, your physician may want to rule out other conditions that could be affecting your sleep. Some common reasons that you may be feeling restless or fatigued could include:

• Mental illness, such as depression or anxiety

• Chronic pain

• Obesity or excessive weight gain

• Hypertension

• Heart failure

• Elevated blood count

• Medication side effects

Diagnostic Testing Through Sleep Studies

Sleep studies are performed in a private, spacious, and comfortable bedroom, designed to emulate a home environment as much as possible. Patients are continuously monitored during overnight studies by a technologist with special training in sleep diagnostics.

A board-certified sleep specialist and medical director will interpret the results of the sleep study. Once the findings are complete, the final report will be reviewed with the patient, and a treatment plan will be designed based on the patient’s unique needs. A range of treatment options can be recommended to help alleviate symptoms of a diagnosed disorder. These treatment options will be based upon the type and severity of the specific sleep disorder.

Additional sleep testing we offer at Archbold includes:

• Home Sleep Testing: Home sleep testing, or HST, is performed by having the patient sleep at home while wearing equipment that collects information about breathing during sleep. HST is typically used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea.

• MSLT: Multiple sleep latency testing, which is performed the day following an overnight sleep study to determine the levels of residual drowsiness. This test can be used to diagnose narcolepsy.

• MWT: Maintenance of Wakefulness Test is performed during the day to determine if a patient can stay awake for a defined period of time. This test is used to measure how alert you remain during they day.

Questionnaires to aid in self-assessing a sleep concern:

• The Epworth Sleepiness Scale: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a simple test designed to alert you to any problems resulting from poor quality sleep. If your score is 9 or greater, a further sleep study may be needed to properly diagnose your problem.

• The STOP-BANG Sleep Apnea Questionnaire: The STOP-BANG questionnaire consists of eight dichotomous (yes/no) items related to the clinical features of sleep apnea. The total score ranges from 0 to 8. Patients can be classified for OSA risk based on their respective scores. An online version of the STOP-BANG screening is available at the bottom of this page.

Get Started on the Path Toward a Good Night’s Sleep

Our sleep center is accredited by the Accreditation Commission of Health Care (ACHC). This is important because this distinctive recognition by the ACHC means our sleep center gives each patient high-quality care and service that adheres to evidence-based practice parameters.

Medicare, Medicaid, and most insurance companies cover the cost of sleep studies. Since insurance benefits and coverage vary, it is best to contact your provider for coverage and pre-certification requirements. It is important to note that sleep studies are conducted through physician referral only. If you’re interested in potentially participating in a sleep study, or if you’d like to receive more information regarding sleep disorders, our staff will be glad to assist you and discuss options regarding services.

Please call the Archbold Sleep Center at 229.228.2729 to speak to a dedicated member of our team. You’ll rest easy knowing you’re receiving the best sleep-focused care from our compassionate and knowledgeable team!