The Heritage Valley Health System Diagnostic Sleep Lab offers testing to diagnose sleep disorders. The labs are located at Heritage Valley Beaver and Heritage Valley Sewickley.
An estimated 20 percent of the adult population has a sleep disorder. Without the proper rest, a person’s:
- Judgment can be impaired,
- Job performance can suffer, and
- Personality may change.
Sleep testing can help a person find the cause and treatment for their problem so they may, once again, get restful sleep.
Sleep disturbances can be related to a physical condition, such as a blocked nasal passage, or be neurological or psychological (i.e., related to depression) in nature. Common sleep problems include:
Sleep apnea, a condition in which a person’s airway closes during sleep, causing one to stop breathing. Left untreated, apnea could be deadly.
Narcolepsy, a brain dysfunction that causes a person to be overly sleepy during the day.
For more information, talk with your physician or call the sleep lab at 412.749.7800 or 724.773.5900. To get a sleep test, a referral from your primary care physician is generally required, along with authorization from your insurance carrier.
The Heritage Valley Beaver sleep lab is located on C-Tower fourth floor, accessible via the C-Tower elevator. The Heritage Valley Sewickley sleep lab is located on 6 West.
Patients generally report to the Sleep Lab between 8 and 8:30 p.m. so their nighttime sleep can be monitored. Testing is completed by about 6 a.m. the next morning. Narcolepsy testing can be done during daylight hours.
When your physician orders a sleep study for you, you or their office staff need to call the sleep lab to schedule your sleep test. The pulmonologist may want to see you for an evaluation before your sleep study is scheduled.
On the evening of your test, bring your bed clothes and personal items to the admissions office on the hospital's first floor at 8 p.m. You will be directed to the sleep lab.
- Patient rooms are homey and comfortable. They contain:
- A queen-size bed that is adjustable to different positions,
- Television,
- Infrared monitoring camera,
- Recliner chair,
- Two-way intercom, and
- Bathroom and shower facilities.
When you arrive at the lab, the technician will attach approximately two dozen monitors (electrodes) to different parts of your body to monitor your:
- Breathing,
- Eye and leg movements,
- Brain waves,
- Heart beat,
- Muscle tension and
- Oxygen levels.
When you fall asleep, the electrodes will collect information and send it through wires to an equipment/monitoring room where a report is printed. The technician will monitor your rest throughout the night.
The technician will “score” your report and forward the results to the pulmonologist, will determine whether or not you have a sleeping problem, then set up a follow-up meeting with you to review your test results and make recommendations. Or, he/she will refer you back to your primary care physician.
Most sleep disorders can be treated medically, for example, with a breathing mask worn over the nose, a mouth device or medication. However, some sleep disorders require surgery. Once your diagnosis and treatment are established, you will be referred back to your physician for follow-up care.
With treatment, most people get their sleep disorders controlled or cured, so they can be alert during the day and rest peacefully at night.
