Sleep Lab

Many Schoharie County residents are getting a better night’s sleep, thanks to Cobleskill Regional Hospital’s Sleep Disorder Center and Sleep Lab.

The comfortable four-bed Sleep Lab is located on the hospital’s quiet upper level. It is open six nights per week for sleep studies, which are used to diagnose sleep disorders.

According to the National Institute of Medicine, an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders (including sleep deprivation), putting them at increased risk for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke.

The most common sleep disorders diagnosed in sleep labs are sleep apnea, narcolepsy and periodic limb movement disorder. All of these conditions require sleep studies for diagnosis. Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition caused by an obstruction of the airway during sleep. People with sleep apnea awake repeatedly during the night, often snoring loudly or gasping for breath. People with narcolepsy have trouble staying awake during the day and may suddenly fall asleep. People with periodic limb movement disorder have frequent, involuntary muscle spasms that prevent them from sleeping soundly.

For most patients, the first step is to visit their primary care physician. The primary care physician might then make a referral to a pulmonologist who is a board certified sleep specialist– who then orders a sleep study. Many health insurance plans cover sleep studies, but it is always advisable to check in advance.