Sleep Medicine

During a sleep study, your healthcare provider will place sensors on your body to monitor your brain and body activity while you sleep. The sensors record your sleep patterns, eye movements, blood oxygen levels, heartbeat, breathing rates, body movements, and snoring to diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, parasomnia, restless leg syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder. However, not everyone needs a sleep study; your provider may diagnose you based on your symptoms.

Actigraphs are small devices that look like wristwatches and track activity and sleep patterns. Unlike regular sleep studies, which only monitor activity for one night, the actigraphy method allows us to observe activity over several days, weeks, or months.

Medications can treat some sleep disorders, such as periodic limb movement disorder or narcolepsy. While medication can't cure the condition, it can make symptom management easier.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a common treatment for sleep-related breathing problems like sleep apnea. CPAPs use a mask and gentle air pressure to help keep your breathing passages open while you sleep. Our Sleep Medicine team can help you set up the machine and make follow-up appointments to ensure everything works for you.

Stormont Vail is proud to be Northeast Kansas's only provider of Inspire, an advanced treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Inspire is a long-term, mask-free option for people who struggle with or cannot use CPAP. This second-line therapy isn't suitable for everyone, so talk to your healthcare provider or call our Sleep Medicine team at (785) 368-0763 to learn more about this treatment and your options.