Affinity Health Group Sleep Center
Sleep disorders can affect your days as well as your night. The physicians at Affinity Health Group utilize a sleep center to evaluate sleeping habits and diagnose sleep disorders. The lab provides a warm, relaxed environment where you feel comfortable and at home. The facility consists of two sleep-monitoring rooms as well as a guest room for your family or friends.

Symptoms Many factors can indicate a sleep disorder and/or interfere with the quality of your sleep, including the following:

• Concentration problems
• Daytime sleepiness
• Falling asleep while driving
• Frequent awakenings
• Gasping for breath
• Insomnia
• Morning headaches
• Obesity
• Restless legs
• Sleep terrors
• Sleep walking or acting out dreams
• Snoring
• Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)

If you experience any of these symptoms, check with your doctor to see if he or she needs to evaluate your specific symptoms with a sleep study.

Sleep Studies
Various sleep studies can be performed at the Affinity Sleep Center, including the following tests:

Overnight Oximetry Studies
These studies help determine if you need additional sleep studies by monitoring your oxygen levels while you sleep.

Diagnostic Sleep Studies
These studies are performed to diagnose various sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea (brief periods of recurrent cessation of breathing during sleep caused by obstruction of the airway or a disturbance in the brain's respiratory center), seizures and restless legs. During the studies, your heartbeat will be monitored with an electrocardiogram (EKG). Your oxygen levels will also be closely monitored. 

Multiple Sleep Latency Test
This test assesses the level of daytime sleepiness and can be beneficial in the diagnosis of narcolepsy (a condition characterized by brief episodes of deep sleep).

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test
Certain employers, such as the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) and trucking companies, require this test to check for any sleep disorders that could interfere with your job performance.

Patients who undergo sleep studies are generally over two years old.

Preparation for Sleep Studies
You will be contacted by phone and given information regarding preparation for your specific sleep studies. All of your questions will be answered at this time.

Treatment
Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Studies
Depending upon your diagnosis, your physician may prescribe a Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) study. PAP is administered at bedtime through a nasal or facial mask held in place by Velcro straps around your head. The mask is connected with a tube to a small air compressor (PAP Machine). The machine sends air under pressure through the tube into the mask, where it delivers positive pressure to the upper airways. This pressure holds the upper airway open and keeps it from collapsing. Your snoring and apneas are eliminated, and you get a good night's sleep.

Staff
The Affinity Sleep Center has two RRT/RPSGTs (registered respiratory therapists/registered polysomnographic technicians) and two LPNs on staff. The lab is fully staffed at all times while your sleep studies are conducted. Affinity physicians Dr. Randall C. Lanier, pulmonologist , and Dr. Charles W. Griffin, neurologist, interpret the sleep test results.

For More Information
Cindy Hancock
Clinic Coordinator at the Affinity Sleep Center
(229) 382-3337
Toll-free (877) 499-3969