Sleep Laboratory
Wheeling Hospital has a state-of-the-art Sleep Laboratory that provides a wide range of testing for those who may be suffering from sleep disorders. The lab, part of the hospital's Cardiac Neurovascular Center, provides clinical diagnostic evaluations and treatment.
Evaluations at the Sleep Lab can distinguish between neurological disorders and breathing-related disorders, such as obtrusive sleep apnea, which is marked by excessive snoring and experienced by 18 million people.
Additionally, excessive daytime sleepiness can be evaluated with multiple sleep latency testing. The lab also provides maintenance of wakefulness testing for public transportation equipment operators.
Evaluations
Patients having sleep evaluation testing report to the Sleep Laboratory during the early evening and leave shortly after 6 a.m. the following day. Those who must report to their jobs earlier can have their arrival times adjusted.
While the patient is asleep, a tremendous amount of data is collected for evaluation, including how long the patient remains in each stage of sleep, the amount and level of snoring, body movements and other indicators.
After the evaluation, patients make appointments with their own physicians or a sleep specialist to discuss the test results and any necessary treatment options.
Sleep disorders in themselves can seriously disrupt a person's life, and studies continue to show how lack of sleep can lead to other serious medical problems. That's why Wheeling Hospital offers sleep evaluations with the newest equipment available.
Appointments
Patients must schedule appointments through their physicians, who may call the Sleep Laboratory at 304-243-3720. The lab is open seven nights a week.