SOUTH SHORE SLEEP DIAGNOSTICS COVID PREVENTION
South Shore Sleep Diagnostics maintains the highest level of safety for all our patients and staff. All of our sleep labs linens are sterilized on a daily basis, all surfaces are sterilized with either alcohol based solutions or ultraviolet light. In addition, an upper-room germicidal UV disinfection system is used on a continuous basis, sterilizing all circulating air in the sleep lab.
A secure, private and safe environment are the hallmarks of all our sleep testing facilities.
We have extensive experience with all aspects of sleep disordered breathing with our initial experience dating back to the early 1980’s. We perform all stages of sleep apnea surgery, and perform diagnostic polysomnography in an in-patient setting. For those patients troubled by snoring without apnea, we offer the most effective and least invasive techniques as they evolve.
Our sleep laboratories are located in Bourne, Hyannis, Plymouth and Weymouth. Our facilities provide a quiet comfortable setting in which diagnostic sleep studies can be performed. The sleeping rooms are configured to reproduce that sleeping in your own bed feeling. Each private, spacious room is provided with cable TV and a nonalcoholic wet bar for patient comfort. Fresh towels, toiletries, shower facilities and morning coffee and pastries make the diagnostic experience more pleasant. The testing usually will begin at around 8 or 9 PM and conclude around 5:30–6:00 approximately. The laboratory utilizes state of the art diagnostic digital computer data recording and analysis as well as infrared video monitoring. We are all dedicated to providing our patients with the most comprehensive and up to date diagnostic studies currently available in a setting of unmatched comfort and security. Although we take great care to provide a comfortable facility and state of the art diagnostic equipment we are most proud of the quality of the care delivered by our professional staff who take great pride in taking care of you.
“We are committed to the diagnosis and treatment of
those who suffer from sleep related disorders.”
— Dr. Bernard Durante
info about home sleep testing
FOR A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP
Snoring and sleep apnea can prevent a good night’s sleep, for the sufferer and for those trying to sleep nearby. While snoring and sleep apnea affect three times as many men as women, these conditions can affect relationships by preventing both parties from sleeping soundly. Children also can snore or have sleep apnea, affecting behavior and performance in school.
Snoring is caused by the soft palate relaxing too much during sleep; the soft palate then vibrates during breathing and that causes the noise that others can hear. Often the person will wake up several times during the night, interrupting sleep cycles.
Sleep apnea, which may include snoring, is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods of time while sleeping. The person will arouse enough to start breathing again, but this interrupts the sleep cycle. The person may be unaware of the sleep/wake cycles.The majority of people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have a problem.
Untreated sleep apnea also can lead to depression, high blood pressure, and higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
Sleep apnea can be properly diagnosed with the help of a sleep study. Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-affiliated surgeons Anit Patel, MD and Bernard Durante, MD, offer state-of-the-art techniques for diagnosis and management of snoring and sleep apnea.
“Once a proper diagnosis is made, the most common treatment for sleep apnea is a machine known as continuous positive air pressure, or CPAP. The patient wears a mask during the night that allows air to flow into the nose during sleep,” says Dr. Patel. “For those who can’t tolerate the mask, surgery may be warranted.”
To get more zzz’s
For a better night’s sleep, practice good sleep hygiene:
Lose weight, if you are more than your ideal weight.
Avoid alcohol and smoking
Limit medications, such as sleeping pills, which can actually make sleep problems worse.
For snoring without apnea, the doctor will inject an inflammatory material into the soft palate causing it to thicken so it doesn’t flap during breathing. A second option to stiffen the palate is implants. These are procedures conducted in the physician’s office.
Bob Barker, a financial planner from Mashpee, was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2001. He tried a CPAP machine but was unable to tolerate it due to a deviated septum. His sleep apnea left the financial planner tired all day, but unable to sleep soundly at night. His wife, Patricia, described his snoring as “roof-shaking” and she would race to get to sleep before he did. On a family vacation, she noticed that the noise even kept the children from sleeping well, “I hadn’t really thought that it touched so many lives.” A schoolteacher, Patricia’s sleep was disrupted so often that she took a nap in the afternoon and was still exhausted at bedtime. She also was concerned about Bob’s sleep apnea leading to heart disease and heart attack.
As a last resort, Bob had two surgeries at the same time last December with Dr. Patel. One removed his uvula and tissue from his throat and soft palate; the other corrected his deviated septum. Patricia says that within a week of the swelling going down and the nasal packing being removed, she noticed a huge change. Bob puts it best, “I have more energy than I’ve had in years.”