More than 70 million Americans suffer from one or more sleep disorders, and most are undiagnosed and untreated. The quality of your sleep directly impacts the quality of your life and health, but the importance of a good night's sleep is often overlooked.
At REM Sleep Diagnostics and Research Center, we provide the best patient experience to treat your sleep problems that hinders you from functioning at your highest level. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine accredits the REM Sleep Center of Valdosta, Georgia, to diagnose and treat all sleep disorders and for home sleep testing.
Dr. Jose Medina-Bairan founded our center, a board-certified in Sleep Disorders physician, and is currently directed by Dr. J. Gabriel Medina-Smester, trained in Sleep Medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial, Miami VAMC, and University Hospitals. Dr. Medina-Smester is Board Certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine.
Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important ways for people to stay healthy. But for many individuals, achieving quality sleep seems impossible. At Maranatha Medical Plaza, our sleep diagnostic center can help you achieve the restful sleep that your body needs. We diagnose and provide care for sleep disorders, such as obstructive and central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, insomnias, and more.
After a thorough evaluation by our medical director or the request of a consulting physician, we can perform several tests. Our four-bed sleep laboratories contain necessary equipment to perform tests like sleep studies or polysomnography (PSG), multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT), and maintenance of wakefulness tests (MWT).
Polysomnography is used to diagnose sleep disorders. It records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, your heart rate, breathing, and eye and leg movements. Patients scheduled for polysomnography in our sleep center usually arrive in the evening and stay throughout the night.
You are invited to bring whatever you need for your typical bedtime routine, including your sleeping clothes. All patients have their sleeping rooms. During the night, you'll be monitored by a low-light video camera.
Once you are ready for bed, the technologist will apply sensors to your scalp, temples, and other areas. These are connected to a computer by wires that are long enough to keep you from moving around during the night. Don't worry if you don't sleep the same way you do at home. You will most likely sleep long enough to get accurate results.
Multiple sleep latency tests are often ordered for people who are excessively sleepy during the day. These tests are sometimes called the daytime nap study. They measure how quickly you fall asleep during the day. To do these tests, you'll come to our sleep center during regular working hours. These tests often take an entire day.
You'll be asked to try to fall asleep in a dark and quiet environment. Then the test will measure how long it takes for you to fall asleep if you do. It will be repeated several times during the day. Maintenance of wakefulness tests measures how well you can stay awake and alert during the day.
These tests can also reveal how well the treatment works for your sleep disorder. These are often done a day or so after polysomnography. Here, you'll sit in a quiet, comfortable room. All you have to do is try to stay awake as long as you can.
The test will be repeated several times during the day. Also, we likewise have a CPAP Clinic for our patients who use CPAP devices. The CPAP clinic focuses on educating patients about their sleep disorder and its treatment.
Under the supervision of our medical director, our certified respiratory therapist addresses any issues that you may have with your device. The respiratory therapist also encourages patients to use the CPAP regularly since it can provide you with the maximum benefit in reducing the impact of your sleep disorder.