CleveMed Blogs

CleveMed’s SleepScout is a compact, portable sleep monitor used to aid in assessment of sleep disordered breathing outside the traditional sleep lab: in a hospital setting (with iPSG™), or typically perfect for self-administered home sleep testing (even remotely attended with DreamPort™) right in the patient’s home. But here is another way to use the SleepScout: Dentists with an interest in sleep, snoring (sleep disordered breathing), and remedies for snoring through oral appliances and surgeries can use SleepScout to perform take-home sleep tests for their patients.

Here’s why the SleepScout is a great option when considering a sleep recorder for the dental office:
• SleepScout uses AASM recommended Type 3 channel set
• SleepScout’s accessories are very cost-effective
• SleepScout can monitor effectiveness of treatment with CPAP and oral appliances
• SleepScout gives an easy-to-read report with auto-scoring of respiratory events
• SleepScout records EMG to monitor Bruxism
• With SleepScout you have next day results

These are just a few reasons to consider the SleepScout, and you can read more details here. Also, see a sample report from the SleepScout portable sleep monitor at www.CleveMed.com/DentalSleep. And if you haven’t seen the SleepScout overview video, check it out!

We spend a third of our lives asleep –that can be a long time of fitful rest for someone who experiences sleep problems. Disruptions in this state of rest can lead to a decline in one’s overall quality of life. Most patients with sleep problems first seek medical help from their primary care physician.

Sleep in the Primary Care Setting:

Poor quality of sleep tends to accompany common illnesses, and life stressors (including family and social structure changes); thus, patients tend to visit their primary care physician who has a complete knowledge of the factors that are related with their sleep problems. Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs at a high frequency in the primary care practice setting. An estimated 18 million Americans suffer from OSA; yet, despite the volume of sleep complaints to the primary care physicians, they often go unaddressed.

Common OSA facts and its associated health risks

• OSA is more common in men, and those over the age of 40.
• Snoring (Sleep Disordered Breathing) can be a sign of sleep apnea.
• Adult OSA has a long-standing and unambiguous correlation with obesity and daytime sleepiness. The National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that 77% of obese adults report having sleep problems. ¹ Sleep specialists say that weight gain, especially in the trunk and neck area, increases the risk of sleep-disordered breathing due to compromised respiratory function.¹ Research shows that sleep problems, like sleep apnea, also result in weight gain which can lead to additional health problems.¹
• Epidemiologic studies have linked sleep apnea with potential, long-term cardiovascular risk.
• Other studies have noted the consistent and strong association between OSA and hypertension.

Diagnosis and Management of OSA

Patients normally go to a sleep lab for OSA diagnosis & evaluation. Often, this causes the primary care physician to loose direct view of his/her patient’s sleep condition. An alternative to sending patients to a sleep lab test is to begin the diagnosis and management process within the primary care setting, by utilizing newer technology that makes sleep diagnosis portable and more readily accessible. Today, diagnosis and therapy of OSA should be considered as part of the health plan to manage diabetes, hypertension, and congestive heart failure — which are all core aspects of primary care medicine.

In conclusion, with training in sleep and an understanding of appropriate testing procedures, primary care physicians can use current evidence based information in the field to provide high-quality sleep medicine in the primary care setting.