Are sleep clinics legit/helpful, or a scam?

<p>I’d recommend a sleep center accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine: [Sleepcenters.org[/url</a>]</p>

<p>These are the questions I use in my dental practice to screen for sleep disorders:</p>

<pre><code> - Do you snore?

  • Do you have high blood pressure?
  • Has anyone reported that you choke or gasp for air while sleeping?
  • What is your neck size? (>17" for men or >15" for women is a concern)
  • Do you wake refreshed?
  • Are you excessively tired during the day?
    </code></pre>

<p>Another useful screening is the Epworth sleepiness scale: [url=<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/epworth.html]The”>http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/epworth.html]The</a> Epworth Sleepiness Scale](<a href=“http://www.sleepcenters.org/]Sleepcenters.org[/url”>http://www.sleepcenters.org/)</p>

<p>As you can imagine, there are many different sleep disorders. If the sleep study shows obstructive sleep apnea, the options are:</p>

<ol>
<li>Lifestyle changes</li>
<li>CPAP</li>
<li>Dental appliance if mild to moderate OSA, or if patient is CPAP non compliant</li>
<li>surgery</li>
</ol>

<p>or a combination of the above</p>

<p>An overnight study in a sleep center is the gold standard, there are also take home monitors which are becoming more and more sophisticated. I own one that I use to evaluate the results of oral appliance therapy.</p>