The CHWC Sleep Lab at Montpelier Hospital is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Having served thousands of patients, the Sleep Lab provides a crucial service to those affected by chronic sleep disorders such as apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems. Some warning signs of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, drowsy driving, short-term memory loss, difficulty focusing and ineffective antidepressant medication, among others.
Sleep Therapy Tech Joanne Piper and Director of the CHWC Sleep Lab Todd Davis celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sleep Lab. Both Joanne and Todd have worked at the Sleep Lab since it opened its doors.
Providing a calming and quiet atmosphere, the Sleep Lab effectively removes patients from unnecessary sleep arousals by use of darkened windows, queen-sized beds with soft mattresses and comfortable bedding. Numerous patients who have sought treatment at the CHWC Sleep Lab have since recovered and marvel at the improvement in their mood, memory and overall health.
“It’s been a very rewarding career in the Sleep Lab, with the many patients we’ve seen and helped,” says Todd Davis, Director of the CHWC Sleep Lab. “We have the rare benefit of seeing the results of our work almost immediately, because patients feel so much better after their treatment,” he adds, noting that he and Sleep Therapy Tech Joanne Piper have been working at the Sleep Lab from the very beginning.
A number of product recalls related to sleep disorder treatment systems have made headlines in recent months; Todd states that the Sleep Lab is not affected by these recalls. “Our acquisition and titration systems are state-of-the-art,” Todd says, explaining that CHWC uses SomnoStar acquisition (acquiring data from the patient during testing), and uses ResMed for titration (used to titrate patients to put them on CPAP or BiPAP treatment).
“We want people to know that we’re here, we’re open, and we’re proud to serve the public,” Todd says.
A referral is necessary to schedule an appointment for a sleep evaluation at the CHWC Sleep Lab at Montpelier Hospital; referrals can be made through your primary care provider or a sleep specialist. Learn more about the Sleep Lab by clicking here.