Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital recently opened its own Sleep Center in Lexington.  Sleep disorders are a growing medical field, and Carilion has dedicated significant resources to their treatment. (ADAM CANCRYN/The Rockbridge Report)

By ADAM CANCRYN

For Neill Thupari, a former Washington & Lee University student who now lives near Baltimore, an undiagnosed condition called sleep apnea presented a nightly challenge.

“Imagine waking up, and it feels like you just had a cardio workout,” Thupari said.

But because he lived in Rockbridge County, Thupari could undergo testing and begin treatment only by  leaving Lexington.

Local residents who suffer similar sleep disorders are more fortunate now.  Since September, Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital’s Carilion Clinic Sleep Center has offered them diagnosis and treatment.

Not surprisingly, a relaxed atmosphere is the center’s most significant feature, says respiratory therapist Sarah Watts.  If not for the small video camera in the corner, the two bedrooms on the ground floor of the hospital could be mistaken for hotel rooms.  Painted in warm colors and fully furnished, they seem out of place.

But they serve the center’s goal of preventing fixable conditions such sleep apnea -- periods where breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep -- from causing future health complications.

“[This] is a way of pre-treating people,” Watts said.

Patients must spend a night under observation in one of those cozy bedrooms to allow a sleep therapist to determine their specific sleep conditions.  The rooms are designed to make the patient as comfortable as possible, in order to ensure an accurate evaluation.

After checking in at 8 p.m., the patient is attached to testing equipment by lines of electrodes taped to the head and chest. That can take up to an hour, as the electrodes have to track a host of behaviors, including brain activity, respiration and body movement during sleep. After being hooked up, the patient is free to read, watch television, or go right to sleep.

Patients rarely have trouble settling into their temporary home, Watts said.  Once they are asleep, computers monitor and record body signals. The data are then sent to a sleep medicine specialist for analysis.

Watts says a final diagnosis is usually available within two weeks of a patient’s visit.

Though it is a complex process, studies show that treating sleep disorders is crucial to avoiding more serious health problems.  For example, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute estimates that more than 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which if left untreated can significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart attack and high blood pressure.

In addition, the disorder is linked to a likelihood of obesity.  Those fatigued by lack of proper sleep not only have slower metabolisms but are less likely to maintain an exercise regimen.

Watts said it is often hard to detect a sleep problem without knowing the symptoms.

“Little things that are annoyances, such as snoring, [people] don’t realize the medical significance of it,” she said.  She said snoring is the most recognizable symptom for those with sleep apnea, but it is often ignored. 

Before the hospital decided to expand, patients had to travel almost an hour to Roanoke for evaluations.  That was not just inconvenient but dangerous as well, Watts said, because a major symptom of sleep disorders is daytime sleepiness. Having patients driving drowsy to and from Roanoke worked against everything the sleep center tried to prevent.

The Carilion Clinic Sleep Center allows patients to begin treatment right away.  Most are given a prescription for a take-home unit called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.  Like the initial overnight stay, it is covered by insurance.  The CPAP helps regulate breathing patterns in order to ensure an uninterrupted sleep.

Doctors also suggest starting a weight loss program.  Losing even a few pounds can reduce the amount of fat tissue lining the wall of the windpipe, widening the air passage and allowing  relaxed breathing.

Since September, Lexington’s sleep center has treated 90 patients, all of whom reported considerable energy gains, Watts said.

After six months with a CPAP, a well-rested Thupari agreed.         

“With the machine, my sleep is fantastic,” he said.

Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital

Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.

Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani

Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy

Technical supervisor: Michael Todd