hospital

United Memorial Medical Center received approval from the sate Department of Health to open a sleep lab at 229 Summit St. Officials at UMMC say that the lab will be open by August.

Testing provided in a sleep lab can help diagnose several sleep disorders. A polysomnogram is a test that measures bodily functions such as brain waves, heart rhythms, eye movements, leg movements, breathing effort and movement and blood oxygen levels while an individual is sleeping. During sleep, the body functions differently than while awake and disrupted sleep may disturb daytime activities and cause risks to fundamental health.

Common sleep disorders include sleep apnea where individuals stop breathing several times during their sleep; restless leg syndrome, a neurological condition characterized by the uncontrolled urge to move the legs; insomnia, difficulty falling or staying asleep; narcolepsy, uncontrolled sleepiness or excessive daytime sleepiness; and night terrors which occur in a dream state.

The Batavian hopes to be there when the lab opens to take you inside for a first-hand tour of the facility, the equipment and the experience.