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Sleep
Health Medical Director Testifies Before Medicare
Panel
Mark
Goetting, M.D., was one of three panelists who testified
before a Medicare panel regarding the use of home
sleep studies.
Dr.
Goetting, medical director at Sleep Health, was asked
to
discuss the potential clinical benefits of a home-sleep
study called Watch
PAT. Also
testifying were Dr. Peretz Lavie from Haifa, Israel
and Dr. David P. White
from
Harvard Medical School. Dr. Goetting is medical
director of Sleep Health,
a comprehensive sleep medicine center that opened
in Portage last month.
Dr.
Goetting uses Watch-PAT when it is appropriate for
patients.
Because the test costs about a tenth of conventional
sleep lab studies, Dr.
Goetting will testify about the potential cost
effectiveness. Presently the
large majority of patients with sleep apnea are
never diagnosed and don't
receive the benefits of treatment. The expense,
inconvenience and lengthy
process of traditional testing are often cited
as factors in underdiagnosis.
Watch-PAT
is a portable, non-invasive device designed to test
patients
for obstructive sleep apnea. The Watch-PAT
is worn on the wrist and uses
finger mounted probes to detect breathing disturbances
during sleep using
highly advanced technology. Analysis of these
signals can accurately and
rapidly detect sleep apnea, a major cause of
cardiovascular disease, stroke,
hypertension and fatigue.
The
panel of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
is
considering recommending reimbursement for
the Watch-PAT.
National Sleep Foundation
Offer Healthy Sleep Tips
For Parents and Children
The Sleep habits children develop early in their lives
main remain with them through their adult years. But
parents don't always know how much sleep their child
needs, nor do the always recognize sleep problems,
according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
Research shows that children require more sleep than
adults, who typically need between seven and nine hours
of uninterrupted sleep every night. NSF, and other
sleep experts offer the following recommendations for
children:
- newborns:10.5 to 18 hours of sleep
- 18 months through 3 years: 12-14
hours
- 3 to 5: 11-13 hours
- 5 to 12 years: 9-11 hours
- teens: 9.25 hours
In addition to getting enough sleep, parents also
need to ensure their children are sleeping well.
Sleep problems
tend to go undiagnosed in children as well as adults.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a new set
of guidelines in April 2002 stating that routine
medical checkups for children include questions about
snoring
in order to identify possible cases of obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep apnea, characterized by
pauses in breathing during sleep, has been linked
to learning
problems, slow growth, bed-wetting, and high blood
pressure in youngsters.
Beyond health problems, sleep deprived children may
also be at risk for more injuries, A recent Italian
study suggests that children who sleep less than
10 hours a night had an 86 percent increased risk
for
injury.
Here are some tips from NSF to
help parents ensure that their children become
good sleepers:
- Plan a schedule that includes the basic daily
sleep requirements according to a child's age.
Maintain
this schedule every night, even on weekends,
though children
can be permitted to sleep in one or two hours
on weekend mornings if necessary.
- Regardless of the child's age, establish a regular
bedtime routine. This should include at least
15-30 minutes of calm, soothing activities. Discourage
television, exercise, computer and telephone
use,
and avoid caffeine
that can be found in beverages, chocolate and
other products.
- Older children also need a balanced schedule.
Identify and prioritize activities that allow
for downtime
and sufficient sleep time. Help children avoid
and overloaded
schedule that can lead to stress and difficulty
coping, which can contribute to poor health and
sleep problems.
- Ensure children are eating a healthy diet and
exercising regularly to help them maintain a
healthy weight.
Extra pounds put children at risk for sleep apnea,
a serious,
debilitating, and potentially life-threatening
sleep disorder.
- Finally, if parents suspect a sleep disorder,
discuss the problem with your child's physician.
Most sleep
problems are treatable!
Sleep Health works with the National
Sleep Foundation (NSF) year-round to help increase
awareness
about the importance of sleep and the treatment
of sleep disorders. For more information visit
NSF's Wed site at www.sleepfoundation.org
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