Sleep Clinic Services
Quality Sleep Every Night
Since Richmond Hill Sleep and Lung Institute opened, we have been providing our community high quality, personalized care you deserve.  With our experienced team and state-of-the-art technology, you can rest assured that your sleep is in the best of hands. Contact us with any questions or simply to learn more about our services.
Pediatric Sleep Services
Does your child snore? Does your child show other signs of disturbed sleep: long pauses in breathing, much tossing and turning in the bed, chronic mouth breathing during sleep, night sweats (owing to increased effort to breathe)? All these, and especially the snoring, are possible signs of sleep apnea, which is more common among children than is generally recognized. It’s estimated than 1 to 4 percent of children suffer from sleep apnea, many of them being between 4 and 8 years old.
Furthermore, while there is a possibility that affected children will “grow out of” their sleep disorders, the evidence is steadily growing that untreated pediatric sleep disorders including sleep apnea can wreak a heavy toll while they persist. Studies have suggested that as many as 25 percent of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder may actually have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and that much of their learning difficulty and behavior problems can be the consequence of chronic fragmented sleep. Bed-wetting, sleep-walking, retarded growth, other hormonal and metabolic problems, even failure to thrive can be related to sleep apnea. Several recent studies show a strong association between pediatric sleep disorders and childhood obesity.
Adult Sleep Services
Sleep disorders are conditions that result in changes in the way that you sleep.
A sleep disorder can affect your overall health, safety and quality of life. Sleep deprivation can affect your ability to drive safely and increase your risk of other health problems.
Some of the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular breathing or increased movement during sleep. Other signs and symptoms include an irregular sleep and wake cycle and difficulty falling asleep.
There are many different types of sleep disorders. They're often grouped into categories that explain why they happen or how they affect you. Sleep disorders can also be grouped according to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping or how sleepy you feel during the day.
Some common types of sleep disorders include:
Insomnia, in which you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.
Sleep apnea, in which you experience abnormal patterns in breathing while you are asleep. There are several types of sleep apnea.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a type of sleep movement disorder. Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, causes an uncomfortable sensation and an urge to move the legs while you try to fall asleep.
Narcolepsy, a condition characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.
There are many ways to help diagnose sleep disorders. Doctors can usually treat most sleep disorders effectively once they're correctly diagnosed.
Home Sleep Study To Assess For Sleep Apnea
In Ontario, overnight sleep studies are usually done in the sleep laboratory. However, some people are unable to attend an in-laboratory study. Depending on symptoms and other health related issues, a home sleep study may be an option. Although in-lab sleep studies are 100% covered by OHIP, home sleep studies are not covered. The cost of this service is $300 including the equipment rental and the interpretation of the study by a sleep physician. A doctor referral is not required.
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Facts about at home sleep studies:
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A home sleep study is a simplified version of an in-lab study. These portable devices monitor breathing, not the actual sleep, and are meant to evaluate for obstructive sleep apnea. They do not assess for other sleep disorders. The device we use is ApneaLink Air by ResMed.
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An additional in-lab overnight sleep study may still be required if the home sleep test did not record enough data to establish the diagnosis of sleep apnea or if your symptoms persist and another sleep disorder is suspected.
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Testing is done for one night in the comfort of your own home and the device is easy to apply.
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Equipment is picked-up at the laboratory the day of testing and dropped off the following morning. Detailed instructions will be provided. Sensors used include a finger probe to measure oxygen levels, nasal cannula to monitor actual breathing and a belt around your chest to measure breathing effort. Data is analyzed and a report will be provided to you and your family doctor. If you live far from Richmond Hill, shipping options are available.
