Archived Issues

St. Mary's Hospital of Blue Springs has made having a sleep study more restful. In a first for the Kansas City area, the hospital operates its sleep lab out of the Adam's Mark Hotel in Independence.

"We've heard really good things from people," says Mark Yotter, RRT, coordinator of the sleep lab. "They like being able to enjoy the amenities the Adam's Mark offers. They can use the pool or hot tub, or have dinner in one of the restaurants before the study. It's very relaxing and the more relaxed the person is, the more accurate the study."

Before the move, Yotter says, a large percentage of study cancellations were because people did not want to come to the hospital for the study. "It makes sense to do it in a hotel-people sleep there. Many people are hesitant about coming to the hospital-they aren't sick, they're just having a sleep study."

"I think it's a lot more comfortable," says Mark Conner, who recently had a sleep study. "When you go on vacation, you sleep in a hotel, so it's something you're more used to. You have more room than you would in a hospital bed."

During the study, several sensors are applied to monitor sleeping patterns, breathing, movement, heart rate, oxygen levels, etc. Small thin wires with stickers to hold them are placed near the eyes, behind the ears, on the chin and under the nose. Others are placed on the head, on the trunk, on the legs and on one finger. It might look a bit strange, but it's painless.

"It took awhile to get hooked up-about an hour," says Conner. "There are a lot of wires, but once you get settled, it's not too bad. You get to where you don't notice."

Another advantage of having the sleep lab in the hotel is the room it allows for expansion. "Right now, with two sleep rooms, someone might have to wait a couple of weeks to have their study," explains Yotter. "Before moving to the Adam's Mark, we were limited to just one study per night. And a person might have to wait a couple of months. And we have the potential for adding more rooms."

"Sleep disorders can be very serious," says Yotter. "Lack of sleep affects us both mentally and physically. Anything we can do to make it easier for people to find out what's causing sleep deprivation is great."

For more information, or to schedule a sleep study with St. Mary's Hospital of Blue Springs, call 816-655-5236.