The treatment – Sleep lab

Sleep is rest and recovery. The interdisciplinary concept of Beta Plus Sleep Lab uses the most modern equipment and procedures in order to restore your rest. At the Sleep Lab specialists in the areas of neurology, sleep medicine, ear nose and throat medicine call upon their years of experience. The examinations and the treatment fulfil all of the quality criteria of the German Society of Sleep Medicine (DGSM).

What you need to do about having your sleep disorder treated

You will have an in-depth anamnesis discussion before you spend a night in the Sleep Lab. The sleep experts and the patient concerned will discuss all issues and the general state of health. If a night in the Sleep Lab is required, the patient will receive an appointment including general instructions as to how to prepare for the sleep study / therapy. When the time comes, the medical sleep experts will accompany the patient into the Sleep Lab and attach the devices and sensors to the patient. During the sleep process, all relevant data is recorded, saved and matched in a huge polysomnogram. All this and the possible treatment will be discussed with the experts and patient at the follow-up appointment.

Feeling well at night

Alongside the top-quality medicine and the empathetic care received, so too does the sleeping environment play an important role in such a personal issue as one’s sleep. We place great importance on making your sleeping environment as comfortable as possible.

According to need, you might spend between one or two nights in the Sleep Lab. Due to the nervousness of being in a new and unusual examination situation, the data collected on the first night can vary from the second night. Two nights is therefore recommended in order to obtain the most accurate information.

Your night in the Sleep Lab

In order to best obtain the different bodily processes, different sensors and measuring devices will be attached to the patient’s body before going to bed.

  • Electrodes on the head to measure brain waves, eye movem
  • ents and the muscle activity in the chin.Electrodes on the chest for the Electrocardiogram (ECG).
  • Strain sensors and a strap around the rib cage and stomach area to measure the breathing movements.
  • A sensor on the chest strap to indicate the sleeping position and body position.
  • A sensor placed between the mouth and nose to measure the breathing flow.
  • A sensor on the index finger or the earlobe to measure the oxygen saturation in the blood.
  • Two electrodes on each of the lower legs to measure the movement in the leg muscles.
  • A microphone attached to the larynx area indicates the snoring noises.

The patient is supervised during the night by video and is able to contact the ward personnel at any stage during the night.

The next morning

All devices and electrodes will be removed in the morning and whilst the data is being evaluated and the polysomnogram is generated, you have the chance to freshen up.  The in-depth data will then be evaluated by the interdisciplinary team and treatment possibilities discussed with you.

Light therapy

Light therapy has been successfully used in Germany for over thirty years.  It is used as a reinforced treatment in sleep disorders, circadian rhythm disorders (your inner clock) and seasonal depressions (for example winter depression).

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment of sleep disorders has to be very precisely planned and tailor made exactly to the individual clinical picture of the patient.  The specialists at the Beta Klinik Sleep Lab call upon the extensive knowledge of the inter-disciplinary teams of their colleagues in The Beta Klinik.

Movement therapy

Moving has an effect on the psyche.  Those who move and exercise can counteract sleep disorders.  With enough movement, symptoms such as high blood pressure, depression, stress and excess weight can be alleviated.

Relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques can help you relax both physically and mentally.  Physical tension can be reduced and the worrying thoughts which rob you of your sleep can be forgotten.

Psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy

Cognitive behaviour therapy can be as equally effective as a drug therapy but without the ensuing side effects.

Botox therapy for grinding of teeth (Bruxism)

An effective method for dealing with Bruxism, the grinding of teeth is a treatment involving Botulinumtoxin whereby the medicine is injected into the outer masticatory muscle which leads to this being able to work less and therefore relax.

Mouth Guards

An adjustable mouth guard which is tailor-made to your individual teeth using laboratory technical production, serves for therapies treating sleep related breathing disorders. The mouth guards are used for patients with a light to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) when other therapies such as CPAP therapy can be tolerated.

The enlargements of the respiratory tract / breathing passages

There are various operational procedures available according to need for the enlargement of the breathing passages.  The enlargement of the breathing passage in the throat can prevent the collapse during the sleep.  The evaluated polysomnogram data will indicate which operation could relieve the symptoms.

The CPAP Therapy (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) with a breathing mask

A breathing mask which is worn throughout the sleep takes care of the continual excess pressure on the breathing passages.  It prevents the walls of the throat and the sleeping muscles in the throat from constricting.  In this way, any breathing interruptions can be prevented.