For people who are worrying about the degree of seriousness of their sleep apnea problems, here is a device that can ultimately help you determine the level or condition of your sleep apnea episodes. Dr. Shanon Takaoka of Kaiser Permanente’s Medical Sleep Lab shows off the Watch Pat, a device worn while sleeping that can determine if a patient has sleep apnea. It’s new to Hawaii and a lot less cumbersome than the traditional testing method, where the patient would have to come in to the lab and spend the night in less than ideal conditions.

Dr. Takaoka says the Watch Pat allows for a truer test and gives her the ability to examine more patients.”The promise of something that’s less intrusive, less cumbersome, easier to use and able to be done in the comfort of the home is much more attractive than what we were offering for a long period of time.”

That makes it easier for neighbor island residents, patients with unusual shifts, or those who can’t sleep in a new environment. Dr. Takaoka says anyone who snores and complains of disrupted sleep could have sleep apnea. “People with sleep disorders are less productive, they often have unexplained irritability or depression, it can impact relationships,” says Dr. Takaoka.

(Source) KHON depression, hawaii, irritability, island residents, kaiser permanente, neighbor island, period of time, relationships, seriousness, shanon, sleep, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Disorders, SLEEP Gadgets, sleep lab, takaoka