MedStar Health: Sleep Center at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center

Welcome to the Laboratory for Sleep Disorders at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center

The Laboratory for Sleep Disorders at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center provides comprehensive sleep evaluations for patients experiencing a variety of sleep disturbances that impact quality of life and overall health and well-being. Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, our sleep center is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists who monitor your sleep during an overnight study to determine if a sleep disorder exists. 

Our two private, hotel-like sleep rooms are fully furnished with a full-sized bed, a recliner chair, a bedside table, a television, and a private bathroom with a shower. Bedding and linens are provided, and patients are welcome and encouraged to bring toiletries as well as their favorite blankets and pillows to ensure a good night’s sleep. Our comprehensive sleep studies record the functions of the lungs, heart, and other parts of the body. Testing typically takes one full night of recording and observation.

For the convenience of our patients, the Laboratory for Sleep Disorders is open six days a week, offering weekend sleep studies as well as free parking.

Services

Testing methods include:

• Nocturnal Polysomnogram (NPSG), a sleep study that evaluates and records the patient's physical state during sleep periods. It includes EEG monitoring and records cardiac and respiratory parameters.
• Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), a series of up to five daytime naps used to measure the degree of daytime sleepiness, a hallmark of narcolepsy.
• Maintenance Wakefulness Test (MWT), which is used to measure how alert you are during the day. This is an indicator of how well you can function and remain alert in quiet times of inactivity.
• Home Sleep Test (HST), a way to identify more severe cases of sleep apnea.
• Titration Studies involve using a positive airway pressure machine (CPAP or BiPAP) to treat patients diagnosed with sleep apnea.