Author: Julia Rodriguez

  • AirCurve™ 10S with HumidAir Image

    Insurance Coverage for Bi-Level PAP

    PAP (positive airway pressure) therapy treats obstructive sleep apnea by delivering pressurized air into the airways to keep it open during the night while sleeping. PAP can reduce or completely eliminate sleep apnea (learn more about how PAP therapy works here). There is significant evidence that treating sleep apnea with PAP therapy improves quality of … Read More »

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    At What Severity Will Insurance Cover CPAP for Sleep Apnea?

    The patient clearly has sleep apnea, but it’s not severe enough for the insurance company to cover therapy. Why? Unfortunately, there are varying opinions about how sleep apnea is diagnosed and when CPAP is the appropriate therapy. Primarily, the difference is between how Medicare (CMS) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) define a diagnosis … Read More »

  • Do Acrylic Fingernails Interfere with Sleep Study

    How Will Acrylic Nails or Nail Polish Affect My Sleep Study?

    The nail industry grew to $7.47 billion in 2012. In California alone, there were almost 8,000 nail salons. Many of the patients we schedule for in-center and in-home sleep studies wear nail polish, gels or acrylics.  Our customer service department is frequently asked whether nail polish, gels or acrylics will interfere with testing. Jonathan Sherrill, RPSGT, … Read More »

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    When Should You Drink Your Morning Coffee?

    Why does coffee help us start the day? Caffeine is a tricky substance. To our brains, caffeine looks like adenosine, a compound consisting of adenine (one of the four building blocks of DNA) and ribose. As it is created in the brain, adenosine binds to the adenosine receptors, causing drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity. Caffeine is … Read More »

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    Does CPAP Save Lives?

    A study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine tested the effects of CPAP therapy on heart disease.  Positive Airway Pressure devices, called PAP, deliver pressurized ambient air through a delivery system (tubing and mask), to eliminate apnea events during sleep. PAP, including CPAP, BIPAP, Auto-PAP, and ASV-PAP, is the most effective treatment for … Read More »

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    Sleep Trigger Found in Mice May Help Treat Insomnia in Humans

    Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a circuit in the brains of mice that regulates their sleep-wake cycle.  As many as 25-30% of Americans suffer from chronic insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night (learn more about insomnia here). Louis de Lecea, PhD., professor of psychiatry … Read More »

  • Lonely drunk man sleeping after a bottle of wine image

    How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep?

    We’ve covered the effects of using electronics before bed in several blog posts (check out the most recent one here). According to some doctors, drinking alcohol before bed may be even more disruptive to your sleep. Learn about the effects of alcohol on sleep.