- Loud, persistent snoring
- Pauses in breathing, often witnessed by others
- Choking or gasping for air while sleeping
- Restless sleep
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
Sleep Health
Address Your Sleep To Ensure That You Can Rest, Recover & Grow
Address Your Sleep To Ensure That You Can Rest, Recover & Grow
Sleep is fundamental to both physical and psychological well-being. There are well-recognised health consequences from poor sleep and, conversely, health benefits from good sleep. Effective sleep helps you to recover from the stresses and strains of the day and prepares you for the challenges of the upcoming day.
Sleep issues are often left unrecognised and their negative impact under appreciated. Let us help you to address your sleep, so that you can continue to rest, recover and grow.
Loud persistent snoring, poor concentration, daytime fatigue or early morning headaches could be a sign of sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a serious yet common medical condition characterised by repeated interruptions in breathing throughout your sleep cycle. These interruptions, called apnoeas, are caused by the collapse of soft tissue in the airway, which prevents oxygen from reaching the lungs. Weak muscles in the airway, a large tongue, obesity and other factors may cause airway tissue to collapse and obstruct breathing. Sleep apnoea disrupts the sleep cycle and can dramatically impact energy, mental performance and long-term health. In some cases, if left untreated, sleep apnoea can be fatal.
Untreated sleep apnoea is associated with a number of health risks, so it’s important to consult a sleep specialist if you have the following signs and symptoms:
Through our professional partnership with Philips, we can offer you a priority, home based sleep study service for a simple yet comprehensive diagnosis of sleep apnoea. Visit the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association’s website and take the accredited STOP-BANG questionnaire to find out if you are at risk of sleep apnoea and could benefit from a diagnostic test:
Online STOP-BANG Questionnaire
The Philips Home Sleep Test is simple and painless, and resulting treatment can be life changing. The test takes place in the comfort of your bed. Watch this VIDEO to learn more about the test and what to expect.
Through our professional partnership with Philips, you will have access to a priority sleep study service meaning that your results and report will be fast-tracked back to us. You will also benefit from continued support by our clinical team at every step of your sleep journey. Whether that be simply writing to your GP to request their ongoing support through the NHS, or taking advantage of our comprehensive Sleep Support Service so that you can begin to reap the benefits of a good night’s rest as soon as possible.
Further details on our Sleep Support Service can be found below.
Philips are the market leaders in home sleep study services and currently facilitate both the NHS and private sleep clinics across the UK. Upon completion of your sleep study, a highly qualified Philips Sleep Consultant will analyse and accurately score your results before your report is uploaded into our partnered Sleep Support Portal within 5-7 days. This will be further analysed by our doctor, before being relayed to you with a recommended action plan.
The test is completed in the comfort of your own home using the Philips Alice NightOne home sleep testing (HST) device. No waiting for NHS Respiratory/Sleep Clinic referrals and no appointments or time off required, everything you need for testing is conveniently delivered directly to your door on a day and time to suit you.
The Philips home sleep study uses state of the art equipment to quickly and accurately assess your Sleep Apnoea status, bringing you one step closer to treatment and a restful night’s sleep.
Identifying and treating Sleep Apnoea potentially reduces the risk of negative conditions associated with it, e.g. high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
If your home sleep study indicates that you are suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and could benefit from treatment, you have one of two options.
We can either write to your GP with a copy of your diagnostic report and request their ongoing support through the NHS. This would usually involve an outpatient referral to your local NHS Respiratory/Sleep Clinic for further assessment and prescribing of CPAP equipment. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our comprehensive Sleep Support Service where our doctor prescribes your CPAP therapy, which is then facilitated through our partnership with the Sleep Support Team at Philips.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common and effective way of treating OSA. The device provides a gentle stream of pressurised air to keep the walls of the throat from closing when you sleep. This allows you to breathe freely and enjoy peaceful, uninterrupted sleep night after night.
The CPAP therapy system that we prescribe is the DreamStation Auto CPAP machine from Philips, along with the DreamWear Nasal Mask. The DreamStation device is the latest in CPAP technology and one of the most advanced CPAP machines currently on the market. It features bluetooth connectivity, automatic temperature adjustment in the optional humidifier as well as many more new features and refinements of existing devices to provide a truly patient-focused experience. The ‘Auto’ element of the machine means that rather than pushing through a continuous stream of air as the standard fixed machines do, it automatically adjusts the pressure throughout the night according to your own individual needs, making therapy a more comfortable and less intrusive experience.
The DreamWear Nasal Mask is a very popular mask for nose breathers. It’s unique design directs airflow through the top of the frame to give CPAP users the ability to sleep comfortably and unrestricted. Its design also means that there is minimal contact under the nose which eliminates irritation and allows you to sleep in any position. For people who occasionally struggle to nose breathe, it can be easily converted into a full face mask if required.
After receiving your CPAP prescription through our partnered Sleep Portal, the Sleep Support Team at Philips will contact you to arrange delivery of your equipment at a day and time to suit you, and guide you through the initial steps to get your equipment set up. Further information on the entire process be found HERE.
You will receive a call from a Philips Sleep Consultant after your first two nights of therapy use. This call with cover a variety of topics including desensitisation techniques, mask fitting, equipment cleaning, on-going support as well as answer any questions that you may have at this early stage.
Your sleep data is collected and expertly reviewed after one week, one month, three months and twelve months. Any issues or further recommendations as a result of this frequent analysis will be discussed with you. The first three months of CPAP therapy is often referred to as the ‘Golden Window’ of compliance and, as such, a higher frequency of interactions are schedules in this time period to establish long-term compliance. The team at Philips will collaborate with you to achieve optimum engagement with therapy, providing tailored support alongside scheduled follow up calls and telephone interactions.
If you ever have any additional questions or concerns, you have access to an exclusive Patient Support Line which is available 08:30 – 19:00 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
As part of our Sleep Support Service, you are provided with up to three mask or machine spare parts from Philips during the first year at no additional charge.
Your Sleep Support Service also includes annual replacement of all machine consumables.
Sleep apnoea therapy can help you reap the benefits of a good night’s sleep and be more active during the day, but sticking to therapy can be hard. To help you take charge of your sleep therapy and stay motivated, you have access to the DreamMapper sleep apnoea app and desktop tools. DreamMapper is the top-rated CPAP therapy adherence app. It keeps you informed about your mask fit and therapy hours. It keeps you connected to your provider by sending recorded data directly to your care team. It provides easy goal-setting to track your progress and stay committed, and has videos and guides to help you learn more about sleep apnoea and get the most out of your equipment.
In addition to all of the above, you have the further reassurance of continued support by our own clinical team. Our doctor will regularly review your sleep health at your routine follow up consultations and we have instant access to your sleep data if there is ever anything that you would like to discuss with us.
After the initial 12 months, you should be fully confident with your therapy and already be experiencing the health benefits of better sleep. Your CPAP equipment is yours to keep and this is when your support contact with Philips usually ends. You will continue to have access to the DreamMapper software and we are always available in clinic should you ever need our assistance or support. Our doctor will also continue to review and monitor your sleep health at your routine follow up consultations.
If you would prefer to continue taking advantage of Philips’ in-house management and support service beyond the first 12 months, this can be arranged through us and includes the following benefits:
Speak to our team, book online or email us with any questions that you may have.
