What happens in the sleep lab and where can you find it?

What happens in the sleep lab and where can you find it?
12 Jan

If you’ve been waking up tired for a long time, or your partner has moved you out of the bedroom because of your snoring, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder. The sleep lab can help you. When should I make an appointment, what problems can they solve and how does the examination work?

Why is quality sleep so important?

During sleep, processes take place in your body that are important to your being. During sleep, there is a change in brain activity, which is accompanied by a change in consciousness, reduced sensitivity to external stimuli, relaxation of muscles, slowing of breathing and a reduction in body temperature and blood pressure.

Sleep eliminates fatigue. What all does it affect?

  • Concentration,
  • thinking,
  • deciding,
  • Memory,
  • spatial perception, etc.

You can stay awake for a few nights, but then you still fall asleep. Sleep is a basic biological process, just like the need to eat or drink.

Poor quality sleep takes a toll on your health

If you sleep poorly for a long time, you are setting yourself up for a whole host of health problems:

  • Immune system – the quality of your sleep has a direct impact on the function of your immune system, if you don’t get enough rest you will be more susceptible to a variety of infectious diseases.
  • Blood pressure – with chronic insomnia, cardiovascular disease can occur. Prolonged elevated blood pressure leads to damage to the arteries and narrowing of blood vessels. All of this can culminate in a heart attack or stroke.
  • Insulin production – people who are sleep deprived have higher blood sugar levels and are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes.
  • Body weight – due to lack of sleep, hormonal imbalance occurs, which leads to overeating. The consequence is weight gain.

The most common sleep disorders

Sleep disorders are not associated with any particular age. They can affect young children, adults and the elderly. However, different sleep disorders are more common at each age. In adolescents, people talk about delayed sleep phase, narcolepsy, which is excessive daytime sleepiness, or parasomnia. Older people are usually afflicted with sleep apnoea, where breathing stops during sleep.

  • Insomnia – Czech for insomnia. It is a disturbed falling asleep or sleep progression. You have difficulty falling asleep, or you wake up early and do not fall asleep. The cause of insomnia is long-term stress and irregular sleep patterns. If it has been bothering you for more than a month and the symptoms appear more often than 3 times a week, you need to seek medical help. It is probably chronic insomnia. Insomnia results in fatigue, malaise, irritability and impaired concentration.
  • Hypersomnia – Czech for excessive sleepiness. You sleep more than 12 hours a day and often fall asleep during various activities. The cause is poor sleep habits, but it can also be a symptom of encephalitis, depression or diabetes. It can also be a side effect of a medication.
  • Parasomnias – a set of sleep disorders that include sleepwalking, gnashing of teeth, night terrors and nightmares, and sleep paralysis.
  • Sleep apnoea is a breathing disorder. During sleep, breathing stops, which leads to more intense strain on the heart. Sleep apnoea is accompanied by snoring. You feel tired or have a dry throat in the morning.
  • Restless legs syndrome – occurs when lying down, especially when falling asleep, but can also wake you up at night. It is a neurological disorder. You have discomfort, throbbing or tingling in your legs.

Restless sleep as a consequence of inappropriate bedding

Irritability, restlessness, lack of concentration, impaired work or study performance. These can all be the result of poor quality sleep. Poor quality sleep is not necessarily caused by a sleep disorder. It could be:

  • a rickety and unstable bed frame,
  • a mattress that is too thin or unsuitable,
  • a grid that is not compatible with the mattress.

Remember also to use good quality blankets and pillows that should not cause allergies.

The bed frame has already done it

It may seem unlikely, but your bed frame also plays a part in how well you sleep. If there’s a creak with every turn or you feel an uncomfortable rocking motion, you’re probably not getting a good night’s sleep. You’ll subconsciously perceive noises, and the lack of a solid frame will make you worry that you’ll find yourself on the floor at any moment.

In addition, the bed frame can also cause allergies and other irritations. These ailments are most often associated with a laminate frame that has been treated with irritating chemicals.

If you want to sleep on a comfortable and regal bed, reach for an American bed. It boasts a sturdy and solid frame, the bottom of which is filled with springs. These act as a grid. On top of the springs is a high mattress, which you choose according to your requirements for a good night’s sleep. The spring system is able to perfectly distribute the pressure exerted on the mattress, so that nothing presses on you while you sleep. A thin mattress topper is then placed on top of the sleeping mattress to adjust the firmness of the sleeping mattress, increase bed hygiene and extend the life of the main mattress.

The Boxspring bed therefore consists of a system of 3 mattresses that make sleeping an extraordinary experience:

  1. spring mattress – located in the frame and replaces the grid,
  2. the main mattress – it is placed on a spring mattress, you choose the height and its design according to your wishes,
  3. thin mattress or topper – adjusts the firmness of the main mattress, making it even more comfortable, extends its life, increases bed hygiene.
Luxury upholstered bed
Picture: boxspring bed with triple mattress system.

A mattress that is lying down

Do you get up in the morning with lower back pain or a stiff cervical spine? Do you wake up at night with tingling in your limbs? Do you have a full nose and red eyes when you wake up? Your mattress is probably to blame.

For hygiene reasons, it is recommended to replace the mattress every 7 years. Even with regular cleaning, a lot of dust and sweat will settle in the mattress in that time, creating a breeding ground for microbes and bacteria. These then cause unpleasant allergies and breathing problems.

Musculoskeletal pain or tingling in the limbs is probably related to the mattress being too thin or not suited to your body shape. You can tell if the mattress is sagging by seeing or feeling depressions in the mattress that do not return to their original position even when the pressure is released.

When choosing a new mattress, remember:

  • the length of the mattress – it should be about 25 cm longer than your height,
  • mattress height – the higher the mattress, the more comfortable the sleep, the ideal height starts at 20 cm,
  • the load capacity of the mattress – it should be about 5 kg higher than your weight,
  • manufacturing materials – they should match your health complications and overall requirements for quality sleep.

A grid that does not cooperate with the mattress

The main purpose of the mattress is to help distribute the pressure you apply to the mattress during sleep. If the mattress and the mattress get along, you don’t have to change sleeping positions unnecessarily often during sleep, there is no pressure anywhere and proper blood circulation is ensured. In addition, the mattress is able to “breathe” sufficiently. This means that it brings air to the mattress and allows moisture to escape freely. The mattress also retains its anatomical and stable surface thanks to the grid.

But if you sleep on an unsuitable mattress, you may suffer from a number of problems, such as frequent night wakings or painful rising.

Remember:

  • foam mattresses – belong on flexible slatted mattresses, not on fixed slatted and slab mattresses,
  • spring mattresses – belong on fixed slat and slab mattresses, not on reclining mattresses.

When to go to the sleep lab for a sleep study?

Either your doctor will refer you to a sleep lab or you can go yourself. This happens in cases when you get up in the morning unrefreshed, or your partner moves you out of the bedroom to the couch because you snore terribly. The cost of a sleep lab test varies. If you have a referral from your doctor, you usually don’t pay anything. For self-payers, the cost can be in the hundreds to thousands of crowns. The waiting time for an appointment is usually several weeks to months. During this time, it is recommended that you keep a “sleep diary” in which you record, for example:

  • what time you go to bed,
  • how many hours you sleep,
  • how many times you’ve woken up,
  • what it was like falling asleep, etc.

How is the sleep laboratory examination performed?

Your doctor will ask you about your sleeping habits, daily routine and bad habits before you get into bed and are connected to the measuring device. Sometimes sleep problems can be solved by adjusting your lifestyle and following sleep hygiene rules. If this doesn’t work, then the aforementioned device will reveal what sleep disorder is bothering you.

What questions can the doctor ask you?

  • Since when do you sleep badly?
  • What do you do to sleep better?
  • Are you in any psychotherapy?
  • When do you go and sleep and what is your daily routine?
  • What time and what did you last eat?
  • Do you drink and smoke?
  • Are you on medication? What kind?
  • Can you relax?
  • Are you under pressure and feeling stressed?
  • Do you have a family history of psychiatric illness?

Polygraphic and polysomnographic examination

If someone has trouble falling asleep in the sleep lab, they can get a special measuring device loaned to their home. It’s called a polygraph examination. The machine examines breathing movements of the chest and abdomen, airflow, blood oxygenation and motor activity in the lower limbs. However, it cannot assess brain activity, so it does not distinguish whether you are asleep or awake. And that’s what makes it important for diagnosing sleep disorders other than sleep apnea, for example.

Polysomnographic examination is more complex and is performed directly in the sleep laboratory. Brain activity is also detected during this measurement.

The nurse will attach sensing electrodes to your body:

  • brain activity,
  • muscle tension,
  • eye activity,
  • cardiac activity,
  • oxygen saturation of the blood,
  • chest and abdominal movements,
  • airflow through the nose.

In addition, there is also a camera and microphone installed in the room to detect, for example, whether you are talking in your sleep or moving around, sleepwalking or having night terrors.

How does the treatment work?

Once the test results are in, treatment for the sleep disorder can begin. For sleep apnoea, this may involve surgery or the use of a special ‘breathing’ machine that creates a vacuum so that you breathe properly in your sleep.

For insomnia, excessive sleepiness, sleepwalking, night terrors or talking in your sleep, treatment is more challenging. These are usually secondary manifestations of stress, psychological difficulties, the consequences of an accident or illness, or side effects of medication. Psychological support (relaxation techniques, learning to “control” sleep, etc.) is often used to induce healthy sleep.

List of sleep laboratories by region

There are dozens of sleep laboratories all over the Czech Republic. To simplify the selection, we have sorted them by region.

  • Prague and Central Bohemia Region
  • South Bohemia region
  • Pilsen and Karlovy Vary Region
  • Ústí nad Labem Region
  • Liberec Region
  • Hradec Králové Region
  • Pardubice Region
  • Vysočina Region
  • South Moravian Region
  • Olomouc Region
  • Zlín Region
  • Moravian-Silesian Region

Sleep centres – Prague and Central Bohemia Region

Sleep laboratory in Prague 2

Centre for Sleep and Wakefulness Disorders (Department of Neurology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague)

Kateřinská 30
128 01 Prague 2

Website: https://www.vfn.cz/
E-mail: spanek@vfn.cz
Phone: +420 224 965 534

Sleep laboratory in Prague 5

Department of Neurology – Centre for Sleep Disorders (Hospital Na Homolce)

Roentgenova 2
150 30 Prague 5

Website: https://www.homolka.cz/
E-mail: katerina.seltenreichova@homolka.cz
Phone: +420 257 272 674

Sleep centre in Klecany

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Topolová 748
250 67 Klecany

Our TIP: You can also participate in an 8-week group programme for insomnia patients. The program focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy. It is an alternative form of treatment designed for those who don’t just want to take medication for insomnia, but want to address their problem in a different way.

Website: https://www.nudz.cz/
E-mail: spanek@nudz.cz
Phone: +420 283 088 400

Private sleep clinic INSPAMED in Prague 3

INSPAMED, s.r.o.

Belgická 20 – 120 00 Prague 2

Website: inspamed.cz
E-mail: info@spankovaporadna.cz
Phone: +420 244 470 708

Private sleep laboratory in Prague 1

Petra Clinic health s.r.o.

Vodičkova 791/39
110 00 Prague 1

Website: spankovalaborator.cz
E-mail: info@petraclinic.cz
Phone: +420 603 551 166

Laboratory for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing

Thomayer University Hospital

Vídeňská 800
Prague 4 – Krč
140 59

Website: https://www.ftn.cz/
Phone: 605 797 714

Sleep Laboratory

Rudolf and Stefanie Hospital Benešov, a. s., hospital of the Central Bohemia Region

Máchova 400
256 01 Benešov

Web: https://www.hospital-bn.cz/
Phone: 317 756 263
E-mail: spankova.laborator@hospital-bn.cz

Alfa Medica

Dejvicka Clinic

Vítězné náměstí 817/9
Prague 6
160 00

Website: https://usni.cz/
Phone: 277 071 971
E-mail: orldejvicka@usni.cz

Centre for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing

Budínova 67/2 (Bulovka University Hospital)
Prague 8 – Libeň
180 81

Website: https://bulovka.cz/
Phone: +420 26608 2085
E-mail: igor.jurikovic@bulovka.cz

Sleep medicine (private practice)

Poliklinika Vinohrady
Vinohradská 176
Prague 3

Website: www.orl-foniatrie.cz
Phone: 272 731 726
E-mail: info@orl-foniatrie.cz

Surgery of sleep disorders

Královské Vinohrady University Hospital

Šrobárova 1150/50
Prague 10
100 34

Website: https://www.fnkv.cz/
Phone: +420 267 16 317
E-mail: orlsec@fnkv.cz

Sleep laboratory at the Castle

Na Kopečku 236/6
250 01 Brandýs nad Labem

Website: https://www.spankovalaboratorbrandys.cz/
Phone: +420 702 819 199, +420 326 906 747
E-mail: trnbrnl2@gmail.com

Sleep ambulance

Hospital Hořovice

NH Hospital a.s.
K Nemocnici 1106/14
268 31 Hořovice

Website: https://www.nemocnice-horovice.cz/
Phone: 702 245 741
E-mail: orl@nemocnice-horovice.cz

Lung ambulance, sleep laboratory s.r.o.

Health Centre

Hostinského 1536/7
Prague 13, Stodůlky
155 00

Website: https://spanekachrapani.cz/
Phone: +420 732 683 103

Sleep Laboratory

PNEUMO-HOST s.r.o.

Lípa Centrum – Polyclinic (3rd floor)

Seydlerova 2451
Prague 5 – Nové Butovice
158 00

Web: https://www.pneumo-host.cz/
Phone: 235524626, 731112145
E-mail: objednani@pneumohost.cz,

Specialist treatment for snoring

Komornická 29
Prague 6
160 00

Web: https://www.orlbetka.cz/
E-mail: spanek@orlbetka.cz

Sleep Laboratory

Department of Pneumology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital

University Hospital in Motol

V Úval 84
Prague 5
150 06

Website: https://www.fnmotol.cz/
Phone: 224 436 646

Sleep Laboratory

Claudian Hospital

třída Václava Klementa 147
Mladá Boleslav
293 01

Website: https://www.klaudianovanemocnice.cz/
Phone: 326 743 750

Sleep centres – South Bohemia Region

Centre for Sleep Disorders in České Budějovice

Hospital České Budějovice, a.s.

B. Němcové 585/54
370 01 České Budějovice

Please note: The Sleep Disorders Centre in České Budějovice brings together the Sleep Laboratories at the Lung Department and the Sleep Clinics at the ENT Department. Choose the department according to your needs.

Website: https://www.nemcb.cz/
Phone: +420 387 87 11 11

Sleep centres – Pilsen and Karlovy Vary Region

Breathing and Sleep Centre in Pilsen

University Hospital Plzeň
Edvarda Beneše 1128/13
305 99 Plzeň-Bory

We found out: The Breathing and Sleep Centre can be found in Hall 7 (ground floor, left). The ward has 6 beds for monitoring people with sleep and breathing problems.

Website: https://pne.fnplzen.cz/
E-mail: plickova@fnplzen.cz
Telephone (ordering from 7:00 – 14:30): +420 377 402 975

EUC Clinic Plzeň – Sleep Laboratory

Denisovo nábřeží 1000/4
Plzeň 301 00

Web: https://euc.cz/
E-mail: recepce.plzen@euc.cz
Phone: +420 378 218 111
Specification: entrance A, 3rd floor of the main building

Sleep Laboratory

Hospital Sokolov

Slovenská 545
Sokolov
356 01
Website: https://www.pentahospitals.cz/
E-mail: spankova.laborator@nemocnicesokolov.cz
Phone: 604 280 502

Additional information:This is Hall A, 1st floor, elevator A1. The Sleep Laboratory deals with the diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep disorders and insomnia are not within its remit.

Sleep centres – Ústí nad Labem Region

Sleep laboratory in Ústí nad Labem

Krajská zdravotní, a.s. – Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem, o.z.
Social care 3316 /12A
401 13 Ústí nad Labem

Website: https://www.kzcr.eu/
E-mail: spanek@kzcr.eu
Telephone (contact person): +420 477 113 473

Sleep Disorders Center (cps)

Kochova 1185
Chomutov 430 12

Website: www.spanekchomutov.cz
Telephone: +420 731 801 680, application needed
E-mail: spanek.cv@kzcr.eu

Clarification: the centre is located on the 4th floor, it is building D in the Chomutov hospital area

Sleep centre in Czechoslovak Switzerland

17 November
445/6 Děčín

Website: www.chrapu.cz
Phone: +420 733 784 404, +420 420 777 902 432
E-mail: spanekdecin@gmail.com

Sleep centres – Liberec Region

Sleep laboratory in Liberec

Regional Hospital Liberec, a. s.

Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) – building D, floor 3
Husova 357/10
460 63 Liberec

Disclaimer: They will help you with breathing problems while you sleep. The hospital offers diagnosis and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing, such as diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. Insomnia and other sleep disorders are treated in Hradec Kralove or Prague.

Website: https://www.nemlib.cz/orl/
E-mail (Regional Hospital Liberec): nemlib@nemlib.cz
Telephone (directly to ENT outpatient department): +420 485 312 601

Sleep laboratory Liberec

Klášterní 117/2
460 05 Liberec

Website: https://www.somnusclinic.cz/spankova-poradna/
Phone: 725 055 176

Lung Centre Jablonec n. Nisou

28. října 2073/3
466 01 Jablonec nad Nisou

Website: https://www.firmy.cz/
Phone: +420 483 311 571

Sleep centres – Hradec Kralove Region

Sleep laboratory Trutnov (Polysomnography)

Regional Hospital Trutnov
Department of Neurology – Sleep Laboratory

Website: https://www.nemtru.cz/
E-mail: spanek@nemtru.cz
Telephone: +420 499 866 335 / +420 499 866 232

Sleep Laboratory

Pražská 135
Trutnov
541 01

Website: https://plicnitrutnov.cz/
Phone: +420 797 850 810
E-mail: ambulance@plicnitrutnov.cz

Sleep laboratory in Hradec Kralove

Centre for Sleep Disorders and biorhythms, University Hospital Hradec Králové

Sokolská 581
500 05 Hradec Králové

Web: https://www.fnhk.cz/cpsb

Sleep Medicine Outpatient Clinic Broumov

Smetanova 91 (hospital building)
550 01 Broumov

Website: https://www.edu-med.cz/
Phone: 737 568 020
E-mail: spanek.broumov@edu-med.cz

Sleep centres – Pardubice Region

Sleep clinic in Pardubice

INSPAMED Pardubice, s.r.o.

Masarykovo nám. 2667
530 02 Pardubice

Website: spankovaporadna.cz
E-mail: info.pardubice@inspamed.cz
Phone: +420 466 753 315

Sleep Laboratory

Pardubice Hospital

Kyjevská 44
53203 Pardubice

Website: https://pardubice.nempk.cz/
Phone: +420 466 015 306

More information: building no. 6, ground floor and 1st floor

Institute of Sleep Medicine

Apartment houses 139-140
533 54 Rybitví

Website: https://www.ldn-rybitvi.cz/
Telephone: 601 084 874, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sleep centres – Vysočina Region

Sleep laboratory in Trebic

Hospital Třebíč, contributory organization

Purkyňovo nám. 133/2
674 01 Třebíč

Website: https://www.nem-tr.cz/luzkova-oddeleni/plicni/
E-mail (head nurse pulmonary): rcerna@nem-tr.cz
Phone: 568 809 682

Sleep clinic in Jihlava

Hospital Jihlava, contributory organization

Vrchlického 59
586 33 Jihlava

Website: nemji.cz
E-mail: krafkovaj@nemji.cz
Phone: +420 567 157 662

Sleep centres – South Moravian Region

Sleep laboratory in Brno

FN Brno

Jihlavská 20
625 00 Brno

Website: https://www.fnbrno.cz/
E-mail: kundrata.zdenek@fnbrno.cz
Phone: 532 232 525

Sleep centre in Brno

St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno

Pekařská 53
656 91 Brno

Website: https://www.fnusa.cz/
E-mail: info@fnusa.cz
Telephone: +420 543 185 491, orders only by phone on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:00 and 12:00 to 13:00

Sleep Laboratory

Areal Bohunice

Jihlavská 20
625 00 Brno

Phone: 532 233 474
E-mail: spankova.plicni@fnbrno.cz
Web: https://www.fnbrno.cz/

Specification: Sleep Laboratory – Ventilation Centre, Department of Pulmonary Diseases and TB, Hall E, 2nd floor

ENT outpatient clinic for sleep-disordered breathing

Makovského náměstí 3147/2
616 00 Brno

Website: https://orl-spanek.cz/
Phone: +420 731 096 079
E-mail: info@orl-spanek.cz

Sleep centres – Olomouc Region

Sleep laboratory in Olomouc

University Hospital Olomouc
I. P. Pavlova 185/6
779 00 Olomouc

Website: https://plicni.fnol.cz/specializovana-pracoviste
E-mail: sona.panakova@fnol.cz
Phone: +420 588 444 733 a respiratory diseases s.r.o.

Clinic for TB and respiratory diseases with. r. o.

U Ambulatoria 5
Olomouc Hodolany
772 00

Website: https://www.plicnihodolany.cz/spankova-apnoe/
Phone: 585 313 672, 604 332 274
E-mail: pacient@plicnihodolany.cz

Sleep medicine

Nádražní 82/35
Mohelnice
789 85

Website: https://www.somnolab.cz/
E-mail: info@somnolab.cz
Phone: +420 777 704 397

Sleep centres – Zlín Region

Sleep laboratory in Zlín

Regional Hospital T. Bata, a. s.

Havlíčkovo nábřeží 600
762 75 Zlín

Website: https://www.kntb.cz/plicni-oddeleni-kontakty
E-mail: bnzlin@bnzlin.cz
Phone: 577 552 632

Sleep Laboratory

Uherské Hradiště Hospital a.s.

J. E. Purkyně 365
Uherské Hradiště
686 68

Website: https://www.nemuh.cz/doc/spankova-laborator
Phone: 724 473 168

Sleep centres – Moravian-Silesian Region

Sleep laboratory in Ostrava

University Hospital Ostrava

17. listopadu 1790/5
708 52 Ostrava-Poruba

Please note: Although this sleep lab is located in Building D, the pediatric pavilion, it examines not only pediatric patients, but also adult patients.

Website: fno.cz
E-mail: fno@fno.cz
Phone: +420 597 373 643

INSPAMED sleep clinic in Ostrava

INSPAMED Ostrava, s.r.o.

Českobratrská 7
702 00 Moravská Ostrava

Website: www.inspamed.cz
E-mail: info.ostrava@inspamed.cz
Phone: +420 596 127 602

Information about the treatment process, including video demonstrations, can be found on our website.

Sleep Unit (AGEL Hospital)

Purkyňova 2138/16
Nový Jičín 741 01

Website: https://nemocnicenovyjicin.agel.cz/
Phone: 556 773 674

Counselling for sleep and wakefulness disorders

Studentská 1155/14
736 01 Havířov

Website: http://www.spatnyspanek.cz/
Phone: 776 85 75 75
E-mail: jana.slonkova@spatnyspanek.cz

Counselling for sleep disorder

Hospital Třinec, contributory organization

Kaštanová 268, Dolní Líštná
Třinec 739 61

Website: https://www.nemtr.cz/index.php/cs/orl-oddeleni
Phone: 558 309 507

Sleep ambulance

Hospital in Frýdek-Místek

El. Krásnohorské 321, Frýdek
Frýdek-Místek
738 01

Website: https://www.nemfm.cz/oddeleni/luzkova-oddeleni/plicni-oddeleni/
Phone: 739 891 554
E-mail: spanek@nemfm.cz

Sleep Laboratory

EUC Clinic Ostrava

Opavská 962/39
Ostrava
708 68

Website: https://euc.cz/nase-zarizeni/kliniky/euc-klinika-ostrava/spankova-laborator/
Phone: +420 597 437 632, +420 597 437 630
E-mail: spankova.laborator@euc.cz

The list of sleep laboratories and clinics is continuously updated. Are there any missing from the list? Email us at editor@materasso.cz

Share this article