Sleep Apnoea Diagnostic Programme

Sleep apnoea is a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. These pauses in breathing, or apnoeas can occur multiple times per hour, leading to poor sleep quality and low oxygen levels. Severe sleep apnoea can be associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. 

Symptoms

You may experience loud snoring, pauses in breathing, gasping or choking sounds during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, irritability or mood swings.  

Treatments

Treatment options will depend on your diagnosis and severity but may include lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, or alcohol avoidance. Medical devices may be recommended while sleeping such as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) to keep the airway open or an oral appliance (Mandibular Advancement Device) to reposition the jaw to prevent airway collapse. 

The Care-Connect Sleep Apnoea Diagnostic Programme: 

• Uses a non-invasive device that detects breathing disturbances, tracks blood oxygen levels, monitors heart rate, detects sleep position and movement and identifies breathing patterns and snoring intensity
• Issues an easy to use device that links to a phone app (Simply peel off the adhesive cover, place the device on your neck, and press the front button to turn it on before going to sleep)
• Uploads recorded information to the app when the device is switched off in the morning, and securely sends data to one of our Specialist Sleep Consultants for analysis
• Sleep study results are reviewed and a report issued to the referring clinician with the recommended next steps
• Care-Connect follows up with all patients to check that recommendations have been initiated 

Eligibility

In order to participate in a home sleep study you must be: 

1. An Irish Life Health Member
2. This programme is currently not available to Vhi members
3. Over 18 years of age
4. Referred by your GP or dentist (A referral letter is required)
5. Have access to a smartphone or tablet with iOS 17 or later