Chilton Memorial Hospital's Sleep Health Institute, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, offers free sleep health screenings. Our screenings are free and open to the public but space is limited so please register below or call (973) 831-5351. All screenings are held from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Chilton Health Network, 242 West Parkway, Pompton Plains.

What are the sleep health screenings?
The screenings feature one-on-one visits with a Chilton sleep professional for individualized assessment. The personalized nature of the screenings identifies if attendees are at a risk for sleep disorder and determines if further evaluations are needed with sleep specialists.

If a sleep study is recommended after the sleep screening, what does it involve?
A painless sleep study is conducted to evaluate brain waves, eye movements, breathing, blood-oxygen levels, heart rate and muscle activity to determine the presence of a sleep disorder. The sleep study involves an overnight stay in the comfortable, home like, private-room sleep center. Chilton's Sleep Health Institute now offers at-home sleep evaluations for special cases.

Why is snoring dangerous to one's health?
Snoring is not just an annoyance. It's a warning signal that you or your loved one may have a condition called, "sleep apnea." Chronic sleep deprivation, which is often caused by sleep apnea, is linked to a heightened risk of serious illnesses.

According to John Penek, MD, FCCP, board certified in Sleep Medicine and Medical Director of the Sleep Health Institute at Chilton, snoring should not be disregarded as a nuisance. "Some people are aware that nightmares, sleepwalking and restless leg syndrome can be hazardous. But many of them don't realize that heavy snoring and sleep apnea, which causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, can also increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and even death," he said.

What are the solutions for a sleep disorder?
A variety of non-invasive solutions can be used to improve one's sleep including:

• Nasal CPAP Therapy: Pronounced "SEE-pap," the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is essentially a mask used to help people with sleep apnea breathe better during sleep by bringing more air into the lungs.
• Nasal Bi-Level Therapy: This method of treatment, also known as "BiPAP" is similar to CPAP, but uses two levels of pressure. One level is for inhaling; the other is for exhaling.
• Adaptive Servo-Ventilation: Many patients with heart disorders have "Cheyne-Stokes breathing," which is irregular breathing patterns during sleep without the warning sign of snoring. Adaptive Servo-Ventilation, or "Adapt SV," is a newly available device worn during sleep to treat this problem.