Sleep Medicine

Better Sleep, Better Health

St. Peter's Sleep Centers in Albany and Troy are dedicated to helping people who suffer from chronic sleep disorders find help and lead more satisfying healthier lives.

If you can't sleep well, it not only disrupts your daily life, it can lead to serious complications including heart and lung problems, cardiac distress, stroke, headaches, and poor concentration. People at risk include those who are habitual snorers, people with high blood pressure, those with large necks, and people with abnormalities of the nose or airway.

Each year, 10 million Americans seek help for sleep problems. These disorders may be triggered by stress or may result from a lifetime of sleep difficulties. Either way, effective treatment is available. 

Common Sleep Disorders Treated

• Sleep apnea
• Insomnia
• Narcolepsy
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS)
• Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD)
• Parasomnia
• Sleep schedule disorders
• Difficulty initiating/maintaining sleep

Services

Sleep Studies

Once a sleep/wake problem is identified, our sleep specialists may recommend a sleep study where a patient is asked to sleep overnight at our center as if he/she was at home, even though he/she is constantly being evaluated. Sleep specialists monitor brain waves, muscle activity, breathing patterns, oxygen levels and heart rate while diagnostic equipment records and documents more than 1,000 pages of data for the in-depth evaluation

Most sleep disorders are covered by medical insurance. The costs of the evaluation will depend on the type and extent of testing required. Our staff will work with you to determine the amount of coverage supplied by your insurance company.

Sleep Therapy Equipment

We offer durable medical equipment for sleep therapy so that patients are able to purchase and/or replace equipment as needed directly through our sleep center. Our experienced staff assists patients in learning to use newly prescribed equipment and can help make necessary adjustments as treatment progresses. We offer:

• Extensive instruction on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)/bi-level equipment following diagnosis
• In-depth instruction and follow up with each patient set up
• Direct interaction with providers for necessary adjustment to patients' therapies
• Respiratory therapists assessment/problem solving for mask and equipment issues

® Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy

Inspire^® upper airway stimulation therapy is a small, fully implanted system that senses breathing patterns and delivers mild stimulation to maintain multilevel open airways during sleep. This is the first of its kind alternative for individuals suffering from obstructive sleep apnea who are unable to use or get consistent benefit from CPAP.

Dr. Siobhan Kuhar, who is board-certified in sleep medicine, is a staff physician at St. Peter’s Sleep Center and performs this procedure at St. Peter’s Hospital. (Learn more.)

Our Staff

Our expert staff includes physicians who are board-certified in sleep disorders, respiratory therapists trained in sleep diagnostics, and a psychologist who specializes in the field. They provide professional evaluation and comprehensive sleep monitoring services for a complete range of sleep and wakefulness problems.

• sleep apnea
• insomnia
• narcolepsy
• restless leg syndrome