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Sleep Service | Lakes
Public Service, Respiratory
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Description
The Sleep Service is a department within Respiratory Services at Lakes DHB. Our primary focus is to diagnose and treat patients with disordered breathing during sleep. This section is intended to guide you through your journey with our service.
We provide specialist outpatient services and can support inpatient care, when required.
The department is staffed by sleep nurses, sleep physiologists and medical staff.
Sleep Services include:
- Assessment for suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
- Sleep Study - test to confirm the diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. It is a portable study that you can do from the convenience of your own home.
- Long term treatment of OSA and follow up - we provide CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) treatment and follow up for assistance in long term treatment.
Where to find us: see the Rotorua Hospital map here.
We also provide visiting services to Taupō Hospital.
Referral Expectations
Te Whatu Ora Lakes Sleep service receives numerous referrals every year, with each patient following the same care pathway. We endeavour to assess, investigate, and treat your sleep disorder as quickly as possible. With such a large number of referrals received each year there can be periods of waiting, and we thank you for your patience. It is also important to note there are some sleep disorders our service does not provide specialist care for. If you have been referred for a condition outside our scope we will let your doctor know.
Fees and Charges Description
New Zealand citizens or those who have obtained permanent residence are entitled to publicly funded health care.
Non-residents may be required to pay for their health care.
Click here to read more about eligibility for funded care at Te Whatu Ora Lakes
Hours
| Mon – Fri | 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
|---|
Public Holidays: Closed Auckland Anniversary (27 Jan), Waitangi Day (6 Feb), Good Friday (18 Apr), Easter Sunday (20 Apr), Easter Monday (21 Apr), ANZAC Day (25 Apr), King's Birthday (2 Jun), Matariki (20 Jun), Labour Day (27 Oct).
Christmas: Open 23 Dec — 24 Dec. Closed 25 Dec — 26 Dec. Open 27 Dec. Closed 28 Dec — 29 Dec. Open 30 Dec — 31 Dec. Closed 1 Jan — 2 Jan. Open 3 Jan. Closed 4 Jan — 5 Jan. Open 6 Jan — 10 Jan.
Procedures/Treatments/Common Conditions
What is sleep apnoea? Apnoea means no breathing. Sleep apnoea is the medical term for interruptions in breathing during sleep. It is a potentially life threatening condition. What does sleep apnoea do to you? People with untreated sleep apnoea are prone to nodding off to sleep during the day. This greatly increases their risk of falling asleep at the wheel while driving. Other symptoms include: High blood pressure Heart disease Forgetfulness Irritability Sexual performance problems Personality changes (e.g. depression) Lapses in concentration What happens with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)? If the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much the airway becomes completely blocked and breathing stops. This is called an “apnoea’ which means “no air flow to the lungs”. Each time your airway blocks off your body may not get enough oxygen. The apnoea (no air flow to the lungs) can last 10 seconds or more and can happen hundreds of times at night. During the apnoea, the brain soon recognises there is a problem and wakes the person up a little. The muscles then firm up which means the airway opens and breathing begins again. As the person relaxes and becomes deeply asleep, further apnoeas will happen. This can significantly affect sleep quality. Who gets OSA? Most common in men People who are overweight Those who have nose or throat problems i.e. nasal polyps, large tonsils Those with certain facial features including a small throat
What is sleep apnoea? Apnoea means no breathing. Sleep apnoea is the medical term for interruptions in breathing during sleep. It is a potentially life threatening condition. What does sleep apnoea do to you? People with untreated sleep apnoea are prone to nodding off to sleep during the day. This greatly increases their risk of falling asleep at the wheel while driving. Other symptoms include: High blood pressure Heart disease Forgetfulness Irritability Sexual performance problems Personality changes (e.g. depression) Lapses in concentration What happens with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)? If the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much the airway becomes completely blocked and breathing stops. This is called an “apnoea’ which means “no air flow to the lungs”. Each time your airway blocks off your body may not get enough oxygen. The apnoea (no air flow to the lungs) can last 10 seconds or more and can happen hundreds of times at night. During the apnoea, the brain soon recognises there is a problem and wakes the person up a little. The muscles then firm up which means the airway opens and breathing begins again. As the person relaxes and becomes deeply asleep, further apnoeas will happen. This can significantly affect sleep quality. Who gets OSA? Most common in men People who are overweight Those who have nose or throat problems i.e. nasal polyps, large tonsils Those with certain facial features including a small throat
What is sleep apnoea?
Apnoea means no breathing. Sleep apnoea is the medical term for interruptions in breathing during sleep.
It is a potentially life threatening condition.
What does sleep apnoea do to you?
People with untreated sleep apnoea are prone to nodding off to sleep during the day. This greatly increases their risk of falling asleep at the wheel while driving. Other symptoms include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Forgetfulness
- Irritability
- Sexual performance problems
- Personality changes (e.g. depression)
- Lapses in concentration
What happens with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)?
If the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much the airway becomes completely blocked and breathing stops. This is called an “apnoea’ which means “no air flow to the lungs”. Each time your airway blocks off your body may not get enough oxygen.
The apnoea (no air flow to the lungs) can last 10 seconds or more and can happen hundreds of times at night. During the apnoea, the brain soon recognises there is a problem and wakes the person up a little. The muscles then firm up which means the airway opens and breathing begins again.
As the person relaxes and becomes deeply asleep, further apnoeas will happen. This can significantly affect sleep quality.
Who gets OSA?
- Most common in men
- People who are overweight
- Those who have nose or throat problems i.e. nasal polyps, large tonsils
- Those with certain facial features including a small throat
Having a sleep study will determine whether you have OSA. This is usually a portable study done overnight in your own home. The small sleep study monitor will be loaned for you to use on one night. This involves nasal prongs (to detect snoring and airflow), a finger oximeter (to measure oxygen level) and a belt to detect effort of breathing. The use of this equipment will be demonstrated at your appointment. Occasionally, a sleep study may involve a full overnight study at Waikato Hospital.
Having a sleep study will determine whether you have OSA. This is usually a portable study done overnight in your own home. The small sleep study monitor will be loaned for you to use on one night. This involves nasal prongs (to detect snoring and airflow), a finger oximeter (to measure oxygen level) and a belt to detect effort of breathing. The use of this equipment will be demonstrated at your appointment. Occasionally, a sleep study may involve a full overnight study at Waikato Hospital.
Having a sleep study will determine whether you have OSA.
This is usually a portable study done overnight in your own home. The small sleep study monitor will be loaned for you to use on one night.
This involves nasal prongs (to detect snoring and airflow), a finger oximeter (to measure oxygen level) and a belt to detect effort of breathing. The use of this equipment will be demonstrated at your appointment.
Occasionally, a sleep study may involve a full overnight study at Waikato Hospital.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine is the best standard treatment for OSA. A CPAP machine is a pump which delivers air pressure. The air travels from the machine through a tube to a mask on the nose and/or mouth providing pressure which supports the muscles at the back of your throat to keep them open during sleep. The CPAP machine is always used during sleep to stop you snoring and having apnoeas and to improve your sleep quality. Daytime sleepiness should improve. It needs to be used for a minimum of five hours (preferably uninterrupted for the whole period of sleep). Use it each time you sleep, day or night. CPAP is not a cure for OSA. It keeps OSA under control and prevents problems which OSA causes. Always take it with you when you travel or go into hospital. When travelling overseas it must go with you as hand luggage on the plane.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine is the best standard treatment for OSA. A CPAP machine is a pump which delivers air pressure. The air travels from the machine through a tube to a mask on the nose and/or mouth providing pressure which supports the muscles at the back of your throat to keep them open during sleep. The CPAP machine is always used during sleep to stop you snoring and having apnoeas and to improve your sleep quality. Daytime sleepiness should improve. It needs to be used for a minimum of five hours (preferably uninterrupted for the whole period of sleep). Use it each time you sleep, day or night. CPAP is not a cure for OSA. It keeps OSA under control and prevents problems which OSA causes. Always take it with you when you travel or go into hospital. When travelling overseas it must go with you as hand luggage on the plane.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine is the best standard treatment for OSA.
- A CPAP machine is a pump which delivers air pressure.
- The air travels from the machine through a tube to a mask on the nose and/or mouth providing pressure which supports the muscles at the back of your throat to keep them open during sleep.
- The CPAP machine is always used during sleep to stop you snoring and having apnoeas and to improve your sleep quality.
- Daytime sleepiness should improve.
- It needs to be used for a minimum of five hours (preferably uninterrupted for the whole period of sleep). Use it each time you sleep, day or night.
- CPAP is not a cure for OSA. It keeps OSA under control and prevents problems which OSA causes.
- Always take it with you when you travel or go into hospital.
- When travelling overseas it must go with you as hand luggage on the plane.
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This page was last updated at 3:00PM on March 26, 2024. This information is reviewed and edited by Sleep Service | Lakes.