For Self-Pay and Private Patients
The Sleep Lab – Well-Rested for Your Health
Peaceful nights, pleasant dreams.
Effectively fighting snoring.
Finally sleeping through the night again. Professional help for sleep disorders.
Anyone who often lies awake for hours at night, wakes up from their own snoring, or can barely keep their eyes open during the day should not ignore this in the long run. Serious conditions can be hiding behind such symptoms.
Our state-of-the-art sleep lab, led by ENT specialists Dr. Angelika Witzel-Heimlich and Dr. Florian Heimlich, is part of ETHIANUM Klinik Heidelberg. Equipped with the latest diagnostic technology, comfortable patient rooms, and highly qualified, experienced staff in the field of modern sleep medicine, this private medical facility in the heart of Heidelberg is open to anyone suffering from difficulty falling or staying asleep, nighttime breathing pauses, exhaustion, or pathological snoring. Sleep medicine, a specialized branch of ENT medicine, helps diagnose and treat the underlying causes.
Following outpatient preliminary diagnostics (a sleep screening, known as polygraphy), an overnight examination in our sleep lab offers a way to identify the cause of your sleep disorder. Based on the results, possible treatment options, up to and including nighttime respiratory therapy, can then be planned.
Inpatient admission to the ETHIANUM Sleep Lab requires a prior outpatient polygraphy (sleep screening) conducted by your treating physician
CONTACT US
If you suffer from snoring, notice breathing pauses, or struggle to find rest at night, schedule your appointment with our specialists now. You can do so in just a few clicks via our direct contact form or by calling us at 06221 8723-266.
The Sleep Lab Examination
The examination in the sleep lab, also known as polysomnography, is the most comprehensive, safest, and entirely pain-free method for definitively diagnosing sleep disorders, confirming diagnoses, or initiating treatment.
To diagnose the often complex causes of sleep disorders, the overnight recording of up to 20 different biosignals related to sleep, motor activity, brain waves, breathing, and circulatory function provides valuable insight. Such a sleep recording can, for example, detect anomalies in sleep structure or breathing pauses, among other things.
For the sleep lab’s equipment, we chose to work with Löwenstein Medical, the market leader in sleep diagnostics. This traditional German family business meets all the demands of leading international medicine. The technical devices are designed to ensure maximum comfort and freedom of movement.
Overnight Stay With Every Comfort
You should arrive punctually at 6:00 PM at the ETHIANUM Klinik reception in the entrance area. Free underground parking is available on site.
You will typically spend one or two nights in the sleep lab. To avoid distorting the measurement results, you should avoid taking a nap on the day of the examination, but otherwise try to keep your usual daily routine. It is recommended to avoid caffeinated beverages after 2:00 PM. Hair styling products (gel, hairspray, etc.) and moisturizing skin creams should be avoided so that the electrodes adhere well to the head and body. Nail polish and/or artificial fingernails should also be avoided. For men, a fresh shave of the chin area is recommended.
Before going to sleep, electrodes are attached to the head, chin, and chest, which monitor and record brain and muscle activity, eye movements, breathing, snoring, and heart rate, among other things. Sensors monitor airflow at the mouth and nose. A small, portable device (pulse oximeter) on the index finger or earlobe measures the oxygen level in the blood. A microphone records snoring sounds.
Nighttime leg movements are recorded using two electrodes on the lower legs. Breathing movements are also measured, using belts fastened around the chest and abdomen. Body position is likewise recorded via a sensor. Additionally, unusual behaviors during sleep can be captured via video recording.
Throughout the night, an experienced specialist sits in the adjacent room monitoring the sleep recording on a monitor and remains reachable at any time via intercom.
Around 7:00 AM, you will be woken up and disconnected from all cables. Afterward, you can shower, have breakfast, and, provided no further examinations or consultations are scheduled, head home.
What Happens to the Data?
After the examination, the collected measurement results are evaluated and interpreted by Dr. med. Heimlich. The findings provide insight into sleep disorders and sleep quality, as well as indications of any potential conditions and suitable treatment options.
