Nicole White, Tracey Hardy-Speed and Victoria McMichael (from left) watch as instructor Angie McReynolds (blue shirt) shows the proper way to place electroencephalogram electrodes on a patient simulator during a polysomnography class at Griffin Technical College.
The science of sleep medicine isn't old by medical standards. Two residents at the University of Chicago first discovered REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in the 1950s, while recording infant sleep patterns.
Dr. William C. Dement founded the first sleep-disorder center in 1970 at Stanford University and helped start the Association of Sleep Disorders in 1973. Sleep medicine is a young but fast-growing field, with researchers adding to the body of knowledge rapidly — and not a minute too soon. Scientists have found that there really is nothing like a good night's sleep, and many people aren't getting that.
In 1997, the National Sleep Foundation conducted a Gallup survey and published "Sleepiness in America," which identified the scope of sleep problems affecting Americans, said Duane Reed, MA, RRT, respiratory care program director at Griffin Technical College. "The survey found that 63 million Americans have moderate or severe levels of sleepiness caused by a variety of sleep problems."
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has identified 88 specific disorders of sleep and arousal, and researchers are linking sleep disturbances with other health problems. Through polysomnography, a complex evaluation of multiple physiological functions during sleep, doctors are able to diagnose and treat many sleep problems.
"With so many sleep labs opening around metro Atlanta, we saw a growing need for trained people to staff them and a big opportunity for respiratory therapists to gain a new specialty," said Monique Sims, M.Ed, RRT, clinical director of the polysomnography program at Griffin Tech.
Griffin Tech is among the first technical colleges in Georgia to offer the polysomnography (PSG) technician certificate. Coosa Valley Technical College in Rome was the first, Reed said.
Polysomnography is a technical term for a sleep study that involves recording brain waves to assess the quality of sleep and air flow in the nose and mouth. Polysomnography technology is a multidisciplinary allied health occupation that has emerged as a unique profession to support sleep medicine.
Housed within the respiratory care department, Griffin Tech's six-month certificate program is open to certified respiratory therapists and registered respiratory therapists who are interested in adding to their skill sets or expanding their career options.
Students study the theory and practical skills necessary to practice as an entry-level polysomnographic technologist and take the national registry exam. There is high demand for trained technologists at sleep centers and research labs.
"If you like a lot of excitement, this job isn't for you," Sims said. "Unlike hospital therapists, who often work on multiple floors with different types of patients, a PSG technologist watches someone sleep and monitors the physiological changes taking place via a computer screen. It's a stationary job, and most of the work is at night."
The sleep/wake professional must know how to set up, calibrate, record and monitor the machinery used to measure electrical brain activity, muscle tension and leg movements, heart activity, eye movements and nasal air flow — all part of a PSG evaluation used by doctors to diagnose sleep disorders. The technologists monitor the readings to determine and give appropriate treatment or intervention, as necessary, during the testing, using protocols set by the sleep center.
"If a patient with sleep apnea stops breathing and his oxygen level goes down to dangerous levels, a respiratory therapist can intervene," Reed said.
Having a good bedside manner also is part of the job.
"You're interacting with patients one on one, and the idea is to make them feel comfortable so that they will sleep in the lab," Sims said. "Often, patients don't realize that there are treatments available to help them. Patients will tell staff how great it feels to finally sleep. There's great satisfaction in knowing that you're helping patients."
"We think it's cool to have a new wrinkle in the respiratory care field," Reed said.
To learn more, call Reed at 770-412-4040 or visit the Association of Polysomnographic Technologists Web site at www.aptweb.org.