19
SLEEP I N H E AV E N LY P E ACE
Hartley Bartley and his wife, Lacey,
live on a farm in Crandall, Georgia. As a
farmer and a welder, good health is very
important. When Lacey alerted Harley to
a possible health issue, he didn’t delay in
seeking treatment.
“My wife encouraged me to go to doctor
because of my snoring,” says Harley. “She
had started sleeping in another room
because it was so loud.
“I suggested that he go see his primary
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solution,” says Lacey.
Harley was referred to Hamilton
Regional Sleep Center for an overnight
sleep study. A sleep study consists of a
test called a polysomonography, which
records the electrical activity of the
brain, muscle activity, eye movement,
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and blood oxygen levels during sleep.
Harley’s sleep study showed that he had
obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common
disorder that causes a person’s airway to
collapse or become blocked during sleep.
People with sleep apnea often snore
loudly. However, not everyone who
snores has sleep apnea.
You are more at risk for sleep apnea if
you are overweight, male, have a family
history of sleep apnea, or have small
airways. When your sleep is interrupted
throughout the night, you can become
drowsy during the day. Because of this,
people with sleep apnea are at a higher
risk for car crashes and work-related
accidents.
“Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead
to multiple health issues. From a
preventative medicine standpoint, the
condition should be screened with the
same urgency as diabetes and high blood
pressure,” says pulmonologist Erick
Kimmerling, DO.
Harley was prescribed a nasal
continuous positive airway pressure
(CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine
consists of a mask, a tube, and a
continuous air pump. It sends a constant
force of air through the patient’s nasal
passages to prevent the airway from
collapsing during sleep.
“I feel so much better now,” says Harley.
“I have more energy. I can tell a difference
when I wear the CPAP and when I don’t.”
Do you think you or a loved one has sleep
apnea? Ask your primary care provider
for a referral to Hamilton Regional Sleep
Center.
Hamilton Regional Sleep Center is accredited
by the Accreditation Commission for Health
Care (ACHC) for sleep testing and sleep lab/
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HARLEY BARTLEY
HARLEY,
THE HORSE
HamiltonHealth.com/sleep
706.278.4757
HamiltonHealth.com/sleep
1411 Chattanooga Avenue
Dalton, Georgia
/sleep
/sleep
