Having trouble sleeping? The Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) could help.

On Monday, the center will open a new sleep laboratory that features the latest diagnostic equipment for conducting sleep tests.

The center said the sleep test complies with the standards of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The sleep laboratory will be managed by well trained and highly reputable doctors and health technicians in the country. Dr. Gina Delos Reyes, will be heading the laboratory, LCP said.

The center said that sleep disorders among Filipinos are often left undiagnosed and untreated. Further that ignoring and not treating the disorders could lead to serious health problems like heart disease, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

LCP added that the most common sleep disorder among Filipinos is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or most commonly known as snoring.

An article from Chong Hua Hospital Center for Sleep Disorder defines OSA as “loud snoring which is interrupted by respiratory arrest (apnea) of more than 10 seconds in duration…usually accompanied by a reduction in blood oxygen saturation followed by a micro-awakening to breath. In severe cases, hundreds of breathing pauses can occur every night.”

Obstructive apnea can prevent air from entering the lungs, and could lead to suffocation, the article said.

The center said that OSA, if not treated, can result to cardiovascular diseases and can increase the person’s risk of acquiring more serious health conditions.

It expressed hope that the new sleep laboratory and its new way of conducting sleep tests will reduce the number of Filipinos with serious health problems acquired from untreated sleep disorders. FATIMA CIELO B. CANCEL