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SleepGuy wrote:I've had a number of sleep labs contact me about incorporating pur-sleep into their sleep studies, as an option particularly for patients who seem to have a harder time than others using the equipment for the first time.
I'd appreciate any insights on how a sleep lab might best go about doing this.

Well, funny you should bring this up! At my Sleep Support Group a couple of meetings ago (on "Pharmacology and OSA"), a guy commented, "My wife uses a lavender pillow, and she says it really helps her sleep quality. Is there any credibility to that?"

So of course, I quoted the Goel study, and sez, yeah, although somewhat anectdotal, there seems to be some basis for that.

But I also mentioned that in the study, the patients took only 4 sets of snorts before bed. BTW, I took your advice and got the detailed study, and quite frankly, there's a number of discrepancies, but we can debate that in a minute.

The concern with doing EO/aromatherapy this way is the continuous infusion over about 6-8 hours every night. You see, the lung surface is a very delicate structure. Simply breathing in an enhanced oxygen atmosphere can alter and destroy lung integrity (see "oxygen toxicity"). It really hates to be wailed on for long periods of time with abnormal quantities of seemingly "harmless" substances (and "oxygen" is the perfect example).

But OK, rather than yelling that the sky is falling, there is an easy and objective way to monitor this. If you're using EO extensively, when you go for your annual physical, get a Complete Pulmonary Function Test (CPFT). Make sure you get a CPFT, cause we're going to need the parameter called "diffusion" (there may be 4 values, that's OK, just get a copy of the whole thing, we'll need to see the raw values (there's a lot of different "Reference Sets" out there, but it'll say that on the PFT, so we'll account for that later)). We should also look at the tiny airway values as well, like FEF25-75%, but just grab the paper.

Oh yeah, during the PFT, they will (or should) ask you about inhalational risk factors (smoking, etc.) At that time, tell them about contact with EO during sleep, x-hours per day, and have them add it on the PFT. Document that right on the PFT, as well in the physician interview.

In a year, repeat the PFT, grab that result, and we'll compare.

If those people with 1500-1800 contact hours per year have PFTs with no change, I'll set up a PurSleep display in the sleep laboratory.

If now you have an Occupational Lung Disease, you might wanna look in the Yellow Pages for some professional advice.

Either way, if we can get 40 guys to do this, maybe we can publish something.
SAG