Hospital Quirónsalud Valencia’s Sleep Unit is made up of a group of professionals from different areas of medicine, whose goals are focused on improving patient’s sleep quality and/or alleviating the symptoms of excessive sleepiness during the day.

What is the objective of the Sleep Unit?

Our objective is to help people, whatever their age, that:

  • Feel that their sleep is scant or of poor quality.
  • Snore excessively or even ‘stop breathing’ during sleep.
  • Wake up with the feeling that they have not rested enough.
  • Feel more sleepy than normal during the day, or even fall asleep accidentally where they shouldn’t.
  • Have very restless sleep, moving excessively.
  • Talk, walk, or present strange behaviours during sleep.

What diagnostic tests do we perform?

In addition to the clinical consultation with our specialists at the Sleep Unit, we have all the technical and human elements necessary to perform diagnostic tests that allow us to figure out what problem the patient presents. Among the tests we perform, we can include:

ACTIGRAPHY: This test is indicated to diagnose insomnia or alterations of the circadian rhythm, in other words, people who fall asleep during the day, or wake up either very early or very late. For this, we place a series of sensors on the patient, which will determine his or her hours and moments of sleep. This test is performed as an outpatient procedure, with no need for admission.

POLYSOMNOGRAPHY: This is the diagnostic test that measures body functions during sleep. It lets us see the alterations a patient may suffer during the sleeping period, and which could bring about health problems. It is performed in our hospital, so that our specialists may measure the following bodily functions:

  • Brain waves, through the placement of electrodes on the scalp.
  • Heart rate, through the placement of electrodes on the chest.
  • Eye movement, through the placement of electrodes on the skin close to the eyes.
  • Muscle tone or tension, through the placement of electrodes on the chin.
  • Leg movement, through the placement of electrodes on the tibia.
  • Respiratory effort, through the placement of a sensory band on the thorax.
  • Breathing, through the placement of sensors on the nasal window and around the mouth.
  • Oxygen level in the blood, through the placement of a sensor on the finger.
  • Other functions related to the specific needs of the patient.

None of these measures requires perforation or injection. The electrodes are placed on the skin with a gel than can be easily removed the next morning. The sensors are placed in a way that allows the patient to move comfortably during sleep. Usually, the patient forgets they are there, and despite what we may assume, most people sleep well. At all times, you will have the help of our professionals and technicians, who will make your stay at our hospital as pleasant as possible.