Respiratory and Sleep Medicine

Mater’s Sleep Service provides services for both adult and paediatric patients at Mater Hospital Brisbane, Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, and Mater Children's Private Brisbane.

Services

Experienced paediatric and adult sleep specialists can assist with sleep problems including:

• Diagnostic sleep studies
• Treatment studies
• Sleep related breathing disorders
• Central sleep apnoea syndromes
• Cardiorespiratory tests
• Sleep related hypoventilation
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
• Insomnia and tiredness
• Snoring
• Restless sleep
• Bed wetting
• Sleep walking
• Night terrors
• Body rocking
• Narcolepsy

Access

If you're experiencing any difficulties related to sleep, Mater's Sleep Service has experienced, specialist doctors available to review your condition and report the sleep study. Our doctors include sleep and respiratory specialists, and are supported by a team of specialised nursing and technician staff. You will need a referral from your general practitioner (GP) or specialist before your appointment at Mater.

Before your study

• In the days before your sleep study, try to follow as near as possible your ‘normal’ sleeping schedule.
• Remove acrylic nails and/or nail polish. To monitor your oxygen levels overnight, a probe is attached to your finger tip and monitors the blood oxygen level in your nail bed (non-invasively).

What to bring

For adult patients:

• Sleepwear and a change of clothes for the following morning.
• You may bring your own pillow.
• Personal toiletries, shampoo, conditioner and medication.
• Any CPAP equipment or snoring devices you may be using.
• There is a kitchenette in the sleep unit that you may use. A dinner box of sandwiches will be provided.

For paediatric patients:

• Please ensure you bring two piece pyjamas for your child to sleep in.
• Change of clothes for the following day.
• Something to read or a toy that allows your child to sit quietly. This could be a toy or special comforting object from home (e.g. own pillow, blanket).
• Personal toiletries, toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Medications in original packages.
• Nappies, if required, wipes and feeds if required.

When you arrive

For public adult patients—please present to to level 5 of Mater Hospital Brisbane, Day Procedure Unit/Admissions between 6 pm and 6.45 pm. The best option for parking is the Mater Hill car park and take the walkway link through to Mater Hospital Brisbane. There is a drop off zone outside the main entrance for those with decreased mobility. Once the admission process is complete you will be escorted to the Sleep Service located on Level 4 of the Salmon Building by nursing staff.

For private adult patients—please present to level 7 of the Salmon Building between 6 pm and 6.45 pm, where you'll meet our friendly admissions team. The best option for parking is the Hancock Street Car Park. From here you can walk down Raymond Terrace to the entrance of the Salmon Building. Once the admission process is complete you will be escorted to the Sleep Service located on Level 4 of the Salmon Building by nursing staff.

For private paediatric patients—please present to level 7 of the Salmon Building between 3.30 pm and 4 pm, where you'll meet our friendly admissions team. The best option for parking is the Hancock Street Car Park. From here you can walk down Raymond Terrace to the entrance of the Salmon Building. Once the admission process is complete you will be escorted to the Sleep Service located on Level 4 of the Salmon Building by nursing staff.

Results

Follow up appointments will be made where necessary, approximately one week following your sleep study.

Contact details

• For public adult patients—please call 07 3163 1205. Alternatively, you can call our switchboard and be directed to the specific hospital. Please call 07 3163 8111.
• For private adult and paediatric patients—please contact your specialist doctor directly.

If you have difficulty getting to sleep, or staying asleep; if you snore, or if you are very tired during the day, you may benefit from a sleep physician review and a sleep study.

An Overnight Sleep Study (or Polysomnogram) involves the monitoring of a patient’s sleep, breathing and movement patterns throughout the night. It is a non-invasive procedure that causes no pain or discomfort. 

Prior to going to sleep, various sensors and electrodes are placed on various parts of your body. These are kept in place with tapes and paste. Video monitoring also takes place . Trained sleep technologists prepare and monitor you during the sleep study. 

Experienced Physicians can assist with any sleep problems including:

• Sleep related breathing disorders
• Central sleep apnoea syndromes
• Sleep related hypoventilation
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
• Insomnia and tiredness
• Snoring
• Restless sleep
• Sleep walking
• Night terrors
• Body rocking
• Narcolepsy

Access

Mater has experienced Sleep Physicians who are able to review all patients and report the Sleep Study.  You will need a referral from your General Practitioner or Specialist.

When you arrive

On the day of your Sleep Study, please check in to the Admissions Desk at 8:00pm. 

A staff member will escort you to the Sleep Unit. All patients undergoing a sleep study are accommodated in a private room.

What to bring

• Change of clothes for the following day
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Medications in original packages
• CPAP machine and mask if having a a reveiew of OSA
• Your own pillow for your comfort (hospital pillows are available)

Contact details:

Mater Private Hospital Townsville 
25 Fulham Road, Pimlico 
(07) 4727 4104

The Respiratory Medicine Department and Sleep Department comprise of four consultant physicians, a senior respiratory registrar, a respiratory nurse practitioner, allied health support and a respiratory research team from Mater Research.

We provide both inpatient and outpatient diagnosis and management of complex respiratory and sleep conditions, utilising facilities for acute ward based non-invasive ventilation, complex lung function testing, integrated cardiopulmonary exercise testing, radiology, flexible bronchoscopy including Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS),  as well as pulmonary rehabilitation. The department also includes a weekly multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic. We currently offer four general respiratory clinics per week, a young adult respiratory clinic, a specialised sleep clinic and two adult cystic fibrosis clinics.

Surgery for the treatment of lung cancer and diagnosis of other respiratory conditions can be conducted at Mater in collaboration with our cardiothoracic surgical teams.

The respiratory department is committed to research into general respiratory conditions and cystic fibrosis, and continues to have an active research program, integrating both investigator driven research as well as pharmaceutical funded studies.

Respiratory services provided at Mater Private Hospital Bundaberg include: 

• Bronchoscopy
• Sleep Studies
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) 

Respiratory services provided at Mater Private Hospital Rockhampton include: 

• Bronchoscopy
• Sleep Studies
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) 

Respiratory services provided at Mater Private Hospital Mackay include: 

• Bronchoscopy
• Sleep Studies
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)