May is Better Sleep Month, and with it comes the announcement of a new online assessment to help participants determine their risk for sleep disorders.  SleepAware is a new module within Trinity’s HealthAware system (www.trinityhealthaware.com) that allows users to log on from any computer, answer a few health questions, and get a score for their likelihood of having or developing a sleep disorder.

 Approximately 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, and 10 million are underdiagnosed.  Most people diagnosed with OSA are obese and specifically have heaviness in their neck and face.  Persons with OSA are 30% more likely to have a heart attack or die as a result of the condition.

 The SleepAware module asks about the following risk factors:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Neck size
• Loud snoring
• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Sleepiness during the day 

Once participants receive the score, they are invited to make an appointment with a specialist from Trinity’s Sleep Center to discuss how to treat the disease or reduce the risks of getting the disease.  There is no cost to take the online assessment or meet with a specialist if deemed to be higher risk.  For more information, contact the Trinity Sleep Center at (309) 779-2914.