Sleep medicine, written for patients
Practical answers from a Westerville sleep practice. Each piece is written for a specific question, cited to primary sources, and reviewed against current labeling and guidelines. Newest first.
Inspire
Do I qualify for Inspire? Current criteria explained
FDA AHI 15–100 and BMI warning ≤40 versus Medicare AHI 15–65 and BMI under 35. DISE still sits in the middle.
Zepbound
Zepbound for sleep apnea: what the approval actually covers
December 2024 indication, diet and activity on the label, SURMOUNT-OSA numbers, and why it is not a CPAP replacement.
Zepbound
Does insurance cover Zepbound for sleep apnea?
The OSA indication is not a weight-loss exclusion workaround you can assume. Prior auth and Part D vary by plan.
Sleep testing
Home sleep test vs in-lab study: which one do you need?
AASM 2017: who can use a home test, who must go to the lab, and what a negative home test does not prove.
CPAP alternatives
I can't tolerate CPAP. What are my real options?
Coverage “intolerance” is a download number. Clinical intolerance is broader. Oral appliances, Inspire, Genio, Zepbound.
Other conditions
Restless legs: why treatment guidance changed
The 2025 AASM guideline recommends against routine pramipexole and ropinirole. Iron and gabapentinoids first.
Sleep apnea
Understanding your AHI number: what mild, moderate and severe mean
Mild, moderate, and severe AHI bands, home-test undercounts, and why symptoms can disagree with the integer.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea in women — why it is missed so often
Insomnia-predominant symptoms, REM-only disease, and how 3% versus 4% hypopnea scoring changes who gets a diagnosis.
Cost and insurance
What does a sleep study cost in Ohio?
Medicare allowed amounts, cash-pay ranges from public listings, and why a hospital chargemaster is not this office’s fee.
Columbus area
Sleep specialists in the Columbus area: how to choose one
Board certification, who reads your study, Inspire pathway, and why suite numbers on Alkyre Run matter.
Sleep apnea
Can sleep apnea kill you? An honest answer
Crash risk, observational mortality, and what a pause in breathing is not. No scare copy.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea and your heart: what the evidence actually shows
Observational links to hypertension, AF, and coronary disease, and why the SAVE trial did not show what patients expect.