Sleep is a very important physiological part of every human being's life. We as mammals are required to sleep on a daily basis. While in the act of sleeping, our bodies rejuvenate in all aspects. Children actually grow physically while they sleep. Unfortunately, just like any other aspect of our bodies, even sleep comes with its set of challenges. We can see this all over the pharmacy. Just take a second and glance over the pharmacy's shelves. You will find tens of different sleep medications, and that is just over the counter. There are plenty more that require a prescription. There are hundreds of sleep labs throughout the country that study individuals to determine their reasons for their inability to sleep. The number of cases where individuals have trouble sleeping has been on a constant rise, and therefore, the focus has truly shifted to the issue over the years. More and more tools are now available for doctors at sleep labs and other clinics as well.
One such tool or device that is used at sleep labs all over the United States is a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter, also known as a pulse ox by some medical professionals, is a medical device used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of a patient. The traditional form of a pulse oximeter was for mostly clinics as a tabletop unit. These older units were present at all hospital beds for constant measuring of the patients' oxygen levels. The oxygen level of an individual can be used as an indicator for various health related issues. One of these issues is directly related to sleep patterns and breathing. The rate at which we breathe is directly related to how efficiently we sleep. An oximeter gives doctors the information they need to connect their sleeping habits with their breathing levels.