Laughlin Sleep Center in Greeneville recently received program accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

In a news release, the AASM congratulated the Laughlin Sleep Center on "fulfilling the high standards required for receiving program accreditation." said Dr. Alejandro Chediak, AASM president, in a hospital news release.

"The facility is a significant resource to the local medical community and will provide academic and scientific value in addition to the highest quality care for patients suffering from sleep disorders," said Dr. Alejandro Chediak, AASM president, in the release.

To receive a five-year accreditation, a sleep center must meet or exceed all standards for professional health care as designated by the AASM, the release says.

The accreditation process involves "detailed inspection of a center's facility and staff, including an evaluation of testing procedures, patient contacts and physician training," the release says.

Additionally, "the facility's goals must be clearly stated and include plans for positively affecting the quality of medical care in the community it serves," the release says.

AASM is a professional medical society for clinicians, researchers, and other health care providers in the field of sleep medicine. As the national accrediting body for sleep disorders centers and labs, the AASM is dedicated to setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research, the release says.

The Laughlin Sleep Center is under the direction of Mandeep Bakshi, M.D., a diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

The center is equipped with Sleep Number beds from Select Comfort, which allow each patient to adjust the firmness of the bed to his or her individual preference, hospital officials say.

For pediatric patients or the elderly requiring a caregiver's assistance, one of the sleep rooms at the center now features in-room sleeping accommodations for a family member or caregiver, officials add.

In addition to Dr. Bakshi, the sleep center's staff consists of registered polysomnography technologists and polysomnography technicians.

At the center, patients undergo sleep studies in which tests are conducted to determine what happens to patients' bodies while they sleep.

These studies are done to find out what is causing their sleep problems. Sleep problems include: sleep apnea, narcolepsy, sleepwalking, insomnia, periodic limb movement disorder (restless leg syndrome) and others.