Dr Alison Bentley, medical doctor at the Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic, explains that the clinic will fulfil three key functions: clinical, research and training. “Sleep touches every area of medicine and remains under-researched in South Africa,” says Dr Bentley. “The Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic will service patients with sleep problems as a centre of excellence for sleep analysis, as well as improving local sleep research, and training other doctors on diagnosing and treating sleep disorders and the interplay of sleep with other health conditions.”
The clinic offers four overnight sleep rooms for patients who have been referred by their doctor for sleep analysis, including a dedicated bedroom for sleep studies focusing on children. Patients are also able to book a consultation to discuss their sleep issues with a doctor who understands and has training in the sleep field.
“In future, the Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic hopes to offer lectures and group treatment options for the public on topics ranging from snoring to sleep apnoea and insomnia,” says Dr Bentley.
Dr Nomathemba Chandiwana, director and principal scientist at Ezintsha Research Centre, says the sleep clinic is also perfectly placed to undertake large-scale research projects to gather more and better data.
“There is currently very little known about how sleep impacts other medical disorders in the South African population,” she says. “We believe we have an opportunity to explore how sleep potentially affects other major healthcare concerns in the country, such as HIV, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“The clinic will allow us to research and explore alternatives to the current expensive treatments for sleep disorders, such as CPAP for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), as the cost of these treatments limit their use and accessibility.”
Local research into sleep disorders could therefore help to improve public health outcomes and even positively benefit the economy.
The Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic is also an ideal environment to train doctors in the broad field of sleep medicine. “Given the prevalence of sleep disorders and their effects on other medical disorders, it is essential that most doctors are exposed and trained on these problems,” says Dr Bentley.
Doctors residing in Johannesburg are able to attend in-person case presentations, while those further afield can attend remote video call discussions or arrange to visit for a week or more. The Sunnyside Hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the clinic, allowing for residential visits.
Restonic’s partnership with the clinic stems from the brand’s firm belief in sleep as one of the most powerful ways to improve health and wellness.
“Restonic believes in the power of sleep and wants everyone in South Africa to understand more about the importance of sleep when it comes to living a happy, healthy life,” explains Dale Harley, executive: Restonic marketing. “We also want to provide people in South Africa with a credible source of scientific advice and information about sleep disorders.”
In addition to the clinical, research and training facilities on offer, the Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic offers a comprehensive Restonic showroom. Harley explains that patients, medical professionals and visitors are able to view a select range of Restonic beds and mattresses.
Finding the right bed can help to improve comfort, proper spinal alignment, and quality sleep, particularly for those with specific needs, such as back or body pain, Harley explains.
“We can help with information on bedding and comfort terminology, explaining various mattress and bedding innovations and technologies and suggesting bed options to meet specific preferences and requirements,” he says.
For more information, visit https://restonicsa.co.za/ezintsha-sleep-clinic/.
