Sleep Lab Beds for Bariatric Patients Must Be Purchased with Safety and Comfort in Mind adminJuly 28, 2023 The Mighty Rest by Agiliti’s Sizewise is designed for bariatric patients and is available in four widths and an extra-tall length. John Blackburn, product marketing manager at Agiliti, makers of the sleep lab bed brand Sizewise, agrees that the right bed features provide an extra level of safety and comfort for the patient and sleep lab team. “From 1999 through 2018, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] noted a 39% increase in adult obesity rates and a 95% increase in severe obesity.1 This trend is likely to continue— increasing the number of sleep study patients in future years,” Blackburn says. “Weight capacity, bed size, and side rails are safety factors that need to be considered.” He says some patient complaints spur from some sleep centers using old hospital beds or mattresses well past their prime. In his view, a solution is a bed with an adjustable base and an adjustable firmness mattress that will accommodate a wide range of patient sizes and comfort preferences. “More and more, patients are choosing air-adjustable beds for their homes—so it only makes sense that they’d want the same type of comfort away from home,” he says. Overall, selecting sleeping surfaces for patient safety and comfort is a savvy move to facilitate an adequate amount of sleep for a valid sleep study. And that’s true for both bariatric and nonbariatric patient populations. Lindsey Nolen is a Jacksonville, Fla-based journalist who has been writing about healthcare for over 5 years. Reference 1. Hales CM, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity among adults: United States, 2017–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 360. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020. Top photo: This option by Wallace Flynn Inc’s SleepLab Bed supports patients who are up to 750 pounds.
