Most people think of sleep studies as something you do to find out if you have sleep apnoea—and that’s not wrong. Apnoea, a condition where your breathing stops and starts during the night, is serious and often treated with a CPAP machine. But here’s the thing: sleep problems go far beyond apnoea, and many people are left undiagnosed, untreated, and still feeling tired, foggy, or unwell—even after doing a standard sleep study.
At The Health Lodge – Medical Retreats, we believe it’s time to take a more complete look at sleep. That’s why we use the SleepImage device, a TGA-approved, evidence-based wearable ring that helps us assess sleep in real time—right from the comfort of your own wellness accommodation bed.
Sleep Isn’t Just About Apnoea
If you wake up tired every day, struggle to fall asleep, or find your brain foggy no matter how much you sleep, you might be dealing with a sleep issue that isn’t sleep apnoea.
Conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) and fibromyalgia often include broken or unrefreshing sleep. People with these conditions describe waking up feeling like they haven’t slept at all, even if their sleep study looks “normal.” That’s because standard sleep studies (called polysomnography, or PSG) are designed to detect very specific issues—mainly apnoea—and often miss the more subtle but deeply disruptive signs of poor-quality sleep.
“Despite few consistent differences in traditional sleep parameters… patients report profound non-restorative sleep, suggesting a mismatch between subjective sleep complaints and PSG findings.”
— Natelson & Lange, 2019
Introducing the SleepImage Ring: Simple, Smart, Science-Backed
The SleepImage Ring is a small, comfortable ring worn overnight that gathers rich, detailed information about your sleep. Unlike traditional lab-based sleep studies, it’s:
– Easy to use at home or in our wellness accommodation rooms
– Non-invasive and comfortable
– Clinically validated and TGA-approved
– 96% accurate when compared with in-lab polysomnography
– Affordable only $150 per study and available at The Health Lodge
A 2021 clinical study published in Sleep Medicine Clinics confirmed:
“The SleepImage system demonstrated a high level of agreement with polysomnography for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea across severity levels.”
— Jackson et al., 2021
The device tracks much more than apnoea, including:
- Sleep onset and wake times
- Light vs. deep sleep
- Sleep quality and stability
- Heart rate variability
- Breathing patterns
- Oxygen levels and body movement
Used in Our Medical Retreats to Track Treatment Success
At The Health Lodge, our residential Medical Retreats are designed to get to the root of complex health concerns like:
- Fatigue and burnout
- Insomnia and poor sleep
- Post-viral syndromes
- Anxiety, mood changes, and brain fog
- Hormonal imbalances and chronic pain
As part of your retreat, we use the SleepImage system to assess your sleep quality before and after treatment. This helps us—and you—see exactly how your body is responding in real time.
Whether we’re recommending:
- Blue light blockers to reset circadian rhythm
- Red light therapy to support melatonin and cellular repair
- Magnesium-rich mineral bathing to relax your nervous system
- Breathwork, acupuncture, or vagal nerve therapy to downshift stress
- Nutritional changes to stabilise blood sugar and inflammation
…we can now see on paper whether these therapies are working—giving you real feedback and proof of progress.
Why It Matters
Many people are told, “Your sleep study was normal,” even when they feel terrible. Others are given a CPAP machine without exploring whether sleep is just a symptom of something deeper—like immune dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, dental issues, allergies or post-viral fatigue.
At The Health Lodge, we take a whole-person, data-informed approach. Using modern tools like SleepImage alongside traditional wisdom and natural therapies, we help you understand the true drivers of your health—and whether the treatments we’re using are making a difference.
Want Better Sleep and Real Answers?
If you’ve been feeling exhausted, wired but tired, mentally foggy, or simply not yourself, your sleep could be the missing piece.
Our medical retreats combine cutting-edge sleep diagnostics, integrative therapies, and a nurturing environment so you can finally rest, recover, and restore your health—body and mind.
References
- Natelson, B.H., & Lange, G. (2019). Sleep Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 7, 434.
- Moldofsky, H. (2001). Sleep and fibrositis syndrome. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, 12(1), 131–144.
- Jackson, M.L. et al. (2021). Wearable Sleep Technology in Clinical and Research Settings. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 16(3), 409–421.
- Van de Water, A.T., Holmes, A., & Hurley, D.A. (2011). Objective measurements of sleep for non-respiratory sleep disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 15(6), 437–451.
- American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2023). Position Statement on Consumer Sleep Technologies.
- Sleep Foundation (2025). SleepImage Ring Review.
- St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. Sleep Study – Lung Health Program.
- MEpedia (2024). Sleep Dysfunction in ME/CFS.
