The WellSleep Centre was established in 1997 at Bowen Hospital, as a result of a collaboration between the University of Otago, Capital Coast Health, and TranzRail—who recognised the potentially serious impact sleep deprivation and sleep apnoea could have in their train driving workforce.
Contracts to provide sleep investigation and treatment services to patients from local hospital clinics and TranzRail employees were pivotal in establishing a critical mass of staff and resources.
Since 1997, the WellSleep Centre has grown to employ six clinical physiologists to manage over 1,000 sleep studies each year.
The WellSleep Centre offers both home- and laboratory-based studies. The purpose-built sleep laboratory is housed within Bowen Hospital and is a part of the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW).
Using state-of-the-art digital technology, the WellSleep Centre offers a full range of clinical investigations while adapting to a variety of research-related procedures.
The link with the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) allows the WellSleep Centre to undertake research while ensuring protocols are research-based and in line with the latest best-practice techniques.