Our patented service is broken down into the follow steps. First, we gather your sleep apnea information and symptoms via an online survey or online PDF. Next, we pass that information onto your local authorized doctor within 24 hours. Then your local state doctor assesses your symptoms, meets with you, and then prescribes a sleep apnea at-home study, sent to your house by the Federal Sleep Institute. Once we receive your results from the test, we share those with your doctor; in turn, the doctor prescribes the treatment plan, which is then forwarded immediately back to you. You then can purchase your CPAP device.

Also, we understand that successful treatment is critical in for a good night’s sleep…that’s why we offer compliance services to ensure that you have the information needed for your doctor. This service includes reviewing your CPAP therapy data and maintaining your therapeutic history for employers or the DOT, for example.

Overall, untreated OSA is an enormous liability from a safety standpoint, use our compliance services to help limit your exposure. Untreated sleep apnea is a problem. Our system is the solution.

About Federal Sleep Institute

The Federal Sleep Institute is committed to helping you achieve true, restful, and rejuvenating sleep through providing you with a home sleep study and offering CPAP devices.

Article provided by the Federal Sleep Institute. Please visit our Web site at http://www.federalsleepinstitute.com.

“We found that all groups are sleep deprived,” says Meir Kryger, MD and chair of the board of directors at the National Sleep Foundation—the organization which conducted the survey.

The statistics indicate that one-third of the respondents in all ethnic groups get less sleep during workdays.

“We didn’t know if our [previous] survey did justice to the fact there may be different cultural effects,” explained Dr. Kryger on why the study focused on different ethnicities.

The respondents also attributed their loss of sleep to the stress caused by the recession, causing loss of finances and jobs.

Here are some of the survey results as published in WebMD:

•    On weekdays or workdays, blacks reported they slept the least — 6 hours, 14 minutes, compared to 6 hours, 34 minutes for Hispanics, 6 hours, 48 minutes for Asians, and 6 hours, 52 minutes for whites.
•    Ten percent of blacks and 10% of Hispanics report having sex every night or nearly every night in the hour before bedtime, compared to 4% of whites and 1% of Asians.
•    Blacks had different pre-bedtime activities and tended to pray in the hour before bedtime, Kryger says. ”Seventy-one percent of black people polled said they prayed,” he said. “But only 18% of Asians.”
•    Asians are least likely to drink alcohol an hour before bed — a practice that many mistakenly think will help sleep. Only 1% of Asians had a nightcap every night or nearly every night, compared to 7% of whites, 4% of blacks, and 4% of Hispanics.
•    Hispanics polled are more likely than other groups to say health-related concerns disturb their sleep at least a few nights a week — 16% of Hispanics, compared to 12% of blacks, 9% of Asians, and 7% of whites.
•    Whites are most likely to sleep with their pets — as well as more likely to sleep with their spouse or significant others. Sixteen percent of white respondents say they sleep with a pet, and 72% say they sleep with their partners. In comparison, only 4% of Asians, 4% of Hispanics, and 2% of black people let the pet on the bed. But the space isn’t always saved for a spouse or partner, apparently. Only 48% of blacks and Asians sleep with a ‘’significant other,” and 54% of Hispanics.
•    Recession-related stresses affected sleep to different degrees, with Hispanics and blacks more affected than whites or Asians.

Ronald D. Chervin, M.D., says Americans can prepare for the daylight-saving time switch. Chervin says it can be as simple as going to sleep and waking up earlier by 15 minute intervals in the days leading up to Sunday’s change.

“Being prepared is important, especially if you need to be alert that day for any reason, particularly driving a car. Even one hour of sleep loss can affect some people,” says Chervin, a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan and director of U-M’s Sleep Disorders Center. In the days immediately following the spring switch each year, more people have serious crashes, probably because of the sleep loss and adjustments that everyone’s biological clock must make to the new schedule.

The first day of daylight-saving time is not the only time when the amount of sleep should be of concern, however. Chervin says most adults should get about eight to 8.5 hours of sleep a night, but many get less and are chronically sleep deprived. Those patterns can start in childhood.

“We generally spend one-third of life sleeping—or at least we should,” Chervin says. “We’re learning more and more about how that one-third has critical impact on the other two-thirds.”

It’s hard to find any aspect of health untouched by sleep, Chervin says. The brain of a person who does not get enough sleep—in quality and in quantity—is unable to operate efficiently. Health, emotions, memory and more are affected. Furthermore, sleep disorders also may increase risks of obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart attacks.

Chervin is also co-director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Sleep Science, which is one of only three institutions thus far to be recognized as a Comprehensive Academic Sleep Program of Distinction by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. U-M has 44 faculty affiliated with its academic sleep program from more than 15 different departments in disciplines ranging from neurology to dentistry to mathematics. http://www.med.umich.edu/umsleepscience/

U-M faculty engage in research about all aspects of sleep. The following are examples of current clinical research projects.  More information can be found at http://www.med.umich.edu/neuro/sleeplab/ and http://www.med.umich.edu/umsleepscience/.

1. Relationships between difficulty breathing at night and changes in brain waves that may result in daytime
2. Sleep and daytime thinking ability in children who have had cleft palates repaired
3. Impact of sleep apnea on pregnant mothers and their newborn babies
4. Sleep apnea and serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, in patients with Parkinson’s disease
5. Sleep, seizures, and brain metabolism in critically ill newborn babies
6. Testing of a new telephone-based approach to therapy for chronic insomnia

Healthy Sleep Advice from the National Sleep Foundation

* Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, and avoid spending more time in bed than needed.
* Use your bedroom only for sleep to strengthen the association between your bed and sleep. It may help to remove work materials, computers and televisions from your bedroom.
* Create an environment conducive to sleep that is quiet, dark and cool with a comfortable mattress and pillows.
* Reduce or eliminate your intake of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

However, research suggests that losing sleep can lead to memory problems, depression, cardiovascular complications, and even cancer.

“In the last couple of years, I’ve seen more overworked patients taking on extra shifts or second jobs,” explained Dr. Ramon Malhotra, an assistant professor of neurology and director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Saint Louis University. “For someone who is suffering from work-related sleep issues, changing jobs isn’t always an option. Instead, we’ve got to offer solutions to make the best of the current situation.”

Dr. Malhotra even offered sleep advice for people who lose sleep because they work on two shifts.

He suggested that these individuals optimize the lighting of their bed rooms by reducing light sources. And he also suggested that the windows be closed, because sunlight exposure after a night shift can confuse the brain.

He also advised: “Wear sunglasses on the way home from work. And, conversely, before work, spend time in a well-lit room.”

Michael Braunold, President and Chief Executive Officer of SPO Medical commented: “The arrangement with MetroSleep further demonstrates the value of our proven technology into mass-market applications. The home testing market is an excellent opportunity for integration of our technology, enabling monitoring of those who suffer from undiagnosed sleep-apnea in the comfort of their home without the need for expensive and inconvenient sleep-laboratory testing. Sleep apnea affects more than 40 million people in the United States alone of which 85% are currently undiagnosed, making it the most common sleep disorder – our partnership with MetroSleep will help bring a cost-effective solution to this vast market.”

Haim Zitman, President of MetroSleep commented: “We decided to partner with SPO as our technology provider for oximetry measurements since this constitutes a vital part of our multi-channel home diagnostic system. We are uniquely poised to capitalize on the fast-growing sleep apnea testing and therapy market that is expected to reach more that $4 billion by 2012. MetroSleep together with SPO’s technology could play a leading roll in the emerging home-test market especially since reimbursements are now permissible for this application; we will now be able to offer individuals a more convenient, cost-effective sleep test and therapy experience.”

SPO Medical Inc. recently announced its intention to focus primarily on OEM and licensing arrangements going forward to maximize the potential for commercialization of its patented reflectance pulse oximetry in various markets. Braunold continued; “We continue to seek mass-market applications for our technology platform through commercial relationships with entities that can best maximize our deliverable. We believe MetroSleep has identified such a market sector and opportunity which can add further strength to our Company and its offering, which in turn contributes to potentially increasing value for the SPO Medical shareholders.”

About SPO Medical:

SPO Medical (SPOM) a leading developer of biosensor and microprocessor technologies for use in portable monitoring devices to capture life-saving and life-enhancing information within four key markets: medical care; home and remote-care; sports and wellness; and safety and security. Its patented technology uses information gathered from the reflectance of light on the human blood stream, in a non-invasive manner, to monitor key vital signs. The Company licenses its technologies to appropriate client corporations for commercialization and distribution. For more information, visit http://www.spomedical.com and http://www.spobaby.com.

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial uncertainties and risks. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and our industry, and that reflect our beliefs and assumptions based upon information available to us at the date of this release. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are predictions based on our current expectations about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to, market acceptance of our products and new product applications, product performance, size of prospective markets, revenues assessments, patent protection for our products and technologies, changes in economic conditions generally and the medical devices market specifically, changes in technology, legislative or regulatory changes that affect us, the sufficiency and availability of working capital, the introduction of competing products, changes in our operating strategy or development plans and the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason.

That’s why many sleep centers are commemorating and observing National Sleep Awareness Week, which takes place from March 7-13.

The health consequences of sleep loss are always understated. Sleep disorders are linked to hypertension, depression, heartburn, and erectile dysfunction.

Here are some tips that can help you get a better night’s sleep:
•    Regularize sleep hours. Maintain regular sleeping hours—this means that you get to bed in the same time and wake up at the same time.
•    Avoid stimulants before sleeping. Stimulants increase the alertness of the body during night. Avoiding these substances will help the body relax during sleep time.
•    Cut down on night time activities. Watching television and surfing the internet will stimulate your senses, preventing you from having a goodnight’s sleep.
•    Be aware of the sleep disorder symptoms. Sleep disorders are often manifested by snoring, drowsiness, inactivity, and weight gain. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, get yourself checked at the nearest sleep center.

The eight-month program will train students how to monitor and analyze patients with sleep disorders, like sleep apnea and insomnia.

Graduates can earn $42,509 to $80,300 annually, depending on the certification level and the years of experience. Students in the program will get hands-on training on campus and clinical experiences in local sleep centers.

The program will accept 20 students per session, and is only open for graduates of accredited respiratory care programs.

The report from the National Sleep Foundation also said that lack of sleep keeps people from work and family functions.

The study was based on a random sampling of 1,007 adults at ages 25-60. Its main focus was to determine differences in sleep habits among different ethnic groups. However, they found that the participants had similar responses in terms of fatigue and sex.

White Americans were the most prone to insomnia, while African-Americans were more likely to have sleep apnea. The Hispanics are often sleep-deprived, because at night they worry about work, money, relationships, and health.

The Asian-Americans were the least prone to sleep disorders. They say that they get a goodnight’s sleep a few nights a week.

The introduction of this interface allows the EHC solution to be used in the monitoring, management and optimization of a patient’s adherence to their sleep therapy program. Specifically, the EHC interface is designed to enable care providers prescribing the CPAP device to remotely monitor and verify therapy compliance, which is required under new Medicare regulations for reimbursement of the services.

Joe Howard, Vice President of Marketing at DeVilbiss Healthcare, stated, “This new system will not only provide an efficient means to satisfy the new Medicare PAP LCD requirements for adherence, but could also facilitate improved patient outcomes. The Electronic House Call will allow providers to monitor the use of the IntelliPAP device and intervene rapidly in the event that the patient encounters any issues with their therapy. A critical component to establishing an adherent PAP patient is to provide education and support – both of which are offered through this revolutionary solution.”

The Electronic House Call solution allows healthcare providers to manage more patients without increasing staff overhead costs and to improve personalized care plans and vital statistics monitoring, while reducing the requirement for home and office patient visits. Automated features can increase patient care plan compliance effortlessly while improving patient medical condition monitoring and providing online disease and illness education. Using remote patient monitoring for chronic patient illness management can reduce the incidence of emergency hospitalizations and readmissions, minimize the severity of reoccurrences, improve condition outcomes for patients and reduce the overall cost of patient care.

“The use of our EHC solution to remotely monitor and manage a patient’s sleep therapy program is an exciting new market opportunity for homecare providers and physicians.  It is important to note that many of the chronic illnesses that the EHC solution can manage have co-morbidities with sleep apnea. There are approximately 18 million Americans with sleep apnea. Further, the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research estimates that 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders and another 20 to 30 million experience sleep problems intermittently. The commission estimated direct costs of sleeplessness at $15.9 billion annually and another $100 billion or more in indirect costs,” stated Ronald Mills Managing Director of ExpressMD Solutions.

About ExpressMD Solutions LLC.

ExpressMD Solutions is a joint venture formed by Authentidate Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: ADAT) and EncounterCare Solutions (Pink Sheets: ECSL) to provide web-based telehealth services and home healthcare equipment dedicated to the advancement of in-home patient health care and improved chronic condition outcomes.

The complete ExpressMD telehealth solution combines Electronic House Call, an FDA 510(k) market clearance approved, in-home patient vital signs monitoring system with a web application that streamlines the practitioner’s job anywhere they have Internet or a Windows mobile communication device.

For more information about ExpressMD Solutions, visit the company’s website: www.expressmdsolutions.com

About DeVilbiss Healthcare

DeVilbiss Healthcare is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of respiratory medical products that address the respiratory needs of patients in institutional and home care settings. DeVilbiss products are manufactured in the United States, Europe and Asia and are distributed in more than 100 countries around the world. Identifying the needs of each market, DeVilbiss products serve as the foundation of the company’s product development initiatives. Solutions that address the needs of the provider and clinician can often facilitate improved patient care and outcomes. DeVilbiss Corporation created many products for diverse industries and has experienced considerable growth in the healthcare market.

For more information, visit the company’s website: www.devilbisshealthcare.com

About Authentidate Holding Corp.

Authentidate Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: ADAT) is a worldwide provider of secure health information exchange, workflow management services and telehealth solutions.  The company’s software and web-based services enable healthcare organizations and other enterprises to increase revenues, improve productivity, enhance patient care and reduce costs by eliminating paper and manual work steps from clinical, administrative and other processes and enhancing compliance with regulatory requirements. The web-based services are delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) to customers interfacing seamlessly with billing and document management systems. These feature-rich solutions incorporate rules-based electronic forms, intelligent routing, transaction management, electronic signatures, identity credentialing, content authentication, automated audit trails and remote patient monitoring capabilities. Both web and fax based communications are integrated into automated and trusted workflow solutions.  The company has offices in the United States and Germany. In the United States, Authentidate offers its patent pending content authentication technology in the form of the United States Postal Service® Electronic Postmark® (USPS EPM®).

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.authentidate.com

About EncounterCare, Inc.

EncounterCare Solutions, Inc. (ECSL-Pink Sheets), operates its business through two divisions, the Healthcare Technology Division and the Healthcare Services Division. ECSL offers a broad range of proprietary healthcare technology, products and services that address several substantial target markets, including: the Healthcare Information Technology market, the Healthcare Telemedicine market and the Homecare market.

For more information, visit the company’s website: http://www.encountercare.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. When used in this release, the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “think,” “intend,” “plan,” “will be,” “expect,” and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Such statements regarding future events and/or the future financial performance of the company are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or the actual future results of the company to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the availability of any needed financing, the company’s ability to implement its business plan for various applications of its technologies, related decisions by the USPS, the impact of competition, the management of growth, and the other risks and uncertainties that may be detailed from time to time in the company’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation by the company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the company will be achieved.

ExpressMD is a trademark of ExpressMD Solutions, LLC. Electronic House Call is a trademark of EncounterCare Solutions, Inc. Authentidate is a registered trademark of Authentidate Holding Corp. All other trade names are the property of their respective owners.

One very common, but major detriment to adequate, high quality sleep is snoring.  NSF research suggests that:

* Approximately 90 million Americans suffer from snoring
* 23% of couples sleep apart because of snoring
* A substantial percentage of couples are too tired or fatigued for a normal sex life

Historically, snoring has been considered an inconvenience rather than a serious medical condition. That perception is rapidly changing. The effects of sleep loss caused by snoring include fatigue, lack of focus and productivity.  But more importantly, research now indicates a strong link between loss of sleep and medical conditions such as stroke, heart attack, diabetes and hypertension.  Snoring can also have a significant lifestyle impact on couples, and can be a cause of tension or resentment in a marriage or relationship.

SERENO, THE CENTER FOR SNORING SOLUTIONS, a new medical practice based in San Francisco, offers leading-edge, medically proven treatments for snoring in a confidential, professional environment.

Dr. Matthew Mingrone, medical director of Sereno and a board-certified Otolaryngologist, is a specialist in the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.  According to Dr. Mingrone, “Snoring treatments now available are safe, minimally invasive, simple, and potentially life-changing.   Sereno is ground-breaking in its unique, patient-centered, and highly effective approach to improving the lives of snorers.  We understand and treat this area of medicine specifically, and far more comprehensively than would be undertaken by a traditional medical practice.   Sereno is the premier practice in the United States dedicated entirely to the treatment of snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea.”

A recent Sereno patient had the following to say about his treatment, “The level of excellence from pre-patient to post-patient care to results far exceeded my cautious optimism.  Last night was the first time since childhood that I didn’t snore during a night’s sleep.   I, along with my father, underwent the minimally invasive procedure to reduce/cure snoring. Our significant others, the true beneficiaries, have been thrilled with the results. Clearly, I’m a believer and so is my father. We recommend this procedure for all our fellow snorers.”

Dr. Matthew Mingrone has extensive experience treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea and has worked with hundreds of patients whose snoring has had an impact on their marriages, relationships, work, quality of life, and general health.  Using FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedures, which are virtually painless, Dr. Mingrone makes a positive difference in the lives of his patients.  “We recognize the other health issues associated with lack of sleep caused by snoring.  While each patient needs to be individually evaluated, we can make a substantial improvement to the condition in most people. Two things are certain: Snoring is nothing to be ashamed of.  And snoring is definitely not funny.”