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KEOKUK, IA -- Keokuk Area Hospital has a new tool to fight sleep apnea. The Apnea Link can tell your doctor if you need to participate in a sleep study.

You take it home and put it on before you go to bed. The device shows if you stop breathing during the night, a sign of sleep apnea.

Donna Meyers, director of Keokuk Cardio-Pulmonary, said it's perfect for people who deny having a sleep disorder, but disturb their partners or wake up often during the night.

That lack of sleep can have serious consequences.

"People with apnea don't always know it," Meyers said. "They think they're just waking up, but if they're not getting the sleep that they have to, that can lead to heart disease, cardio-vascular problems, high blood pressure, all kinds of problems."

So far, eight out of 10 people who have used Keokuk's Apnea Link found their symptoms were severe enough to require a sleep study.

You'll have ask your doctor about the Apnea link if you think you have a sleep disorder, because the device does require a prescription.