Good sleep is vital for good health. When you experience the restorative stages of sleep, your blood pressure lowers, muscles and tissue are repaired and energy is restored to your brain and body. Sleeping well means waking up refreshed.
Sleep studies are tests that record what happens to your body during sleep. The testing is done to find out what is causing your sleep problems. During a routine office visit, talk with your doctor about the symptoms you are having. If you suspect your sleep partner is at risk for sleep apnea, your first step is to contact your healthcare professional. Visit with them about the following:
If you have said “yes” to any of the above, you may have a sleep disorder.
You may need to be tested for a sleep disorder in lab or at home; this will be determined by a combination of your symptoms, doctor’s orders and insurance coverage. Types of sleep studies include:
After a registered sleep technologist reviews the sleep study, those results are then sent to a board-certified sleep physician to interpret your sleep test further. The official interpretation results are sent to your ordering physician to explain the results.
When you take an at-home sleep apnea test or home sleep test, there are specific biological parameters that are measured to gain insight on whether you have obstructive sleep apnea. Here are the factors measured and the devices that help collect the data.
*courtesy of sleepassociation.org
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is caused by an obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, interrupting airflow and reducing blood oxygen levels. The dangers of sleep apnea are very real. Common signs include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep. Sufferers stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer, up to hundreds of times per night, often reducing blood oxygen to dangerously low levels. Sleep Apnea robs the blood of oxygen and causes heavy stress on the heart, blood vessels, and organs.
If your doctor suspects you have sleep apnea, he or she may ask that you complete a sleep test. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor will decide on either ordering a sleep study done in a sleep center, or another option would be a home sleep study.
The good news is that if you suffer from sleep apnea or OSA, you can take control and reduce your health risks. The improvement to your health will begin within days of starting sleep apnea treatment.
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