Night disorders are a common occurrence across the globe impacting the healthy sleep and causing fatigue and numerous other effects in the long run. Few will not know that they have problems with their sleep, but to diagnose the roots of the problem, one should turn to a doctor. This is the reason a sleep study is important. A sleep study, sometimes referred to as polysomnography, is a methodology applied in the diagnosis of sleep disorders. Let’s start to understand what it is and how it operates with regard to diagnosing many sleep disorders.
What is a Sleep Study?
A sleep study is a broad test done with the aim of detecting the bodily and neural functioning of an individual at night. The brain activity, the heart rate, the respiration rate, the oxygen level and electrical activity of muscles can all be captured. The potential of these tests is invaluable when it comes to determining sleep cycles and the possibility of diagnosing a variety of sleep disorders. Polysomnography can be carried out in a sleep laboratory which is also referred to as an overnight sleep study or using home testing with portable equipment home sleep tests based on the type of disorder suspected.
Types of Sleep Disorders Diagnosed by Sleep Studies
These tests are useful when diagnosing sleep disorders due to their ability to provide interpretations of diverse conditions. Here are some common conditions that can be identified through these tests:
Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea is one of the best-known sleep disorders that emerge when the patient’s airway is being blocked during the night and it results in temporary breath holding. This can result in recurrent awakenings, hypoxemia and daytime drowsiness. It also can record breathing and determine whether this person has apnea, which means that the breathing stops or is interrupted.
Insomnia: Sleeping disorder with inability to fall or remain asleep is referred to as insomnia. Insomnia SWS emphasizes monitoring patient’s sleep and brain activity to exclude possible medical disorders or other sleep disorders that may cause the symptoms.
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): RLS is a condition wherein patient has a strong impulse to move the legs that usually causes discomfort and then sleep becomes impossible. A sleep study can capture leg movement during a night of sleep and apparently diagnose RLS as well.
Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy is an neurological sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleep during the day and attacks of sudden uncontrollable sleep. It may also be associated with other features such as cataplexy (protrusion of reflexes). Polysomnography can be done to establish the type of sleep, or lack thereof, and to exclude other causes of hypersomnia.
Parasomnias: Other sleep disorders include events which occur during sleep like sleep walking, night terrors or talking during ones sleep. A sleep study can identify number of movements in the body and the brain activity characteristic of parasomnias that would otherwise remain undiagnosed.
How Does a Sleep Study Work?
Data for a sleep study is normally collected during an overnight stay in a sleep center, although home sleep tests may be feasible in given situations. In the course of the study, electrodes and sensors are attached to your scalp, face, chest, legs, and other parts of the body that record several physiological activities throughout the night.
EEG (Electroencephalography): The tests as this measures brain wave activity and assist in establishing the various stages of sleep.
ECG (Electrocardiogram): Healthcare Product used for the management of Heart activity.
Oximetry: Uses his hands to feels pulse rate and check the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Respiratory Effort: This watch analyzes the up and down movement of the chest and abdomen to synchronize with breathing.
EMG (Electromyography): Responds to muscle activity especially in the legs for conditions such as restless leg syndrome or rapid eye movement behavior disorder.
The investigation can take as little as six to eight hours, in total, to mimic an entire night’s sleep. In some cases, the results can be monitored as they happen and other adjustments can be made in real time or the test run again.
Benefits of a Sleep Study in Diagnosing Sleep Disorders
Accurate Diagnosis: Most sleep disorders including sleep apnea, are quite challenging to diagnose using symptomatology alone. A sleep study offers significant information that may in fact result into a right diagnosis; thereby giving treatment givers the right course of action.
Comprehensive Evaluation: A sleep study observes various aspects of the body as one sleeps, so it provides a positive overview of your sleep. This sort of assessment is able to reveal other conditions that may not be easily discovered by Method A review, particularly if the individual in question has mild sleep apnea or periodic limb movement disorder.
Personalized Treatment Plans: When sleep disorders are diagnosed the treatment can be special to that patient’s individual case. For instance, sleep apnea can be treated with the help of something like CPAP therapy and insomnia can be treated through something like cognitive behavioral therapy for sleep.
Improved Sleep Quality: By determining the root of sleeping problems, a sleep study enables patients to get an appropriate cure, and this will enhance their sleep. If adequately treated, one can minimize the actual effects like fatigue in the course of the day, irritability and mood swings hence improving ones health status.
Should You Get a Sleep Study?
If you have issues such as loud snoring, stop breathing momentarily during sleep, fall asleep during the day, have chronic insomnia, getting a sleep study may be the next logical step. Speak to a physician who may guide as to whether you are a candidate for the said test. Sleep disorders if diagnosed early enough, could be treated, and this may easily avoid potential related consequences including heart failure, diabetes, hypertension among others.
Conclusion
Sleep study is a useful diagnostic that allows to identify the causes of your night’s disorders. No matter whether you have be diagnosed with sleep apnea, insomnia, or some other sleeping disorder, having a sleep study can help give more information into your sleeping patterns and could help with the treatment process. If diagnosed early, sleep disorders can be easily managed and thus, enhance your well being and overcome low energy levels not to mention other complications associated with the conditions. If you think you might have a sleep disorder, do not hesitate to ask your healthcare provider if you can do a sleep study. It may be the beginning of a journey towards having sound sleep as well as receiving a better physical health.
