If you suspect you have sleep apnea, your dentist or doctor may suggest a polysomnogram or sleep study. General symptoms of sleep apnea may include daytime fatigue, insomnia, snoring, waking up with a gasp or startling yourself awake, waking with dry mouth, redness and other signs of irritation in your mouth and throat, and headache. If you regularly experience these symptoms, Click here to take our sleep survey, and tell your dentist or healthcare provider.
During a sleep study, a sleep physician monitors brain activity and body system functions while a patient stays overnight at a sleep lab. This involves going to a sleep center or hospital for several hours or overnight. Occasionally, these tests can be done at home. The home test involves a similar setup but is less detailed due to the lack of specialized equipment. If the home test results are inconclusive, you may still need to have a sleep study done in a sleep center or hospital. In addition to helping diagnose sleep disorders, polysomnography may be used to help adjust your treatment plan if you’ve already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Click here to learn what the American Sleep Apnea Association has to say about different treatment options for OSA.
Why do I need a sleep test to diagnose sleep apnea?
A polysomnogram monitors your sleep cycles, records them using an electroencephalogram (EEG), and can tell how long you stay in each phase. It can detect any disruptions and explain why. As your brain moves through the beginning cycles of sleep called NREM (non-rapid eye movement), your brain waves slow down. After an hour or so of NREM sleep, your brain moves deeper into the sleep cycle and reaches deep sleep and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). It is during deep sleep and REM sleep when your body heals and rejuvenates. It processes the day’s business and prepares your body for the next day. REM sleep is also when you dream. Most people go through all sleep phases four to six times a night and with each cycle, the deep sleep and REM stage get longer. If you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, the sleep cycle is interrupted and starts over. This can seriously affect your body’s ability to repair itself.
Before Your Test
In the few days leading up to your test, your doctor may ask you to limit or cut out alcohol and caffeine from your diet. These substances can alter your brain waves and can change your sleep patterns. Alcohol and caffeine can even make symptoms of sleep apnea worse, triggering longer and more frequent episodes.
During Your Sleep Study
After checking in to the facility, you’ll prepare for bed like you always do. Change into your pajamas, brush your teeth, and relax. A technician runs sensors to a cap that you wear while you sleep. These sensors measure heart rate, lung activity, and brain wave patterns. The technician usually watches the equipment in real time as you sleep in the next room. The room is equipped with video and audio so you can talk to them through the monitoring equipment. They can even come into the room and detach the wires if you need to get up during the night. In the morning, the sensors are removed, and you go home. You’re given an appointment for a follow-up visit with the doctor who recommended the test.
The Follow-up
The information gathered during a sleep study is interpreted by a polysomnography technologist, who uses the data to chart your sleep stages and cycles. Then it is sent over to the sleep center doctor for analysis, diagnosis, and treatment proposal. It may take up to two weeks to receive the results of polysomnography. At a follow-up appointment, your doctor reviews the results with you. Based on the data gathered, your doctor will discuss the findings and based on the severity of your condition, may refer you to your dentist for treatment. If you have sleep apnea, there are many treatment options available. From CPAPs and nighttime appliances worn on the bottom teeth to lifestyle changes and in dire cases surgery, you and your medical team can find a solution that is best for you. Treatments at Go To Sleep, Center for Sleep Apnea improve the sleep quality experienced by our patients. We can help you wake up feeling more refreshed, more energized, and ready to tackle the day in front of you. Contact Us today to learn how we can help you live better & sleep better!
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