- SLEEP APNEA TEST - make your best decision to save your life!
A sleep apnea test, or sleep study, is recommended if you have the following problems:
trouble getting restful sleep for more than a month.
feeling drowsy despite getting more sleep than the amount that used to make you feel rested.
falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day
you snore loudly, gasp or stop breathing in your sleep
Your partner should come with you to sleep study, because he or she can give more information about your sleeping habits.
You have to avoid caffeine and alcohol during the day before the test. These substances can interfere with your normal sleep.
The procedure that is used to take a sleep recording is called polysomnography. The electronic device who record your sleep is called a polysomnograph.
This video will explain the sleep test in detail:
You will stay all night in the sleep center with electrodes and wires placed on your face, chest, limbs, and fingers.
All the wires lead from the electrodes to an computer which records the information from your brain activity, heart rate and rhythm, eye movements, blood pressure and how much air moves in and out of your lungs.
You should not be afraid about a sleep test. A polysomnography is painless. There are no needles, no penetration of the skin and there is no electrical shock. So don't waste time and go to a sleep center and take the test.
Your sleep apnea test will be taken in a private sleep room, which looks very much like a bedroom. You will have a comfortable bed, drapes and carpets, but keep in mind that other sleep rooms look more like hospital rooms.
Another sleep test is multiple sleep latency test. This test measures how sleepy you are during the day. The sleep technician will note how quickly you fall asleep in a day time.
If you don't have a sleep disorder, you can't fall asleep during the day or it will take a long time to fall asleep. If you have a severe sleep apnea, you will fall asleep in less than 5 minutes. This is a sign of excessive daytime sleepiness, a symptom of sleep apnea.
After this tests, the doctor will make an appointment with you to discuss the results and possible treatments.
