Sleep Study Results

Questions to Ask Doctors About Sleep Apnea Study Results

Did you had a sleep study? Questions to ask about your sleep study results.

If you don't want to get stuck with a poor CPAP machine and have to buy a new one out of your own funds, you need to know more about your sleep during the sleep study.

Hopefully, you will the one of the very few who experience the miracle of great sleep in a short time during the titration study. But don't expect to and don't get upset if you don't.

While the more sleep you get the better the odd the sleep technicians will find the exact pressure for you, they really only need one complete sleep cycle and a minimum of 2 hours of sleep out of 6 hours bedtime and get the ideal pressure for you.

To understand better, the sleep cycle consists of:

• stage 1, which really isn't sleep but the dozing in and out.


• stage 2, is the first stage of real, actual sleep, but it's very light sleep and we are easily awakened during stage 2.


• stage 3 and 4 are also called Slow Wave or Delta sleep, which is where we get our most restful, restorative sleep.


• REM sleep (rapid eye movement), which is when our brain process and files, our memories of the day.

  We usually experience most of our apnea and hypopnea events during REM sleep and when we are sleeping on our back (supine position).

Knowing the information about your sleep from the sleep study results can make a difference in your future treatment. For example:

• if you know that you sleep on your side better than on your back, you are already qualified for positional therapy for sleep apnea.


• if you know that you breathe with your mouth open, this means that you may have an ineffective CPAP treatment with a nasal mask or nasal pillow. However, you can be more successful with a CPAP full face mask.


• if you know that you have central sleep apnea, you will need medication besides CPAP therapy.

However, you need to ask the sleep doctor more about your sleep test. The answers from the doctor will help you to make better decisions regarding your treatment for sleep apnea.

Here are the questions to ask about your sleep study results:

• Did I have any central apneas? How many?


• Were there any comorbidities? What were they?


• Did I exhibit Positional Sleep Apnea (PSA)?


• Was my sleep apnea more severe in one sleeping position as compared to others?


• Is my pressure requirement higher in one position as compared to others? (often sleep apnea is more severe when sleeping on the back)


• Did I breathe or leak through my mouth? How often? What do you recommend to prevent it?


• Is there anything else unusual about the results?


• How will I know my therapy is preventing the apnea events?


• I am determined to own a data-capable machine and software to monitor apnea episodes, hypopneas and mask leaks. This will allow me to call your office with specific questions if I have problems with the therapy.

  Will you help me with the appropriate prescription?

To fully benefit from your sleep study results, you should also:

• request a copy of the doctor's dictated results and the full scored data summary report, with condensed graphs, from both your sleep evaluation and your titration.

  Remember that you have a legal right to these copies under The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).



• Request that you be given a copy of your equipment order (prescription).

  You will want to shop your local DME provider options before committing to purchase. You will also need that prescription in case your CPAP or accessories are lost, stolen or broken while traveling.



• Ask that your equipment order (prescription) include:
  • access to AHI, AI and Leak Data turned on,
  • heated humidifier,
  • nasal cushion, full face masks, nasal pillows or oro-nasal mask of patient's choice.

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