Have you or someone you know been snoring a lot lately, waking up feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep? It might not just be bad sleep habits; it could be a condition called sleep apnea.
But don’t worry, with something called a “sleep study,” doctors can figure out if someone has sleep apnea and how to help them. In this blog, we’ll break down what sleep apnea is, how sleep studies work, and what treatment options for sleep apnea are out there.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea, commonly known as obstructive sleep apnea, is when your breathing stops and starts repeatedly while you’re asleep. This happens because the airway gets blocked or the muscles that keep the airway open don’t work properly during sleep.
The most common sign of sleep apnea is loud snoring. However, it can also make you feel really tired during the day because your sleep gets interrupted so much at night.
Sleep Study to Diagnose Sleep Apnea
A sleep study, or polysomnography, is a test that sleep medicine doctors use to diagnose sleep apnea. A sleep study, or commonly known as polysomnography, is a test that sleep medicine doctors use to diagnose sleep apnea.
There are several types of sleep studies, each designed to evaluate various aspects of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. The most common types include:
Polysomnography (PSG)
This comprehensive overnight study records brain waves, oxygen levels, heart rate, and breathing as well as eye and leg movements. It’s typically conducted in a sleep clinic, allowing doctors to observe the patient’s sleep pattern and diagnose conditions like sleep apnea more accurately.
Home Sleep Apnea Testing (HSAT)
For some patients, a home sleep study may be recommended. This type of study is less extensive and involves using portable monitoring equipment that the patient takes home. It’s a convenient option and allows for more natural sleep conditions.
What To Expect from a Sleep Study?
Here is what you can expect from a sleep study performed at a sleep clinic.
Before the Sleep Study
Preparation for a sleep study begins even before you go to the sleep center. To get the most accurate results, it’s important to stick to your regular daily routine with a few exceptions.
- Avoid Caffeine: Stay away from coffee, tea, soda, and other drinks or foods with caffeine. They can mess up your sleeping patterns.
- Skip Naps: Don’t take naps before your study because they may make it harder for you to fall asleep during the test.
Following these guidelines will help make sure that your body is ready for sleep and that the test shows how you usually sleep.
During Sleep Study
When you get to the sleep center, it may feel more like a hotel room than a hospital room. The staff at the sleep center want you to be comfortable, just like at home.
Once you settle in, the technical part of the study begins. The technicians will gently attach sensors to different parts of your body. These are not painful or invasive and are designed to capture important information without causing any discomfort. The sensors will monitor things like:
- Brain Waves: Sleep doctors place electrodes on your head to record your brain waves and see what stages of sleep you have during the night.
- Oxygen Levels: A pulse oximeter on your fingertip tells the doctor how well oxygen is moving in your body while you sleep.
- Heart Rate: Sleep doctors also check for changes in heart rate that may come from breathing problems or trouble sleeping.
- Breathing Patterns: Sleep doctors look at how fast and deep you breathe, if you stop breathing, and how hard it is to breathe.
- Eye and Leg Movements: These helps sleep doctors know what stage of sleep you are in and if you have restless leg syndrome.
After the Sleep Study
After the sleep study is done, you can go back to your normal routine. A sleep specialist will look at the data collected and check for any signs of sleep apnea or other sleep problems. They will also determine how severe the condition is by looking at how often your breathing was interrupted and how much it affected your oxygen levels. This helps them understand if your case is mild, moderate, or severe.
Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea
If it turns out you have sleep apnea, there are different ways to help manage it. Treatment plans can include:
Lifestyle Changes
For mild cases, sometimes just tweaking your lifestyle can make a big difference. Losing weight, exercising regularly, and sleeping on your side instead of your back can help keep the airway open.
CPAP Machines
For more serious sleep apnea, sleep doctors might recommend using a CPAP machine. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It’s a mask that you wear over your nose and/or mouth while you sleep.
It sends a gentle flow of air into your nose to keep your airways open. Think of it as a little wind tunnel that stops your airway from closing.
Oral Appliances
Some people might get the option to use special oral appliances that help keep the airway open during sleep.
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Therapy
This therapy involves using a device implanted under the skin to deliver mild stimulation to muscles of airways to keep them open. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy is used in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea who cannot undergo surgery.
Surgery
In rare cases, if nothing else works, surgery might be necessary to remove the blockages in the airway. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP, is the most common type of surgery for sleep apnea that removes the soft palate and tissues at the back of the throat.
Orthognathic surgery is a corrective jaw surgery that can also improve breathing in people with sleep apnea.
Other types of surgery that may be used to treat sleep apnea include tracheostomy (create a new air passageway), tonsillectomy (remove enlarged tonsils), and adenoidectomy (remove enlarged adenoids).
Sleep Study in Sparks, NV
At MelioREM Sleep Clinic in Sparks, Nevada, we’re dedicated to uncovering the root causes of your sleep issues and providing the targeted treatment you need to reclaim your nights and restore your energy during the day. Our team, led by the passionate and board-certified Dr. Innocent Ezenwa utilizes sleep study to diagnose and treat sleep conditions like sleep apnea.
To learn more about sleep study or want to schedule an appointment with our sleep doctor, call today at (775) 557-4900. We look forward to serving you!
