Sleep is essential for your physical and mental well-being and plays a significant role in how well you function throughout the day. If you regularly sleep through the night but still wake up tired or experience daytime sleepiness, you may have a sleep disorder. The only way to know for sure is through proper sleep disorder testing.
The idea of undergoing a sleep study may bring to mind images of sleeping in a lab while hooked up to multiple machines and monitored by technicians. However, thanks to advances in medicine and technology, sleep disorder testing is often much simpler, and in many cases, can begin in the comfort of your home.
At Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Dr. Nehal Mehta and Dr. Prashant Patel offer at-home and in-lab sleep studies. Because we understand how anxious you may feel about sleep testing, we want to explain the types of testing available and what to expect.
Sleep disorders are conditions that affect normal sleep patterns. They may affect your sleep quality, timing, or duration of your sleep.
Common sleep disorders include:
Millions of Americans live with a sleep disorder. In addition to causing daytime fatigue and irritability, these conditions can affect long-term health and increase the risk of chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Sleep disorder testing can help us find the root cause of your symptoms so you can get the restorative sleep your body needs.
Sleep disorders can present in many ways, making it difficult to recognize. However, certain symptoms may indicate the need for further evaluation, including
If you have any of the above symptoms, talk to your primary care doctor. They can evaluate your concerns, answer your questions, and recommend sleep testing to determine the underlying cause.
There are several types of sleep studies. The most common include:
PSG is a comprehensive overnight test done in a sleep clinic. During the test, a trained technician monitors key body functions while you sleep, including breathing patterns, blood oxygen levels, eye movement, and brain activity.
This test is often used to diagnose conditions such as sleep apnea or RLS.
A home sleep apnea test is a convenient option for evaluating suspected sleep apnea. You use a portable device that tracks breathing, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate while sleeping in your own bed.
The data is sent to sleep medicine specialists and evaluated to determine next steps.
If you have sleep apnea, you may need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. A CPAP titration study, completed overnight in the lab, determines the appropriate amount of pressure needed to keep your airway open while you sleep.
The multiple sleep latency test measures how quickly you fall asleep in a quiet setting. It’s often used to evaluate excessive daytime sleepiness and diagnose conditions like narcolepsy. The test typically takes place in the sleep clinic over the course of an entire day.
The specifics of your sleep disorder study depend on the type of testing you need.
For HSAT, you get a device with sensors that you attach to specific points on your body before bed. The device collects the data while you sleep, allowing for a comfortable and familiar testing environment.
An in-lab PSG takes place at a sleep center and usually begins about two hours before your usual bedtime. A technician places sensors on your scalp and body to monitor various functions throughout the night. You sleep in a private room to make you feel comfortable while your data is collected and monitored.
A CPAP titration study is similar to the in-lab PSG, but includes the use of a CPAP machine. Technicians adjust settings throughout the night to determine the most effective pressure for your needs.
The MSLT is conducted during the day at the sleep clinic. Technicians place sensors on your head to track sleep stages and have you take several short naps throughout the day in a dark, quiet room. Each nap is spaced two hours apart, and you must stay awake in between each nap.
Once your sleep testing is complete, you return to the clinic to review results and discuss next steps. Based on your diagnosis, we create a personalized treatment plan that may include lifestyle changes, medical devices like CPAP, or other therapies.
If you have poor sleep, call our office or request an appointment online today. We can help!
