SLEEP STUDIES
A MAJOR TOOL TO DEFEAT YOUR SLEEP DISORDER:
YOU SLEEP WHILE WE MONITOR YOUR FUNCTIONS
People with obvious sleep problems usually have no problem talking about their nighttime difficulties and describing them in detail. While doctors need to hear those patients, there are times when a more objective test is used to measure how well you sleep and what occurs to your body when you sleep, or try to.
These tests are called sleep studies and they can be done either at home using portable diagnostic equipment or in the NY Metro Sleep Center, where more extensive measurements can be taken.
AT HOME STUDIES
NY Metro Sleep doctors may suggest at at-home study if they suspect you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea without complications from other sleep disorders. They also must be sure that you are free of other serious health problems.
A trained therapist will give you a detailed explanation of the diagnostic device, which will include attachments to monitor and measure your sleep. As with all sleep studies, you will probably be advised to not ingest alcohol or caffeinated beverage for specified hours before the test.
STUDIES AT NY METRO SLEEP
You will be asked to arrive about two hours before bedtime so you can wind down from your day before settling into a comfortable bed at the center. Again, alcohol or caffeine is not to be consumed prior to the sleep session. The study usually involves monitoring you functions during a night of sleep, although sometimes “latency” tests are giving during the day to measure how quickly you can fall asleep for a nap.
Various sensors are used during sleep studies, often placed on your scalp, face, eyelids, chest, limbs and a finger. These sensors measure and record your sleep cycles and stages of sleep. The two main stages are Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which tends to be dream sleep when most of your muscles are still. Non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep has three stages, including a very deep sleep from which it may be difficult to wake up. These two main stages of sleep alternate about every 90 minutes while you sleep. The various sensors will measure and record:
- The flow or air in and out of your body as you breathe
- Oxygen levels in your blood
- Brain waves, also known as EEG records
- Body position
- The breathing rate and effort it takes
- Eye movement
- Electrical activity of your muscles
- Heart rate
A health care professional trained in sleep studies will be close by to monitor your study and assure your safety.
MONITORING HALTED BREATH
Even people without sleep disorders will experience periods when either they stop breathing, their breathing seems to be partially obstructed, or their breathing is shallow (hypopnea) or abnormal. A sleep study tracks the number of these events and rates them on an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI).
Abnormal numbers are: 0-15, mild sleep apnea, 15-30, moderate sleep apnea, and more than 30, severe sleep apnea.
OTHER TYPES OF STUDIES
NY Metro Sleep also performs sleep studies that measure multiple instances of waking, inability to return to sleep, your ability or inability to nap when sleep is needed, and your ability to stay wake during the day.
Whether your study is at home or in our center, the NY Metro Sleep clinicians will give you a detailed explanation of your sleep study results and put together a treatment plan to deal with your sleep disorder. Sleep studies are by far the most expedient and accurate tool we have to help us understand what is going on in your body and brain as you sleep.