Sleep Medicine

A sleep study, also known as a polysomnogram, is a test that runs while you are asleep. It is designed to diagnose any sleep disorder by recording your brain activity and identifying your sleep patterns. Essentially, this means spending the night in a sleep lab so that a sleep medicine specialist can collect data about your sleep.

Your sleep study is designed to yield valuable information about your sleep patterns, such as:

• The time you spend in light and deep sleep cycles
• If you receive enough oxygen
• How often you wake up or your sleep is disrupted

One of the most common findings from a polysomnogram is sleep apnea, allowing a sleep medicine specialist to treat it.

Everyone needs adequate rest, which makes sleep medicine vital for all. It is important to know how well you are sleeping and whether you have a sleep disorder that needs to be treated.

You should consider seeing a sleep medicine specialist if you:

• Snore or gasp for air while you are sleeping
• Have difficulty falling asleep
• Have trouble sleeping through the night without disruptions
• Feel tired even after getting enough sleep
• Are too exhausted to follow your daily routine

Your primary care provider may refer you to a sleep medicine specialist in Manistique, like Dr. Sand.

During your initial sleep medicine appointment, your provider will first try to determine the nature of your sleep issues. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary to track how well you sleep.

If your sleep medicine specialist finds that your sleep problems may be due to a sleep disorder, they will order a sleep study. Your sleep study and other related tests may indicate common sleep disorders, such as:

• Restless leg syndrome
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Hypersomnia (sleepwalking)
• Insomnia

Based on these, you can proceed with the appropriate treatment.

With advancements in sleep medicine, sleep studies are now possible at home. A home sleep study is a convenient alternative to an in-lab study and is often recommended to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea. An in-home sleep study is also more likely to be affordable and comfortable, as it takes place in your home.

To complete your sleep study at home, patients should first check their insurance to see if at-home sleep studies are covered. If covered, a sleep medicine specialist will provide you with the required equipment. Your doctor will also provide instructions on how to use these devices.

Keep in mind that a sleep study requires going to bed as you typically would. But before you do, you will need to connect the monitoring devices to your body.

Before proceeding with your in-home sleep study, there are a few things you need to remember:

• An in-home study will only monitor your breathing patterns to detect sleep apnea, not actual sleep quality, such as the cycles of light and deep sleep.
• Equipment for an in-home sleep study includes sensors placed on your finger to measure oxygen levels, as well as on your abdomen and chest, and a mask with tubes inserted in your nostrils.
• Most sleep studies happen just overnight—unless the results are inaccurate or inconclusive due to the sensors falling off.

You may have sleep disorders other than apnea, which your sleep medicine specialist can diagnose through other tests.

All a sleep study entails is going to bed with the intention of getting a good night’s rest and following your typical bedtime routine. That being said, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure you achieve the best results from your study.

Make sure you:

• For an in-lab sleep study, bring everything you need for the night, such as clothes, toiletries, and prescribed medications.
• Eat your dinner before going to the sleep clinic.Wash and dry your hair before your sleep study, but without conditioners, gels, oils, and sprays to avoid interfering with electrodes.
• Fill out all the required paperwork and inform the clinic ahead of time of any special needs.
• Be patient as the monitoring equipment is set up, which can take up to an hour.

Make sure you do not:

• Nap during the day to avoid having trouble falling asleep during your sleep study.
• Have nail polish on your index fingers to avoid interfering with the pulse oximeter reading.
• Drink caffeine after lunch or a few hours before your sleep study.
• Forget to take the sleep aid if prescribed by your sleep medicine doctor.