Sleep is one of the most important metabolic processes of your body. It's the only time your body gets to relax and rejuvenate after taking on hundreds of activities throughout the day. Ideally, you need good-quality sleep lasting between seven to nine hours. It is necessary for proper rest and optimal functioning the next day. The sad part is that most people do not get such sleep, which can stand in the way of having a good-quality life. Thankfully, you can remedy the situation through sleep studies done in the convenience of your home. Here are some frequently asked questions about the procedure to give you more insight:
How do you define a sleep study?
Just as the name suggests, a sleep study focuses on understanding your sleep attributes to identify any abnormalities. The test takes down data as you sleep using special devices. Initially, the tests were reserved for laboratories, but the advancement in medical technology allows patients to take the tests from their own homes.
What during the sleep test?
The sleep device, usually an electroencephalogram (EEG), keeps track of your brain's activity to record the disturbances and sleep cycles. When the device collects data for a certain period, an expert examines the data to identify any sleeping disorder you may have. The specialist uses metrics such as body movements, oxygen levels and breathing patterns to determine if you have a sleeping disorder.
What are the signs of a sleeping disorder?
Most people assume that they have healthy sleeping patterns until this assumption starts affecting their life significantly. However, learning about the symptoms of sleeping disorders can make you proactive about testing and getting a solution for your problems. If you often wake up with a headache, dry mouth or feeling fatigued, you are likely suffering from a sleep disorder. Look out for these red flags and get a sleep test at home as soon as possible.
What are the different types of sleep studies?
The popular types of sleep studies include:
Diagnostic overnight (PSG) – This test monitors body functions such as oxygen levels, breathing, limb movements and general sleep.
Diagnostic daytime multiple sleep latency (MSLT) – Some of the sleepy tendencies you have during the day could be a disorder affecting your productive life. This test examines how fast you can fall asleep in a quiet place during the day. Furthermore, MSLT examines how fast you go through the different stages of sleep during the day. The test happens after a PSG test to understand why your body needs more sleep during the day.
Contact a provider of home sleep study devices to learn more.
Hello! My name is Bobby and I am a 66-year-old man who lives alone in Melbourne Australia. I am in pretty good health at the moment but over the last couple of years, I have had several medical conditions which needed professional attention. I am not a big fan of going to the doctors, but this time I got lucky and was assigned to a really friendly nurse who explained exactly what was going on during the diagnosing and treatment of my health problems. I learnt lots of useful things so I decided to ask my grandson to help me start this blog so I could share my knowledge with other people.