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Sleep study
Your doctor may suspect that you have sleep apnea based on your symptoms, but an overnight sleep study is required to confirm the diagnosis. A sleep study, also called a polysomnogram, is a painless, noninvasive test that records your physical state during various stages of sleep. It provides data that are essential in evaluating sleep and sleep-related complaints and problems, such as identifying sleep stages, body position, blood oxygen levels, respiratory events, muscle tone, heart rate, eye movement, brain waves, amount of snoring, and general sleep behavior. If you have sleep apnea, the study will record repeated awakenings, pauses in breathing, and drops in oxygen level in the blood.
 
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American Sleep Apnea Association(ASAA): This site is a source of information and a community for sufferers of sleep apnea. ASAA hosts a forum with live chats, a geographical listing of support groups in the U.S. and Canada and specific guidance for parents with children who have the disease. |
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MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Find an extended definition of sleep apnea in this medical encyclopedia provided by the National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus provides a separate directory of links to sleep apnea news, diagnosis, treatment, and research from government agencies and associations.
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National Sleep Foundation (NSF): After explaining the basics of sleep apnea, the NSF's "Sleeptionary" features sections on coping and links to articles. NSF also covers symptoms and treatment of sleep apnea in children. |
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): NHLBI, part of the National Institutes of Health, includes sections on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea. It outlines who is at risk, how to live with the condition, and how to help those who may have it. |
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ClinicalTrials.gov: The National Institutes of Health maintains this research database of federally and privately supported clinical trials. It includes the purpose, eligibility criteria, and location for each study. |
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SleepEducation.com: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers tools for evaluating sleep, including a true-false questionnaire and a sample sleep diary. The sleep apnea page walks patients through a series of points to help determine if they have sleep apnea, whether they need to see a sleep specialist, what to tell their doctor, and how their condition may be treated. Don't overlook additional resources, such as sleep apnea case studies or suggestions for sleep hygiene. |
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Sleep studies are performed in a sleep lab that is specially equipped with computerized monitoring equipment. Most sleep studies take place at night. After you change into your nightclothes, the technician will connect you to a number of electrodes that will record your brain waves and muscle movements throughout the night. A microphone will record snoring, and two belt-like straps around the chest and lower abdomen will monitor muscle movement during breathing. Despite all of the equipment, most people say their sleep is not disrupted. After the technician is certain that electrodes are recording properly, the lights will be turned off and you can go to sleep. You will be able to talk to the technician, who will constantly monitor your test from an adjoining room. The technician will also help you if you need to use the restroom during the night.
In a sleep study for sleep apnea, you may undergo a "split-night" test, in which half the night will be used to diagnose your sleep problem, and the other half will be used to determine the best way to treat the problem. Or, you may be asked to return for another sleep study in order to determine the best way to treat your sleep apnea. In that second study (or second half of the night), you will be treated with continuous positive airway pressure , which blows air lightly into the nose and/or mouth to increase air pressure enough to hold the airway open and allow you to breathe. The study is done at different air pressures to determine what level works best for you.
You will be awakened in the morning, the electrodes will be removed, and you may shower and dress. Since the electrodes are applied with water-soluble glue or tape, removal is not painful. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire concerning your sleep the previous night, and then you can go home.
Your physician will explain the results to you and talk with you about follow-up treatment, if required.
In some cases, the sleep study can be done at home. For some sleep centers, a technician will come to your home to help you attach the monitor that will record data about your sleep. The technician will return in the morning to take the monitor away.
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