If you suspect that you may have a sleep problem, then a sleep clinic is the best place to go to get yourself diagnosed. There are various types of sleep problems, the most common of which are insomnia and sleep apnea. The other types include narcolepsy, shift work disorder, sleep walking and night terrors. In order for you to determine what type of sleep disorder you have, you may need to undergo a sleep study. This is an important procedure especially for those suffering from severe sleep disorders. Your regular doctor may be able to diagnose your problem based on initial physical examination and symptoms. However, your doctor cannot recommend an appropriate treatment unless sleep laboratory tests are conducted to determine the severity of your condition and to have an accurate diagnosis of your sleep problem. A sleep clinic will help monitor your sleep disorder and thus recommend an appropriate solution for your problem. Sleep tests vary depending on your sleep problem. Here are some sleep tests done inside a sleep clinic:
Overnight Sleep Study – An overnight sleep study inside a sleep center is done via polysomnogram. This procedure could help identify various sleep problems by tracking your vitals such as breathing rate, heartbeat, brain waves and muscle movements while you sleep. A polysomnogram can be performed on sufferers assumed of having symptoms of sleep-related respiration conditions such as sleep apnea. It is also used to help verify the suitable pressure level for those people prescribed to use a continuous positive airway pressure (cpap) machine. A daytime nap study can also be carried out on individuals suspected of having narcolepsy. Furthermore, it can help look for sleep-related behaviors which can be harmful to patients and other people such as the debatable sexsomnia.
CPAP Study – A CPAP study is carried out on someone with a sleep related breathing ailment such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, central sleep apnea, hypoxemia and hypoventilation. This study is used in order to set the suitable level of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.
Maintenance of Wakefulness Test – The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test is done to measure your alertness during the day. This test is used to see how well a person with sleep disorder stays awake after starting treatment. It will help the sleep doctors determine if a person is responding well to the treatments. This result can be conducted on regular periods and results will be compared over a period of time. The test will isolate you from outside factors that can affect your sleepiness such as noise, light, temperature and physical activity.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test – Too much drowsiness is when you tend to be sleepy during a time and place when you should be awake and attentive. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test is a nap study. It can be utilized to determine one’s capacity to quickly fall asleep during the daytime in peaceful conditions. It is the standard way to evaluate the level of daytime sleepiness. The research is structured on the thought that a person should fall asleep in a reduced quantity of time as the sensation of sleepiness rises. This test charts your heart rhythm, brain waves, and eye and chin motions. The results of MSLT are typically used to identify sleep ailments.