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What is a sleep study?Sleep Studies are investigations performed whilst you are asleep. They involve the use of monitoring devices. Depending on the extent of monitoring required, these tests may be done in your own home or in a specialised sleep laboratory. The difference between the home tests and laboratory tests are several: the home test is more convenient, cheaper and more accessible; the sleep laboratory tests are more involved and able to monitor more body systems, which makes them a more accurate test. The demand for sleep studies is huge and, unfortunately, waiting times for a laboratory study in some centres can be many months. The advantage of the home test is that it will pick up a high number of the cases that the sleep laboratory tests would pick up. Therefore, home based studies are becoming more and more popular, with difficult cases being referred to the sleep laboratories. Depending on the type of study performed, the different things that are monitored include: breathing (rate and amount), chest wall movements, heart tracings, blood oxygen levels, brain wave patterns, body position and blood pressure. Who should have a sleep study?Investigations for sleep disordered breathing are an important part of diagnosing obstructive sleep apnoea. These are indicated when the history and clinical examinations are suggestive of the disorder. There is a growing list of reasons that sleep studies are being requested for people who snore. If you snore, the following health problems should prompt referral for Specialist assessment :
It would also be suggested that if you use heavy machinery or drive a truck or taxi then you should seriously consider your own safety to drive if you have untreated OSA. A sleep study is an important test to help you stay safe on the road. Once the diagnosis of OSA is made the 2 treatment options are a face mask (called CPAP) and surgery. |
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