Symptoms similar to those seen in people with insomnia can be a signal that a sleep study might need to be done. Polysomnography is the term to describe a sleep study that monitors different functions of the body and brain while asleep. The goal is to inspect a person’s sleeping pattern and see if there are any recurring problems that could be causing a degradation of the quality of sleep. The procedure normally consists of being monitored for a single night under the observation of medical professionals. These doctors and technicians will record and analyze the findings to look for any problems with the sleep pattern and decide if a specific disorder might be behind poor sleep.
A sleep study is useful for identifying all sorts of different problems with sleep. When going to a medical facility for a sleep study, doctor’s will often ask you to bring things that you include in your sleep routine. It’s best to get an accurate reading for the study by preparing in exactly the same way you would for a normal night of sleep. While these things are important, most disorders and recurring problems will be found while the patient is asleep. The subtle transitions from one sleep stage to the next is monitored and studied carefully. Changes or problems that the patient may never be aware of on their own will be revealed through this study.
Sleep is made up of a combination of many different cycles. It begins with light NREM sleep and slowly transitions into a deeper state with less brain activity. In general the less brain activity, the deeper and more restorative the sleep. The one exception is REM sleep where the brain is very active, but this state is also essential to a healthy sleep cycle. Things like sleep apnea and periodic limb movement can cause disturbances in the transitions between these different stages. If the sleep cycle is continuously reset by awakenings, it is possible that not enough deep restorative sleep will be obtained. In these cases, the patient is actually sleeping enough, but failing to obtain the quality sleep necessary to restore themselves fully.
Results of a Sleep Study
After the technicians have recorded things like brain activity, breathing, and heart rate the doctors are tasked with interpreting sleep study results. The recorded results will be compared against a normal sleep pattern so that any abnormalities will be very apparent. The sleep study will be read by analyzing different stages of sleep and monitoring changes in brain activity and vitals. Brain activity specifically will tell the specialists exactly when transitions between stages of sleep are made and reveal any harmful recurrences of awakening. Breathing rates will give a good insight as to whether the patient maintains a steady rate, or if they have periods of unbalanced breathing. The information is enough to provide them with the ability to diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
Sleeping disorders come in many different shapes and sizes. If you think you might be suffering from a sleeping disorders, visit InsomniacAnonymous to find out more.