A Sleep Test Will Help Diagnose Your Sleeping Issues

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Yet so many people struggle to sleep well consistently. Is this their fault? In many cases it can be the fault of the person. In others, it may be something to do with their health. Too many people simply accept that they aren’t sleeping well without doing something. This can carry over into a person’s day and ruin things. Living with fatigue is not enjoyable. One of the best ways to determine what is wrong with a person’s sleep patterns is by undergoing a sleep test. 

Sleep tests can also go by the name “sleep study”. Essentially, these are a basic method to analyze a person’s sleeping habits and determine if they may be struggling with medical issues. It’s a very useful test that is non invasive and can make a big difference to your life. Speak with your doctor if you’re having issues with sleep and they can determine if a sleep test is right for you. 

How Does a Sleep Test Work? 

Sleep testing is pretty simple overall. Essentially, it’s a test that runs for an entire night. A person arrives at the sleep study and will have to spend the night sleeping there. During the night, they are hooked up to EEG monitors which will examine many of the differing aspects of the body. 

A sleep study will examine how many times a body might wake during the night and how deeply it is able to sleep. These tests are non invasive in nature, so it’s far more comforting to people than many other tests. Some may think that it’s impossible to sleep with monitors on the body, but these electrodes are relatively harmless. They allow for easy movements, so people who toss and turn won’t have to worry about restricted movements. The idea is to sleep normally, so you’ll use your own pajamas and sleep patterns. Some suggest bringing your own pillows as well if you want. 

What Will it Discover? 

There’s many things that a sleep study will measure. Sleep stages and REM cycles are very important. Eye movements are also watched as a measure of brain function. Oxygen levels can be watched through the monitor and interruptions of breathing are an important statistic. Body movements and snoring will also be looked at, as will heart rates. 

From this information it’s possible to look at potential sleep disorders. Insomnia is common. One of the most diagnosed disorders found during sleep studies is sleep apnea. People suffering from sleep apnea need assistance with breathing levels during the night to ensure they are getting enough air. 

Handling the Results

After the study, it usually takes a couple of weeks to have your doctor analyze the results. In some cases it can be much quicker. They will make suggestions to you based on the sleep test. In the case of something serious like sleep apnea, it’s likely that treatment equipment will need to be purchased. Usually with sleep apnea, a CPAP machine will be prescribed to allow the airways to be opened up and the body to breathe properly as it sleeps. 

In less serious cases, there may be other suggestions. There are various anti-snoring measures which could be indicated. Changes to diet and lifestyle could be suggested. Really, there’s many potential outcomes depending on what is found during the sleep study. 

Sleep studies can commonly reveal troubled mental states and issues. Anxiety in particular can cause a lot of issues with sleep. If there’s nothing physical discovered, it’s very possible that a mental disorder could be discovered that will require treatment.