So you snore, now what? Once you’ve decided that your snoring is a problem or possibly an indicator of a larger problem… what do you do?

The answer is a sleep study. A sleep study is a lab test like many other tests that requires a referral prescription to a facility licensed to perform sleep studies. Your family physician or myself can refer you for a study.

Sleep Studies:
Sleep studies are medical tests to determine whether or not a patient has a sleep disorder. These are usually performed overnight in a comfortably appointed sleep suite. Highly trained and experienced sleep technologists, who have received specialized training in the field of sleep disorders, will administer this painless study and observe your body’s sleep patterns.

The patient will arrive at the sleep clinic at a predetermined time, usually early evening, planning on sleeping there for the entire evening. Once the patient changes into his/her sleep attire, the technician will take very specific measurements of the head to determine exactly where to painlessly attach the surface electrodes. These electrodes will collect specific data on your sleep patterns, including respiration, muscle movement and brain activity.

During sleep our brain and body cycle between Non-REM and REM sleep every 90 minutes. During these transitions, many changes occur in the body. If abnormal changes are observed during a particular sleep stage we are able to define the problem as it occurs.

Once the study is complete a specialist will interpret the collected data and advise you of any sleep disorders that were apparent and recommend a course of treatment to manage your disorder.

In keeping with our philosophy of providing convenient access to Sleep Apnea treatment for patients, our facility houses a SleepMed sleep study center. SleepMed is the nation’s leader in Sleep and EEG diagnostic services and a major provider of therapy devices to sleep patients all over the United States.

In the field of sleep medicine, they operate over 140 sleep centers in hospitals, medical practices and at freestanding facilities. Recognized for their customer service leadership, they provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services at our sleep centers for the patients of thousands of primary care physicians and hundreds of sleep specialists that comprise our network.

SleepMed’s technologists will strive to make you comfortable and keep you informed during the waking portion of your stay. Throughout your sleep study process, no needles, drugs, x-rays or invasive procedures will be used – making this a very safe and painless process.

What is Sleep Apnea:
Obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, is a breathing related sleep disorder, which can cause people to snore, as well as pose serious health threats. OSA is a condition that occurs when a person regularly stops breathing (apnea) for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. This usually caused by either the tongue or the soft palate falling back against the back of the throat when the muscles in the neck and throat relax during sleep. Periods of not breathing cause an alarming drop in the blood oxygen level and can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Sleep apnea episodes can happen from 5 to more than 100 times an hour, and sometimes breathing stops hundreds of times each night. Additionally, from the interrupted loss of sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness can occur. This may put a person experiencing obstructive sleep apnea symptoms at even greater risk by causing them to fall asleep while driving or working.

Apnea severity is usually categorized by the frequency of apnea episodes:

Mild: 5 to 19 episodes per hour
Moderate: 20 to 39 episodes per hour
Severe: more than 40 episodes per hour
These episodes can last anywhere between 10 to 90 seconds each, terminating with at least a partial awakening. A severe apnea patient may have more than 300 episodes per night!

Sleep Apnea Centers:
If you suspect you or someone you love has sleep apnea, call our facility at 661-259-2000 and let our caring, knowledgeable staff help you understand this dangerous disorder and find the treatment best for you. Make sure you sign up for the free CD and listen to a very informative interview that I did.

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