Polysomnographic also called a sleep study, is a test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during the study.
Polysomnography usually is done at a sleep disorders unit within a hospital or at a sleep center or home . You'll be asked to come to the sleep center in the evening for polysomnography so that the test can record your nighttime sleep patterns. Polysomnography is occasionally done during the day to accommodate shift workers who habitually sleep during the day.
In addition to helping diagnose sleep disorders, polysomnography may be used to help adjust your treatment plan if you've already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.
Your doctor may recommend polysomnography if he or she suspects you have:
Sleep apnea or another sleep-related breathing disorder. In this condition, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
Periodic limb movement disorder. In this sleep disorder, you involuntarily flex and extend your legs while sleeping. This condition is sometimes associated with restless legs syndrome.
Narcolepsy. You experience overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep in this condition.
REM sleep behavior disorder. This sleep disorder involves acting out dreams as you sleep.
Unusual behaviors during sleep. Your doctor may perform this test if you do unusual activities during sleep, such as walking, moving around a lot or rhythmic movements.
Unexplained chronic insomnia. If you consistently have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, your doctor may recommend polysomnography.
Your doctor may ask you not to drink alcohol or eat or drink anything with caffeine during the afternoon and evening before polysomnography. Alcohol and caffeine can change your sleep patterns, and they may make symptoms of some sleep disorders worse.
Sleep study can be done for only respiratory sleep disorders and respiratory cum Neurological disorders
Sleep Apnea is the occurrence of period of time when you stop breathing while you are a sleep. These periods can be as brief as ten seconds, but are sometimes much longer. When you stop breathing, You do not get the oxygen that your body needs and will also awaken you momentarily just before you start breathing normally again. This can occur hundreds of times throughout the night and can keep you from getting the restful sleep you need.
The symptoms of sleep Apnea are things that you may have been experiencing for years, but didn't know that they were linked to a serious medical disorders like Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart attacks, Brain stroke, Obesity etc.
These symptoms include:
Daytime Sleepiness
Loud, irregular, habitul snoring
Morning headache
Poor concentration
Memory loss
Breathing pause, gasping or choking episode during sleep
