Know more about the sleep tests we often perform and why they are used.

You’ve been having trouble falling or staying asleep for weeks now and it’s taking a toll on everything from your work to your personal life. While we will all experience bouts of bad sleep, when sleep disturbances become frequent it might be a sign that it’s time to turn to our Columbia, SC, sleep doctors for answers. While we will go through your medical history and ask you questions about your symptoms, we will still need to do a sleep study to confirm the type of sleep disorder you may be dealing with.

However, the symptoms you share with us will shed light on which types of sleep studies we will need to perform. Here are the most common types of sleep studies,

Polysomnogram (PSG)

This overnight sleep study analyzes all aspects of the sleep cycle and measures breathing, muscle and brain activity as well as body positioning and eye movement to look for common sleep disturbances including,

  • Obstructive and central sleep apnea
  • REM sleep behavior disorder
  • Circadian rhythm disorders
  • Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)
  • Narcolepsy

Specialized Polysomnogram (PSG)

We can also customize a standard PSG procedure to rule out certain disorders or to make a definitive diagnosis. This specialized PSG may include adding on an EEG test to diagnose seizures or carbon dioxide monitoring for those with possible sleep apnea.

Multiple Latency Sleep Test (MSLT)

If you find yourself dealing with excessive daytime exhaustion, our Columbia, SC, sleep specialists may recommend undergoing a multiple latency sleep test, also nicknamed a “nap study”, which analyzes how quickly you fall asleep and can be helpful for diagnosing narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia (extreme sleepiness that has no cause).

CPAP Titration

If your sleep doctor believes that you might have a sleep-based breathing disorder such as obstructive or central sleep apnea, then a CPAP titration study may be performed overnight to monitor breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and brain waves to look for any possible upper airway blockages that could cause pauses in breathing throughout the night. This study is often recommended for people with sleep apnea as they begin sleep apnea CPAP treatment to see if current treatment levels are effective.

If you are tossing and turning at night or battling bouts of insomnia, it might be time to talk to a sleep specialist here in Columbia, SC. Call Bogan Sleep Consultants today at (803) 251-3093 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Richard Bogan.