Wondering what it’s like to undergo a sleep study?
If you’re dealing with persistent sleep problems, you may be wondering what’s going on. It’s good to turn to our sleep doctors to find out what’s going on. Poor sleep can impact your health, mood, quality of life, and wellbeing. Here’s what you should know about undergoing sleep tests at our Columbia, SC, practice.
What is a Sleep Study?
Sleep tests also referred to as a polysomnogram, are the best way for our Columbia, SC, sleep disorders to analyze your sleep patterns and monitor brainwaves, breathing, and heart rate to determine if you could have a sleep disorder. A sleep study has been recommended either because you came into our office complaining of sleep problems or experiencing symptoms of a sleep disorder such as daytime fatigue, morning headaches, drowsiness behind the wheel, mood swings, and chronic snoring. This test is performed in our facility, and you will sleep here overnight while we monitor you.
How Should I Prepare?
Our team will provide you with a list of dos and don’ts before your sleep study. These dos a don’ts include what to bring in your overnight bag so you feel comfortable sleeping here, avoiding alcohol, as well as caffeine, chocolate, and other stimulants in the afternoon or evening before your test. If you have any medications you take at night, make sure you bring them with you. Our sleep specialists will let you know whether you may need to stop taking medication before your sleep study.
What Should I Expect?
We will provide you with the exact time you should arrive at our office (this is typically late afternoon/early evening). We will show you the equipment we will use for your study and answer any questions you might have about the test or the process. There may be a few forms for you to fill out. Once this is complete, you will be able to change into your pajamas and get ready for bed.
Next, the technician will place multiple sensors on your face and body. These sensors, or electrodes, are connected to a computer to show the technician your vital signs. While the sensors may feel odd at first, they are not painful and should not interfere with your comfort or ability to sleep.
Sometimes during the course of the night, the technician may ask for your to change positions so they can study changes in breathing patterns. They may also place a breathing mask over your face while you sleep, especially if they detect sleep apnea.
Don’t let another night of good sleep pass you by. The Bogan Sleep Consultants team in Columbia, SC, can perform the appropriate sleep tests to get the answers you need. Call us at (803) 251-3093 to schedule a consultation with our sleep specialists.
