Family Physician: A Friend to Depend On

Posted on: 27 August 2020

If you have problems sleeping at night and don't know why, reach out to a sleep clinic for help. A sleep clinic may use a sleep study, or polysomnography, to diagnose the cause of your sleep disorder. Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, parasomnia, and insomnia, can affect your general health over time. Learn more about polysomnography and how you can benefit from it below.

What's a Polysomnography?

Many sleep clinics use studies like polysomnography to diagnose people who can't fall asleep or remain asleep at night. The sleep test may determine why you can't sleep at night or why you experience problems while you sleep at night.

A polysomnography study is a type of sleep medicine that examines or monitors different aspects or parts of your body during sleep, including your body positions, brain functions, breathing patterns, and eye movements. Some sleep disorders can increase your heart rate, slow your respirations, or cause involuntary movements in your eyes, legs, and arms, such as parasomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and nightmares. 

If you think a sleep study will help you diagnose your sleep disorder, contact a sleep clinic soon for a polysomnography study.

What Should You Know About Your Polysomnography?

When you contact a sleep clinic about the study, be sure to tell the nurses or doctors about any medications you take right now. Some drugs can cause sleeplessness and other sleep-related problems for adults.

A clinic may also ask you to bring things you use to fall asleep at night, such as books, newspapers, or your phone. These things may keep you alert or awake at night. A clinic may want to know how the items affect your brain during and after the study. 

Also, write down anything you find crucial to your condition. For example, if you always wake up in the middle of the night, write it down in your notes. If you sleep talk or walk, write it down. Sleepwalking can be dangerous as well as change your quality of life if you don't treat it. 

Finally, be prepared to stay at the clinic until your study completes. If you have multiple sleep disorders, the extra time will allow a clinic enough time to diagnose or discover the conditions. You may need to return to a clinic for additional monitoring later.

If you suffer from an unexplained sleep disorder, contact a sleep clinic for the diagnosis you need today.