Sleep disorders are medical conditions that can affect people’s sleep patterns and habits. Many sleep disorders can also cause complications to your health and general well being if left untreated. The best way to get to the bottom of your sleep troubles is to have a sleep study performed, which can help diagnose your disorder and lead to proper treatment options.
There are four basic types of sleep studies:
Polysomnogram (PSG):
An overnight sleep study in which you are connected to an assortment of equipment that records and measures a large variety of information including brain activity, eye movements, heart rate, blood pressure, body movements and more.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT):
A MSLT is a sleep study that is performed during the day to measure how sleepy you get or to discern whether breathing treatments for your disorder are working properly. MSLT’s generally follow a Polysomnogram and record whether you fall asleep during the test, and if so, which stages of sleep you enter.
Maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT):
A MWT is a daytime sleep study that measures how alert you are during the day and your ability to stay awake.
Home Sleep Test :
If moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is the most likely cause of your sleep troubles, and you don’t have certain comorbid health conditions, you may qualify for a home sleep test.
Treatment
Your recommended treatment depends upon the sleep disorder, and the severity of the disorder, discovered during the study. With sleep apnea you may either be prescribed a CPAP device or get referred to a dentist for a specially designed oral appliance. If neither of these treatments is found tolerable for you, there are alternative treatments available.