Sleep apnea is not an easy condition that must be taken lightly. Even if it doesn’t sound intimidating, it is actually very threatening. It’s important to get proper diagnosis and you will learn about that in this article!
So, when is sleep apnea diagnosed? Sleep apnea is formally diagnosed after seeing a doctor for a check up and conducting a sleep study or a polysomnography.
A sleep study is formally known as a polysomnography, the word “somn” derived from Latin “Somnus” which means “sleep”.
Sleep studies exist to diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, insomnia, and nighttime behaviors like sleepwalking and REM sleep behavior disorder.
When you do a sleep study, you most likely will only have to sleep and put on a couple of devices but still be comfortable. You’ll be staying inside a cozy room and you are allowed to bring personal items for sleeping.
What happens is that technicians will be monitoring your brain waves, oxygen levels in the blood, heart rate, breathing along with eye and leg movements as you sleep.
You don’t have to worry because they can do all that with the help of a machine so there is no reason to feel uncomfortable.
Using the bathroom is also completely fine during a sleep study. You are also free to use your own pajamas to make you feel more comfortable.
Patients are required to arrive at least two hours early before sleeping in the lab.
Before you sleep, technologists will place sensors or electrodes on your head and body so the machines can monitor your sleeping habits. There is no need to worry because you can still move around freely.
There’s still a few things you can learn about sleep study and what you can expect from it. Get prepared for your sleep study and read on to learn more about what you should do for it.
How to do a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea
To do a sleep study in order to properly get diagnosed whether you have sleep apnea or not, you just have to schedule an appointment as you visit your doctor and ask about a sleep study.
You will be asked several questions at first like an initial interview to see if you really do need the sleep study. In other words, you need to have symptoms that prove that you qualify for the session.
- Questions you can expect when you are scheduling your sleep study appointment are the following:
- Do you snore constantly and loudly?
- Do you experience pauses in breathing during sleep?
- Are you a heavy drinker?
- Do you exercise frequently?
- Do you smoke a lot?
- Does your family have a history of sleep apnea?
- Do you feel tired right after waking up?
A sleep study can be done in two different places. It can be done at your home or you can sleep over at the sleeping center. It’s more commonly done in the center but a home sleep study can be cheaper.
The sleep study service may range from $150 up to $500 but it can be higher depending on where you live and the medical company you chose.
You can also check if your insurance can cover the sleep study expenses to help you save money.
The only possible risk of a sleep study is mild skin irritation after having sensors attached to your body for the entire night. This is rare to happen, but it is the only risk as well. There is nothing else to worry about.
How to prepare for a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea
Once you have successfully scheduled your sleep study, you will be advised to do a couple of things or avoid certain things.
- Avoid food and drinks in the afternoon and evening
- Your food and drinks can disrupt your sleeping behavior and make your condition worse
- You have to avoid caffeine and alcohol for the day
- Caffeine and liquor are also huge factors that can worsen sleeping conditions that must be avoided before the study
- Napping in the afternoon is discouraged
- You might end up having a hard time sleeping on time in the evening during the sleep study
- You’ll be required to shower before the sleep study
- This can help you feel refreshed and ready to go to bed, making it easier to fall asleep
- Do not use makeup, gel, lotions, cologne and anything similar
- These can get in the way of electrodes being used to monitor your sleeping habits
How long before sleep apnea get diagnosed
A full night’s sleep isn’t really required to get an accurate result about your sleeping conditions.
In this case, the length or duration of sleep studies may vary depending on the patient. If the patient does not show signs of sleeping complications during the first study, then it might take another sleep study to figure out the problem.
But if the patient is showing clear signs of a sleeping condition during the first few hours then it can provide sufficient data for the technicians and doctor to properly analyze the problem.
All you have to do is patiently wait for the result of your diagnosis.
A sleep study is important to find out if you have risky sleeping conditions such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a complicated condition that can invite other illnesses to your body’s system which can turn bad any time.
You will also need a proper sleep study in order to determine what you really need to do for your treatment. Instead of randomly trying solutions, a sleep study can accurately give you the cure or the answer.
Depending on the severity of your sleep apnea and if treatments are going well, you may not have to continuously conduct a sleep study. However, patients are advised to see their doctors once in a while.
It typically takes one to two weeks before you can receive the results of your sleep study and get CPAP. The doctors will carefully evaluate your diagnosis to determine if you need CPAP.
Related Questions
How to reverse central sleep apnea?
There are different ways to reverse central sleep apnea, check this list of 8 available treatments that may be recommended to you by your doctor.
- How to reverse central sleep apnea:
- CPAP treatment
- Treating associated conditions
- Reducing opioid medications
- Bilevel positive airway pressure
- Adaptive servo-ventilation
- Supplemental oxygen
- Acetazolamide or Diamox medication
- Phrenic nerve stimulation
- There are also basic lifestyle changes that can help prevent central sleep apnea such as the following…
- Losing weight
- Avoiding alcohol
- Avoiding smoking
- Avoiding sedative drugs
- Sleeping on time
- Sleeping on your sides
- Treating chronic allergies
- Using anti-apnea devices
Can sleep apnea be reversed?
Yes, there are ways to reverse sleep apnea and they can be different depending on what type of sleep apnea one is diagnosed with and the age of the person diagnosed.
- Let me give you a list of existing treatments can reverse sleep apnea.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- It might take months to recover.
- CPAP Machine Treatment
- Works for any age. The person diagnosed will have to use a mask connected to a machine that will force air to the obstructed airway from the oropharyngeal.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
Can sleep apnea cause you to gain weight?
Yes, sleep apnea can cause you to gain weight since having sleep apnea may lead to sleep deprivation and lack of sleep slows down the body’s metabolism.
A slowed down metabolism means your body can’t burn fat as it normally should causing you to have an uncontrolled weight gain.
The reason why sleep apnea slows down metabolism is that it causes difficulty in breathing and even stops heartbeats for brief seconds while asleep.
When the body experiences “abnormalities” from a sleep apnea attack, the muscles will not be able to relax and use energy to keep us breathing,
Since the body cannot rest well, it most likely won’t have energy spared for losing weight. The lack of energy will also cause you to unconsciously eat more.
During sleep apnea attacks, we may also wake up for a few seconds without knowing it to gasp for air. These tiny seconds already exhausts our body and takes away sleeping time resulting in sleep deprivation.
It has been observed in various studies that lack of sleep can cause uncontrollable weight loss or weight gain and having sleep apnea can worsen that.
