CPAP is one of the most common treatments used for sleep apnea and sleep study is the first step in finding out if you have one. Since you are new to how the process works, I’ll gladly share my knowledge about it.
So, how long to get CPAP after sleep study? 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.
A sleep study is formally known as a polysomnography, the word “somn” derived from Latin “Somnus” which means “sleep”.
You may be required to undergo a sleep study session once or up to three times just to fully verify your sleeping habits.
The entire process takes longer if the patient does not show symptoms of sleep apnea the first time they conduct the sleep study.
CPAP is recommended for those who have obstructive sleep apnea and if the condition is already mild or severe. Sleep apnea at its early levels can be treated by other methods aside from CPAP.
Once the results of the sleep study come out after a week or two, the patient is recommended to get CPAP as early as possible to begin the treatment right away.
This is to test if the CPAP will work for the patient and if not, they will have to find another way to treat the patient’s sleep apnea.
Treatment for sleep apnea will be different depending on its underlying cause. For example, some treatments for a permanent cure requires surgery to permanently get rid of the sleep apnea.
For some cases, CPAP may not be the answer which is why it is not always the same recommended treatment for patients after they undergo a sleep study.
Knowing how long it takes, let’s explain further how the process works and why sometimes it takes longer than usual. Read on to learn more about sleep study, CPAP and sleep apnea.
How sleep study works
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.
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.
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 as you wish.
There are also no needles or injections involved therefore sleep studies are completely harmless. A few questions will also be asked before you qualify for a sleep study.
- 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?
Those are just examples of questions you might get when you try to ask for a sleep study.
How CPAP works
CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” works as a mask connected to a machine that provides positive air to cope with difficult breathing which sleep apnea causes.
This is also a good way to prevent snoring but a number of CPAP find it a little uncomfortable to move around while using the mask. Today, mini CPAP or a cordless CPAP mask is available to use.
Once you conduct your sleep study and your condition is suitable for CPAP treatment, there are plenty of things it can do for your health.
- Lessen daytime sleepiness
- Sleep apnea can make it difficult to fall asleep at night. If you use CPAP, you may prevent this.
- Avoid morning headaches
- Sleep apnea also causes headaches. CPAP users report better mornings without headaches after using CPAP.
- Avoid heart failures
- May lead to fatal conditions such as brain damages or even death
- Avoid heart attacks
- Can also be severely threatening
- Stop irregular heartbeats
- Worsens the ability to breathe
- Can trigger anxiety
- Prevent stroke
- Can leave permanent damage
- May lead to paralysis
- Avoid depression
- Not an easy condition to treat
- Avoiding the risk of diabetes
- Leaves you prone to more heart attacks
- Avoiding high blood pressure
- Aside from your physical health, this can also affect your mental health and relationship with people around you including your work. CPAP treatment can prevent this.
- Avoid worsening ADHD
- Sleep apnea reduces your ability to focus which is what happens when you have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
- Having a lack of control to focus can lead to frustration
- Wake up with full energy
- As mentioned, your energy will be reduced since you are unable to sleep well.
- Avoiding the risk of seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
Why it may take long to get CPAP after a sleep study
The reason why you may not get CPAP immediately is because there may be other solutions for you sleep apnea that doesn’t require the CPAP.
Sometimes, sleep study will allow you to use CPAP for a few nights to determine if it makes you feel better or works effectively against your sleep apnea and if not, they will look for other solutions.
For example, you may be asked to get an oral appliance instead of CPAP especially if you are overweight. Weight contributes to sleep apnea and an oral appliance can help control that unlike CPAP.
Sometimes, you might end up being required to undergo surgeries instead of sticking to CPAP. After all, CPAP will stop working if you stop using it, it doesn’t make sleep apnea go away permanently.
Check out this list of alternative treatments that can help sleep apnea and might be recommended to you after a sleep study.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring. Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea.
- Lose weight
- Being overweight or obesity can be a cause of sleep apnea. You can potentially get rid of sleep apnea by getting plenty of exercises and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
- Stop or avoid smoking too much.
- Excessive smoking can cause or worsen sleep apnea. Reducing your smoke intake per day will also reduce the risk of getting sleep apnea. If possible, quit smoking to potentially get rid of sleep apnea.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
- Drinking too much alcohol before sleeping can cause and worsen sleep apnea just like smoking.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
- Maintain a proper sleep routine.
- Sometimes, we end up getting exposed to sleep apnea since we simply don’t sleep at the right time. Try to avoid staying up late and sleep early.
- Try to keep a proper sleeping position as well. Try to sleep with your head elevated or sleeping in a recliner chair.
- Don’t overwork yourself all the time.
- Going to sleep exhausted can make us a lot more prone to sleep apnea. It’s important to relax a little bit at first before going to bed to lessen the risk of sleep apnea.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea. Treat or avoid triggering your allergies to prevent sleep apnea.
How do you permanently get rid of sleep apnea? Well don’t worry, it is possible to cure sleep apnea today using surgeries.
- 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.
- 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.
Related Questions
- How often should you have a sleep study if you have sleep apnea?
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.
- Do you need sleep study for CPAP?
Most of the time, yes. A sleep study is required to determine if you need CPAP or a different type of treatment since sleep apnea can have different causes.
