Sleep disorders are usually diagnosed through a sleep study. It is a clinical procedure that helps to monitor your body and movements during sleep carried out in sleep disorder clinics. It is a necessary process to conduct if you want to find out more about the sleep disorder you are suffering from. Here are all the burning questions people ask about sleep study.
What Happens In A Sleep Study?
If you have never experienced a sleep study before then it can be quite intimidating for you, if you don’t know what to expect. A sleep study is nothing but a night long sleep test in which you are allowed to sleep throughout the study in a hospital bed. The only difference is that your sleep, body movements and actions are monitored by sensors and machines that are hooked up with you. Eye movements, oxygen levels, heart rate, pulse, sleepwalking, limb movements during sleep, etc. all things are monitored during this 8-hour study. It might sound like a long time, but you usually don’t feel anything as you are sleeping.
There is nothing painful about a sleep study either. You are not pricked or poked with any surgical instrument; you are only hooked with different sensors which don’t hurt at all. These sensors also keep track of your brain activity and this will give the sleep technician an idea about what type of sleeping disorder you are suffering from. All of these records are put in a sheet and the results are generated.
How To Prepare For A Sleep Study?
There is nothing much major to prepare for a sleep study. You will have a doctor’s appointment and the doctor will run you down through the basics of the process. You will be told not to drink or eat anything over stimulating like caffeine or alcohol, because you want to mimic your sleeping pattern in the sleep study.
You will also be advised to not take any blood thinners or other drugs which could disrupt the sleep study. You will be provided everything else for the sleeping part of the sleep study, like blankets, beds, etc. by the hospital. You will be hooked with sensors once you feel sleepy and the sensors are not uncomfortable at all, unless you suffer from some sort of claustrophobia other than that, you are perfectly comfortable once the sleep study begins.
Are Sleep Studies Conducted More Than Once?
Usually, a sleep study is only carried out once. You don’t need to have several sessions of sleep study, once the sleep disorder diagnosis is done. Usually, one sleep study is enough for the technician to generate results. So, no, you don’t have to go through a sleep study more than once. More than one sleep study is conducted if you suffer from several sleep disorders at different times.
Does Insurance Cover Sleep Study?
This is a very commonly asked question by patients who usually have to go through a sleep study. Yes, insurance does cover the cost of a sleep study. It is covered by most insurance companies and you can specifically ask for companies which cover these costs. The hospital can get in contact with your insurance company and the details are easily sorted out. Once the financial things are out of the way, you can easily proceed with the sleep study.
How Long Is The Procedure And When Do The Results Come Back?
Once the 8 hours of the sleep study are up, your results are recorded in a sheet and are taken to your sleep doctor. The sleep technician and the doctor have a meeting in which possible scenarios are discussed. Once the diagnosis is made, which usually takes about 10 to 12 working days, you will have an appointment with your doctor and they will disclose the diagnosis with you. Afterwards, a proper treatment plan will be prescribed to you which will help to alleviate the sleeping disorder you are suffering from.
There you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about a sleep study and how it is carried out. These questions and their answers will give you a thorough understanding of what to expect when going to a sleep study center.
