If you have difficulty sleeping, a home sleep study can identify the underlying cause and help guide treatment. At PrudentMD, internal medicine physician Maitri Patel, MD, uses home sleep studies to diagnose sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. By monitoring your heartbeat, respiratory rate, and muscle activity during sleep, it’s possible to gain insights into your health. Call the office or go online today to make an appointment at PrudentMD in Iselin, New Jersey.
A home sleep study is an overnight test that monitors specific bodily functions while you sleep. During the study, you wear a recorder around your chest, an oxygen clip on your finger, and a nasal cannula in your nose. These tools monitor the activity of your breathing, sleep, sleeping positions and heart while you enter and exit the different sleep stages.
After the study, you return to PrudentMD. Your provider collects and analyzes the data and uses it to create a custom treatment plan.
You might benefit from a home sleep study if you experience symptoms like:
You might also be a candidate for a home sleep study if you have difficulty focusing or paying attention at work.
Before recommending a home sleep study, your provider at PrudentMD will review your medical records and ask about your symptoms. If you regularly have trouble sleeping and changes in your lifestyle, like stress management and getting regular exercise, don’t provide relief, your doctor will give you a home sleep study kit.
The home sleep study kit contains a harness that measures your respiratory rate, a nasal cannula that monitors your airflow, and a finger clip to measure your blood’s oxygen saturation. Your provider explains how to set the kit up and answers any questions you have.
For the results of your home sleep study to be accurate, you must stick to your routine as much as possible. Avoid napping, follow your regular schedule, and don’t consume alcohol, any medications that interfere or increase sleep or caffeine on the day of your test.
If you take medication that interferes with your sleep, let your provider know. You should also let your provider know if you take sleep aids, like melatonin or magnesium.
You might need to undergo a second home sleep study if your first test doesn’t provide enough data to make an accurate diagnosis. If your test results indicate another sleep disorder, like insomnia or narcolepsy, your provider could refer you to a sleep specialist for a different kind of test.
If you regularly have trouble sleeping, consider a home sleep study. Make an appointment at PrudentMD by calling the office or booking online today.