Millions of people have trouble sleeping at night. Their compromised sleep follows them through the next day: they’ll be tired, irritable, and even have difficulty staying awake. Their trouble sleeping may be intermittent, or it may happen every night. It could be a sleep disorder, which is treatable at Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN.
Sleep disorders are recognized medical conditions, and they can have serious health implications. Diagnosis can be a little tricky, though, since sleeping is one of those things left to the privacy of your home.
One of the best ways to find out what’s going on is to ask your bed partner: do I snore? Have you noticed whether I stop breathing during sleep? Do I toss and turn, fitfully? But your bed partner may not know: they might sleep deeply, undisturbed. Or you may sleep alone.
In view of that, physicians who suspect a patient has a sleep disorder may recommend a sleep study. There are four basic types:
- Polysomnogram (PSG)
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)
- Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
- Home Sleep Test
A PSG is an overnight sleep study done in a sleep clinic. The patient is hooked up to equipment that records brain activity, eye movement, heart rate, and so on.
A MSLT is done during the daytime, and measures how sleepy the patient gets. They also see whether any breathing treatments the patient has had are working. They are most often done as a follow-up to a PSG.
A MWT is similar to a MSLT, in that they are done after a PSG, and measure how alert the patient is during the day.
A Home Sleep Test is a PSG that is done at home. Patients are able to spend the night in their own bed, and are especially useful for those who are home-bound for one reason or another.
Many people are reluctant to take part in a sleep study. It’s a strange experience, especially when it’s done in a clinic, even where efforts are made to have the sleep room as comfortable as possible. But sleep studies yield valuable information that leads to a proper diagnosis, and more importantly, to effective treatment.
At Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood TN, we offer treatment to patients who have already completed a sleep study. For those who still need a diagnosis, we have an in-office test. If you or a loved one is coping with a sleep disorder, contact us today.
