Sleep is an essential part of your overall health. Not getting enough rest can harm your heart and circulatory system, metabolism, respiratory function, immune defenses and even increase your long-term risk of chronic diseases.
If you’ve been snoring louder or reaching for a few more Huckleberry Roasters coffees than usual, a sleep study can help you understand why. When you sign up for a sleep study, you have two options: in a lab or at home.
Lab Sleep Study
A lab sleep study uses different sensors and methods to track the quality of your sleep, including:
- Electroencephalography (EEG) sensors attached to your head to monitor electrical activity in the brain
- Electrocardiography (EKG or ECG) sensors attached to your chest to measure the electrical activity in the heart
- Electromyogram (EMG) sensors attached to your face and leg to measure muscle movement
- Electro-oculography (EOG) sensors attached to the skin around your eyes to detect eye activities
- Breathing sensors to monitor air through the mouth and nose
- Pulse oximeter attached to the index finger to read the pulse and oxygen level in your blood
- Respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) belt to monitor how your torso (chest and belly) expands while you breathe
- Audio and video to help your provider see and hear what happens while you sleep
Your study may use all or some of these tools depending on what your provider suspects is affecting your sleep.
Home Sleep Study
An at-home sleep study typically uses sensors that monitor nose and mouth breathing and how the breathing muscles in your chest and belly move. While there are a few different types of home sleep studies, they don’t usually include all the sensors used in a lab study, including those that detect heart electrical, brain wave and eye movement activity.
Your provider will likely recommend a home study if they strongly suspect sleep apnea or as a follow-up after corrective surgery or weight loss to see if apnea has gone away.
How Do I Prepare for a Study?
After scheduling your sleep study, your provider will give you instructions on how to prepare. Common instructions include:
- Shower before the study, but avoid creams and hair care products that could affect the sensor attachment
- Bring a toothbrush, pajamas and clothes to wear after the study
- Remove makeup and other cosmetics before the study
- Take usual medications unless otherwise directed by your provider
- Tell your provider if you have any skin allergies that the sensors could trigger
- Don’t nap or alter your sleep schedule beforehand
- Don’t drink caffeine for at least eight hours beforehand
You might have trouble falling asleep during a sleep study because of unfamiliar places and sensors, but that usually won’t affect the study. Many find it easier to fall asleep during a home study.
If you’re ready to find out how to improve your sleep quality, contact Advantage ENT & Audiology today.