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Do you need a sleep study?

What is a sleep study and why do I need it?

People often present to their GP with snoring; not being able to go to sleep or to stay asleep during the night; feeling tired when they wake up in the morning no matter how much sleep they're getting; and sleepiness during the day.

The most commonly studied sleep disorders are insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea.

People with sleep problems don't necessarily need diagnostic tests straight away as we mostly diagnose based on the patient's history.

This involves talking to the patient and getting an idea of what their sleep habits are and what symptoms are bothering them and/or their partner.

We can then decide to do a sleep study to establish the severity of the sleep disorder such as in the case of sleep apnoea, and to tease out some of the other conditions.

It is quite common for more than one sleep problem to coexist.

A sleep study can be performed in a hospital or at home for some patients.

During a sleep study we will monitor a person's brain activity using electrodes stuck on their head.

Your breathing will be monitored a few ways: the flow of your oxygen will be measured from your nose or mouth, your oxygen levels will be monitored using an oxygen probe on your finger or ear, and the movement of your chest and abdomen be used in diagnosis.

Position sensors will be used to gauge movement in your legs, and a video monitor helps diagnose movement disorders.

If you or a loved snores or has trouble breathing when asleep, contact us for a FREE consulation

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