Sleep Testing | Sleep Lab | Home Sleep Test | One Final Note
Home of the 5-Step Program for Snoring & Sleep Apnea™!
- Evaluation - We get background history and discuss the problem
- Testing - We perform some form of testing to confirm the diagnosis
- Choose Your Treatment - Treatment options are presented
- Start Treatment - You start treatment, even before completing the 5 Steps!
- Follow up on Results - We provide follow up to ensure you’re getting results!
Sleep Testing
There are different tests available for Sleep Health and Wellness. It primarily depends on your individual, specific needs. Your doctor may be able to help you determine what Sleep Tests are best for you. Some testing is done in our Sleep Lab, while other tests are done in the comfort of your home, in your own bed. Finally, occasionally blood testing may be helpful as well.
Sleep Lab
If you are scheduled to come to the Sleep Lab, be aware that it will most likely not be your best night of sleep! That is because you are in a different place than you are used to sleeping, and also because you will be monitored with some sensors on your head and chest. The good news is that nothing we do in the Sleep Lab hurts. There are no needles or injections!
Typically, you will be scheduled to arrive at the Sleep Lab at either 8:30 or 9:30 PM in the evening. Be sure to bring pajamas, toiletries and a change of clothes, since you will be spending the night and may need to go directly to work from the sleep center the next morning. For your convenience, we have on-site shower and bathroom facilities, including bath towels. However, we do not provide any food service, so it’s important that you have your evening meal before arriving to the sleep center. If you prefer, you can also bring some snacks or water if needed prior to going to bed. We have a 7-11 convenience store located next door.
You will be assigned to a comfortable room, which should remind you of a hotel room in some ways. You will be asked to change into your night clothes, and thereafter a sleep technician will apply monitors to your head, neck and extremities. The wires connect to our monitoring equipment. The application of the monitoring wires is painless. You can watch TV or relax during the set-up process, which may take about 45 minutes. After this is completed, you can relax by reading or watching TV until you are ready to go to bed. After you settle into bed, the lights will be turned off so you can comfortably drift off to sleep. While you are sleeping, the sleep technician will remain awake and monitor all of the information being collected. The data collected will include brain waves to determine which stage of sleep you are in, air flow from the mouth and nose, oxygen saturation levels, respiratory rate, heart rate, body position, eye movements, snoring sounds, leg movements, and breathing events.
Upon awakening the next morning, you will be gently disconnected from the wires so you can shower and get dressed for the day. After being disconnected at the completion of the study, you are free to leave at any time. Normally, patients are expected to stay for sleep monitoring until 6 am.
Home Sleep Test
The Home Sleep Test (HST) involves coming by our office to pick up your HST device and receive training on its use. You will be using your HST device at home during sleep. During this recording, we will be collecting information on your breathing, effort of breathing, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and snoring. The HST is a good screening tool for breathing disorders during sleep. However, most HSTs do not measure brain waves, so we are unable to measure your quality of sleep or to analyze the different stages of sleep. Further, HSTs are good for screening for sleep apnea, but often they are not sensitive enough to pick up milder breathing disorders such as pure snoring or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS). Finally, most HSTs do not measure leg movements, so they are not considered comprehensive Sleep Tests because they are not measuring leg movement disorders during sleep.
One Final Note
Be aware of the differences between a sleep lab and a sleep center. A sleep lab only performs the study, and you will not actually see a Sleep Health Physician. Dallas Sleep is an accredited sleep center, meaning that we have an on-site Sleep Health Physician, and that our Sleep Health Physician will actually review your study results carefully. Our Sleep Labs are built into our Sleep Centers. If a Sleep Lab is not part of an accredited Sleep Center, you may not have a doctor who actually reviews any of the details of your testing.
