Sleep Study - Therapeutic (with CPAP Therapy)
This study is performed if you have been diagnosed with a sleep related breathing disorder and your physician prescribed CPAP therapy. CPAP stands for “continuous positive airway pressure. This positive pressure is used to prevent a person’s airway from closing while they are sleeping.
The test is used to:
Determine the correct level of therapy required for your condition by using different airway pressures. The types of disorders treated with CPAP therapy include Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) , Central sleep apnea (CSA), and Hypoventilation (under breathing) and hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen).
Preparing for the test
You will be scheduled for a sleep study that includes CPAP therapy and will be asked to come to the sleep center in the evening. Before coming to the center, you should pack an overnight bag as you would for an overnight stay at a hotel or a friend's house. You may wish to include your own pillow and some extra clothing. If you have special needs, advise the sleep center personnel so they can accommodate you.
On the day of the sleep study, it is important to avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, cola and chocolate) after 2:00 p.m., and try not to nap. Before coming to the sleep center, wash and dry your hair, and do not apply hair sprays, oils or gels.
It is important for your sleep professional to know if you are taking any prescribed or over-the-counter medications, since some of these can affect sleep and the interpretation of the sleep study. Sometimes certain medications need to be discontinued gradually prior to a sleep study so that the results can be correctly interpreted. However, do not discontinue any prescription medication without first consulting with your health care provider.
What to expect during the test
The same process of connecting the sensors to you as in the first study will be performed.
During the CPAP study, you will be fitted with a nasal mask. The mask is connected by a tube to a small CPAP machine. The CPAP machine has a fan that pushes air through the tube. The mask allows the air to gently blow into your airway.
Pressure is started at a very low level. It is then increased at various intervals during the night. The goal is to find the right level of air pressure that will prevent the closure of your upper airway. This eliminates pauses in your breathing as you sleep.
In the morning the bio-calibrations will be performed again to test the sensors, and then they will be removed. This will complete the study, and you will be free to go. You may be tired if you did not sleep well during the night and the wax that is used to apply the electrodes to your head will need to be washed out with shampoo. Otherwise, you can return to normal activities on the day after a sleep study.
What to expect after the test
A technologist is the first one to look over the data from a sleep study. First, he or she will chart your sleep stages. Then, he or she will look for any events of abnormal breathing or leg movement. The results of the sleep study are reviewed by a board-certified sleep doctor. The doctor will review the study to find out what kind of sleep problem you may have and treatment recommendations will be made if evidence of a sleep disorder is found.
It usually takes about a week to get the results of a sleep study. At times, the doctor who takes a look at the study needs to get more information. He or she may talk to the technologist or to the doctor who sent you to the sleep center.
Sleep study results are not generally discussed over the telephone because of their complex nature. Therefore, to fully understand the results of your sleep study, what they mean and any recommendations that are made, you should meet with your health care provider face-to-face. The provider that ordered the study will receive the results and will refer you to a medical supply company to be set-up with your own CPAP machine to use at home.
It will take some time for you to get used to the new equipment and it may take a while for you to begin to feel the benefits of PAP therapy. If you are having problems adjusting to your machine, please contact us for help.