Whether you’re watching TV or relaxing with a book, do you always fall asleep as soon as you hit the couch? Most people doze off once in a while. But if it happens often, your spontaneous snoozing could point to a sleep disorder like sleep apnea.

According to the National Institutes of Health, most people need 10 to 20 minutes to drift off. Regularly taking only 5 minutes to fall asleep may signal a chronic lack of sleep. If you think you might have a sleep disorder, talk to your doctor about getting a diagnosis so you can treat the problem.

How are sleep disorders diagnosed?

Your doctor may send you to a specially equipped lab for an overnight sleep study. This study is called polysomnography - literally, a record of everything that goes on in your body while you sleep.

While you sleep, the lab equipment monitors your brain activity, eye movement, muscle tension, heart rate, breathing patterns, and blood oxygen levels. Your sleep study may also include a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). In this test, you’re given various opportunities to fall asleep during the day, when you’d normally be awake. MSLT measures daytime sleepiness by recording how long it takes for you to fall asleep at each opportunity. It also may help rule out sleep disorders other than sleep apnea.

Do I need a sleep study?

Your doctor will screen your symptoms carefully to see whether a sleep study is needed to diagnose your problem. You can help by keeping a detailed diary of your symptoms and sleep habits. Based on your symptom diary, physical exam, and complete medical history, your doctor will decide if a sleep study is in order.

Your symptom diary gives your doctor information about your sleep patterns. Since sleep disorders like sleep apnea and nocturnal asthma interrupt normal sleep, your daytime activity may reveal extreme fatigue. In this sleep-deprived state, you may experience sleepiness, irritability, impaired memory, and poor hand-eye coordination. If you’re used to living without enough sleep, you may not even realize you have these symptoms. Write them down in black-and-white, and both you and your doctor will gain a clearer picture of your sleep patterns.

If you have serious heart problems, a sleep study can make a difference in more than just your sleep. Sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of angina, heart attack, and stroke, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Are sleep studies expensive?

Polysomnography and MSLTs are usually covered by insurance. But health plans vary, so it’s a good idea to check your plan beforehand. A single study may cost between $800 and $1,400.

While a night away from home in a sleep lab is no one’s idea of a vacation, the potential benefits outweigh the inconvenience. If you and your doctor think you have a sleep disorder, pack your pajamas and your favorite pillow or teddy bear. A sleep study is your best bet for an accurate diagnosis.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 24th, 2007 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Sleeping & Snoring. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.