Diagnosing Sleep Disorder at the Sleep Center

If you visit a doctor suspecting that you are suffering from some sleep disorder, it is highly likely that the doctor might refer you to a sleep center to help obtain a confirmation of the diagnosis. Owing to the high number of cases of sleeping disorders, the number of sleep centers that you can find all over the country is on the rise. It is mandatory for every sleep center within America to carry accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

If you have been referred to a sleep center, you will most likely be advised to stay in the center overnight. If you are worried about the costs that might be involved for the studies, you have to be prepared to shell out anything between one and three thousand dollars although some people might require additional testing. If additional testing is necessary, it will usually be to find out the volume adjustments required for the use of PAP machine. If you have proper medical insurance, then the costs of these testing are borne totally or in part by the insurance company.

After you have made the initial appointment to visit the sleep center, you will be sent a journal to maintain records of your sleep and waking cycles and also any aberrations in the cycles. The information you record will help the doctors arrive at the final diagnosis.

You will also be advised not to consume any alcohol or caffeine beyond noon on the day prior to your testing day.

You will be asked to pack some essentials and to report to the sleep center. You will be asked to bring with you any kind of things that will help you feel comfortable and be the best to help you get sleep. For example, if you prefer reading before going to bed, you can take your favorite novel or a magazine with you. You can take your pajamas and even a pillow if that will make you feel comfortable. When you reach the sleep center, you will notice that the surroundings are just like a hotel room with many essentialities to help you get more comfortable. Once you have finished your activities you do to relax before you retire for the day, the technician at the sleep center will set up the equipment that is used to do the testing.

The testing you will undergo is known as Polysomnography and is a test that records your sleeping and waking patterns. The technician will hook up about two dozen electrodes on different parts of the body like below your chin, close to the nose and eyes, on the scalp of your head, on fingers, legs chest, ribs and over the abdomen. These electrodes will help in analyzing various aspects of your sleep. There will also be an audio and video recording done to check on your movements while asleep and to record any noises that you might make while asleep.

Once the technician finishes setting up the equipment, he will let you go to sleep. The presence of the equipment around you usually will not put you in any kind of discomfort and you will have adequate space to move and toss around in bed. If you need to visit the bathroom at night, you will have to use the intercom to fetch the technician to unhook you from the equipment. Upon completion of testing, you will be roused from sleep by the technician. The usual time required for testing will approximately be around seven or eight hours.

The readings of the test are compiled in a polysonagram and contain all the information that was collected during the overnight test you underwent. These readings are then analyzed and a diagnosis is arrived at to determine if you are suffering from some kind of sleep disorder.