Sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, yet many individuals experience disturbances that disrupt their sleep patterns and impact daily functioning. When you’re dealing with sleep issues, your doctor needs to have a better understanding of what might be happening at night. Sleep studies, also known as polysomnography, are diagnostic tests used to evaluate sleep disorders and provide valuable insights into sleep quality, breathing patterns, and physiological functions during sleep. Dr. Mohan Philip at Greenville Pulmonary Associates in Greenville, TX, can explain what sleep studies are and how they could help you. 

Understanding Sleep Studies 

A sleep study is a non-invasive diagnostic test that monitors various physiological parameters during sleep to assess sleep quality, identify sleep disorders, and guide treatment recommendations. It involves spending a night in a sleep laboratory or sleep center, where specialized equipment monitors your body's responses while you sleep. Your doctor in Greenville, TX, will administer sleep studies when your body isn’t getting the quality sleep that you may need. 

Sleep studies are performed to: 

• Diagnose sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia. 
• Evaluate the severity and impact of sleep-disordered breathing, including episodes of apnea (cessation of breathing) and hypopnea (shallow breathing). 
• Monitor response to treatment for sleep disorders, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for sleep apnea. 
• Assess daytime sleepiness and its impact on daily functioning and quality of life. 

During a sleep study, you will be monitored by trained technologists while you sleep in a comfortable room designed to resemble a bedroom. Sensors and electrodes will be placed on your scalp, face, chest, limbs, and fingers to monitor various physiological parameters. You will be asked to follow your usual bedtime routine, and sleep technologists will observe your sleep patterns and responses throughout the night. 

Contact Our Doctor Today 

Find out what might be affecting your sleep. Contact Dr. Philip at Greenville Pulmonary Associates in Greenville, TX, to learn about sleep studies and how they can help you sleep peacefully again. Call for more information and to schedule your appointment today at (903) 454-9976.