What is polysomnography?

polysomnography is a number of tests that are performed on someone who sleeps. Polysomnography is also known as a sleep study is used to diagnose sleep disorders so that the doctor can recommend treatment to the patient. This testing is usually performed in a sleeping laboratory, a device devoted to the purpose of performing sleep studies, under the supervision of a physician or a polysomnographic technician who specializes in sleeping studies.

The term "polysomnography" comes from Greek words for "many", "sleep" and "writing". As the etymology of the term suggests, polysomnography results in a polysomnographic copy that collects reading from different pieces of medical equipment. Information can also be in digital form, depending on how the Sleep Lab laboratory likes to process its data. By studying the collected information, the doctor can learn more about the patient's condition.

During polysomnography, a number of different things are measured, including brain activity, blood pressure, dissolved oxygen in the blood, breathing speed,Ear, eye movements, heart activity and muscle movements. These measurements are carried out using a telemetric device that connects to the patient's body. The device is usually found in another room for remote monitoring, and to prevent the patient not to be intimidated by surrounding medical equipment.

patients usually arrive at polysomnography in the evening. It is recommended to keep their routines normal, eat and exercise, then they usually do, and they are told not to take medication to sleep. Once they arrive, the patients are connected to the equipment and showed how it works and then allow you to go to bed. Ideally, the patient will fall asleep, allowing data collection, although some patients have difficulty sleeping in an unknown environment if they are already fighting sleep disorder.

In the morning, the doctor can read the results and discuss them with the patient. Polysomnography can also take place during the day in patients whoThey are on an unusual sleep plan or who have trouble sleeping at night. The study may also include tests for determining daily drowsiness.

Patients can also participate in what is called a "divided study". In a divided study, the patient is allowed to sleep under observation after the first part of the night, and after the second part of the night, the treatment of sleep disorder is used, such as a machine with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The advantage of a divided study is that it allows you to immediately test the intervention if the patient has an apparent problem and allows the patient to spend one night at a sleep clinic, rather than two.

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