Preparing for Your Sleep Study: What You Should Know

A sleep test in Boca Raton, also called a sleep study, is a noninvasive test that tracks your breathing and other vital signs throughout a night. It can reveal whether you have sleep apnea and how severe your condition is. It can be your first step on the road to once again enjoying rejuvenating rest! But in order for your test to produce accurate results, you should take a few preparatory steps beforehand.

Understand What to Expect

There are different types of sleep tests, including those that take place in a laboratory and those you can do at home. Both types involve the use of sophisticated machinery to track your vital statistics. If you will be in a sleep clinic, you will have an expert on-hand to make sure all of the equipment is properly connected. But if you are taking the test at home, you have a greater level of responsibility. Read all of the provided instructions, and don’t hesitate to ask the test provider any questions you may have.

Tell Your Doctor About Your Medications

The doctor who oversees your sleep test should know about all the medications you are on because some of them might interfere with your sleep and skew your test results. Be sure your doctor knows about both the prescription and nonprescription medicines that you are taking. You might have to stop taking some of them a few days before your test.

Be Careful the Day Before Your Test

What happens the day before your test can significantly affect your results, so you should be careful to avoid doing anything that might lead to an inaccurate diagnosis. For the most part, you can go about your day as normal, but there are a few things you should avoid doing, including:

• Consuming caffeine in the afternoon. You should abstain from coffee, tea, and even chocolate.
• Napping. Napping can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night.
• Drinking alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the sleep cycle and can cause nighttime pauses in breathing even in people who do not have sleep apnea in Boca Raton.
• Using a lot of hair products. You can wash your hair with shampoo before your test, but other hair products might interfere with the testing equipment.

Pack What You Need

If your test will be at a laboratory, you should pack an overnight bag that contains everything you would bring if you were going to stay in a hotel, including:

• Comfortable pajamas (you should not sleep shirtless because the testing equipment might irritate bare skin)
• Toiletries
• A change of clothes for the morning

Do you suspect that you have sleep apnea? A sleep test can help you find out for sure so you can begin pursuing treatment. As long as you prepare well for it, you can expect it to provide accurate results.

Meet the Sleep Apnea Expert

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is a dentist with decades of experience. He is an expert in dental sleep medicine, and he specializes in helping patients fight sleep apnea with custom oral appliances. If you believe you may be suffering from this condition, he can help you arrange to take a sleep test. Contact our Boca Raton office at 561-353-5252 to learn more about Dr. Mogell and his services.