Sleep Studies

Sleep-related disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome can make it difficult to get a restful night’s sleep. Sleep studies provide a convenient way to better understand your sleep patterns and health. At Medical Access, with three convenient locations in Germantown, Maryland, and Alexandria and Woodbridge, Virginia, the experienced team offers overnight sleep studies on-site. To schedule an appointment today, call the nearest office, or book a consultation online.

What are sleep studies?

Sleep studies are a type of test that records your heart, respiratory, and brain activity while you rest. The information collected during a sleep study can assist in diagnosing and treating common sleep disorders, allowing you to safely address fatigue and other negative side effects of poor sleep.

What are sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders are medical conditions that prevent you from getting restful, rejuvenating sleep. Research shows that about 70 million Americans have at least one sleep disorder. 

At Medical Access, the team uses sleep studies to diagnose various sleep disorders, including:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
• Central sleep apnea
• Complex sleep apnea
• Insomnia
• Restless legs syndrome

They also use sleep studies to diagnose narcolepsy, a neurological disorder that causes intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep.

What symptoms can benefit from sleep studies?

Common symptoms associated with sleep disorders include:

• Loud snoring
• Nighttime gasping or choking
• Decreased libido
• Morning headaches
• Anxiety 
• Depression
• Restlessness at night

If you suffer from a sleep disorder, you might also find it difficult to pay attention or remember things at work.

How do sleep studies work?

At Medical Access, sleep studies involve spending the night on-site in a quiet room. During the night, the team monitors your sleep patterns and any sleep interruptions. 

To do this, you’re hooked up to monitoring devices, including electrodes and breathing monitors. These devices document airflow, the amount of oxygen in your blood, your heart rate, brain waves, movements, and sleep stages. The process is entirely non-invasive and pain-free.

Following your sleep study, Medical Access collects the data and interprets it. This allows them to make a proper diagnosis and develop a custom care plan. 

Am I a good candidate for a sleep study?

To determine if you’re a good candidate for a sleep study, your Medical Access provider conducts a comprehensive physical, reviews your medical history, and asks about your symptoms and lifestyle. During your exam, your provider looks at your mouth, nose, and throat to determine if you have a nasal obstruction or enlarged tonsils. Both of these issues are easy to treat.

If your provider is unable to determine the source of your symptoms, they move forward by scheduling a sleep study. 

Don’t let poor sleep negatively affect your health or quality of life. To learn more about the benefits of sleep studies, schedule an appointment at Medical Access. Call the nearest office today, or book a consultation online.