Sleep Testing – Denton, TX
A Thorough Analysis for a Clear Diagnosis
The first step towards treatment for obstructive sleep apnea or a sleep disorder is to recognize the symptoms. This will guide you to take a formal in-house or at-home sleep test that our team at Star Sleep & Wellness in Denton can analyze to determine what type of treatment you’d benefit the most from. Each of these tests are administered by one of our sleep doctors. If you’re ready to seek out the help you need to sleep better, call our office today to learn whether you could benefit from sleep testing in Denton.
Reasons Why I Need a Sleep Test
Sleep studies are a versatile medical test that allows us to treat for a variety of symptoms related to sleep disorders like sleep apnea. If you’re experiencing any of the following problems, a member from our team will most likely recommend undergoing further testing:
- Chronic fatigue
- Drowsy driving
- Chronic snoring
- Ceased breathing throughout the night
- Insomnia
- Moodiness
- Depression
- Restless leg syndrome
- Difficulty focusing or remembering things
- Frequent headaches
How In-Lab Sleep Tests Work
When you visit our team at Star Sleep & Wellness in Denton, you won’t have to go far to get the help you need, because we offer everything in-house, including sleep studies. Our sleep lab offers both in-lab and at-home tests for your convenience.
When you take an in-lab sleep test, we’ll attach various monitors and sensors to your body that will gather important information, like your heart rate, sleep time, apnea occurrences, sleep stages, and more. These will allow us to effectively monitor your brain and body’s activity while you rest.
Once you’re awake, we’ll remove the monitors and one of our sleep physicians will examine the data, determining whether you have sleep apnea or a different disorder that requires proper treatment.
Who Is a Good Candidate for an In-Lab Sleep Study?
Typically, our team will recommend an in-house sleep study in Denton if you have an extreme case of sleep apnea or suffer from underlying medical conditions. Serious cases are best addressed with the help of our sleep lab because of the close monitoring from our technicians. In addition, the comprehensive analysis that we’re able to retrieve from the study allows us to make the best calls moving forward to improve your health and wellness and provide you with targeted treatment.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of an In-Lab Sleep Study?
There aren’t many disadvantages to having an in-lab sleep study, especially if you’re just excited to finally get the answers you’ve been searching for. But, if you’re unsure if an in-house sleep study is right for you, here are some considerations to keep in mind:
- You’ll be professionally monitored by lab technicians as you sleep, allowing you to worry less.
- These tests gather additional data that can aid in our doctors diagnosing more serious cases of sleep apnea.
- Because they’re in-house, you will need to travel to our sleep lab, although it’s not too far from our sleep center in Denton.
- You will be connected to various monitors while you sleep.
How a Take-Home Sleep Test Works
The alternative to an in-lab test is a take-home sleep study, which we often recommend for patients expressing milder symptoms of sleep apnea. We utilize a WatchPAT® ONE device, which is similar in look and shape to a smartwatch and has a small finger sensor attached to it. It measures up to seven channels, including PAT (pulsatile arterial tone) signal, heart rate, oximetry, actigraphy, body position, snoring, and chest motion, all in the comfort of your own bed.
Once our sleep doctors collect and review the data stored on the device, they’ll be able to make a diagnosis and outline a treatment plan to address any symptoms you’re experiencing.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Take-Home Sleep Study?
Take-home sleep studies are typically recommended for patients who have symptoms of sleep apnea, but who don’t possess serious health conditions as those with severe sleep apnea. For patients who struggle to lie still for prolonged periods of time or have difficulty getting comfortable enough to fall asleep, we may also recommend a take-home sleep study.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Take-Home Sleep Study?
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of take-home sleep studies:
- Near-immediate access to data by our team of professionals.
- Portable option that doesn’t require being hooked up to multiple monitors with cords.
- Small device that doesn’t impede on ability to sleep.
- Disposable device that doesn’t require you to return it to the office.
- Potential for parts of the device to become disconnected while asleep, creating issues with data retrieval.
- No technician will be monitoring you as you sleep to make sure the device remains in place.