What is involved in a sleep study?

Dr. Brodner will send you to a local sleep center where you will spend the night, sleeping there for 6 to 8 hours. It is not a hospital and is furnished like a fine hotel, providing most of the comforts of your own home. Do not worry about the test itself; there are no needles involved or anything that is painful. Using stick-on electrodes, your technician will measure heart rate and rhythm, blood oxygen levels, brain waves, muscle movements, and breathing patterns. Qualified as a Board Certified Sleep Medicine specialist, Dr. Brodner will personally analyze this information and determine whether or not you suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

What if I cannot fall asleep?

Many patients who are already experiencing difficulty with their sleep worry they will not be able to sleep in a strange place while monitored by machines. Dr. Brodner may prescribe a sleeping aid that will allow you to sleep without problems. Studies and experience have shown that greater than 95% of patients are able to fall asleep and obtain good test results.

Why do I need a sleep study?

The only tool Dr. Brodner has to confirm the diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the polysomnogram, also known as a sleep study. You cannot assume you do not have sleep apnea simply because no one has noticed that you stop breathing at night or because you do not feel yourself waking up several times an hour. Besides bothersome snoring, the disease is often silent. Unfortunately, this is the reason sleep apnea often remains undiagnosed for many years, because patients do not realize they have a serious medical problem.