What Now? We are here to provide Solutions to your Questions
Over the last month, we have discussed the history of poor sleep, how it has permeated our culture, and what good sleep is supposed to look like. If you have been finding yourself waking unrefreshed, unable to initiate or maintain sleep, or ending up getting kicked out of your own bedroom because of your snoring, there is help out there.
It is important for everyone to advocate for their own sleep health and to take sleep seriously. Sleep is intrinsically tied to so many aspects of our overall health, it should be considered for assessment when evaluating our health. We often get asked what the steps are to investigate your sleep and how the process works, we hope this will answer some of those questions.
Please discuss your poor sleep with your regular healthcare providers, you can also reach out to specialty clinics like ours if you feel you need more information. One of the most beneficial first steps is a sleep study, which can take place in a sleep lab or in the comfort of your own home. Sleep studies are crucial in understanding why you may be having issues with your sleep. Sleep studies of various levels provide diagnostic information for disorders such as Sleep Apnea and Periodic Limb Movement as well as other crucial clues about Insomnia, reduced deep or REM sleep and so much more.
When you reach out to our clinic, one of the initial steps will be to complete a Level III Home Sleep Study. Once completed, it will provide information regarding your breathing, heart rate, sleeping positions and oxygenation levels at night. The results of the study are then scored by a Registered Polysomnogram Technician and Interpreted by a Sleep Specialist Physician that diagnoses any breathing disorders and offers recommendations for treatment. If the results of the study come back negative for any breathing issues, we may discuss a referral to an in lab Polysomnogram sleep study depending on your symptoms. These are the studies that allow the Sleep Physician to study brain waves and stages of sleep, as well as things like Periodic Limb Movement. These results will also be sent to your primary care physician for review.
If you have previously undergone a Home Sleep Study or Polysomnogram we can also assess those and discuss them with you. If they are indicative of Sleep Apnea, your first step is going to be finding a Sleep Apnea treatment option that works for you. It is important to treat sleep disordered breathing even if you feel that something like Insomnia is your primary issue, because Sleep Apnea can be an underlying cause of Insomnia. We provide CPAP Therapy overseen by an RPSGT and Clinical Sleep Health Educator, as well as Custom Oral Appliance Therapy provided by a Sleep Dentist that is Board Certified in Dental Sleep Medicine. These both require a prescription from your physician and are often covered by extended health benefits. We can also provide adjunctive therapies such as positional therapy.
If your sleep study does not indicate an issue with your nighttime breathing, we have further programs to assess Insomnia and poor sleep. Our Brief Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia is structured for those with issues initiating or maintaining sleep. Our RightSleep Program can help those with poor sleep quality who wake unrefreshed, especially those with consistent morning headaches or pain. If you feel that nutrition is an area that you need to improve, we also offer referrals to a Food for Sleep Program that focuses on the important link between our nutrition, sleep and overall health. The Food for Sleep Program is also a great option for those who would like to optimize their Sleep Apnea Therapy with realistic and sustainable weight loss.
Our Initial Consultations have no cost, and if warranted a Home Sleep Studies can also be dispensed at no cost. If you are referred by a physician for an in lab Polysomnogram sleep study, that is covered by MSP. We strongly support these options being accessible to everyone and will also provide shipping of Home Sleep Study for a small fee if you are unable to come to one of our clinics. There are many options out there for improving your sleep, do not hesitate to contact us for any issues you have, even if you do not see a solution for yourself in this blog! We hope this clarifies the process and helps answer some questions about how sleep disorders are investigated, diagnosed and therapies used to manage them.
If you have questions about your sleep or the sleep of someone you know reach out to us today
604-58SLEEP (604-587-5337) or
604-98SLEEP (604-987-5337)
info@sleepbetterlivebetter.ca www.sleepbetterlivebetter.ca
Sleep Better Live Better
We are your
Centre for Excellence in Home Sleep Diagnostics and Non-Surgical Sleep Therapies including
Custom Oral Appliances (the Alternative to CPAP) and CPAP
