Getting a sleep study done

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aasiyah1422
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Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 12:46 pm

Getting a sleep study done

#1 Post by aasiyah1422 »

Does anyone have experience getting a sleep study done for sleep apnea? What is the test like?

I was recommended to do it before pursuing jaw surgery because it can provide better reasoning to insurance that surgery is a necessity. I've only had a few episodes over the years back when I didn't know it was sleep apnea. I'm worried that the test will show that nothing is the issue or that I wouldn't show any signs of sleep apnea, and it'll just be a waste. I don't know where to ask for one or get started. I feel like I just might have UARS, but that is a separate issue.

snapdresser
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Re: Getting a sleep study done

#2 Post by snapdresser »

I had a sleep study done. They found mild/medium sleep apnea but it was enough that my $95k surgery was 100% covered by insurance (less maybe $1,500 out of pocket for various appointments, consults with other surgeons, etc.). It’s definitely worth it if your insurance will cover the surgery for sleep apnea and you don’t qualify for coverage due to other issues such as your bite. If you already qualify based on your bite, then it could be good anyways, just to know how the surgery affects your sleep apnea, but it’s not necessary per se. If it shows nothing, then you just wasted an evening but I think a lot of people have mild sleep apnea.

You should be able to get a referral from your surgeon or your normal physician to see a sleep medicine doc. They spend about an hour wiring you up and then expect you to sleep. I got barely any sleep my first time. I recommend you use a sleep center that offers a sleeping pill if you think it might be a problem for you.
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bbsadmin
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Re: Getting a sleep study done

#3 Post by bbsadmin »

My husband and I have both had sleep studies. You go to the facility in the evening and they hook you up to a lot of wires all over your body. That is a bit awkward. Then you eventually fall asleep. IDK about other places, but at our facility it was OK to take a sleeping pill. They monitor your brain waves and movements from an adjacent room. If you are having a lot of apneas, they might wake you up and fit you for a mask. Then you go back to sleep and they see the difference. They can tell whether you have sleep apnea due to your throat tissues closing up, or whether it is central apnea, which is a problem with your nervous system and is treated a bit differently. Depending on the results, you might need a CPAP, APAP, or BiPAP.

Around 7 am the sleep study is finished and you go home.

Neither of us has had any surgery for apnea. We both use CPAP machines. It's really no big deal.
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