Diagnoses & Treatment
Not all sleep disorders need an overnight recording.
First Part
- The evaluation consists of two parts. The first is a thorough history and physical examination that is done by Amita Bhalla, MD. At the time of the initial evaluation you will be asked to fill out questionnaires to get detailed information on your health, sleep habits, sleep environment and any current medications you are taking including prescription and over the counter or health food supplements. Not all sleep disorders need an overnight recording, your physician will explain the whys and why nots on an individual basis.
Second Part
- The second part of the evaluation involves either a Home Sleep Study in the comfort of your own home or referal to a sleep lab for a in-lab sleep study (for one or two nights). During this monitoring session we will be recording brain waves, eye movements, air movement through the nose and mouth, muscle activity of your legs and sometimes your arms, breathing effort as measured by abdominal and rib cage muscle activity or movement, electrocardiogram, and pulse oximetery (measuring the amount of oxygen carried by the blood). All measurements are done with surface electrodes; there are no needles or skin punctures required. You will be sleeping in a comfortable room and in spite of the fact that you will be in darkness we will be recording your images on a digital recorder that makes it look as if you were sleeping in bright daylight.