Polysomnography: What It Is and How It Helps Diagnose Sleep Disorders
When you can’t sleep—or you sleep too much but still feel tired—polysomnography, a comprehensive overnight sleep study that records brain activity, eye movements, heart rate, breathing, and muscle activity. Also known as a sleep study, it’s the gold standard for figuring out what’s really going on when your sleep goes wrong. It’s not just about counting how long you’re asleep. It’s about seeing how your body behaves during each stage of sleep, and catching problems you didn’t even know you had.
Polysomnography doesn’t just spot sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. It also finds insomnia, when you struggle to fall or stay asleep despite having the chance, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and even unusual behaviors like sleepwalking or night terrors. Doctors use it when simple advice—like cutting caffeine or sleeping earlier—doesn’t fix the problem. It’s the diagnostic tool that turns guesswork into facts.
What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a textbook on sleep science. It’s real-world guidance from people who’ve been through it. You’ll see how polysomnography connects to medication side effects that disrupt sleep, how certain antibiotics can worsen breathing at night, and why some drugs like benzodiazepines might be prescribed—but shouldn’t be long-term. You’ll also find how conditions like PCOS, diabetes, and heart issues tie into sleep quality, and how tools like CPAP machines or sleep hygiene changes are recommended after the study. This isn’t theory. It’s what patients and doctors actually deal with when sleep stops working.
Whether you’re wondering why you’re exhausted every morning, or your doctor just ordered a sleep study, you’re not alone. The posts here cut through the noise and give you clear, practical answers—no jargon, no fluff, just what you need to understand what’s happening and what to do next.
Polysomnography: What to Expect During a Sleep Study and How Results Are Interpreted
Polysomnography is the gold standard sleep study used to diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome. Learn what happens during the test, how results are interpreted, and why it's more accurate than home tests.
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