Sleep laboratory
Before we can treat a sleep disorder, we should know what type of sleep disorder is present and whether and what causes may be involved. The success of a therapy is based on an exhaustive examination and interview, preliminary diagnosis. If a diagnosis is not possible thereby, an examination in the sleep laboratory should take place.
The first detection and recording of brain waves, the EEG (electroencephalogram), in the 1930s has contributed to our ability to learn more about sleep over the last 80 years. The analysis of EEGs allows to detect the activity of the brain in real time. Only then could it be determined that sleep is a dynamic process, and therefore anything but a death-like state.
The progress of sleep research to date is best reflected in the creation of the so-called sleep laboratories.
Biological body signals must be recorded for the sleep analysis.
- brain waves: EEG (electroencephalogram),
- eye movements: EOG (electrooculogram),
- muscle tension: EMG (electromyogram).
The sleep can be divided into different stages by means of these current waves that reflect different physiological body states. Nowadays, five sleep stages are assumed which occur in different forms in healthy sleepers as well as in subjects with disturbed sleep.
We also measure oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry) in order to diagnose sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) or test the effectivity of a breathing mask.
Sleep deprivation EEGs and polysomnographies (sleep laboratory) can be carried out on the premises after sleep deprivation. For this, there should be a sleep deprivation of at least 7 hours, i.e. the patient should stay awake from 2 o'clock and appear for the examination at 9 o'clock without having slept. Video EEGs of up to 9 hours can likewise be recorded on the premises.
If these screening method indicates a structural sleep or sleep and breathing disorder, we can arrange a complete overnight sleep analysis, which will be carried out by the same staff who performed the examination after sleep deprivation on an outpatient basis. In this way, it is possible to establish a precise diagnosis and indicate a breathing mask whose functionality is likewise tested and adjusted overnight by means of a polysomnography.
Here you will soon find self-assessment forms that may indicate the type and cause of the sleep disorder.
