Screening test for sleep apnea, called night polygraphy
A sleep apnea screening test called a night polygraph is performed at home with an easy-to-use device.
You will receive a written opinion from a specialist. If the examination reveals findings suggestive of sleep apnoea, we recommend that you make a separate appointment with a specialist doctor who can discuss treatment options with you.
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What is sleep apnea
Sleep apnea screening is a test for sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that occurs during sleep. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are intermittent snoring, breathing interruptions and daytime sleepiness.
Sleep apnea is a disease associated with recurrent sleep-disordered breathing. Complete breathlessness lasting more than 10 seconds is called apnea and partial breathlessness is called hypopnea. In the worst cases, the breathlessness can last for more than a minute. They usually end in brief awakenings during sleep, which the sleeper may not even notice.
If persistent breathing interruptions cause symptoms such as snoring and daytime sleepiness, it is often obstructive sleep apnea, or sleep apnea caused by upper airway obstruction.
How a sleep study is done
Screening for sleep apnea is done at home. The test monitors breathing, heart rate, oxygen saturation, airflow through the nose and snoring. The Sydänkeskus uses the patient-friendly ApneaLinkTM Air device to screen for sleep apnea.
The device is easy to use. Patients put it on themselves when they go to bed, following instructions from the Sydänkeskus. When the patient wakes up in the morning, they take the device off. A diary is kept of wake-ups and events during the night.
An instruction video on how to put the device on can be found here.
When to carry out a screening
Reasons to seek screening for sleep apnea may include:
- loud, intermittent snoring and sleep-disordered breathing
- persistent daytime fatigue
- morning headache and throat roughness
- irritability and other mood disorders, even depression
- inability to concentrate and forgetfulness
- increased need to urinate at night and night sweats
Read more about sleep apnea.
The link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease
Sleep apnea breathing interruptions cause sleep fragmentation, fluctuations in intra-thoracic pressures and an increase in carbon dioxide levels.
The most significant in terms of the development of cardiovascular disease are considered to be recurrent episodes of oxygen deprivation, or hypoxaemia, followed by reoxygenation.