Scheduled For A Sleep Study? How To Make Your Stay At The Sleep Center More Effective

If you're struggling to get a good night's sleep and you're scheduled for a sleep study, you'll need to prepare for your stay. In most cases, you'll need to spend at least one night at a sleep center. During your stay, the sleep center staff will monitor your sleep patterns. This is intended to provide a clear picture of the problems that are causing you to lose sleep. To make sure the sleep center staff is able to obtain the most accurate information, you should prepare for your sleep study. Here are four steps you should follow prior to checking into the sleep center. 

Don't Deviate From Your Routine

If you're scheduled to spend that night at a sleep center, the most important thing you can do is stick to your normal routine. Any deviations from your normal routine could interfere with your sleep study. This is especially true if you overexert yourself. If this happens, you could be so exhausted that you sleep more soundly than usual. For the most accurate results, try to spend your day following your typical routine. 

Eliminate Your Caffeine Intake

If you're scheduled for a sleep study, you want to eliminate as much caffeine from your diet as possible. Too much caffeine can interfere with your sleep study. You might think that you only need to eliminate coffee from your diet, but that's not the case. You actually need to eliminate all sources of caffeine, including tea, caffeinated sodas, and chocolate. For the best results, you should eliminate caffeine several hours before you're scheduled to check in at the sleep center. This will give your body enough time to flush the caffeine out of your body before your evening sleep study. 

Push Through the Fatigue

If you find yourself overly tired on the day of your sleep study, avoid the urge to take a nap. You might not think that a quick nap would undermine the effectiveness of your sleep study, but that's not the case. In fact, taking a nap could make it harder for you to fall asleep once you check in at the sleep center. To ensure accurate results, push through the fatigue. 

Avoid Certain Medications

If you take prescription medications, continue taking them for your sleep study. However, if you take over-the-counter medications, such as allergy medications, avoid those on the day of your sleep study. You want to be awake and alert when you check in at the sleep center.

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