Sleep Scale – Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Encino, Tarzana, Chatsworth, Calabasas, Studio City, Sherman Oaks

A poor night’s sleep usually causes far more torment the following day. When you suffer sleep apnea, you can count on an awful lot of sleepless nights. This disorder makes it nearly impossible to reach the deep levels of sleep our bodies require, as you’re constantly woken up, struggling for air. To make an assessment of how much your life is being affected, doctors use many tools. As is the case in any investigation, the information is gathered, in part, from the affected individual themselves. The doctor you see may well present you with a short questionnaire.

On this questionnaire, you’ll be asked a few simple interrogatives about your sleepiness. These questions ask you to rate how likely you are to fall asleep during common activities. In most versions of these tests, you’ll be asked to give a rating from 0-3 regarding, for instance, how likely you are to fall asleep while trying to read, drive, watch television and so forth. You’ll be surprised to find out how much information a doctor can glean from such questions and how far this questionnaire can go in determining what the best next steps may be for your healthcare.

The primary symptom of sleep apnea is sleep deprivation. While this is usually viewed as something relatively minor, remember how much of your life is affected by a poor night’s sleep. You may find yourself unable to concentrate, incapable of focusing your attention and performing a lot of the tasks you do every day on what amounts to “autopilot”. While this is oftentimes written off as being a bit sleepy, consider the fact that, during the day, you probably drive, may operate other machinery and engage in other tasks which are downright dangerous without a sharp mind. This questionnaire will help you assess just how clear you mind tends to be.

The questionnaire also reveals a lot about how your sleep apnea may be affecting you on a personal level. For instance, if you always seem uninterested when a partner or spouse is talking to you, it can cause huge problems in your relationship. If you tend to literally doze off when they’re speaking, the effects on both of you can be significant. You may find from this questionnaire that your relationships aren’t the only things that are suffering. It may, in fact, reveal that you’re rather “out of it” for a great amount of your waking hours.

The sleep scale, if it indicates a problem, will likely be followed by a polysomnograph. In this study, the doctor watches you while you sleep and keeps an eye out for problems. If you have several apnea attacks over a certain interval, for instance, the doctor may be able to start figuring out what might help. They may even send you to a dentist to have an appliance built that will combat sleep apnea. All of these treatment options start with some simple questions, so be sure to answer them honestly and accurately.

To learn more about Sleep Apnea treatments and to find out if they are right for you, contact Smile Studio LA at 818-788-1352 today for a free consultation!