At-Home Sleep Apnea Test | Sleep Specialist in Philadelphia
Board Certified Sleep Specialist Near Me
As we go about our busy lives, we may occasionally forget to prioritize a good night’s sleep. The truth, however, is that sleep is more vital to your overall health than you may realize, and missing out on an appropriate amount of sleep each night can make you vulnerable to a wide variety of additional health problems. Sometimes, readjusting your sleep schedule to be healthier and more regular is within your control, a simple matter of altering your routine. However, some sleep ailments are more serious and may require medical intervention to help you find relief.
If you’re a current patient, and having trouble overcoming your insomnia, the team at Mercado Medical Practice can help. We’re proud to offer at-home sleep testing, whether you require a simple sleep apnea test or an in-depth overnight assessment. Our sleep apnea test is able to track the oxygen levels and effort you expend while breathing in your sleep, allowing us to determine whether or not you need to be treated for sleep apnea. For sleep issues that are more difficult to diagnose, our sleep experts can conduct an overnight sleep study to capture data such as brain waves, leg movements, heart activity, and more.
Sleeplessness can be extremely detrimental to your quality of life, and no patient should have to live without the appropriate amount of sleep. If you’re ready to find answers to your sleep troubles and achieve the good night’s sleep you’ve been waiting for all from the comfort of your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Mercado and the team at Mercado Medical Practice today.
Accurate At-Home Sleep Apnea Test
Sleep apnea is far from uncommon, affecting around 26 percent of all adults. This becomes especially true as we get older, since sleep apnea tends to affect those between the ages of 30 and 70, with this likelihood increasing as we age. However, the fact that this condition is so common doesn’t mean it should be taken any less seriously.
If you’re living with sleep apnea, your breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the course of a night’s sleep. This means that the involuntary action of breathing you may take for granted in your waking hours becomes compromised for intervals at a time. If you stop breathing for too long, your brain will automatically wake you up, resulting in potentially dangerous levels of insomnia. There are several types of sleep apnea, including these main three types:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: occurs the muscles in your throat become too relaxed
- Central sleep apnea: occurs when the signals between your brain and the muscles you use to breathe become compromised
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome: describes the condition of someone living with both of the previously-listed types of sleep apnea
If you schedule a Philadelphia at-home sleep study apnea test with the specialists at Mercado Medical Practice, we’ll test for each of these types of sleep apnea. Once we determine which type is ailing you, we’ll work with you to develop a treatment plan that will help you find relief.
Experienced Geriatric Sleep Specialist - Philadelphia, PA
At Mercado Medical Practice, we’re proud to have extensive medical knowledge and experience focusing on the treatment of patients who are ages 65 and older, and our sleep medicine program is no exception. Our expertise tells us that older patients tend to be affected more frequently and seriously by insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sources of sleep trouble, and that this disproportionate vulnerability only increases with age.
Aging can have detrimental effects on your ability to sleep for a multitude of reasons, including the following:
- Your circadian rhythm changes as you age, shifting forward in time in a process known as “phase advance.” If you find yourself waking up and going to sleep earlier as you get older, this is probably why.
- If you take naps during the day, like many older adults do, you may be negatively affecting your ability to sleep later in the day
- As we age, we spend more time in the light stages of sleep than the deep stages, causing us to sometimes wake up during the night and become restless during sleep.
The focus Dr. Mercado and his team place on treating older adults will allow us to target your sleep problems at the source and address these factors when helping you develop a treatment plan. If you’re an older patient looking for relief from restless nights, don’t hesitate to schedule your at-home sleep study with us as soon as possible.
Providers
Max E. Mercado, MD
Jose A. Bossbaly, MD
*Photos of Dr. Bossbaly taken by Harrison Brink for Al Dia
Frequently Asked Questions on Sleep Testing Services
Why might I benefit from a sleep test?
If you’re struggling with insomnia, or a loss of sleep, a sleep test can help you find a definitive answer for your difficulties. Once we have an accurate diagnosis, we can begin developing a treatment plan and find you relief as soon as possible.
What types of sleep disorders can a sleep test detect?
While the at-home sleep apnea test is designed specifically to detect signs of sleep apnea, our more in-depth overnight sleep test is capable of diagnosing multiple other sleep disorders, including (but not limited to):
- Narcolepsy
- REM sleep behavior disorder
- Sleepwalking
- Periodic limb movement disorder
- Restless legs syndrome
Who can benefit most from a sleep test?
Anyone whose life is being negatively affected by difficulty sleeping can benefit from the answers provided after a sleep study. However, seniors are particularly vulnerable to sleeping difficulty, making older adults excellent candidates for testing.
Will you perform the sleep test in my home?
Yes! Both our simple sleep apnea test and our in-depth overnight sleep studies can be performed in the comfort and safety of your home.