Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

 

 

 

 

What is Sleep Medicine?

• Sleep Medicine is a relatively new super-specialized branch of medicine dealing with sleep physiology, its disorders and treatment. It also deals with sleep related issues and complications of various other medical or psychiatric illnesses like asthma, diabetes or depression.

 

• Who is a Sleep Medicine Specialist?

  • A sleep medicine specialist is a medical specialist doctor who has been specially trained in the branch of sleep medicine after/ above his primary specialization training.

 

• What does “Board Certified Sleep Specialist” mean?

  • World Sleep Federation in collaboration with the Indian Board of Sleep Medicine confers ‘International Specialist Certification in Sleep Medicine’ fellowship to specialized doctors who satisfy their stringent criteria of training, experience in sleep medicine as super-specialty subject and pass their board certification examination. Such ‘board certified sleep specialists’ are highly trained in comprehensive management of all types of sleep disorders and providing a holistic treatment plan for the patients. Unfortunately the number of such ‘board certified sleep specialists’ is still very low in our country.

 

• I am having sleep problems. Which doctor shall I visit?

  • Ideally one should search for any ‘Board Certified Sleep Specialist’ in the area for appropriate and adequate diagnosis and treatment of his/her problem. In case such a super-specialist is not available, one can visit any pulmonologist or ENT specialist with experience and interest in sleep apnea for sleep related breathing disorders or a psychiatrist or neurologist with experience and interest in sleep disorders for management of insomnia.

 

• Does snoring signify ‘deep sleep’?

  • No. It’s a myth through the ages. Snoring is the noise caused by the vibration of soft tissues in our air passage (naso and/or oropharynx) while air attempts to enter forcefully through a narrowed air passage during sleep.

 

• Is snoring bad?

  • Not essentially. Up to 30% of snorers report no abnormality or problems in their sleep/ daytime activity. They are called benign snorers. However, the rest can be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and a host of other such serious sleep disorders which are putting them at severe risk for numerous cardiac, metabolic, psychiatric complications apart from severely decreasing their productivity and work performance and increasing the risk of accidents including but not limited to road traffic accidents.

 

• But snoring is so common! Then everybody needs to get treated!

  • Not everybody, but as of now, certainly a large proportion of patients suffering from various sleep disorders remain untreated in society due to low awareness and ignorance among general populations and medical professionals. A day may come in not so distant future when sleep medicine devices become common place like spectacles and contact lenses, and the question will become “what design or color shall I buy?” rather than “do I need it?”

 

• What can happen if I don’t get treated for my sleep problems?

  • Though commonly neglected, numerous research all over the globe shows a very dismal outcome of those with chronically inadequate or disrupted sleep. Sleep disorders if left untreated can lead to severe rise in cardio metabolic and psychiatric complications like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety etc. thereby shortening lifespan or decreasing the quality of life of an individual.

 

• How do I know if I am suffering from a sleep disorder?

  • Some common symptoms are difficulty falling asleep or getting up, non-refreshing sleep, feeling fatigued all day, lethargy, difficulty in concentration, memory deficits and distractibility, dozing off during passive activities (like meetings/ seminars/ watching TV, reading etc.) or even active activities (like driving/ operating machinery etc.). Others include abnormal behavior during sleep or movement of limbs during sleep. One or more may be present. It’s always ideal to consult with a board certified sleep specialist who will diagnose any sleep disorder if present and provide a comprehensive management plan. Sometimes, Polysomnography (sleep test) or some blood tests may be required to confirm the diagnosis.

 

• What are the different types of sleep disorders?

  • There are close to a hundred different types of sleep disorders recognized all over the world at present. Some of them are very common and symptoms can be recognized in friends and family. A brief description of some of the common sleep disorders are given in the patient resources section of this website.

 

• What is ‘sleep test’ / ‘polysomnography’?

  • Polysomnography is a highly specialized and important test in which multiple parameters like EEG (brain waves), ECG, EMG(muscles movements), blood oxygen levels, body position, breathing efforts, airflow, snoring  etc. are recorded all through the night while the patient is asleep. Some studies may involve video recording for any abnormal events or movements during sleep.

  • However, in our country, most of the sleep tests done (particularly Home sleep testing) are limited studies, where all the parameters are not recorded or recorded with only a limited number of leads.

  • Our centre is the only centre in South Kolkata where 56 channel polysomnography is available with HQ infrared video recording (Gold standard in sleep monitoring) and among only 2-3 other centres in entire Kolkata.

  • Moreover, the reporting is done manually (Gold standard) by board certified sleep specialist, thus, significantly increasing the authenticity and specificity of the test.

 

• Is it painful?

  • No. It is entirely painless and non-invasive. However, there may be some discomfort initially as multiple tiny gold plated cups (leads) are placed on various body parts using hypo allergic cream/gel and tape.

 

• How can I prepare for a sleep test?

  • Kindly see the details under ‘patient resources’ tab of this website.

 

• What are the side effects of a sleep test?

  • Being a non-invasive test, there are absolutely no side effects of this test.

 

• Is sleep test expensive?

  • Yes and No at the same time. We charge a little bit more than the other commonly available home sleep testing centres but significantly less than that of the corporate hospitals. We, however, provide a rate chart where the patient after discussion with the sleep physician can chose how many channels/ leads are required for his particular condition and hence pay according to the number of leads required. It helps the patients save unnecessary expenses during diagnosis.

  • Our charges are more than home testing centres as we use a highly sophisticated machine costing around three times than that of the home testing machines. Moreover, we provide manual scoring by default as an extra benefit to the patient.

  • Our charges are less than that of the corporate hospitals simply because we don’t provide the plush interiors and decorations of a corporate hospital at the moment. However, our machines are way more sophisticated than those used for an average sleep study done in any corporate hospital.

  • Moreover, we can arrange a sleep test using our sophisticated machine in corporate hospitals like Belle Vue Clinic, Iris Multispecialty Hospital, Medica Superspeciality Hospital, Ruby General Hospital at an additional cost (varies between different hospitals).

 

• What is the treatment for various sleep disorders?

  • Different sleep disorders are treated differently. Treatment depends on the type of disorder to be treated and is generally customized to the individual. Generally, one or more among Pharmacotherapy, Psychotherapy, Phototherapy, Positive Airway Pressure devices, Oral appliances are required. Rarely, surgery may be required in some cases. For, details, kindly go to the patient resources section of this webpage.

 

• I am suffering from insomnia. What can I do?

  • You can contact any sleep specialist (preferably board certified) in your area for the same. Or you can come to us. We will be happy to evaluate and manage your problem.

 

• I have been prescribed a sleeping pill by my doctor for my sleep problems. Is it bad?

   

  • Unfortunately, it’s a common practice by many physicians and general practitioners as of now. Most patients exaggerate it further by continuing those pills by repeating prescriptions without the supervision of the treating doctor. Indiscriminate use of sleeping pills can lead to a multitude of problems not to mention dependence, tolerance, habit formation and liver/ kidney damage. Its vital to evaluate the problem thoroughly as to find its nature and cause and then treat it as per the latest recommendations in the field. It may require some short term use of sedative medications, but the goal is to modify the behavi and sleep pattern of the individual using non pharmacotherapy, apart from treating any comorbid medical, psychiatric or sleep disorders if present.