NYC Sleep Doctor Explain Why Getting a Sleep Study Is Nothing to Fear

So you've been having sleep problems for a while now, right? And rather than try to "tough it out" and hope that the problems go away on their own, you've actually "done the right thing" and consulted NYC sleep specialists like the doctors at New York Sleep-Wake Center. After performing an examination, these doctors have recommended that you have a sleep study to help them pinpoint the exact causes of your sleep problems so they can eliminate them.

But it's been weeks – or longer – and you still haven't picked up the phone to schedule that sleep study. You've been procrastinating…putting it off and putting it off, and never making an appointment. So what's up with that?

Don't feel bad – a LOT of people are afraid to have a sleep study

We understand, really. Many people – not just in our practice but also in sleep clinics around the world – experience worry or anxiety when asked to have a sleep study. Some of these people feel that going to sleep is something private that they do alone, or only in the company of their normal sleep partner, so the thought of having people they don't even know looking at them while they're asleep is scary for them. Other people, remembering how badly they sleep in strange locations when traveling, are afraid that they'll schedule a sleep study and then lie there tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep.

These fears are normal, but unnecessary

First, it's important to understand that having some anxiety about having a sleep study is natural. So many sleep disorders are caused by anxiety that it's difficult to tell which came first – the sleep problem or the anxiety. This is the reason we make the environments in which we conduct our sleep studies as comfortable and as "normal-feeling" as possible. The beds look and feel like real beds (not hospital beds), and we have temperature and light controls that allow us to adjust the environment to exactly the way you want it.

This is one of the reasons why, although it's natural to fear that you won't be able to fall asleep in a strange location, our daily experience at one of the best sleep centers in NYC is that this almost never happens. Most patients who have sleep studies in our facilities report having little or no trouble falling asleep. And once they do fall asleep, the non-intrusive equipment we use to perform our tests enable us to accurately diagnose sleep disorders without interfering with your ability to sleep.

With regard to fears of "being watched" while you sleep, although it is important for our experts to track your movements and how often you toss and turn, this is done with video cameras, so no one is present in the room with you.

Finally, and most important, if your NYC sleep doctors feel that it's important for you to have a sleep study but you really don't feel comfortable having one in our offices, just say so. With proper preparation, sleep studies can be performed with portable equipment that can we set up in your home.

Why a sleep study? What do they reveal that tests while awake don't?

Some sleep disorders such as sleep apnea only appear when you are asleep. Yes, if you're constantly tired during the day we can make an educated guess that you are suffering from sleep apnea, but to be completely sure it's necessary to track your actual sleep patterns. So the best advice we can give you is that if your doctors recommend a sleep study and you have strong reservations, talk to us about it. You won't be the first person to feel some anxiety about this, and we may have suggestions that will relieve your fears about the study.

Author Bio: NYC Sleep Doctor from the best sleep center in NYC explain what a sleep study is, and how to overcome any anxiety you feel about having one.

For more details: http://www.nycva.org

This Article Is Written By a Professional Author