How sleep tests from your sleep specialist in Columbia, SC, can help improve your sleep

You need peaceful, relaxing, profound sleep to function at your best. Sleep plays a vital role in your body’s ability to recharge itself. If you aren’t sleeping well, sleep tests can help you find out why. The sleep specialists Dr. Richard Bogan and Dr. Laura Herpel at Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC, provide a wide range of sleep medicine services including sleep tests, to improve your sleep.

When You Sleep Well, It Helps Your Body Because:

• Sleep helps relax your muscles
• Sleep boosts your immune system, so you experience less sickness
• Sleep helps control your caloric intake so you can manage your weight more effectively
• Sleep lowers your risk of serious health conditions including heart disease and diabetes

When You Sleep Well, It Helps Your Mind Because:

• Sleep enhances brain health
• Sleep reduces stress
• Sleep increases your ability to concentrate and focus
• Sleep helps with decision making and problem solving

When You Sleep Well, It Helps Your Spirit Because:

• Sleep helps improve your mood
• Sleep can decrease feelings of depression and anxiety
• Sleep helps promote an overall feeling of wellness

The average adult needs about 7 hours of quality sleep per day. If you are having trouble sleeping, you could have a sleep disorder. Sleep testing is the first step to discovering why you are not sleeping well.

Your sleep specialist may recommend:

• A polysomnogram, which measures and records your brain waves, oxygen levels, heart rate, breathing, and eye and leg movements 
• A multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), which tests for daytime sleepiness and how fast you fall asleep in the daytime
• A split night study, which is helpful to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea
• A maintenance of wakefulness test, which monitors how well you can stay awake

There are a few important proactive steps you can take to sleep better at night. Remember to:

• Limit your caffeine intake
• Don’t eat a large meal before going to sleep
• Keep televisions and other blue screen devices out of your bedroom
• Start a relaxation ritual such as taking a bath, reading a book, or meditation to signal your body that it’s time for sleep

To learn more about sleep tests and how they can help improve your sleep, call the sleep specialists Dr. Richard Bogan and Dr. Laura Herpel at Bogan Sleep Consultants in Columbia, SC. You can reach them in the office by calling (803) 251-3093, so call now.