Do you often feel exhausted during the day, even though you slept the night before? Do you often encounter headaches or dry mouth during waking hours? These are examples of common warning signs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you think you may be at risk, then try our sleep questionnaire so your Pearland, TX, dentists can assess your sleep habits.
What Is the Questionnaire Looking For?
The goal is to obtain an assessment of your current sleep habits and to find out if you require treatment for sleep apnea. The first three questions we ask are related to sleep apnea. We want to know if you understand what the disorder is, and if you’ve been diagnosed with it or ever worn a CPAP mask in prior treatments. Next, we’re going to look at your nighttime habits. Specifically, we want to know if you suffer from chronic snoring, have trouble breathing when on your back, or if you’ve woken up gasping or air or struggling to breathe. These could be symptoms of OSA, along with feeling tired after a good night’s rest or cessation of breathing for brief periods during the night.
The Epworth Sleep Scale
With the Epworth sleep scale, we ask a series of questions about situations in which you tend to doze off or fall asleep. By each question is a scale of zero to three, so you can assess your likelihood of falling asleep or dozing when sitting and reading, watching television, sitting down in a public place, riding in a car, or lying down in the afternoon. If you find yourself dozing when speaking with friends, eating a meal without alcohol, or just sitting in traffic, these could again be signs that you need treatment for a serious sleep disorder.
Diagnosing Your Disorder
If the results of your questionnaire point to sleep apnea, our next step is to send you home with a sleep test machine. The machine will record breathing exertion, blood oxygen levels, and apneic episodes as you rest comfortably in your own bed. Once we analyze the results, we know if you will need treatment and may recommend an oral appliance. Custom-made for each patient, the appliance will fit comfortably and help keep airways open, so you don’t have trouble breathing or stop breathing as you rest. If you have any questions about our online form, our sleep test, or regarding our treatment options, then please contact our team today. We would love to help you rest easier!
Do You Have Trouble Sleeping?
Don’t let poor rest impact your overall health. To learn more about our sleep apnea solutions, then please call Houston Sleep Solutions in Spring, TX, at (281) 320-2000, or in Pearland, TX, at (832) 564-3508.
