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The first important step

Do you snore loudly, choke or gasp during sleep or generally feel sleepy during the day?

Do you experience morning headaches, problems concentrating or mood swings?

These are possible symptoms of sleep apnoea and could have serious consequences.

If you suspect you have sleep apnoea, the first place to start is a visit to your GP. He or she will need to know your symptoms and how long you have had them. Some of the ways to help GPs diagnose sleep apnoea include:

• Medical history.
• Understanding of how you have been sleeping as well as functioning during the day.
• Checking your mouth, nose or throat for abnormalities.
• A recording of what happens with your breathing while you are sleeping.

Before visiting your GP, you might want to keep a sleep diary for two weeks. Information you may wish to record includes (but not limited to) the following:

• What time you go to bed each night.
• What time you get up in the morning.
• How many times you wake up during the night.
• Whether you feel rested when you wake up.
• If you take naps during the day.
• Whether you feel sleepy or rested throughout the day.

The sleep diary can help your GP understand your sleeping patterns and may provide clues about what is causing the problem and how to correct it.

If your GP thinks that you have a problem with breathing during sleep, he or she will refer you to a Respiratory Physician who will conduct detailed tests by sending you for a sleep study.

The sleep study is painless and can be performed in a hospital, sleep lab or in the comfort of your own home. It will record several health variables as you sleep including, your breathing pattern, brain activity, eye movement, heartbeat and oxygen levels.

These indicators will allow your Respiratory Physician to calculate different parameters such as your Apnoea/Hypopnoea Index (AHI). AHI is generally used to determine the severity of sleep apnoea. With all this information, your Respiratory Physician will be able to diagnose or rule out sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders and determine if treatment is required.

There are two main types of apnoea: obstructive and central. The most common type of apnoea is obstructive, which can occur in mild to severe forms.

LISA™ can help you understand your sleep apnoea and assist you in taking the next step towards improving your sleep fitness.